PSA: You Probably Shouldn’t Hug Fia All the Time in Elden Ring

Elden Ring players have been lovingly embracing Fia in the Roundtable Hold since the game launched last week, but it turns out that may not be the best idea. Despite how warm and inviting her arms may appear to be, Fia’s hugs are more costly than they seem. If you’ve been hugging this deathbed companion willy-nilly, then you may have been playing Elden Ring at a handicap this entire time without even realizing it. Fia’s hugs have been taking away a portion of your maximum HP this entire time.

Elden Ring Fia Debuff Explained

When you hug Fia in Elden Ring, she places a small debuff on you. The game doesn’t draw much attention to it, but if you look at your health bar after a loving embrace with everyone’s favorite friend, you’ll notice a red square with an arrow pointing down, indicating that your HP has been lowered. That’s not a glitch; Fia’s hugs reduce your maximum HP by 5% until you remove the debuff. Now, a 5% debuff doesn’t sound like a huge detriment, but when bosses hit as hard as they do in Elden Ring, every percent of your precious health bar matters.

So what does Fia give you in return for this small offering of HP? You receive an item called Baldachin’s Blessing with every hug. The item description states that it uses FP to temporarily boost your poise, which it does, but it also removes the health debuff and returns your health bar to its maximum capacity. After your temporary poise buff wears off, you’ll get your normal maximum health back.

So When Should You Hug Fia?

Letting Fia hold you every time you return to the Roundtable Hold probably isn’t the best idea. If you do that, you’ll be walking around with a Baldachin’s Blessing in your pocket and 5% less HP than you could have at any given moment. That’s not exactly the best trade, especially since Baldachin’s Blessing is temporary and very situational.

Fia’s hugs are great for boss fights though, both emotionally and gameplay-wise. Poise is an incredibly important stat in Elden Ring, allowing you to take stronger hits without staggering or collapsing. This means you can stay on your feet longer and get more hits in on a tough boss before you get knocked over.

Since you can get your health capacity back after you use Baldachin’s Blessing, you’re essentially trading a small amount of health for a poise buff that you can activate at any time. It activates pretty quickly too, so you can easily use it during a stressful boss fight. If you’re constantly getting tripped by Margit the Fell Omen or another boss with annoying moves, Baldachin’s Blessing will usually let you eat a few hits and stay standing.

Just keep these things in mind when you’re walking by Fia’s room in the Roundtable Hold next time. Don’t let her tempt you. There’s a time and place for Fia’s hugs, but letting her hold you every time you return probably isn’t the brightest idea.

Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.