You can respec your skills in Arms of God by speaking to an NPC named Sister Anamnesis and offering her a rare consumable item called a Tear of Lethe. She is hidden away in the Sunken Basilica of Remembrance, a secret mid-to-late game area that requires defeating a major boss to access. This process refunds all of your spent attribute points, allowing you to re-allocate them from scratch, but it comes at a steep and escalating cost.
This guide breaks down the exact steps to find Sister Anamnesis, details the full cost of respeccing, and explains which parts of your build can and cannot be changed. Mismanaging this process can be costly, as the Tears of Lethe are finite in each playthrough.
Where to Find the Respec NPC
Sister Anamnesis is not accessible from the start. Finding her is a multi-step journey that involves progressing through the main story until you reach the Grand Ossuary and defeat its guardian. Only then can you unlock the path to her sanctuary.
Step 1: Defeat the Abyssal Prelate in the Grand Ossuary
Your first major objective is to defeat the Abyssal Prelate, the final boss of the Grand Ossuary region. This formidable foe uses a combination of dark sorcery and a massive flail, testing both your reflexes and your build's resilience. Upon defeat, the Prelate is guaranteed to drop two key items: his soul, the Soul of the Profane, and a unique key item called the Chancel Key.
The Chancel Key is the entire reason you fight him for this quest. Its description reads: "A key of brine-caked iron, shaped like a sinking bell. Unlocks the high chancel door in the Weeping Canals, sealing the path to a place of forgotten rites." This is your only clue.
Step 2: Return to the Weeping Canals
With the Chancel Key in hand, you must backtrack to an earlier region: the Weeping Canals. Travel to the Canals Aqueduct bonfire. From there, proceed forward through the main waterway until you reach the large, circular cistern room with the three sewer exits. Instead of taking any of the sewer paths, look for a previously ignored ornate iron door on a raised platform to the right.
This is the locked door mentioned in the key's description. Using the Chancel Key here will open a new, previously inaccessible path.
Arms of God in-game screenshot
Step 3: Navigate the Sunken Basilica of Remembrance
The Chancel Key opens the way to the Sunken Basilica of Remembrance. This is a small but treacherous legacy dungeon. The area is partially flooded, slowing your movement while you are beset by ghostly apparitions called Lingering Sorrows and giant, amphibious Basilica Toads. The water also inflicts a slow-building Drench status effect, which reduces lightning resistance and stamina recovery.
Your goal is the very top of the main basilica chamber. Follow the collapsed pillars and broken stairways upward. At the apex of the ruin, you will find a small, dry alcove lit by a single candle. Here sits Sister Anamnesis, a silent, veiled figure who will not attack you. Interact with her to open the dialogue menu that allows you to initiate the respec process.
What Does It Cost to Reset Your Attributes?
Rebirth is not free. To reset your skills, you must give Sister Anamnesis a Tear of Lethe. These are extremely rare consumables, with only a handful available in each playthrough. Crucially, the cost increases with each subsequent respec you perform.
Your first respec costs one Tear of Lethe. The second costs three. The third costs five, and so on. This escalating price makes it critical to plan your build changes carefully, as frequent adjustments will quickly exhaust the world's limited supply of Tears.
| Respec Attempt | Cost in Tears of Lethe |
|---|---|
| 1st | 1 |
| 2nd | 3 |
| 3rd | 5 |
| 4th | 7 |
| 5th | 9 |
Where to Find Tears of Lethe
Given their scarcity, knowing the guaranteed locations of Tears of Lethe is paramount. While some enemies have an infinitesimal chance to drop them, there are four confirmed, guaranteed Tears in every New Game cycle:
- Cinder-Veiled Peaks: In the chamber after the Twin Gargoyles of the Spire boss fight, strike the back wall behind the large brazier to reveal an illusory wall. The Tear is on a corpse inside.
- Idol of the Betrayer: Complete the questline for the sorrowful knight, Sir Gideon. If you give him the Helm of Solace before the final boss, he will give you a Tear of Lethe as his final reward.
- The Shifting Archives: Found in a chest on the lowest level of the main library, guarded by two Arcane Abominations. You must rotate the central staircase twice to the left to reveal the path.
- Wretched Merchant: A late-game merchant found in the Ashen Precinct sells one Tear of Lethe for a staggering 75,000 Salt. His inventory does not refresh until New Game+.
The Respec Process: What Changes and What Stays?
When you speak with Sister Anamnesis and have a Tear of Lethe, you can select the "Offer Absolution" dialogue option. Confirming your choice will consume the Tear(s) and immediately open the character creation screen.
Here, you will find that all the attribute points you have invested into your six core stats have been refunded. You are returned to the base stats of your starting class, with a pool of points equal to your current level minus your starting level.
Arms of God in-game screenshot
What gets reset:
- Vigor
- Endurance
- Might
- Finesse
- Conviction
- Arcanum
You can re-allocate all of these refunded points however you see fit. However, several key aspects of your character are permanent and cannot be changed through this process.
What is PERMANENT:
- Your starting class (Origin): If you started as a Penitent, you will always be a Penitent. Your base stats are locked to that origin.
- Your character level: Respeccing does not change your level. You are simply re-distributing the points gained from leveling up.
- Weapon Masteries: Any progress made in your weapon skills remains. This is a blessing, as it means you don't have to re-grind weapon familiarity.
- Your appearance: The character creator screen that appears is for attributes only; you cannot change your cosmetics.
Is It Worth It? Strategic Reasons to Respec
The high cost and limited availability of Tears of Lethe mean you should only respec when you have a clear goal. It is not a tool for casual experimentation but a powerful surgical instrument for optimizing your build. There are several excellent strategic reasons to undergo rebirth.
- Correcting Early-Game Mistakes: Many new players invest points inefficiently, spreading them too thin or focusing on a stat that doesn't match their preferred weapon. A mid-game respec can fix this, focusing your build into a potent and efficient machine for the tougher second half of the game.
- Pivoting to a New Weapon Type: You might start as a pure Might build using greatswords, only to fall in love with a powerful boss weapon that requires high Conviction. A respec allows you to meet the stat requirements for new, game-changing gear you discover.
- Optimizing for a Specific Boss: If you're stuck on a particularly difficult boss like the Astral Weaver, whose attacks demand high mobility and magic resistance, you might temporarily respec. You could pull points from offensive stats to pump Vigor and Conviction, giving you the survivability needed to learn the fight and secure a victory. After winning, you could even choose to respec back.
- Preparing for New Game+: The end of the game is the perfect time to completely change your playstyle for your next journey. If you played your first run as a hulking strength character, you could respec into a nimble Finesse/Arcanum build to experience the game in a completely new way in NG+.
Arms of God in-game screenshot
Frequently Asked Questions About Respeccing
Can you respec an infinite number of times?
Technically, yes, but practically, no. Your ability to respec is limited by the number of Tears of Lethe you can find in a single playthrough. Since there are only a few guaranteed Tears, you can only perform a handful of respecs before needing to start a New Game+ cycle to refresh their locations.
Does respeccing affect any achievements or trophies?
No. The process of re-allocating your stats has no impact on any in-game achievements. You can safely respec without fear of locking yourself out of completion.
What happens if I attack Sister Anamnesis?
Do not do this. Like many critical NPCs in Arms of God, she can be attacked and killed. If you attack her, she will become hostile and vanish from her chamber. If you kill her, she is gone for the remainder of your playthrough. In either case, you will be permanently locked out of the ability to respec until you begin New Game+.
Can I get more Tears of Lethe in New Game+?
Yes. When you enter New Game+, the entire world state is reset. All item locations, including the four guaranteed Tears of Lethe, are restored. You can collect them again on each subsequent journey, allowing for further build experimentation in higher difficulty cycles.
A Final Word
Respeccing in Arms of God is a powerful, almost sacred act. It offers the freedom to undo past mistakes and reinvent your character, but it demands a price. The finite Tears of Lethe make every decision to respec a weighty one. Treat it not as a casual feature but as a strategic reset button—plan your new build before you offer up your Tear, ensuring your rebirth is a step toward greater power, not a waste of a precious resource.