Started playing Dark Souls, any advice?

[TehCookie]

Spoiler: The only advice you will ever need and with it you will be unbeatable.

Spoiler: Are you sure you want to ruin the game?

Spoiler: It is so gamebreaking if you learn this you can beat any action game ever, are you really sure you want to read it?

Spoiler: Last chance...

Hit things and don't get hit.

 

[sanquin]

Some people will suggest you get the master key as a starting gift. DO NOT FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. That item was meant for players to get to desired areas on subsequent playthroughs.

Also, don't get the tiny being's ring. It doesn't actually regenerate your health, that's a translation error. I suggest getting twin humanities and keeping it in reserve.

Disregard this. Later on in the game when you have to go to blight town you have two options. Take the long, EXTREMELY ANNOYING way through a labyrinth of ladders and platforms. Or take the back door, which is a lot shorter and not aggravating as all hell. Trust me on this... I first thought "Eh, even if it's annoying. That's part of this game!" But no. That place was just...too much.

Alternatively, if you start as a thief you start with the master key. And then you can pick a different starter item.

Reminder: This tactic is basically a cheese. You're not supposed to -really- get that weapon yet. See it as an 'intended exploit' that players can use if they want, but does make the early part of the game easier.
As for the people that talked about the dragon tooth. (strong one handed sword in the beginning) I feel it should be explained a little better. At some point you come to a bridge with a dragon. Once you manage to avoid him and move on, you go below the same bridge on a lower level. From down here, you can see the dragon's tail. You can buy a bow and arrows in the undead burgh (buy like 40 at least), use that bow to shoot at the dragon's tail. (he does a run foward and attack animation after you hit him. Wait for him to reset before shooting again.) Once you've finally managed to shoot it's tail off, you receive a weapon. It's pretty powerful. I still use an upgraded version of it.

The zweihander
I personally went for the zweihander that you can find at the back of the graveyard. You need 24 strength to wield it one handed, and...8~9 dex or something? Either way, it's as the name suggests, a powerful 2-handed sword. I used that with a shield of my choice. It was hard to time the slow swing properly at first, but once you can do that it wrecks most normal enemies in only a few swings.

 

[Piorn]

Fun Fact, the spiky stone statues in different poses of agony are actually other people.

And on topic, don't try to be everything. I remember I leveled my first character as a heavy warrior, but also put a lot of point into magic and faith just to see how the spells work. Needless to say, it crippled my effectiveness.

 

[Diablo2000]

Some people will suggest you get the master key as a starting gift. DO NOT FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. That item was meant for players to get to desired areas on subsequent playthroughs.

Also, don't get the tiny being's ring. It doesn't actually regenerate your health, that's a translation error. I suggest getting twin humanities and keeping it in reserve.

If he don't he will have to go to Upper Blighttown, which I only did after killing Skinny and Fatty and that place was still capable of kicking my ass. The only thing of any importance in there is Power Within (And not forget the powerhouse that is the Whip)

 

[Boris Goodenough]

If he don't he will have to go to Upper Blighttown, which I only did after killing Skinny and Fatty and that place was still capable of kicking my ass. The only thing of any importance in there is Power Within (And not forget the powerhouse that is the Whip)

Well Upper Blighttown is a death trap because Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh.....
I HATE HEIGHTS, even in games DS is very annoying for me to play.

 

[Dango]

My best advice is resources such as wikis and advice on forums shouldn't be relied on too heavily. It's good to use them to slightly bolster your knowledge of the game, but it's very important to learn a lot of the games concepts for yourself. Using them too heavily will suck out a lot of the fun (If you're using information from others to carry you through the game, it becomes a very bland slog and more likely than not the core of the Dark Souls community will regard you as the worst kind of player).

Aside from that, it really pays off to experiment and try new things (if anyone tells you to use a specific weapon or equipment, it's usually best to disregard them as you'll find your own playstyles that you enjoy far more). The game has lots of visual hints so you have to be paying close attention as well. And as others have mentioned, don't be afraid to take things slowly, the average first playthrough is around 60 hours.

Anyway, have fun and hope you don't get dickwraithed too often.

 

[Zetona]

A couple general tips:

Don't level Resistance. It's pretty useless.

You'll run up on the bridge dragon before too long. (You'll know it when you see it.) While the best way past is to go under the bridge, it's worth making a suicide run to grab the items on the top of the bridge. The Claymore is extremely versatile, and a +15 Claymore is one of the best weapons in the game.

I would recommend checking the Dark Souls wikis. You will miss stuff if you don't. However, there are massive spoilers, so go through each area blind and then check the wiki to see what you missed.

Minor spoilers: If you're in Human form, you can summon NPCs to help you in some boss fights. I won't say which those are, except that there's one in Darkroot Garden, in the area with the stone giants. If you summon that NPC, you can summon her for another, very tough boss fight later in the game?but if you don't summon her the first time, she won't help you with the second.

If you're in Human form and you haven't killed the area boss yet, there are special events that occur in Blighttown, the Depths, Demon Ruins, Lost Izalith, Tomb of the Giants, the Painted World, and Oolacile Township (if you have the DLC) that can give you neat items.

You can grab some neat gear following the advice in the video below, but it's not necessary and you may not want the spoilers.

 

[Church185]

snip

My advice:

Learn the upgrade system. You may want to play through the game blind, but I promise you will have a less frustrating time if you understand how stats and upgrade paths work together. This is my favorite game from last gen (unless DS2 beats it) and I could talk about it for hours. If you have any questions or need advice, feel free to PM me. I'll try to keep everything as spoiler free as possible.

 

[KOMega]

Since you are going pyromancer I am assuming you want something like a magic-type class.

You will want to probably get your INT to 60 at some point. probably not at once, but put points in that when you can.

You'll want to put points into Attunement. I suggest getting attunment to maybe 16 or 19. This will give you spell slots.

You'll want to also put points into endurance until 40. Your stamina bar will max out at 40, any more will only boost your ability to carry load.

You should also put points into strength or dexterity but only just so you can wield your choice in weaponry. Like that Drake Sword I'm sure someone has already recommended.

Being a magic user you'll want to probably get the Moonlight Butterfly soul which you can later turn into a Moonlight Spear which basically uses your Int as it's power instead of str or dex.
Later you'll also want the Moonlight Sword.

With the two moonlight weapons and a wand, you can hold your own in both melee and spellcasting with an Int-build.

Spoiler: How to get the Moonlight Butterfly Soul

the following will probably not mean anything to you until you are at those points so bear with me:

Once you find the first blacksmith, run down the stairs and run past/defeat the big statue demon.

You will be in a forest type place. Head left carefully, you'll have to fight some bush-people. You'll come across a big important looking door. Ignore it for now, but hit suspicious looking wall next to it to reveal a bonfire.

Head to the path to the right of the door.


You'll want to become human for a bit here. Or you can go down as an undead to scout out the danger first.

Take extra care in fighting the statue guardian. You'll want to fight them one at a time and quickly before they can cast any spells.

There is a building doorway somewhere with a set of stairs. If you are human you can summon a NPC white-spirit which will aid you in the boss fight.

climb up the stairs, and let the NPC fight for you. Concentrate on just avoiding things thrown at you. the NPC here is strong enough to fight this by herself.

You should now have the moonlight butterfly soul. this will be important later for you when you get to the Giant Blacksmith in Anor Londo.

edit: however if you want a STR focused build, I advise getting the Demon Great Axe, as it scales the best with STR when fully upgraded.

 

[laide234]

Don't throw your controller at your TV

 

[Church185]

Can the NPCs die? Are they actually any good or are they basically just used as distractions?

One thing you need to be aware of is that summoning NPCs for bosses will give the boss more health. This applies to summoned players as well. Having one NPC/player with you will double the bosses health, while having two will triple it's health. If those NPCs/players die quickly during the fight, you could be facing a much tougher boss than you originally intended by yourself. You'll need to decide for yourself if it is worth the risk.

Spoiler: Spoiler: Relevant information about a late game boss encounter.

The Four Kings will spawn faster if you have a NPC/player summoned to help you with the fight. Normally they spawn one at a time with about a 30 second timer between them, which is manageable if you can do a lot of damage quickly. If you have Beatrice or another player summoned for that fight, the Kings will have double the health, and spawn with about 15 seconds between them. Contrary to the name, more than four Kings can spawn if you take too long to kill them all. This may turn a fight that was already a DPS race into a fight that can become very overwhelming very quickly.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Some people will suggest you get the master key as a starting gift. DO NOT FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. That item was meant for players to get to desired areas on subsequent playthroughs.

Also, don't get the tiny being's ring. It doesn't actually regenerate your health, that's a translation error. I suggest getting twin humanities and keeping it in reserve.

Oh well that's just fucking great. I took the tiny being's ring, since I figured hey, who wouldn't want regenerating health?

So what does the damn thing do then if the regenerating health was a mistranslation?

 

[Little Gray]

Some people will suggest you get the master key as a starting gift. DO NOT FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. That item was meant for players to get to desired areas on subsequent playthroughs.

Also, don't get the tiny being's ring. It doesn't actually regenerate your health, that's a translation error. I suggest getting twin humanities and keeping it in reserve.

Oh well that's just fucking great. I took the tiny being's ring, since I figured hey, who wouldn't want regenerating health?

So what does the damn thing do then if the regenerating health was a mistranslation?

Not much really. Don't sweat it though because the starting gifts dont really matter all that much. The only one that has a real effect is the master key because it lets you skip part of Blighttown.

Humanity heals you to full health and turns you human which lets other players invade you. You should save it up and use it when you want to kindle a bonfire. This increases the number of estus flasks you get. It also increases drop rates but that really does not matter right now. Since their is no real advantage to being human just stay hollow. There is one bonus though in that it allows you to sometimes summon npcs to help out during boss fights.

Read what all of the stats do and decide what type of build you want to go with. Endurance and vitality will always be important but if you are running magic dont go putting points into strength and dex. Only put points into what you need for your build.

The graveyard is very dangerous and should be avoided if you dont know what you are doing. While it has some great items its not the best place for new players. If you really want you can just suicide run it to get all the items there. You either need to use holy damage or kill the guy with the lantern to keep skeletons from respawning right away.

Explore everywhere in an area for items and always be on the watch for traps. They can all be spotted beforehand as long as you are paying attention and use common sense.

 

[KOMega]

Some people will suggest you get the master key as a starting gift. DO NOT FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. That item was meant for players to get to desired areas on subsequent playthroughs.

Also, don't get the tiny being's ring. It doesn't actually regenerate your health, that's a translation error. I suggest getting twin humanities and keeping it in reserve.

Oh well that's just fucking great. I took the tiny being's ring, since I figured hey, who wouldn't want regenerating health?

So what does the damn thing do then if the regenerating health was a mistranslation?

idk... the master key is pretty nice. lets you skip a lot of blight town. Although I personally like going with the witch's ring. The Fair Lady has a nice voice. But it has no effect on actual gameplay.

But ya something like twin humanities or black firebombs would be nice for someone's first play.

The tiny being's ring just gives you some bonus health. A tiny bit.

But don't sweat it, the starting gift really doesn't matter too much. Most of them can be gotten easily throughout the game.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Thanks for the video. Think I'll try and get that sword and shield in the Drake Valley next time I load up Dark Souls. Seems relatively straight forward.

 

[Souplex]

Being human enables online play. Invasions summons etc. You don't need to be human to be summoned by other players.
The number in the top left is your "Liquid" humanity. One is consumed to become human, or to kindle bonfires. Your liquid humanity increases your attack, curse resistance, and item discovery.

Get a spear, get heavy armor, get a shield with good stability and 100 physical block. (The way a shield's stats work is that the numbers under its defenses are the percentage of that kind of damage a block shaves off. Stability decreases the stamina required for blocking)
Dodging is for chumps.

Intelligence and faith tend to be leveled exclusively of each other.
Don't raise your resistance. It reduces the rate at which poison builds up, but poison cures are plentiful, and most items give poison resistance.

 

[ZtH]

Since everyone has already mentioned some good advice, I'd just say read all the orange signs you can, and if you ever see one that says "Beware of chest" or similar attack every chest you see before you loot it. It will save you a lot of frustration if someone was trying to warn you about a mimic.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Decided to explore a little bit of the higher level areas today before going to the Undead Burg. Got the Zweihander (which I can't use yet), and the Estoc (which is pretty awesome).

I also tried to go to the Drake Valley, as shown in the above video, but found that I couldn't unlock the door since I didn't have the master key. Guess I'll be going the "correct" path with no short cuts like everyone else.

 

[Azure23]

Some essential advice for any first run through Dark Souls:

1. Heavy armor and weapons is the game's easy mode, the ability to tank boss's hits with a greatshield is invaluable for when you don't have dodging down. A strength build can be especially powerful early game if you get lucky and acquire a black knight weapon. For this reason it's a good idea to have liquid humanity to increase your item drop rate when fighting the first few black knights.

2. Think carefully about when you want to use humanity. Generally it's a good idea to kindle the bonfire before bosses to provide yourself with some extra healing and the possibility of summoned help.
Refer to the guide to jolly cooperation on the wiki for common ettiquete and summoning ranges. Once you reach midgame or so and have access to the chasm of the abyss humanity ceases to be an issue, as it is dropped very frequently by the enemies there.

3. Always check for environmental clues as to possible traps and hazards. There will often be charred corpses where there are fire traps and pressure plates for arrow traps can be seen and avoided by the perceptive player. In general take things slow and steady, be sure to read the player messages as some will point you towards shortcuts, illusory walls, etc.

4. Prioritize weapon upgrades over soul leveling when spending souls. Stat Scaling can be very powerful mid to late game on the right weapons, but in the beginning you will do more damage by upgrading your chosen weapon. Don't neglect your soul level though, try to stay within the popular ranges for your area.

5. Consider a quality build. This means that you level your vit, end, str, and dex roughly equally (although stopping at 40 end) depending on starting class you may have a few more or less points to use. This will give you access to virtually every weapon in the game, including ultra heavy weapons, although these must be wielded two handed. It will also allow you to do serious damage with bows, including greatbows. The only weapons you won't be able to properly use are those with built in faith or intelligence requirements, but these are few and specialized for their respective builds.

6. Watch some epicnamebro videos on youtube. He is pretty much a dark souls guru and will be very helpful on your first playthrough.

7. When in doubt, check the wiki. There are two awesome wikis with big communities that have pretty much every little detail catalogued for your convenience, so utilize them. If you have any questions on specific game mechanics, like humanity or poise, check the wiki's first.

Hope that helps, good luck.

 

[Diablo2000]

Some people will suggest you get the master key as a starting gift. DO NOT FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. That item was meant for players to get to desired areas on subsequent playthroughs.

Also, don't get the tiny being's ring. It doesn't actually regenerate your health, that's a translation error. I suggest getting twin humanities and keeping it in reserve.

Oh well that's just fucking great. I took the tiny being's ring, since I figured hey, who wouldn't want regenerating health?

So what does the damn thing do then if the regenerating health was a mistranslation?

Plus is really easy getting the Tiny Being's Ring, you only need to help Siegmeyer in Anor Londo. (You can't miss Siegmeyer is the one with a onion on head). So yeah, useless picking at the start. Since you are Pyro a better one would be the Witch's Ring, that way you can talk to Quelaan and feel like a total jerk afterwards.

Since you are going pyromancer I am assuming you want something like a magic-type class.

You will want to probably get your INT to 60 at some point. probably not at once, but put points in that when you can.

You'll want to put points into Attunement. I suggest getting attunment to maybe 16 or 19. This will give you spell slots.

You'll want to also put points into endurance until 40. Your stamina bar will max out at 40, any more will only boost your ability to carry load.

You should also put points into strength or dexterity but only just so you can wield your choice in weaponry. Like that Drake Sword I'm sure someone has already recommended.

Being a magic user you'll want to probably get the Moonlight Butterfly soul which you can later turn into a Moonlight Spear which basically uses your Int as it's power instead of str or dex.
Later you'll also want the Moonlight Sword.

With the two moonlight weapons and a wand, you can hold your own in both melee and spellcasting with an Int-build.

Spoiler: How to get the Moonlight Butterfly Soul

the following will probably not mean anything to you until you are at those points so bear with me:

Once you find the first blacksmith, run down the stairs and run past/defeat the big statue demon.

You will be in a forest type place. Head left carefully, you'll have to fight some bush-people. You'll come across a big important looking door. Ignore it for now, but hit suspicious looking wall next to it to reveal a bonfire.

Head to the path to the right of the door.


You'll want to become human for a bit here. Or you can go down as an undead to scout out the danger first.

Take extra care in fighting the statue guardian. You'll want to fight them one at a time and quickly before they can cast any spells.

There is a building doorway somewhere with a set of stairs. If you are human you can summon a NPC white-spirit which will aid you in the boss fight.

climb up the stairs, and let the NPC fight for you. Concentrate on just avoiding things thrown at you. the NPC here is strong enough to fight this by herself.

You should now have the moonlight butterfly soul. this will be important later for you when you get to the Giant Blacksmith in Anor Londo.

edit: however if you want a STR focused build, I advise getting the Demon Great Axe, as it scales the best with STR when fully upgraded.

Why get upgrading his INT if INT doesn't affect Pyromancies? It only affect the punch of the Flame, not the Pyromancy itself. And believe, nobody uses the punch in the Flame. NOBODY! It's useless... Moonlight Greatsword is a great weapon however.

Decided to explore a little bit of the higher level areas today before going to the Undead Burg. Got the Zweihander (which I can't use yet), and the Estoc (which is pretty awesome).

I also tried to go to the Drake Valley, as shown in the above video, but found that I couldn't unlock the door since I didn't have the master key. Guess I'll be going the "correct" path with no short cuts like everyone else.

If you plan on using a Estoc (Or any type of "pointy" weapon for that matter) you want to consider the Leo Ring, you will need to defeat Ornstein and Smough in Anor Londo, the fat one first, then Super Saiyan Skinny. You get the Soul of Ornstein and the Leo Ring. If you kill Fatty second you get Soul of Smough and no Leo Ring.
That and the Hornet Ring, you can get it in the Sif boss room, in a women corpse behind the giant grave you can't possibly miss.

Then is prepare to wreck shit with you Estoc.


Now before heading to Blighttown to ring the second bell you may want to get the Rusted Iron Ring which allows you not lose speed in the swamps, very useful for exploring Blighttown. Is in the Undead Asylum, look for videos on youtube on how to get there again in quite crazy.
Also if you win against Big Butts Demon 2, you get a Titanite Slab. With that you can upgrade a 14+ weapon into 15+.
While you in there you can pick up the Strange Doll, is the key to the Painted World. Just remember to bring a fire weapon when you go there. YOU NEED WILL IT. Also a lots of Blooming Purple Moss. YOU WILL ALSO NEED IT A LOT.