Stress, virtues, and afflictions

Manage psychological damage inside and outside expeditions.

Updated 10/5/2026Source-backed editorial base · v1

Overview

Stress is a second survival bar. At the resolve check, a hero may become virtuous or suffer an affliction that changes behavior and affects the party. Extreme stress creates further danger.

Thresholds that change the expedition

State	Consequence
100 stress	Resolve check: affliction or virtue. Do not rely on a guaranteed virtue.
200, without virtue	Heart attack: enters Death's Door; a hero already there can die outright.
200, with virtue	The virtue is lost and stress resets to zero instead of the ordinary heart-attack result.
Return to the Hamlet	Stress is not recovered like health; plan rest or treatment.

Before the expedition

Prioritize stress-dealing enemies during long missions.
Use camp and stress recovery before the crisis point.
Avoid pushing several heroes to the threshold together.
Reserve Hamlet treatment for heroes needed in the next rotation.

Visual reference

Official Darkest Dungeon I promotional screenshot: Visual example of an affliction after accumulating stress. Historical game interface.

Official Darkest Dungeon I promotional screenshot: Plague Doctor gaining a virtue. Historical game interface.

Official Darkest Dungeon I promotional screenshot: Tavern: stress relief activities. Historical game interface.

Official Darkest Dungeon I promotional screenshot: Abbey: stress relief options. Historical game interface.