Palworld Guide: Pal and Player Stats Explained

This guide explains how Pal and player stats work in Palworld, what each stat does, and how they interact during gameplay. You’ll learn how to read the stat screens, how leveling and Effigies affect your numbers, and how to choose Pals for combat, base work, or breeding.

Player Stats: Health, Stamina, and Attack

Your character has four core stats that increase as you level up. Each level grants one point to spend on a stat of your choice, and you can respec later using a Memory Wipe potion sold by the medicine vendor in small settlements.

HP (Health): Determines how much damage you can take before fainting. Higher HP is essential for exploring dangerous areas and fighting Alpha Pals.
Stamina: Controls how long you can sprint, dodge, glide, and climb. Stamina is also consumed when using certain tools and weapons, so a low pool can leave you unable to escape fights.
Attack: Increases the damage of your melee weapons and your bare fists. It does not affect gun damage or Pal attack power.
Work Speed: Makes you craft, build, and gather resources faster. This is the most useful stat for base-building and resource farming.

You also have a separate Capture Power stat that is not affected by leveling. It is improved by collecting Lifmunk Effigies and offering them at a Statue of Power, which permanently raises your capture rate.

Pal Stats: The Numbers Behind Every Pal

Every Pal has a stat screen that shows its level, HP, Attack, Defense, Work Speed, and Support. These values are determined by the Pal’s base stats, its level, its IVs (hidden individual values), and its Partner Skill level.

HP: The Pal’s health pool. Higher HP Pals like Mammorest can tank hits, while fragile Pals like Cattiva need protection.
Attack: Affects all damage the Pal deals with its moves, both in combat and when using Partner Skills that deal damage.
Defense: Reduces incoming damage from enemy attacks. Important for Pals that stay in the front line.
Work Suitability: A list of base tasks the Pal can perform (e.g., Kindling, Watering, Gathering). The level of each suitability (1-4) determines how fast they work at that task.
Partner Skill: A unique active or passive effect. Some Pals give you a mount, others boost your attack, and some increase your carrying capacity.

Unlike your character, Pals do not gain stat points when they level up. Instead, their stats increase automatically based on their base stats and IVs, so two Pals of the same species at the same level can have noticeably different stats.

How Leveling Works for Pals

Pals gain experience from combat, from catching other Pals, and from completing tasks at your base. When a Pal levels up, its HP, Attack, and Defense increase by a fixed amount determined by its species. This means a level 20 Lamball will always have lower stats than a level 20 Anubis, regardless of how you trained it.

The most efficient way to level Pals is to catch new ones, as each capture gives experience to your whole party. You can also use Pal Souls at a Statue of Power to further boost a Pal’s stats beyond what leveling provides. Souls are found in chests, dropped by bosses, and can be purchased from some merchants.

IVs, Traits, and Hidden Stats

Each Pal has hidden IVs (Individual Values) that range from 0 to 100 for HP, Attack, and Defense. These are set when the Pal is caught or hatched and cannot be changed. A Pal with 100 IVs in Attack will have noticeably higher attack than one with 0 IVs at the same level.

Traits (passive skills) also affect stats. For example, the Musclehead trait increases Attack by 30% but decreases Work Speed, while Ferocious increases Attack by 20% with no downside. Traits are inherited from parents during breeding, so breeding is the main way to get Pals with ideal stat combinations.

You can check a Pal’s IVs by talking to the Pal Professor in the Ancient Civilization ruins (requires a Pal Analyzer accessory) or by using third-party calculators that estimate IVs from the visible stats.

How Player and Pal Stats Interact

Your player stats and your Pal’s stats are mostly separate, but they interact in a few key ways:

Mounts: When riding a Pal, its stamina pool is used for sprinting and gliding, not yours. Your HP and defense are still your own, so you can be knocked off or killed while mounted.
Partner Skills: Many Partner Skills scale with the Pal’s stats. For example, a Pal with a damage-dealing skill will deal more damage if its Attack stat is higher.
Work Speed: Your own Work Speed stat does not affect your Pals’ work speed. Each Pal has its own Work Suitability level and speed.
Capture Power: Your Capture Power (from Effigies) determines the base chance of catching a Pal, but the Pal’s current HP and status effects (e.g., Sleep, Burn) also modify that chance.

Choosing Pals Based on Stats

When deciding which Pals to keep, consider what you need them for:

For combat: Look for high Attack IVs and traits like Ferocious or Musclehead. High Defense and HP are secondary but useful for tanking.
For base work: Work Suitability level matters more than combat stats. A level 1 Kindling Pal is much slower than a level 3 Kindling Pal, even if the former has higher Attack.
For breeding: You want Pals with high IVs in all stats, because IVs are passed down with a 30% chance from each parent. Breeding two high-IV parents gives the best chance of a high-IV offspring.
For mounts: Stamina and movement speed are the key stats. Check the Pal’s Partner Skill description for its mount speed—some Pals (like Direhowl) are faster than others.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

One common mistake is assuming that a Pal’s level is the only thing that matters. A level 30 Pal with terrible IVs can be weaker than a level 25 Pal with perfect IVs. Always check the actual stat numbers, not just the level.

Another misconception is that your player’s Attack stat affects Pal damage. It does not. Your Attack only affects your own melee attacks. To increase your Pal’s damage, you need to level it up, improve its IVs, or give it better traits.

Finally, many players waste Effigies early on without realizing that the Capture Power bonus has diminishing returns. The first few Effigies give a big boost, but later ones give very small increases. It’s still worth collecting them all, but don’t expect a huge jump in capture rate after the first 10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I respec my player stats in Palworld?

Yes. You can craft or buy a Memory Wipe potion from the medicine vendor in small settlements (like the one in the starting area). Drinking it resets all your allocated stat points, letting you redistribute them.

Do Pal IVs matter for base work?

No. IVs only affect HP, Attack, and Defense. Work speed is determined by the Pal’s Work Suitability level and its species, not by IVs. A Pal with 0 IVs works just as fast as one with 100 IVs at the same suitability level.

How do I see a Pal’s IVs in-game?

You need the Pal Analyzer accessory, which you can get from the Pal Professor in the Ancient Civilization ruins. Equip it, then interact with a Pal in your party or at a base to see its IV percentages.

Does the player’s Work Speed stat affect Pal work speed?

No. Your Work Speed only affects your own crafting and gathering. Pals work at their own speed, which is based on their Work Suitability level and species.

What is the max level for Pals and players?

As of the current early access version, the max level is 50 for both players and Pals. This may increase in future updates.

Can I change a Pal’s traits?

No. Traits are fixed when the Pal is caught or hatched. The only way to get a Pal with different traits is to catch or breed a new one. Breeding is the most reliable way to get specific trait combinations.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.

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