Stress is one of the main parameters in the game along with health. Heroes accumulate stress in dungeons by entering and traveling there. Stress is highly increased by moving backward in the dungeon, by receiving critical strikes or special stress attacks, by hitting traps and by interacting with curios. Trinkets and quirks also can increase stress.
Heroes can withstand stress up to 200 points. After that mark, they will enter the Death’s Door or just die. Upon receiving 100 points of stress heroes most likely will get an affliction or a virtue. Virtues can seriously help you in the battle, but they appear much less often than afflictions with negative features.
Let’s discover how to deal with stress.
How to reduce stress?
There are a lot of ways to increase stress in the game, but not so many possibilities to reduce it. All ways are divided into two big groups:
- Reducing stress in the Hamlet.
You can cure stress of your heroes in the Tavern and in the Abbey. Simply put one or more stressed heroes there, pay some gold and wait for a week. You will reduce stress significantly and remove all afflictions in that way. Note that some quirks don’t allow heroes to visit specific rooms in the Tavern or in the Abbey as well as a force to visit only one room. You also can just leave a hero in the Hamlet, but he will cure only 5 points of stress per week.
The Tavern features. Tippler, Gambler and Love Interest quirks allow heroes to reduce stress only in the Bar, Gambling Hall, and Brothel respectively. The resolution, Known Cheat and Deviant Tastes quirks prevent heroes to visit these locations.
The Abbey features. Enlightened, God Fearing and Flagellant quirks allow heroes to reduce stress only in the Cloister, Transept and Penance Hall respectively. Unquiet Mind, Witness, and Faithless quirks prevent heroes to visit these locations.
- Reducing stress during a mission.
You can reduce stress with camping skills of different heroes. You may use Encourage with all heroes to cure stress of a single character. Or you can choose specific skills to reduce the stress of all heroes such as Anger Management of the Abomination or Zealous Speech of the Crusader. Some amount of stress will be reduced after performing a critical strike, receiving a critical heal, disarming a trap or interacting with certain curio.
How to prevent stress?
We also have helpful advice for you on preventing stress during a mission:
- Try to get positive quirks and equip right trinkets to decrease an amount of stress gained;
- Buff heroes to reduce future stress damage with camping skills, not only heal them;
- Experiment with curios and correct objects from inventory to prevent stress;
- Keep a high level of light by using new torches and special skills;
- Scout all traps and battles and avoid secondary ones;
- Always try to disarm traps as it will seriously reduce stress;
- Slay stress-producing enemies at first before they can attack you;
- Kill foes with a non-zero level of stress to reduce it.
You should know that combat skills could heal stress. Use it in tough battles. The Leper can heal himself with Withstand as well as the Abomination can do it with Absolution. The Crusader, the Jester, and the Houndmaster can use their Inspiring Cry, Inspiring Tune and Cry Havoc respectively to reduce the stress of all heroes.
Keep these things in mind and conquer the Darkest Dungeon!
