Magic Adjustment (Mag Adj) is a special stat in Dark Souls and Dark Souls Remastered. Unique to spell casting weapons, it determines the amount of damage spells will do. Its potency scales with the relevant character Stat (Intelligence, Int; or Faith, Fth). The higher the Mag Adj, the stronger the spell's effect (note: some spells, such as Chameleon, are not affected by this stat). Be aware that the Mag Adj on different catalysts will scale differently. Specifically, they have different: base Mag Adj, max Mag Adj, and scaling. As some catalysts are meant to be used at lower levels (Oolacile, for example), they will reach their optimal scaling level sooner than those meant to be higher level catalysts (Logan's).

Please see

 

 

Magic Adjustment in Dark Souls

For more tips on using the appropriate Catalyst, and in-depth information on all the Mag Adj stats of all Catalysts, at Int levels 10-59 and 99 (for all intents and purposes, as you'll see, consider this ALL Int levels), read on.

Uses of this page:

  • Knowing which catalyst will be best suited for your current level.
  • Planning which Int level to stop at for an Int build, and which catalyst to use at that level.
  • Knowing exactly when it would be more beneficial to invest in Int or in weapon scaling stats, for a Hybrid build based on using the Crystal Magic Weapon spell. (For more info on the spell: CMW)


Quick Notes

  • The Oolacile catalyst reaches its cap at a whopping 12 Int! It is by far the strongest catalyst at that level, with 180 Mag Adj. To get higher than that with any catalyst, takes 27 Int.
  • The Sorcerer's, Beatrice's and Izalith Catalysts all have the same Mag Adj at all levels.
  • The Tin Banishment Catalyst and Demon's Catalyst are always beat by at least one other catalyst at every Int level. Therefore if you plan on using the catalyst with the best Mag Adj for you Int level, these two are never to be considered.
  • Other than Oolacile's, which caps out at Int 12, catalysts do not have a hard level cap. They will get increasingly diminishing returns until their max Mag Adj at Int 99. So know when to stop! Spending 10 SLs to get 1 more Mag Adj is definitely not worth it.
  • The Darkmoon Catalyst, as it scales with Faith, will remain at its base stat of 19 Mag Adj for all Int levels if you do not raise your Fth. Since this page concerns Int Mag Adj, consider this catalyst as not tested.
  • Velka's Talisman's Mag Adj scales with Int, therefore it is included on this page. Be aware that, in order to use miracles with this talisman, you will still need the base required Faith stat. So to decide whether this talisman is useful to you, compare its Mag Adj with those of other talismans (see: Talisman Mag Adjusts).


Final Note
For all intents and purposes, when choosing the appropriate Catalyst for your Int, there are really only 4 to consider (out of 9 catalysts). They are: Oolacile Ivory, Sorcerer's/ Beatrice's/ Izalith, Logan's, Tin Crystallization (TCC).

Quick Recommendations

  • Int 12-26: Oolacile Ivory Catalyst
  • Int 27-40: Sorcerer's/ Beatrice's/ Izalith
  • Int 41+: Logan's
  • Int 32+ TCC
    • TCC is the strongest for all levels above 32. If you are comfortable with halving your number of castings, go with this one. Otherwise, go with either Sorcerer's (and equivalents) or Logan's, depending whether you are above or below 41 Int.
  • Int 23-31*: Manus Catalyst
    • Manus Catalyst is the strongest for levels 23-31, and when casting abyss sorceries may be stronger than the TCC at higher Int values if you also have high strength. As with the TCC, go with this one at lower Int values if you're comfortable with halving your castings, otherwise Oolacile/Sorcerer's depending on if you're above or below 27 Int.


Recommended Plateaus

  • Int 12-26: If you plan on keeping your Int below 27 and using the Oolacile catalyst, stop at whichever level you need to cast the spell you want. No need to go above the base for the spell since Oolacile is already capped out.
  • Int 30 (32): If you plan on min-maxing using the Manus Catalyst and dark sorceries. Intelligence scaling drops off significantly after 30, so you can put remaining levels into Str to max power of dark sorceries.
    • If you plan to use Pursuers, you will need 32 Int to cast the spell.
  • Int 32: if you plan on min-maxing using the TCC. As with the Oolacile, if the spell you wish to use requires more than 32 Int, then go for the base stat.
  • Int 45: if you plan on min-maxing using Logan's. At 41 Int Logan's Mag Adj is at 215; with only 4 more SLs, it reaches 234. Gains after 45 diminish extremely quickly (at 59 Int, Logan's goes up to 238 Mag Adj from 234 at 45).
  • Int 50: absolute max recommendable, and only for the TCC. At this Int, it has 293 Mag Adj. At 59 Int the TCC has 297 Mag Adj; a 4 point gain for 9 levels. (If you go to 50 Int and would like to use Velka's Talisman, you will get 199 Mag Adj for your Miracles. Compare that with the Mag Adj of other talismans at the base stat required to use the miracle you desire to decide which is best. Do not go above 50 Int for Velka's Talisman either.)



Max Mag Adj Stats (Int 99)

  • Oolacile: 180
  • Darkmoon: 19 (*240 with 99 Fth)
  • Sorcerer's/ Beatrice's/ Izalith: 240
  • Logan's: 250
  • TCC: 315
  • Manus: 295
  • Tin Banishment: 220
  • Demon's: 200
  • (Velka's Talisman: 209 Mag Adj for Miracles at 99 Int)

 

MAG ADJ STATS:

Int \ Cata O.Ivory T.Darkmoon* Sorcerer Beatrice Izalith Logan T.Crystal Manus T.Banish Demon Velka** Oolacile
10 22 19 109 109 19 19 19   22 106 19 180
11 47 19 110 110 19 19 19   47 107 19 180
12 180 19 111 111 26 19 19   109 107 19 180
13 180 19 112 112 52 19 19 116 110 108 20 180
14 180 19 113 113 113 19 19 118 111 109 31 180
15 180 19 114 114 114 19 19 119 112 110 57 180
16 180 19 (118) 119 119 119 19 19 127 116 114 127 180
17 180 19 (123) 125 125 125 19 19 135 121 118 133 180
18 180 19 (128) 130 130 130 19 19 142 126 122 138 180
19 180 19 (133) 136 136 136 19 19 150 131 126 144 180
20 180 19 (139) 142 142 142 22 19 158 136 130 149 180
21 180 19 (144) 147 147 147 31 19 166 140 134 151 180
22 180 19 (149) 153 153 153 47 19 174 145 138 152 180
23 180 19 (154) 158 158 158 70 19 181 150 142 154 180
24 180 19 (159) 164 164 164 100 19 189 155 146 156 180
25 180 19 (165) 170 170 170 100 19 197 160 150 157 180
26 180 19 (170) 175 175 175 112 20 205 164 154 159 180
27 180 19 (175) 181 181 181 124 23 213 169 158 161 180
28 180 19 (180) 186 186 186 136 31 220 174 162 162 180
29 180 19 (185) 192 192 192 148 42 228 179 166 164 180
30 180 19 (191) 198 198 198 160 57 236 184 170 166 180
31 180 19 (192) 199 199 199 165 76 238 185 171 167 180
32 180 19 (193) 200 200 200 170 254 240 186 172 169 180
33 180 19 (194) 202 202 202 175 256 242 187 173 170 180
34 180 19 (196) 203 203 203 180 259 244 188 174 172 180
35 180 19 (197) 205 205 205 185 261 246 190 175 174 180
36 180 19 (198) 206 206 206 190 263 248 191 176 175 180
37 180 19 (200) 207 207 207 195 265 250 192 177 177 180
38 180 19 (201) 209 209 209 200 267 252 193 178 179 180
39 180 19 (202) 210 210 210 205 269 254 194 179 180 180
40 180 19 (204) 211 211 211 209 272 256 196 180 18 180
41 180 19 (205) 213 213 213 215 274 257 197 181 184 180
42 180 19 (206) 214 214 214 220 276 259 198 182 185 180
43 180 19 (207) 216 216 216 225 278 261 199 183 187 180
44 180 19 (209) 217 217 217 230 280 263 200 183 189 180
45 180 19 (210) 219 219 219 234 282 265 202 185 190 180
46 180 19 (211) 220 220 220 235 284 267 203 186 192 180
47 180 19 (213) 221 221 221 235 287 269 204 187 194 180
48 180 19 (214) 223 223 223 235 289 271 205 188 195 180
49 180 19 (215) 224 224 224 236 291 273 206 189 197 180
50 180 19 (216) 226 226 226 236 293 275 208 190 199 180
51 180 19 226 226 226 236 293 275 208 190 199 180
52 180 19 226 226 226 236 294 276 208 190 199 180
53 180 19 226 226 226 237 294 276 208 190 199 180
54 180 19 227 227 227 237 295 277 208 190 199 180
55 180 19 227 227 227 237 295 277 209 191 200 180
56 180 19 227 227 227 238 296 277 209 191 200 180
57 180 19 228 228 228 238 296 278 209 191 200 180
58 180 19 228 228 228 238 297 278 209 191 200 180
59 180 19 228 228 228 238 297 279 209 191 201 180
99 180 19 240 240 240 250 315 295 220 200 209 180

*The Tin Darkmoon Catalyst scales with Faith. If you do not level Faith, it will remain at 19 Mag. Adj. Italicized numbers in parentheses are Mag. Adj. values obtained by raising your Faith.
**Velka's Talisman is a Miracle casting medium that scales with Intelligence. Values in the table are Mag. Adj. values obtained by raising your Intelligence.
Relevant forum thread:




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    • Anonymous

      If your wielding a magic/enchanted weapon with a magic adjustment of 110 in your right hand and the oolocile in your left at 180 why the **** did the devs give the your stupid weapon a stat it cannot use ? It doesn't increase your overall magic adjustment and you cant cast with it ....did I miss something ?

      • Anonymous

        If Manus's catalyst has a much higher scaling in strength then it'll def be stronger than TCC if you max INT and start investing in strength. If strength scaling matters to some of the catalysts then they should be factored in not just INT.

        • Anonymous

          I noticed on this page that Logan's catalyst's Adjust value ticks up at int level 53, from 236 to 237. So I leveled my int character from 50 to 53, but there is literally no damage output difference. I have tested this all over the game in various areas, many different enemies, I don't see any improvement. I'm hardly an expert on this ****, so I'm more than willing to accept that I'm missing something, but what is it?

          • Anonymous

            Anyone here knows which catalyst is the best for buffs? I'm thinking in creating a Sorcerer to fight in PVPs, but with a Claymore or a Rapier (probably Ricard's Rapier) as my weapon when I'm not using sorceries. So basically, I would have a catalyst for sorceries and another catalyst for buff in my right hand weapon

            • Anonymous

              The Tin Banishment and Demon catalyst are both useful as melee weapons if you are planning a Catalyst only no casting run

              • Anonymous

                Hey john i know you've been under a lot of stress lately so i finished all the catalyst coding for you. Geez Mike thanks a lot i appreciate it...Mike why do half of the catalysts have the same scaling ...SO YOU DON'T LIKE IT JOHN? I HELP YOU HERE AND YOU DON'T APPRECIATE IT AT ALL...no no Mike i love it thanks a lot.

                • Anonymous

                  Manus catalyst and TCC both state that they boost sorceries. I know Manus is better for dark sorceries, but what's the added boost from each of the two catalysts?

                  • Anonymous

                    Go back and forth dying on blight town to get Tin Banishment on SL1, just to come back using default sorcerer's default catalyst on late game PVE. Feelsbad man.

                    • Anonymous

                      So do the blocks of cells set off by dotted lines indicate the best catalyst(s) without having to go to the trouble of obtaining the Tin Crystallization or Manus ones?

                      • Anonymous

                        So does the magic adjust work like item discovory (multiplys/is a percentage) so using a staff with 180 magic adjust would multiply the spell by 1.8?

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