Damage Reduction

Damage reduction is a defensive property of shields and any other equipment that can be used to block an attack in Demon's Souls.

On the item's stat screen, it is displayed as two numbers separated by a slash mark. The left number is the percentage of physical damage that will be negated by successfully blocking, and the right shows the percentage of any magic damage that will be negated upon successfully blocking.

Shields generally block both types better than weapons or catalysts. The damage reduction for Fire damage is hidden; however, the Large Brushwood Shield and the Purple Flame Shield significantly reduce incoming fire damage. A shield's magic damage reduction can be increased by upgrading it along the Dark path.