Elden Ring: Should You Let Fia Hug You

gamespot.com:

In the Lands Between, a hug can be a dangerous thing. Fia in Elden Ring seems like a pretty nice lady--a bit lonely, perhaps, but someone who genuinely just wants to help. But because this is From Software, you have to be careful. In fact, the hug comes with a secret debuff that you may not even realize you have. However, Fia’s hug also grants a unique item that can make a significant difference in major battles. Here's what to know about whether or not you should let Fia hold you.

If you let Fia embrace you in Roundtable Hold, a status icon with a red square and an arrow pointing down appears below your health and FP bars. This indicates a reduction in your HP. It’s a small reduction of 5%, but it can still make a difference in most encounters, especially challenging ones such as the Margit and Godrick boss fights.

The debuff isn’t permanent, though. You can get your health back by using the item Fia gives you with the hug: Baldachin’s Blessing. Whether this is worthwhile depends on your playstyle. The hug debuff can have catastrophic effects, but the higher Poise it offers means you can withstand prolonged assaults from enemies without breaking stance. The Blessing isn’t essential, though it’s worth using if you need an extra edge in battle.

Baldachin’s Blessing is a unique item only obtainable from Fia’s hugs. It uses a small amount of FP and raises your Poise during combat. Poise is what determines how likely it is that an enemy's attacks will stagger you, breaking your defense and leaving you stunned and vulnerable. Normally, heavy armor buffs your Poise, which leaves less robust classes such as Astrologers and Confessors at a slight disadvantage.

Smart timing for using the Baldachin’s Blessing can remove the health