So I hear I can return to the Undead Asylum. But after that . . . can I go back again, and again, if I have more stuff to trade with Hawk Girl?

You will be able to go back and fourth whenever you want. Though it is a bit difficult to do (then again, I'm probably doing it the hard way).

Everything at the Asylum is optional, but you can go back and forth as much as you like. I would recommend a trip there after you ring the first bell simply to get the Rusty Iron Ring and to kill the two black knights there. I would save the boss of that place until a later time.

The first time I went there, I was lvl 18 and got crushed by the boss. I went back with better weapons at lvl 32 and had little trouble.

@TekZero said:

Everything at the Asylum is optional, but you can go back and forth as much as you like. I would recommend a trip there after you ring the first bell simply to get the Rusty Iron Ring and to kill the two black knights there. I would save the boss of that place until a later time.

The first time I went there, I was lvl 18 and got crushed by the boss. I went back with better weapons at lvl 32 and had little trouble.

That said, the Stray Demon isn't any harder at a lower level, really. His is a fight where positioning matters more than anything else. The only downsides would maybe be that he could one-shot you, if you messed up and got caught in the explosion, didn't have enough stamina to get far enough behind him, or your damage you were doing was so low it took a very long time.

@Mmmslash said:

@TekZero said:

Everything at the Asylum is optional, but you can go back and forth as much as you like. I would recommend a trip there after you ring the first bell simply to get the Rusty Iron Ring and to kill the two black knights there. I would save the boss of that place until a later time.

The first time I went there, I was lvl 18 and got crushed by the boss. I went back with better weapons at lvl 32 and had little trouble.

That said, the Stray Demon isn't any harder at a lower level, really. His is a fight where positioning matters more than anything else. The only downsides would maybe be that he could one-shot you, if you messed up and got caught in the explosion, didn't have enough stamina to get far enough behind him, or your damage you were doing was so low it took a very long time.

Right, that fight is 100% positioning. The only thing is that without a nice weapon and decent stamina, it will take you a while to kill him. And the longer you take, the more likely the chances that you will mess up and get killed. I went back there with a Divine Flamberge +5. Since the Stray Demon is weak to bleeding, it didn't take me too long to down him.

@TekZero: Very informative, thanks guys!

You can only do each trade once per playthrough however.

@Branwulf: not really.

If you trade let's say a prism stone.

You put it down in the nest, quit and reload the game.

now BEFORE picking up your new item, drop a new prism stone and THEN pick up your item, quit and reload and do the same.

This way you can trade how many times you want :)