mason

@hsghsghsg: OK that settles it. I'm playing a hexer/sorcerer build anyway, so I also really want his staff. Just need a few more points of faith.

Might mix and match when I get the joker's set, but that hexer headpiece sounds ideal for my build.

Thanks. Since I'm closest to finishing Earthen Peak, maybe I should just push through and try to get the Jester armor (is it a twinkling titanite upgrade?). That is as long as the merchant isn't on the other side of the level.

Jester set might outclass it, but I was also hoping to get the set that the hex user near Huntsman's Copse wears. Anyone know how to get it?

I'm guessing I'm less than halfway through the game. I've reached Earthen Peak and Sinner's Rise and still I'm using the same sorcerer robes I started the game with. I've been avoiding upgrading past +1 since I keep expecting to find a replacement, but haven't.

I'd like a change, but I haven't come across any adequate light armor. There's plenty of medium armor to choose from, but I'm trying to keep my VIT low while maintaining a low encumberance.

Any suggestions for light armor sets I could obtain sometime now-ish?

The key to continuing is simply to beat the 1st boss. You mustn't have gotten to them, or you'd be mentioning the bonfire immediately after them. That boss is hard to miss. Just go inside the jailhouse with a ton of swordsmen inside.

Lockstone areas are always optional. There are 2 that I know of in this zone. The first one doesn't have great loot, but will open up a moderately useful shortcut later on. The other lockstone area after the boss leads to a new zone, but again it's optional. If you only have one lockstone, I'd say to save it for after the boss.

Also, did you miss that important bonfire next to the blacksmith? Near the boss building, go to that big crack in the wall and roll an explosive barrel into it.

Approach everything in Dark Souls with a healthy skepticism. Even supposedly helpful messages.

Anytime a message says something like "Run straight through", I end up inching forward, keeping an eye out for reasons to start running.

I think my favorite troll messages are simple ones, like ones saying to look way down over a ledge, right where enemies are about to ambush from behind.

@bnutz2k: Not really. I've been using the projectile spell while having zero souls. The damage doesn't seem gimped.

I'm pretty sure only certain spells (like the sword buff) that may use your souls to increase its power. Even then, I believe it's optional.

I'm starting to build my sorcerer to use hexes, by putting more points into faith, and equipping a catalyst that scales well with darkness stat.

So far I only have the most basic projectile spell, so I haven't seen this soul draining mechanic yet, but judging by the default damage output of this low level hex, it seems comparable to greater soul arrow (at least with my stats).

Hex builds can vary. You can focus on faith based hex spells that use a talisman, or you can focus on intelligence based hex spells using a catalyst. Or both, if you want.

I'm planning to focus on both sorcery and intelligence-based hexes (with some pyro thrown in). Since the damage seems similar, the reasons I'm using hexes are:

• dark spells seem a lot better at breaking poise which stuns enemies. Useful for finding time to swig an estus or what have you.
• Several enemies have high resistance to magic power, so it's good to dish out an alternate damage type. Avoiding overspecialization is the way to circumvent those Brad vs Old King Dorn situations.
• More variety of spell effects. Not just shooting blue beams.
• The hexes that do use up your souls, could come in handy in difficult situations, but they still seem optional to me.

@probablytuna: dude. That room is nothing but hidden doors. Press X (or A) on every surface around there. Then go to town.

With my low str/vit/end no shield sorcerer build, I found this fight to be the hardest thing I ever faced in a souls game. Worse than ornstein and smough or 4 kings ever were.

I finally beat them by adding 12 strength to wield a decent shield and the magic mace. Betraying the spirit of my build, but I'll respec later.

The thing is... After the fight I noticed a secret wall that leads to a room containing a ladder leading to one of the platforms.

Could I have opened this during the fight? It seems to me, that the ladder room is a potential safe zone to heal or snipe from. Even if the sentinels can fit in the doorways, I assume I could use the ladder to go up and down and keep them at distance. Is this possible?

If so, I'm no longer dreading new game plus.

EDIT: Can one of the mods move this to Dark Souls II forum? I unknowingly posted to general, and I can't seem to change it.

Damn. I thought something was fishy after the second time. Can anyone tell me what I missed from...

1. The chest underneath the room of ballistas?

2. The chest on the other side of the elevator that takes you to the Last Giant boss?