Dark Souls

I've got nothing to do for the next 2 and a half days and got this crazy urge to try a level 1 playthrough of a From game. Never tried anything like that before and they say Souls 1 is the easiest From game to attempt an SL1 run.

Any advice? Suggested weapons / rings / spells etc?

All I know offhand is to choose Pyromancer because they start at 1 and their spells don't use int. Also get the Pyromancer Flame upgraded ASAP. The fact that I haven't played Souls 1 at all in over a year and don't remember where things are isn't gonna help.

This might totally fall flat but I'm willing to try it and see how I do.

I'll make sure to get those two Combustions, sounds like that was the one real issue you ran into.

Four Kings is probably gonna be ass and a half to fight. While I never really had much trouble with O&S, Four Kings was a horrendous fight on my last couple plays. Dunno what it is about that one but I hate it. Bed of Chaos is also no problem for me, just 4K that has my number. With so little HP I don't know how it'll go at SL1. Probably the one big thing I'm worried about. I'll quit out during their grab attacks like you mentioned so at least I'll have that advantage.

Seems like one pro to an SL1 run is that once you've finished the game you can go back and do invasions and just absolutely obliterate low-level players. Which might be funny a few times

This video is kinda nuts lol

Guy beelines right for Quelaag and basically sploits that fight and Ceaseless Discharge, then gets all the major fire spells before he even does anything else. That seems like a good way to make the SL1 run significantly easier from the get-go, but I also wonder if it'd be doing myself a disservice to play that way instead of trying to play through normally with puny melee attacks.

Adebisi said:

I'm in ds2 Brume tower...i somehow missed this zone on my first playthru of ds2

Nasty nasty nasty

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That's a DLC zone IIRC, home to probably the game's toughest boss. Though personally I had more trouble with the Frigid Outskirts and the twin cats.

As for Souls 1 SL1, I got a Reinforced Club and a Grass Crest Shield and those are helping a lot. Next time I play I'mma try and take out the bell guardians and the hydra (for the Dusk Crown). Not leveling leaves you with a TON of excess Souls so reinforcing equipment hasn't been nearly as slow as it usually is.

Got about halfway through the game in 7 hours. Did pretty much every optional area/fight up to this point as well. Finished Hollows, defeated Sif, even some of Demon Ruins. Hardest fights so far were Sif and Capra Demon. The latter just because it's so in-your-face and can basically one-shot you in this situation. Stray Demon was also kind of a problem for the first time ever. Sif was easily the toughest fight overall. I usually do glass cannon builds if I can get away with it so this isn't much different.


Have +5 Divine Reinforced Club (mainly to be prepared for Catacombs). I've read that I should get a Chaos version done as well for bosses, might do that if I have the mats. +15 Pyro Flame, lacked the souls to get it Ascended +5 but I'll do that after I get the Lordvessel and can warp back there. When you aren't leveling at all you have a ton of souls for reinforcing the pyro glove (and it takes a ton). +5 Grass Crest Shield. Using Havel Ring for fast rolling, might switch it for the +20% attributes ring and just drop some armor.


Most of this game consists of dirty, grimy ruins. When it gives you something pretty, it's REALLY pretty. Which makes me think this is totally intentional, if the whole game were pretty, these moments of beauty wouldn't stand out nearly as much. Also they always follow a particularly deadly area or fight, like a reward.

When it comes down to it the Souls trilogy is probably the best "post-apocalyptic" game series ever made. One of the ultra-rare things that presents the idea of an apocalypse happening during a medieval era instead of a modern era. So you constantly encounter the ruins of the old world and the increasingly-sparse inhabitants trying to make their way in it. Demon Souls might be pre-apocalypse or mid-apocalypse if it's the same world, I don't actually know. It certainly has way more people in it. By the end of Souls 3 the final battle is basically between the last two warriors on the planet, finishing a war that ended long ago for everyone else. That's the impression I get anyway.

Adebisi said:

I'm in ds2 Brume tower...i somehow missed this zone on my first playthru of ds2

Nasty nasty nasty

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The DLCs are the best part of Dark Souls 2. If you have not done all 3 you need too.

Chanur said:

The DLCs are the best part of Dark Souls 2. If you have not done all 3 you need too.

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I think you talked me into it. I beat all the games once but man I’m tempted to go back. The world is unbelievable.

Regime said:

I think you talked me into it. I beat all the games once but man I’m tempted to go back. The world is unbelievable.

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Seriously the DLC for DS2 is what took it from a meh entry into something I loved.

DeS, DS1, DS2, DS3, Elden Ring (Bloodborne too) are games that I'll be playing occasionally for probably the next 40 years until my frail hands can't hold controllers anymore. Masterpiece collection.

Chanur said:

Seriously the DLC for DS2 is what took it from a meh entry into something I loved.

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Same here.

Need to make a decision before my next session: Do I slay the Giant Blacksmith to get his SL1-usable overpowered hammer? Or do I just stick to my holy club and pyros? I'll be fooked if I end up needing the guy's help and I think I'm fine without his weapon. If it's a yuge boost, then maybe...

Playing Mortal Shell and Lords of the Fallen recently has demonstrated to me that I can't expect "Soulslikes" to be anywhere NEAR as good as the genuine article, and this SL1 run is just reinforcing that.

Hatorade said:

It is about time to play bloodborne again, never tried a full caster playthrough. Takes some doing to get setup but can be fun from what I have seen.

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What does a "caster playthrough" entail in BB? Like just using those items that have spell-like effects?

Hatorade said:

Yeah, aside from call, there is executioners gloves, Auger and few other S scaling ranged attacks.

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Don't think I ever messed with that stuff. I play these games like a neanderthal, just take my weapon and smack shit with it. Even in Elden Ring I barely used weapon arts. Always find myself mashing basic attack like a scrub.