Attributes |
Health | Damage | Tears | Range | Shot Speed | Speed | Luck | Hidden Attributes |

The Tears attribute affects the rate of fire of the character and is represented by 3 arrows. This attribute is related to tear delay (the delay between successive shots, as opposed to the inverse 'tears per second'); a higher tears stat means a shorter delay and a higher fire rate. The tear stat is a measurement of tear frequency, as opposed to Shot Speed, which measures how fast those shots move.
Contents
Tear Delay Calculation[]
The formula for tear delay is:
"T" in the above formula is equal to the normal tears stat, with all adjustments added together. For example, picking up The Sad Onion would grant 0.7 tears, making Isaac's tear delay 7.7, which is rounded down to 7.
The minimum tear delay that can be reached with regular tears up items is 5, giving Isaac a soft cap of 5 tears fired per second. With items that directly reduce tear delay, tear delay can be reduced further, down to a hard minimum of 1 tear delay (15 tears fired per second).
The number of tears per second that Isaac fires is found by the formula:
.Conversely, Tear Delay can be calculated from the fire rate given ingame with the formula
. Note that the fire rate given by the ingame HUD is rounded. Tear delay as a mechanic is no longer as significant in Repentance, and instead items that used to affect the tear delay now instead affect the fire rate directly. Effectively, this means tear delay can be less than 1.
- The absolute maximum fire rate achievable is 120, corresponding to -0.75 tear delay.
Characters[]
Different characters start with different initial tears:
-
Eden/
Tainted Eden: ±0.75
Tainted Eden's base tears rerolls every time they take damage unless they have
Birthright.
-
Azazel: +0.5, x1/3
Tainted Jacob: +0.277
Jacob and Esau: +0.277 for Jacob, -0.1 for Esau
Samson: -0.05
Samson: -0.1
Tainted Samson: -0.1
- Tears fired per second is halved and then increased by 2 while berserking.
Dead Tainted Lazarus: -0.1
Tainted ???: -0.4
Tainted Apollyon: -0.5
Tainted Eve: -0.5, then x0.66 (Has a 3.3 TPS softcap)
Keeper: -2
Keeper: -1.9
Tainted Keeper: -2.2
- All other characters (
Isaac,
Magdalene,
Cain,
Judas,
Dark Judas,
???,
Eve,
Lazarus,
The Lost,
Lilith,
Apollyon,
The Soul,
Bethany,
Tainted Isaac,
Tainted Magdalene,
Tainted Cain,
Tainted Judas,
Tainted Lazarus,
Tainted Lost,
Tainted Lilith, and
Tainted Bethany) have the base +0 (2.73) tears.
- All other characters (
- Some characters have tears multipliers that decrease or increase all tear changes
-
Azazel: x0.33
Tainted Azazel: x0.33
-
The Forgotten/
Tainted Forgotten: x0.5
Tainted Eve: x0.66 (Has a 3.3 TPS softcap)
Direct modifiers to Tear Delay/
Tears Fired per Second[]
Several items directly modify tear delay after the main calculation:
Many items that used to modify tear delay now modify tears fired per second instead. They still allow the soft cap of 5 tears per second to be broken, but now have a greater impact on runs that have a lower fire rate compared to those with a higher one; this is in contrast to Afterbirth+, where the opposite was true. Generally, for these items, each unit of tear delay in Afterbirth+ and before converts to +0.5 tears per second in Repentance.
Item | ![]() |
![]() |
---|---|---|
![]() |
-2 | +1 |
![]() |
x3 | x1/3 |
![]() |
-2 | +1 |
![]() |
-1 | +0.5 |
![]() |
x2.5 (for maximum charge) | No change, displayed value = maximum charge time |
![]() ![]() |
x0.8 | Fire rate over base value x1.2 |
![]() |
-1 | +0.5 |
![]() |
x2.5 | x0.4 |
![]() ![]() |
x0.5 (while at maximum "charge") | x2 (while at maximum "charge") |
![]() |
x2 | x0.66 |
![]() |
-1 | +0.5 |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Tear delay adjustment, not fire rate |
![]() ![]() |
x0.5 | x2.5 |
![]() |
x2, then +10 | x1/3 |
![]() ![]() |
-2 | +1 |
![]() |
-1 | +0.5 |
![]() |
x4.3 | x1/4.3 |
![]() |
x2.1, then +3 | x0.42 |
![]() |
-1 | +0.5 |
![]() |
x2.1, then +3 | x0.42 |
![]() ![]() |
-4 | +2 |
![]() |
x0.25, then -2 | x5.5 |
![]() |
N/A | x0.66 |
![]() |
x2.1, then +3 | x0.51 |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | +0.4 per bone heart lost |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | +2 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
N/A | +0.5 |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | x4 |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | x0.5, then +2 |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | +0.5 |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | Up to +3 after taking damage 6 times |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
N/A | +1.5 while on unique creep Additional x3 if the creep is in contact with white poop |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | +1.2 on the first hit, then +0.4 on subsequent hits |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | +1 for the first beam of light, then +0.5 for subsequent beams |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | +0.4 for every room cleared without taking non-self damage, up to +2 total |
![]() ![]() |
N/A | +0.75 (halved if Isaac leaves the room, and wears off at the rate of one room clear per use) |
Notes[]
- Assuming no other modifications to the tears stat, +1.4 tears up is enough to bring you to the normal delay cap. In this case, it would reduce the delay to 5.92, which rounds down to 5.
- With a tear delay of 1, the maximum achievable rate of fire is 15 tears per second (every 4 frames).
- Polyphemus, Mutant Spider, and Inner Eye's tear delay formulas do not stack with each other, meaning that there is no downside to taking another after you have already taken one.
Charge-bar items like Monstro's Lung or Brimstone stop working at 30 tears per second. Spirit Sword instead constantly activates the spin attack.
Items that affect tears[]
Activated Items[]
Name | ID | Icon | Quote | Description | ![]() |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
5.100.406 | ![]() |
Reroll stats | Re-rolls Isaac's damage, tears, range, and speed. | 2 |
![]() |
5.100.481 | ![]() |
109 | Displaces enemy sprites for the current room, randomly increases one stat and decreases another. | 0 |
![]() |
5.100.582 | ![]() |
Tears up. A mind changing experience! | Increases tears, decreases speed, and distorts the screen. All effects become more pronounced with repeated use, and wear off by clearing rooms. | 1 |
Passive Items[]
Name | ID | Icon | Quote | Description | ![]() |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Gravity | 5.100.222 | ![]() |
Anti-gravity tears + tears up | -2 Tear Delay. Tears float in position until firing ceases, after which they will fly off in the direction they were shot in. | 2 |
Blue Cap | 5.100.342 | ![]() |
HP + tears up + shot speed down | Gives one full Red Heart container, +0.7 tears, and -0.16 shot speed. ![]() |
3 |
Capricorn | 5.100.307 | ![]() |
All stats up | ![]() ![]() |
3 |
Chocolate Milk | 5.100.69 | ![]() |
Charge shots | Grants charged tears that deal greater damage when fully charged. | 3 |
Cricket's Body | 5.100.224 | ![]() |
Bursting shots + tears up | Grants -1 tear delay and reduces range. When tears hit an object or deplete their range, they spawn 4 smaller tears, whose range and damage scale with Isaac's. | 3 |
Death's Touch | 5.100.237 | ![]() |
Piercing shots + DMG up | +1.5 damage, -0.3 tears. Tears are replaced with large piercing scythes. | 3 |
Dr. Fetus | 5.100.52 | ![]() |
??? | Tears are replaced by bombs that benefit from bomb-enhancing effects and slide for a fixed time after being fired. | 4 |
Eve's Mascara | 5.100.310 | ![]() |
DMG up, tears + shot speed down | Doubles damage, halves tears stat, and greatly reduces shot speed. | 2 |
Experimental Treatment | 5.100.240 | ![]() |
Some stats up, some stats down | ![]() ![]() |
1 |
Godhead | 5.100.331 | ![]() |
God tears | ![]() ![]() |
4 |
Guillotine | 5.100.206 | ![]() |
DMG + tears up. An out-of-body experience! | Isaac's head is removed from his body and floats around him as an orbital. Gives +1 damage and grants -1 tear delay. | 2 |
Ipecac | 5.100.149 | ![]() |
Explosive shots | Replaces tears with explosive and poisoning projectiles fired in an arc from the mouth. | 4 |
Libra | 5.100.304 | ![]() |
You feel balanced | Gives 6 coins, 6 bombs, and 6 keys and balances out all attributes. | 1 |
Missing No. | 5.100.258 | ![]() |
Syntax error | Randomizes all passive items and stats upon pickup and at the start of each succeeding floor. | 1 |
Mom's Perfume | 5.100.228 | ![]() |
Fear shot + tears up | Adds a chance to shoot fear tears and decreases tear delay by 1. | 2 |
Monstro's Lung | 5.100.229 | ![]() |
Charged burst attack | Replaces normal tears with a charged shot that fires 14 tears in the same fashion as Monstro. | 2 |
Mutant Spider | 5.100.153 | ![]() |
Quad shot | Grants quadruple shot but decreases Tears. | 3 |
Number One | 5.100.6 | ![]() |
Tears up + range down | Grants +1.5 tears, but severely reduces range. | 2 |
Odd Mushroom | 5.100.120 | ![]() |
Tears + speed up, DMG down | +1.7 tears, +0.3 speed, slightly reduces damage. | 2 |
Pisces | 5.100.309 | ![]() |
Tears up + knock-back shots | -1 Tear Delay, adds knock-back shots and increases tear size. | 2 |
Polyphemus | 5.100.169 | ![]() |
Mega tears | Isaac fires huge tears that deal massive damage, but fire rate is greatly decreased. If a tear kills an enemy, it travels on with any leftover damage. | 4 |
Rosary | 5.100.72 | ![]() |
Tears + faith up | Grants 3 Soul Hearts. Causes ![]() ![]() |
2 |
Sacred Heart | 5.100.182 | ![]() |
Homing shots + DMG up | ![]() ![]() |
4 |
Screw | 5.100.255 | ![]() |
Tears + shot speed up | +0.5 tears, +0.2 shot speed. | 3 |
SMB Super Fan | 5.100.189 | ![]() |
All stats up | +1 Red Heart container, +0.3 damage, +0.2 tears, +0.2 speed, +0.5 range, +1 tear height. Fully restores all red hearts. | 3 |
Soy Milk | 5.100.330 | ![]() |
DMG down + tears way up | Tears are smaller and do much less damage, but fire in very rapid succession. | 2 |
Squeezy | 5.100.196 | ![]() |
Tears up | Increases tears by 0.4, spawns 2 Soul Hearts. | 3 |
The Halo | 5.100.101 | ![]() |
All stats up | Grants one full Red Heart container, +0.3 damage, +0.2 tears, +0.25 range, +0.3 speed, and +0.5 tear height. | 2 |
The Inner Eye | 5.100.2 | ![]() |
Triple shot | Grants triple shot but decreases tears. | 2 |
The Pact | 5.100.80 | ![]() |
DMG + tears up | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 |
The Sad Onion | 5.100.1 | ![]() |
Tears up | Increases tears by 0.7. | 3 |
The Small Rock | 5.100.90 | ![]() |
DMG up + speed down | +1 damage, +0.2 tears, -0.2 speed. | 3 |
Toothpicks | 5.100.183 | ![]() |
Tears + shot speed up | +0.7 tears, +0.16 shot speed. | 3 |
Torn Photo | 5.100.341 | ![]() |
Tears + shot speed up | +0.7 tears, +0.16 shot speed. | 3 |
Wire Coat Hanger | 5.100.32 | ![]() |
Tears up | Increases tears by 0.7. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.438 | ![]() |
Tears up | Grants one Soul Heart, +0.75 tears and decreases Isaac's size. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.381 | ![]() |
Tears up + your future shines brighter | +0.7 tears up. Grants a random item at the start of the next run. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.368 | ![]() |
Intensifying tears | Shooting in one direction increases Isaac's rate of fire until the cap is reached. As soon as Isaac changes direction or stops shooting, rate of fire is reset to its normal amount. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.394 | ![]() |
Directed tears | Isaac will automatically fire tears directed at a red target on the ground. The target can be moved with tear controls. +0.7 tears, +3.15 range. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.436 | ![]() |
Don't cry over it... | Spawns a glass familiar that spills on the floor upon taking damage. After the milk spills, Isaac's tear delay is decreased by 2 for the current room. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.370 | ![]() |
Range + tears up | +0.7 tears, +5.25 range, +0.5 tear height, spawns 3 random types of Hearts on the floor when picked up. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.407 | ![]() |
Aura stat boost | Boosts one of Isaac's stats depending on the color of the aura around him. The aura disappears upon taking damage and reappears with a random color upon entering a new room. Red boosts damage, blue boosts tears, yellow boosts speed, and orange boosts range. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.397 | ![]() |
Controlled tears | Increases Tears, Range, and Shot Speed. Isaac emits a beam from his face that his tears are bound to. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.392 | ![]() |
The heavens will change you | Gives Isaac a random zodiac item effect that changes every floor. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.465 | ![]() |
360 tears! | +0.35 tears up. Allows Isaac to fire tears diagonally. | 2 |
![]() |
5.100.443 | ![]() |
Trick or treat? | Increases tears. Adds a chance to fire a high-damage razor blade. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.549 | ![]() |
Everything hurts | Replaces all Red Hearts with 6 empty Bone Hearts. Upon losing a Bone Heart, Isaac fires bones in 8 directions and permanently gains a tears up. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.442 | ![]() |
Loss is power | When at exactly one Red Heart, increases tears, range, tear height, and shot speed. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.547 | ![]() |
Tears up + you feel empty | Grants one Bone Heart, +0.7 tears, spawns a Mysterious Paper. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.531 | ![]() |
I'm seeing red... | Tears are now fired in an arc. Upon hitting the floor, an obstacle, or an enemy, they burst into many smaller tears in all directions. Increases tear delay. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.543 | ![]() |
Portable sanctuary | Spawns a white poop familiar, which turns into a ![]() ![]() |
1 |
![]() |
5.100.564 | ![]() |
Tears + shot speed up | Gives Isaac +0.5 Tears and +0.2 Shot Speed. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.601 | ![]() |
Tears up, you feel forgiven | Increases tears and grants an ![]() ![]() |
3 |
![]() |
5.100.561 | ![]() |
DMG down + tears up + you feel nutty | Quadruples fire rate, with x0.3 damage multiplier. Tears are given random worm trinket effects. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.695 | ![]() |
May your rage bring haste | The first 6 times Isaac takes damage on a given floor, he gains Speed and Tears for the rest of the floor, up to a maximum of +1.02 and +3.00, respectively. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.644 | ![]() |
+1 to lowest stat | Increases Isaac's lowest stat and drops either 3 coins, 1 bomb, or 1 key depending on what Isaac has the least of. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.600 | ![]() |
Tears up | Lowers the tear delay in Isaac's left eye, causing his eyes to fire at different rates. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.560 | ![]() |
No it doesn't... | Releases a ring of tears and increases tears for the current room when Isaac takes damage. | 1 |
![]() |
5.100.589 | ![]() |
The moon's blessing shines upon you | Adds an extra ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 |
![]() |
5.100.597 | ![]() |
Open the floodgates | Isaac's mouth fills with tears over time while not firing, up to a cap. Holding the fire button will release all stored tears in rapid succession. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.567 | ![]() |
Keep the flame burning | Gives Isaac a familiar that grants +0.4 Tears for each consecutive room he's cleared without taking damage. The bonus stacks up to five times. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.598 | ![]() |
Size down | +0.7 tears. Significantly shrinks Isaac, allowing him to squeeze between objects and makes some enemy shots pass over him. | 3 |
![]() |
5.100.669 | ![]() |
All stats up | Adds a Red Heart Container, fully heals Isaac, and gives +0.2 Speed, +0.5 Damage, +0.5 Tears, +1.5 Range, +0.2 Shot Speed, and +1.0 Luck. Increases the chance of encountering a ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 |
![]() |
5.100.686 | ![]() |
Power of faith | Gives Isaac a permanent stat boost whenever he picks up a soul heart. | 2 |
Trinkets[]
Name | ID | Icon | Quote | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cancer | 5.350.39 | ![]() |
Yay, cancer! | -2 tear delay (effectively increases fire rate of tears). |
Hook Worm | 5.350.26 | ![]() |
Zip zoop! | Tears move shifting left to right on a square-wave-like path. +10 Range (effective Range remains about the same). ![]() |
Ring Worm | 5.350.11 | ![]() |
Woop woop! | Isaac fires in a fast spiraling pattern. ![]() |
Wiggle Worm | 5.350.10 | ![]() |
Wiggle waggle! | Isaac's tears travel in a wave-like pattern. +0.4 Tears up. ![]() |
![]() |
5.350.92 | ![]() |
Stat booster | ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
5.350.96 | ![]() |
Foop foop! | Tears travel in a large spiral pattern and gain spectral, with a small chance to gain homing. ![]() |
Other[]
- Tears up pills increase tears by 0.35 and tears down pills decrease tears by 0.28.
In co-op, Cry Baby will occasionally briefly increase tears. Dark Baby will occasionally briefly increase all stats, including tears. Buddy Baby will occasionally briefly grant the
Guillotine effect, which increases tears.