Stone Flux Pauldron

Survivors of the Void - DLC Content Stone Flux Pauldron is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Stone Flux Pauldron
Double your health... BUT halve your speed.
Increase max health by 100% (+100% per stack). Reduce movement speed by 50% (+50% per stack).
Rarity	Lunar
Category	Utility
Stats
Stat	Value	Stack	Add
Max Health	100%	Linear	+100%
Speed	100%	Reciprocal	+1

The Stone Flux Pauldron is a lunar item in Risk of Rain 2, added in the Survivors of the Void expansion.

This item increases the holder's maximum health by 100% (+100% per stack). However, it also decreases the holder's movement speed by 50% (+50% per stack).

Notes

• Correction: The description that it halves movement speed is inaccurate. The effect is reciprocal as it multiplies the movement speed by $1/(1+stacks)$. One stack will indeed halve movement speed, but additional stacks will have a diminishing effect. However, even this is not the complete picture, as movement speed is actually calculated as $baseValue\times sumOfIncreases/sumOfDecreases$. As such, if the player has already accrued a lot of other sources of negative contributions, one stack of this item will not halve the overall stat value but have a diminishing effect.

Tips

• For most characters and builds, keep in mind that the movement speed penalty of Stone Flux Pauldron will generally be far more troublesome than the accompanying health bonus is worth. The vast majority of enemy attacks come in the form of close-range melee, projectiles with a travel time, and telegraphed area-of-effect attacks. All these attacks also generally will not track a moving player and instead lag behind. As such, the loss of one's ability to effectively dodge these attacks and/or flee from unfavorable fights will more than likely end up meaning they'll take a lot of damage that they could have otherwise avoided. Often, the player may end up taking far more damage than the extra health of the Pauldron can defend them from.
• This speed penalty also complicates one's ability to get around each stage in order to search for interactables, and as such, might make it difficult to keep up with the time-based scaling of the game's difficulty. This may be exacerbated in multiplayer games, where a player with one or more Stone Flux Pauldron(s) could have trouble getting to chests and other sources of items before the faster player(s) can pick the stage clean.
• The "suffocation" effects presented by the Void FieldsVoid Fields (Hidden Realm)
  Cosmic Prison
  Hidden Realm accessible only through the Bazaar Between Time. Until the cell is stabilized, the Void Fields will constantly "suffocate" the player for a small percentage of their current health., Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
  Void Locus is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info. Void LocusSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
  This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info.Void Locus (Hidden Realm)
  Cell IIIVIIIIIILVIIIVLVILIVLLLVVVILIVLI
  You dream of potential.
  
  The Void Locus contains many Void Potentials and Cradles in place of chests, and is inhabited by Void monsters., Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
  The Planetarium is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info. The PlanetariumSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
  This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info.The Planetarium (Final)
  Cell V
  The Planetarium is an area somewhere within the Void, housing a collection of planets detained by the Void's denizens. It is inhabited primarily by the Voidling, the guard of the Planetarium or potentially the controller of the Void itself., and Void Seeds are also made far more dangerous, as their damage scales with the player's maximum health anyways. The Pauldron will not make the player survive any longer inside the void, and the movement penalty will leave them slowly trudging through ever-damaging fog.
• Similarly, the implosion attacks of dying Void ReaversVoid Reaver
  HP: 1900 (+570 per level)
  Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level)
  Class: Ranged / Self-Destruct
  Speed: 6 m/s
  Armor: 0, Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
  Void Jailer is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info. Void JailersSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
  This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info.Void Jailer
  HP: 2200 (+660 per level)
  Damage: 14 (+2.8 per level)
  Class: Ranged / Self-Destruct
  Speed: 7 m/s
  Armor: 0, and other such Void enemies will kill in one hit regardless of health, making a swift escape more or less the only option to survive them.
• Due to the mathematics of how a player's movement speed is calculated, it is generally a losing battle to try to overcome the Pauldron's speed penalty by taking items which give movement speed bonuses, especially when taking more than one Pauldron. Each one taken will more than double the number of Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
  Mocha is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info. MochaSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
  This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info.Mocha
  Slightly increase attack speed and movement speed.
  Increases attack speed by 7.5% (+7.5 per stack) and movement speed by 7% (+7% per stack)., Paul's Goat HoovesPaul's Goat Hoof
  Increase movement speed.
  Increases movement speed by 14% (+14% per stack)., and Energy DrinksEnergy Drink
  Increase sprint speed by +25%.
  Sprint speed is improved by 25% (+25% per stack). necessary to break even and return to normal movement speed.
• A notable quirk revealed by the exceptionally low movement speeds possible by stacking Stone Flux Pauldrons is the fact that a player's friction with the ground is directly tied to their movement speed. As such, stacking many Pauldrons will make the player incredibly slippery, making it rather difficult to manage the knockback caused by enemy attacks (especially explosions like the Jellyfish'sJellyfish
  HP: 60 (+18 per level)
  Damage: 5 (+1 per level)
  Class: Self-Destruct
  Speed: 10 m/s
  Armor: 0 self-detonation) or the recoil from their own skills (such as Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
  Railgunner is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info. Railgunner'sSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
  This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
  Click for more info.RailgunnerThe Railgunner is a long-range, single target survivor that can instantly kill any high priority target - and from any range.
  Class: Ranged
  HP: 110 (+33 per level)
  Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level)
  Armor: 0
  Umbra: Forgotten Nomad XQR Smart Round SystemXQR Smart Round System (Primary)Fire aggressive tracking rounds for 100% damage.
  Survivor: Railgunner).
• With all these factors in mind, it may be better to cut losses with respect to movement speed and instead focus on alternative means of movement that are unaffected by the movement speed stat.
  • A skilled LoaderLoaderThe Loader is a slow but powerful bruiser that can use her grappling hook to uniquely navigate the environment.
    Class: Melee
    HP: 160 (+48 per level)
    Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level)
    Armor: 20
    Umbra: Bionic Powerhouse can make great use of this item, as she can rely on the momentum from her Charged GauntletCharged Gauntlet (Utility)Heavy. Charge up a piercing punch for 600%-2700% damage.
    Survivor: Loader or Thunder GauntletThunder Gauntlet (Utility)Heavy. Charge up a single-target punch for 2100% damage that shocks enemies in a cone for 1000% damage.
    Survivor: Loader to get moving, and use her Grapple FistGrapple Fist (Secondary)Fire your gauntlet forward, pulling you to the target.
    Survivor: Loader or Spiked FistSpiked Fist (Secondary)Stunning. Fire your gauntlet forward, dealing 320% damage. Pulls you to heavy targets. Light targets are pulled to YOU instead.
    Survivor: Loader to redirect her momentum and close gaps between herself and nearby enemies.
  • MUL-T'sMUL-TMUL-T is an aggressive survivor who has the tools necessary for any job!
    Class: Melee / Ranged
    HP: 200 (+60 per level)
    Damage: 11 (+2.2 per level)
    Armor: 12
    Umbra: Right Tool for the Wrong Job high base health and innate ability to grant itself considerable amounts of armor with its assorted skills makes it an excellent candidate for leveraging the benefits of the Stone Flux Pauldron. The push it receives from the ending burst of Auto-NailgunAuto-Nailgun (Primary)Rapidly fire nails for 70% damage. Finishes with a blast of 12 nails.
    Survivor: MUL-T also offers a means to compensate for the loss in movement speed, especially when used in conjunction with Power ModePower Mode (Special)Enter a heavy stance, equipping both your primary attacks at once. Gain 100 armor, but lose -60% movement speed.
    Survivor: MUL-T. Timing the release of two Auto-Nailgun bursts along with a simultaneous jump allows for a directed leap that can carry the player a considerable distance, and the nailguns will usually be ready to fire again just a moment or two after hitting the ground, even without any boosts to firing speed.
  • Picking up a Wax QuailWax Quail
    Jumping while sprinting boosts you forward.
    Jumping while sprinting boosts you forward by 10m (+10m per stack). or two will grant the player an alternate means of movement regardless of their chosen Survivor, as the boost it gives when a sprinting player jumps is calculated to send them a certain distance forwards, regardless of the player's movement speed. Do keep in mind that having too many Quails may make it difficult to make precise movements, especially with the implicit reduction in friction.
  • With the H3AD-5T v2H3AD-5T v2
    Increase jump height. Hold 'Interact' to slam down to the ground.
    Increase jump height. Creates a 5m-100m radius kinetic explosion on hitting the ground, dealing 1000%-10000% base damage that scales up with fall distance. Recharges in 10 (-50% per stack) seconds., the item's ability to crash down to the ground after holding the interact key will allow for the player to halt their momentum in mid-air, should they need to. The item's extra effect of negating all fall damage is also especially helpful in this scenario: The player's low traction and reliance on less-controllable means of movement will make falling off of ledges much more common, and fall damage is calculated as a percentage of the player's health, making it hit harder for high-health players.
  • On all survivors, jumping without providing any directional input (WASD/movement stick) will completely halt any non-vertical momentum. This gives a player with several Stone Flux Pauldrons a consistent means to slow down without having to rely on their immensely reduced friction, so long as they are on the ground to start with.
• The Stone Flux Pauldron's health boost synergizes best with items and abilities that benefit from the player taking damage, help the extra health last longer, aid with healing, and/or scale positively with the player's maximum health.
  • The Survivors of the Void - DLC Content
    Roll of Pennies is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
    Click for more info. Roll of PenniesSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content
    This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run.
    Click for more info.Roll of Pennies
    Gain gold on taking damage.
    Gain 3 (+3 per stack) gold on taking damage from an enemy. Scales over time. and especially RazorwireRazorwire
    Retaliate in a burst of razors on taking damage.
    Getting hit causes you to explode in a burst of razors, dealing 160% damage. Hits up to 5 (+2 per stack) targets in a 25m (+10m per stack) radius are quintessential for their ability to benefit from the player being damaged, supplying a tanky player with exceptional sources of gold and damage output, respectively.
  • Although helpful at first, items that grant flat healing, such as Harvester's ScytheHarvester's Scythe
    'Critical Strikes' heal you.
    Gain 5% critical chance. Critical strikes heal for 8 (+4 per stack) health. and Leeching SeedLeeching Seed
    Dealing damage heals you.
    Dealing damage heals you for 1 (+1 per stack) health., will quickly be outstripped by the comparatively massive pool of maximum health that stacking several Stone Flux Pauldrons can offer. Instead, it's generally better to focus on items and equipment that heal for a percentage of maximum health, such as MedkitMedkit
    Receive a delayed heal after taking damage.
    2 seconds after getting hurt, heal for 20 plus an additional 5% (+5% per stack) of maximum health., Interstellar Desk PlantInterstellar Desk Plant
    Plant a healing fruit on kill.
    On kill, plant a healing fruit seed that grows into a plant after 5 seconds.
    
    The plant heals for 5% of maximum health every 0.5 second to all allies within 10m (+5.0m per stack). Lasts 10 seconds., Strides of HeresyStrides of Heresy
    Replace your Utility Skill with 'Shadowfade'.
    Replace your Utility Skill with Shadowfade.
    
    Fade away, becoming intangible and gaining +30% movement speed. Heal for 18.2% (+18.2% per stack) of your maximum health. Lasts 3 (+3 per stack) seconds., and Foreign Fruit45sForeign Fruit
    Heal on use.
    Instantly heal for 50% of your maximum health..
  • Similarly, the flat damage reduction of Repulsion Armor PlateRepulsion Armor Plate
    Receive flat damage reduction from all attacks.
    Reduce all incoming damage by 5 (+5 per stack). Cannot be reduced below 1. and PlanulaPlanula
    Receive flat healing when attacked.
    Heal from incoming damage for 15 (+15 per stack). will be dwarfed by the damage of heftier blows that are normally much easier to dodge; for this, consider pursuing items that instead boost armor, such as the Jade Elephant45sJade Elephant
    Gain massive armor for 5 seconds.
    Gain 500 armor for 5 seconds..
  • Helfire Tincture45sHelfire Tincture
    Burn everything nearby... including you and allies.
    Ignite ALL characters within 15m for 12s. Deal 5% of your maximum health/second as burning as damage. The burn is 0.5x stronger on yourself, 0.25x stronger on allies, and 24x stronger on enemies. and N'kuhana's OpinionN'kuhana's Opinion
    Fire haunting skulls when healed.
    Store 100% (+100% per stack) of healing as Soul Energy. After your Soul Energy reaches 10% of your maximum health, fire a skull that deals 250% of your Soul Energy as damage. are uniquely powerful in combination with Stone Flux Pauldron, as they are the only means of offense with a damage output that scales with the user's maximum health instead of their base damage stat. A massive health pool from the Pauldron will give a correspondingly massive damage boost for both of these items.
• Since this is the only item that reduces movement speed (excluding Tonic AfflictionTonic Affliction
  Reduce ALL stats when not under the effects of Spinel Tonic.
  Reduce ALL stats by -5% (-5% per stack).), the Stone Flux Pauldron can be used in long runs where a player is overwhelmed by extreme levels of speed, making movement much easier to manage.

Lore

"Much like the earth, you must be sturdy and inflexible. Completely and utterly immovable, in both body and mind. Fear not the sword of your enemy, visualize it shattering against your skin. Focus, and make it true. Fear not the tumbling avalanche, visualize it yielding to your will. But heed, and do not fight without reason. Those who remain rooted will quickly find themselves alone."

-Will of Combat, First Excerpt

Version History

Survivors of the Void

• (Undocumented) Added New Item: Stone Flux Pauldron