Buffs and Debuffs | Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Wiki

Different Levels of Buffs Potency in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

In Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the majority of the buffs present in the game come in three levels of potency: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 being the max level. It is also important to understand that you cannot surpass the effectiveness of a Level 3 buff. For example, equipping a full set of attack-up Armor and consuming a Level 3 attack-boosting food will not reward you with higher damage output, it will instead just waste that consumable you just used since equipping a full set of attack-up armor already boosts your attack to Level 3 potency. You can, however, equip two armor pieces with an attack-up buff, and consume a Level 1 attack-boosting Food to reach the Level 3 potency.

With that being said, you are also allowed to have multiple different buffs applied at the same time. For example, you can have a full set of shock-resistance Armor currently equipped, while consuming a Level 3 attack-boosting food at the same time. You can mix and match all different buffs as long as you don't surpass the max level of potency which is Level 3. It is possible that this same mechanic will be applied to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Different Buff and Resistance Categories in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

In Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there are many buffs, debuffs, and resistances that all have their way of affecting how you play the game. We can separate them into three distinct categories — Speed Buffs, Combat Buffs and Resistances, and Elemental Buffs and Resistances. It is safe to assume that this gameplay mechanic will return in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Speed Buffs

The Speed Buffs will include all buffs that increase the player's movement speed such as running, climbing, and swimming.

Combat Buffs and Resistances

The Combat Buffs and Resistances will include all types of attack and defense buffs, as well as resistances to certain enemy types.

Elemental Buffs and Resistances

The Elemental Buffs and Resistances will include all types of elemental and weather buffs and resistances such as cold, heat, and shock.

Weather Conditions in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

In Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, there are different weather conditions that you must learn how to deal with and these weather conditions vary depending on the location.

You can also actively see the current weather condition at the bottom right corner of the screen, the image highlighted is the current weather condition depending on your location. It is also important to note that weather patterns change every three in-game hours or three real-time minutes. You can change the weather by sleeping at home or in an inn. You can also rest at a campfire to pass the time. If there are no beds or campfires nearby, you can always wait a few minutes for the weather to change.

How to deal with Cold and Heat

Being affected by Heat or Cold weather conditions will cause Link to suffer continuous damage. This can be remedied by consuming Food that grants resistance to the said effect, do note that it will only last for a limited time. You can also mitigate those status effects by equipping an Armor that has resistance embedded within them.

There are other creative ways you can deal with Cold and Heat that might be unconventional but can save you in the nick of time if ever you do not have the necessary equipment or consumables readily available at the moment. For example, if you're traveling through a high-temperature area and you do not have the right armor to mitigate its effects or Food to resist the hot weather, you can equip an Ice Elemental Weapon and it will act as a Heat Resistance buff. The same will work if you're traveling in a snowy area, you can equip a Flame Elemental Weapon and it will act as your Cold Resistance buff. You can also find any sort of open flame source in the area, carry a lit torch, or even set an arrow on fire.

Weather Changes Affect Spawn Conditions of Creatures

In Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, weather conditions will affect how creatures are spawned in the game. Some creatures like Fish can only spawn in certain weather conditions, and some insects can spawn more often under certain weather conditions. This is important to take note especially if you're planning on hunting specific creatures and you will need to pay attention to weather changes and cycle through them if necessary.

Keeping Track of the Temperature

On the lower right corner of the screen, you will also find the thermometer which measures Link's current body temperature. You will also notice that there's a blue, neutral, and orange section for that icon.

When the arrow is pointing at neutral, it means that Link is not affected by the Cold or Heat status effects. When the arrow is pointing at the Blue or Orange section, this indicates that Link is being affected by either Cold or Heat status effects.

Be wary of Thunderstorms

During thunderstorms, it is best to remove all metal armor and equip a rubber-infused one. Wearing metal armor will increase the risk of getting struck by lightning and can deal a lot of damage, even killing you instantly at times.

Types of Weather Conditions

There are currently 5 known weather conditions in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and all have different effects:

• Sunny
• Cloudy
• Rainy
• Thunderstorms
• Snowy

Sunny and Cloudy weather conditions have no known effects. Rainy conditions will affect certain gameplay elements, like climbing cliffs will be harder due to making the surface slippery, some creatures and enemies are harder to notice, and using flame bombs or arrows are ineffective. Thunderstorms will have the same effects as if it were Rainy, but with thunderstrikes being apparent and the chance of it hitting you will significantly increase if you're wearing metal armor. The Snowy weather condition can be bad for exploration due to poor visibility, and not wearing any cold-resistance armor can continuously damage you, even trying to swim in cold bodies of water during Snowy will be dangerous.

Different Weapon Stats and Buffs

There are a variety of Weapons in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and most of them have randomized stats and buffs. Most weapons can also be duplicated and despite having the same type of weapon, they may have different attack levels and different stats and buffs embedded within them.

Weapons with Modfiers will have an extra label stating what the modifier is. An icon for the modifier will also be displayed at the top left corner of the inventory menu screen. It is important to note that you can easily spot a weapon with modifiers as the weapon will have a sparkle to them, making it easier to spot when scattered on the ground.