Mechanic

Low Life

A player or monster is on Low Life while its current Life is 35% of maximum Life or lower. Exactly 35% counts as Low Life. Items can replace that threshold or make another resource determine whether the condition is satisfied.

0.5.4d

Current data

Catalog version 0.5.4d

No direct 0.5 patch change is linked to this page. The displayed values are current for catalog version 0.5.4d.

What Low Life does

Current rules

Divide current Life by maximum Life. A character with 1,000 maximum Life is on Low Life at 350 Life or lower. Do not use the percentage missing: 650 Life means 35% is missing, but the character is at 65% and is not on Low Life by default. Check for threshold replacements such as Coward's Legacy and count-as effects such as Serpent's Lesson before evaluating conditional items, Skills, passives, or Omens.

The default threshold is 35% remaining: Low Life begins at 35% of maximum Life and includes the boundary. With 1,000 maximum Life, 350 is Low Life and 351 is not. The same definition applies when an effect checks whether a monster or Minion is on Low Life.
Maximum Life is the denominator: The check compares current Life with maximum Life. Increasing maximum Life can move the threshold, while recovery or damage changes the current amount. Missing 35% leaves 65% remaining and does not satisfy the default Low Life condition.
High begins at 65%: High is a separate resource state that begins at 65% of maximum. Under the default thresholds, Life above 35% and below 65% is neither Low nor High. A count-as effect or threshold replacement can make the states overlap.
Full means 100% without reservation: Full Life requires 100% of maximum Life. Valid Overflow above maximum still counts as Full, but filling all unreserved Life does not count as Full when any Life is Reserved unless the effect explicitly checks Full Unreserved.
Coward's Legacy replaces the threshold: Coward's Legacy says the wearer is considered on Low Life at 75% of maximum Life or below instead. Between 65% and 75%, the wearer can therefore count as both on Low Life and on High Life.
Serpent's Lesson links Life and Mana states: Serpent's Lesson makes the wearer count as on Low Life while at 35% of maximum Mana or below. It also makes the wearer count as on Low Mana while at 35% of maximum Life or below. The focus changes the state checks without setting either resource amount.
While and when you reach are different: While on Low Life is a continuing condition. When you reach Low Life describes crossing into the state. A reaching trigger does not repeatedly activate merely because the character remains at or below the threshold.
The owner of the state matters: While you are on Low Life checks the player. Supported Minions on Low Life checks the Minion. Against enemies on Low Life checks the enemy. One entity satisfying the condition does not make another entity satisfy it.

Current Low Life interactions

6 cases

Threshold and cross-resource items

Coward's Legacy replaces the threshold with 75% of maximum Life. Serpent's Lesson makes Low Mana determine Low Life and Low Life determine Low Mana.

Reaching Low Life triggers

Omen of Resurgence fully recovers Life, Mana, and Energy Shield when the character reaches Low Life. Omen of Refreshment fully recovers flask and Charm charges. These check the transition into Low Life rather than continuously applying while the state remains active.

Continuing item bonuses

Wondertrap grants increased item rarity, Starkonja's Head grants global Evasion, Rise of the Phoenix grants Fire Resistance and regeneration, and Redbeak grants Attack Damage while their Low Life conditions are satisfied.

Evasion Rating(462-693)RequiresLevel 50, 71 Dex(100-200)% increased Evasion Rating(15-25)% increased Critical Hit Chance+(30-40) to Dexterity150% increased Global Evasion Rating when on Low Life15% of Damage from Hits is taken from your Damageable Companion's Life before youThere was no hero made out of Starkonja's death,but merely a long sleep made eternal., Rise of the PhoenixRise of the PhoenixUnique | Omen Crest Shield

Block chance25%Armour66Energy Shield20Base Movement Speed-0.015RequiresLevel 36, 30 Str, 30 IntGrants Skill: Raise Shield (Level 25)+5% to Maximum Fire Resistance+(20-25)% to Fire Resistance+25% to Fire Resistance while on Low LifeRegenerate 3% of maximum Life per secondRegenerate 3% of maximum Life per second while on Low LifeMy bearer shall be guarded by flame,for I am the phoenix, forever radiant in glory., Redbeak

Execute Supports

Execute I and II grant more Hit damage against enemies on Low Life. Execute III also grants more Hit damage while the supported Skill's user is on Low Life, so the enemy-side and player-side conditions remain separate.

Related: Execute I, Execute II, Execute III

Player and Minion Supports

Direstrike I and II grant Attack Damage while the player is on Low Life and the supported Persistent Skill is active. Minion Instability instead checks supported Minions and makes them explode when those Minions reach Low Life.

Modifiers and passive effects

Current passive and item modifiers can grant damage, Critical Damage Bonus, recovery, Evasion, Stun Buildup, Cast Speed, or other benefits while the player or target is on Low Life. Read the subject and scope of each line before combining them.

Limits and exceptions

5 rules

Low Life means 35% remaining or less by default, not 35% missing.
Not Low Life begins above 35%, but High does not begin until 65%.
Counting as on Low Life does not spend, reserve, recover, or set Life.
When you reach Low Life is a threshold-crossing event, not a continuously repeating condition.
Player, Minion, Ally, and enemy Low Life checks belong to different entities.

Related mechanics

MechanicRunic Ward

Runic Ward protects the final point of Life. When damage would reduce Life to 0, Life stops at 1 and current Runic Ward absorbs the remainder. The character still dies if the remaining damage is greater than the Ward available.

MechanicLow Mana

A player is on Low Mana while current Mana is 35% of maximum Mana or lower. Exactly 35% counts as Low Mana. Not being on Low Mana begins above 35%, while High Mana does not begin until 65%.

MechanicReservation

Reservation commits part of a resource to an active effect. Most persistent Skills reserve Spirit, but some effects reserve Life or Mana. The reserved amount remains part of the resource's maximum and cannot be spent, recovered, or used as defence while it is reserved.

MechanicOverflow

Overflow allows a specified recovery source to raise Life, Mana, Energy Shield, or Runic Ward above its normal maximum. Current Life, Mana, and Energy Shield Overflow is capped at 150% of maximum. The effect does not increase the maximum resource itself.

MechanicBlood Magic

Blood Magic removes the character's Mana and converts Skill Mana Costs into Life Costs. It changes which resource pays for Skills, so Life recovery and cost management become part of sustaining every Mana-costing action.

MechanicPain Attunement

Pain Attunement changes Critical Damage Bonus according to Life state. It grants 30% more Critical Damage Bonus on Low Life, imposes 30% less on Full Life, and does neither between those states.

MechanicUnlucky

An Unlucky value is rolled twice and the worse result is used. The modifier affects only the named roll, such as enemy Hit damage, Physical Hit damage, Lightning Hit damage, Critical Hit chance, or Evasion chance.

MechanicSurrounded

You are Surrounded when at least five enemies are within 3 metres of your character. Surrounded is a condition, not a Buff: it has no duration, does not stack, and grants nothing by itself. Items, passive skills, and Support Gems check whether the condition is currently true and apply their own listed effects while it is.

Guides using this page

BasicsLow, High, and Full Resource States

Understand Low Life, Low Mana, High, and Full thresholds in PoE2, including reservation, overflow, count-as modifiers, and effects that trigger only when a threshold is crossed.

Catalog version 0.5.4d

What Low Life does

Current Low Life interactions

Limits and exceptions

Related pages

Items and gems using this mechanic