>>18342780
You forgot the Furtive Pygmy.

Nah, it's just the awesome background that the GM wrote for the campaign that in the end only one of the players showed up for, who was barely responsive to any roleplaying and just wanted to play a big dungeoncrawl...

>>18342813
Or it was a game with a whole bunch of different players in a highly lethal campaign, with dozens of players coming in and out with characters that sometimes only lasted a little while, and sometimes lasted a long while, but all of them died, except that one quiet guy, with the game from the beginning, who the GM could never manage to kill off.

>>18342799
The Pygmy's player was the group's That Guy. First he made a completely bullshit underpowered character, then he tried to derail the campaign with his "Age of Darkness" grimdark bullshit. The other players tried to reign him in, but their characters mostly went insane or died so he kinda won at the end.

>>18342799
I hear he's easy to forget.

>>18342859
I like to think more that the player was the only one who took the GM's bait on that plot hook, rather than the player being responsible for it.

Everyone else was all "LIGHTNING KNIGHTS!" "GIANT UNDEAD!" or "FIRE WITCHES!" and he was all "What about this pygmy thing you were talking about?"

Everyone else thought he was an idiot for picking the background with the least power, but he showed them in the end.

>>18342859
That actually makes sense

>implying Dark Souls' backstory was not a campaign centered around the Four Knights

>>18342891
Now, right there, is a That Guy

>I totally grind up the bones of the people I kill and eat them. I'm so dark and edgy! I can totally be a knight like you guys!

>God damn it.

Am I the only one who sat through the opening cinematic, saw Seath, and went "what the fuck is Nicol Bolas doing here?"

>>18342891
wish we'd gotten to see the others..

>Ornstein -Leo
>Blacksmith -Hawk
>Artorias? -Wolf
>Ciaran? -Hornet

I mean, I guess Sif can count for Artorias, but who the fuck was Ciaran, seriously

>>18342891
Ahh, Arkan and Ratko. My friends neglected to mention them as I was going through Anor Londo. I came in there with no idea that I was about to face a boss fight, three estus charges left, and my parrying buckler.

>>18342926
>Blacksmith
No no no no. There was a knight known as the Hawkeye. The name slips me, but Pharis was almost as good as him.

>>18342926

The Hawk Ring belonged to Hawkeye Gough, leader of the Greatarchers.

Smough was just a giant, not an Anor Londian, and wasn't a knight.

>>18342910
>Smough is That Guy
Explains why he gets along well with the munckin that is Ornstein.

>"So my character can use lightning spells, has a spear he's so good with he can split boulders with it AND he's able to dash across a room while wearing full heavy armour. What do you mean he's overpowered? Hey, just because you aren't as good at killing dragons as me doesn't mean I need to take my shit down a notch. BTW my character decide to put the heads of all the dragons he killed on his wall because they look AWESOME. Why aren't you guys as good as me at dragonslaying?"

>>18342910
Is that Smough's thing? He grinds up and eats people?
Actually, what the hell is his deal, he ain't a knight at all, he's like a headsman. With a hammer.

...Hammerer executioner, was Anor Londo built by dwarves?

>>18342983
The man is nuts, and really, really wanted to be a knight. But he disgusted the other knights, and kind of scared the shit out of them too.

To give you an idea, try and sell his soul to the kingseeker.

>>18343007
Is that why he squashes Ornstein if he dies first? Sort of a "I never liked you anyway" thing?

>>18342957
yes I know, but you find the ring in the Giant Smith's chest

"Hawkeye Gough" leads the Greatarchers

the smith sells the dragonslayer arrows

2+2

The whole Quelaag/Quelaan business made me feel like a tool. Poor spider women.

>>18343034
Or perhaps "I always wanted to know if you were delicious..."

>>18343034
I think we just see Smough in a strange light there.

Orstien is the only one who seemed to care for the disgraced and rather creepy Smough, in return, Smough had a sort of little brother affection for him. Seeing his only friend die in the battle enrages him, and while he cannot wield the power of lightning himself, smashes his hammer onto Orstien to conduct the lighting of his spirit through him so he may avenge his fallen friend.

>>18343034
>Smough loved his work, and ground the bones of his victims into his own feed, ruining his hopes of being ranked with the Four Knights.

Description on his weapon. Basically he was nuts and loved killing people, and didn't give a shit about anyone.

Man, there really needs to be a Dark Souls RPG.

>>18343061
That's true, when Smough dies, Ornstein actually goes over and has a moment, and then gets fuckmad, fuckhueg, and comes for you with a vengeance, now with some of Smough's tricks.

No matter what, you're fighting both of them. BFFs to the end.

>>18343036
>2+2
No, it's more like
>2+something that ever so slightly resembles a 2 so I'll just assume it's a 2
The blacksmith makes those magic bolts, so I guess he's really Gwyndolin
>but he was ordered to make those bolts
Yeah and he was ordered to make those arrows.

The only possible link is that the ring is found in his room, and that's a very very shaky basis for a theory.

>>18343101
At the same time, some of the shit you do have to read behind the lines for, and does seem to be true is almost as shaky at times.

>>18343092
Each has his way to signal off his friend.

Orstien gives his friend a Knightly farewell before merging their power.

Smough does not let the lesser creatures fell the once proud knight, resolving it is better he dies at the hands of a friend than the small murderers.

>>18343092
Huh, I always viewed it as Ornstein absorbing the essence/soul/whatever of Smough rather than something noble. Kind of a "Well, at least you'll be useful now" sort of thing.

I made Ornstein in Pathfinder a while ago. He couldn't shoot lightning (not at level four, anyway), but was able to do that fucking retarded long-ranged lunge AND zone the shit out of people with his spear.

Why i can't play this game without buying a console?!

>>18343101
>and that's a very very shaky basis for a theory
If there was something more tangible I'd take it.. but.. that's literally all we have for Gough.

And it's better than the "fucking nothing" Ciaran gets

>>18343120
Why would the Mighty Lion knight hang around with a crazed cannibal executioner if not for jolly comradship.

though I have heard the rumors that Orstein is a girl.

>>18342983
Anor Londo was a nation of giants. The Furtive Pygmy was human-sized and a midget to them.

>>18343158
>though I have heard the rumors that Orstein is a girl.
And it would be so kind of you to not spread them when every piece of fluff that describes Ornstein refers to him in a masculine manner.

>>18343147
Ciaran: guy with knife. Nicknamed the Hornet. Stabstabstabstabstab, etc.
Pretty much.
Typical Ninja character: live in shadow, die unknown and unmourned by everyone.
Alternately, one more thing in THE FUCKING JAPANESE VERSION they didn't translate to English. FROM does that.

>>18343061

>Defeat Ornstein first
>He's on the floor
>HE'S STILL FUCKING MOVING
>*SMASH*

>>18343137

Possible PC version soon

>>18343158
Most likely not true. The Leo Ring says "his"

>>18343172
I am 100% sure the rumors come from his armour, the chest looks a little boobplatey to some.

I personally belive they are BFF!

Man blacksmiths are the most hardcore motherfuckers in all of Dark Souls. To hell with those posh knights and pussy-ass giants, blacksmiths make them all look like little shits.

When you are a blacksmith in Lordran, it is your fucking duty in life to forge and smith. Your stuck in the middle of nowhere and there's a demon in next room? Keep on smithing. You're stuck in a cell in a haunted city with mad undead everywhere? Keep on smithing. Every knight and giant has fled the city and the sun has vanished from the sky? Keep on smithing? You died? Keep on fucking smithing.

Vamos is probably the hardest motherfucker of them all. Even in death he stills smiths. When you enter his chamber, he smashes a hole in the wall and tells you to get the fuck out so he can keep on smithing. He does not give a single fuck that there is now a hole in his wall, or that you killed a hundred of his fellow skeletons. He wants you to fuck off so he can do blacksmith shit all day errday.

Fuck yeah blacksmiths.

>>18343216
Let's not forget that the human blacksmith FUCKING DROPKICKS YOU FOR MASSIVE DAMAGE if you attack him.

>>18343231

I accidentally attacked that guy on my first playthrough. Dropkicked right through my shield.

So I made a new character and ploughed my way past the first bit again.

What's this, a Dark Souls thread?

>>18343216

I remember towards the end of my first playthrough that I was harvesting humanity from NPC's using the Dark hand.

Everything going well until I get to Andre of Astora.

I hit him once, then he gets up walks over to me and beats me to death with his bare hands. Seriously, that man's a beast because I was over level 100.

For From's next game would you like a direct sequel to Dark Souls? Or something in the same vein but different setting, like Dark Souls was to Demon Souls?

>>18343172
Shoosh, it'll be okay.

I actually find it a bit unnerving that in Dark Souls, humanity seems to be a corrosive, almost evil energy. All of the Firekeepers seem to get fucked up because they are "gnawed" by ridiculous amounts of it, and it's this creepy black stuff that can be used to fuel scary ass fires.

Then you've got humans, who basically run off the stuff. What does that say about the mere mortals in this universe, that they basically run off of pure evil?

>>18343260

Because I LOVE Dark Souls

>>18343270

Got any more fan art?

>>18343277

Don't you guys love it too?

>>18343260
Never again. There is no force on heaven or earth that could convince me to go through blighttown again.

>>18343269
I'd like it to be in the same spirit of fuckhard-ness but have a place that only unlocks on a newgame +, which also includes a ramp up in the difficulty. Only 'hidden' area being Priscilla's bachelorette pad is BS.

>>18343072
There was a person on /tg/ trying to design a diceless system for Dark Souls, but I don't think it was finished in the thread.

Also, I killed the Giant Smith. Hit him by accident, and was forced to put him down.

Also, fuck yeah, Black Knight Sword.

>>18343274
what is black and gnawing to some is pure to others, the flames were not always the brightest thing.

>>18343277

Oh no no no no no no no.

no.

>>18343292
Blighttown or Tomb of Giants?

>>18343291
Is it wrong that I know the exact spot that picture is from, and wish that invader an eternity of hellfire?

>>18343294

On hidden areas:

You find the Great Hollow and Ash lake?

>>18343292

Do you use the Master key to skip most of it?

>>18343277
>hear so much hype about ToG
>especially the Skeledogs
>get to them
>kill them in three hits
man.. ToG was cool for the atmosphere, but the level and Boss were such pushovers in terms of difficulty

>>18343274
It's not necessarily pure evil, you know? Sure there's a fear of humanity on the part of the 'gods' - else they never would have prolonged the Age of Fire. That's why it eats away at them, it's antithetical to them, the pace of the world has been slowed and humanity's destiny has been stolen from it: but not forever, and it fights to reassert itself.

The dilemma at the finale of Dark Souls is a question of self-determined fate and the chaos that accompanies it vs. ever-more-stagnant stability. The Age of Fire can't last forever, but perhaps you wish to prolong it for a few hundred more years.

>>18343312

What were you using? I went in with my lightning bastard sword and eagle shield, and I get out unscathed roughly 50% of the time. First time I made the mistake of NOT walking around them...

>>18343277
Fuck you you boney cock-eater.
I got my Stone Shield, and I ain't afraid!

The only real unfair spot, despite all y'alls whinin' is that one FUCKING spot in Anor Londo, which you have to fucking load out with Ring of Fog + Poison Arrows if you want to get past.

>>18343291
YEAH THAT FUCKING ONE.

>But wait, can't you just run past the archers?
Be my guest bitch and enjoy that You Died screen. Double cunted badger hooker.

>>18343333
Silver Knight Straight Sword

Elite Knight gear

I don't think I got hit once, and made a point of killing every enemy I could find (aside from the ones guarding the ember).

>>18343305
Blighttown in particular was just a nightmare for me. No part of the game took as long for me as that shithole.

Hell Anor Londo (up to Ren & Stimpy) only took a few hours of bumbling around and getting sniped off of bridges by black archers, but I was in blighttown for a week trying to get away from the one bonfire down there.

>>18343346
Narrow enough walkway to block their attacks until recoil makes them fall. That's how I did it.

>>18343260
Fucking Blight Town...that place is a troll DM/GM's dream made manifest. Enemies that can come out of nowhere, EVERYTHING causes poison, treasure everywhere just teasing you, and and then after you defeat the BBEG(after everyone takes their eyes off her tits), you run into her sickly sister, who you feel really bad putting down.

>>18343309
I found them but beyond Ash Lake's dragons and OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHM, the effect of them being 'levels' were underwhelming. Suppose I just want an even WORSE area to bitch about with an even worse boss to bitch about.


...oh wait, that's just Lost Izalith. FUCKING BED OF CHAOS WHY ARE YOU SUCH A FUCKING FUCK!?

>>18343346
Best tech I had: CHARGE, get into melee with the right side one, and try to get a parry off ASAP.
FUCK that area. GIANT STEEL BALLS REQUIRED, full stop.
*going sloooooowly crazy from that shit*

>>18343312

Black

Phantom

Skeleton

Dog

>>18343346
That bit is easy. Shield up, sprint up and to the right. You'll go out of range of the guy on the left, and the guy on the right will twat the wall and fall off. Shield up and move to the left guy, wait for him to go melee, then knock him off the ledge. Simple.

>>18343298

Aren't there character sheets for Smough and Ornstein?

>>18343388
>implying I'll ever get gravelorded
I'd like to see it at least once

>>18343346

You don't really need a ring of fog if you can position yourself in the right spot. At a certain angle the dragon slayer lances get stuck in the world geometry.

So I solved the problem with six poison arrows and a bag of chips.

>>18343312
Is that Lautrec? What the hell is he doing?

>>18343373
Scuttlebutt has it Ash Lake being one of the more obviously incomplete areas. It should've been about the size of Izalith, and the Stone Dragon a boss.
Also, anyone else trip out at the Insane Music bit in the Duke's Keep? HOOOOOOOOOLY Eldar Gods. brrrrr.

>>18343416
Pocky sharing.

>>18343425
Except if you break the pocky, he kills you with a shotel.
Cool guy.

>>18343416
>Is that Lautrec?
yes, yes it is

>What the hell is he doing?
pretty sure he's playing the pocky game with (who I assume to be) Anastacia

>>18343404

The gravelord curse works from time to time, a while ago in a /v/ Dark Souls thread there was a guy screaming at everything because he was trapped in a gravelorded tomb of the giants (second bonfire).

He was one shotted by the black phantoms, and he couldn't leave because of their insane range.

He didn't have the lordvessel.

>>18343372
>>18343364
Go slow, shield up, take time to kill darters, Get Shadow gear, shield up, run for it and go up the windmill, get the key. Whiny bitches.

>>18343453

How will that end.

*clang*

>>18343455
I loved dropping it there.

And I'd use magic to disguise myself in the tomb so even if someone got to the summon sign, they could never, ever find me.

And then I backstabbed them.

>>18343455
Before I finally quit ToG had become a _popular_ Gravelord location. I got that a couple times a night on AVERAGE.
By then I was a little more seasoned, and could deal with it.
This is my Holy Claymore. It staggers Giants and Dogs because I have a 60 Str.
I know no fear.

>>18343298
That person was me. I'm still working on it, and it's more or less roughed out in full. I'm still filling out the library of weapons (only have a few basic ones right now) and spells. I need more ideas for weapon techniques (something I added in to give more incentive to *focus on melee), and trying to figure out how I want to work pyromancy. I've yet to add in an upgrade system, and I can't figure out how to work pyromancy without addressing that first. Needless to say, an upgrade system for equipment (while awesome in the game) is a bit of a headache in pnp, so it's a bit of a stumbling block. I can't for the life of me come up with something to base pyromancy on other than your flame. I toyed around with the idea of vitality (sort of a life essence thing) but I'm worried that'll make it too viable since everyone wants vitality anyway. That may end up effectively mirroring the seductive ease of the chaos art, though.

If people are interested, I'd be happy to post more of my homebrew work or talk about what I've done so far.

>>18343476
I suspect we may have met.
I didn't get backstabbed, but I did find a motherfucker hiding as a pot a couple of times.

>>18343491
In ToG you turn into a skull.

>>18343487
Leave Pyromancy as-is. Make upgrading your flame near-impossible.


Talk about your shit.

>>18343491
I don't think I'm the only one who does it, but yes, we might have met.

I also enjoy doing it to invading phantoms. And then I generally one shot them with a nice casting of crystal spear to their unprepared backs.

>>18343457
My ultimate solution was the opposite. I eventually just ran my ass through that entire ramshackle deathtrap until I got to the bonfire in the swamps.

I actually liked the swamp. It was kind of nice down there, with only slow moving fire-spider-crabs and poisonous wasps.

>>18343508

It is pretty nice when you get used to the poison, yeah.

Tarkus is a pretty cool guy, he takes naps in front of enemies and doesn't afraid of anything...

>>18343501
I got in the habit of breaking everything. It's been a while, mea culpa.

>>18343506
Could be. Savage times, indeed.

>>18343522
What's a little poison between friends?

>>18343542

Not much. at least when you've the poisonbite ring, the bloodshield, the gold hemmed robes and possibly the rusty ring.

>>18343487
>>18343504
Yeah man, give us an earful! Maybe we can fucking help you out and shit!

>>18343480
Teach me your ways, I beg of you. I'm running around with my raw zweihander with Habel's armor and my lowly 42 strength.

Still messing around in Anor Londo before the fight with Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-do, cleared the painted world(was that boss fight supposed to be hard?) already, but now I'm just wondering aimlessly because I'm torn between going back and grinding in the woods until I have 50 strength or soldiering forward.

>>18343564
Now I've got item envy. I just went and committed tree-monster genocide until I had moss coming out of every pocket.

>gravelord phantoms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYgXmy674Ik

Going back to >>18343147
for a moment, in the Japanese version it's actually revealed that Ciaran is a girl, although the mention of her gender didn't translate over to the English description of the ring.

Oh, and remember where you find her ring? On Artorias' grave.

>>18343487
Would like to hear more please.

The cruelest thing a GM could throw at an unprepared party.

>>18343581
First off, RAW? Ha ha ha ha, you stupid daft motherfucker.

Second off, what build you leaning towards?

A demonic king wielding a sword only as powerful as the malice or benevolence of it's wielder as well as his two knights, one which towers above the buildings and one who can just about penetrate anything with his blade.
>A fuckhueg manta and it's horde of children who all fire spears of kinetic energy at their foes, who can only be combated with a blade that creates thunderstorms.
>The god and father of all dragons.
>A fucking golden cloak that possesses anything that wears it, increases it's stats by 10 and makes it a spell caster.
>A living saint who consumed one of the most impure souls of demons yet remained holy, ridiculous saves and her batshit insane paladin bodyguard who is immune to magic due to the armor he wears as well as one hands a mace used to kill giants.

Yep.jpg

>>18343591
girls can't be knights, silly

Alright, I guess I'll get started posting things section by section from my rules. A lot of stuff is still rough/unfinished, but where that's no obvious, I'll try to point it out.

* * * * *


Statistics

In Dark Souls: Lordran Adventures, players have 7 key statistics which represent their basic capabilities for interacting with and defending themselves against the myriad threats of Lordran. These 7 stats and their importance are summarized here:

Vitality - This number represents a character’s physical hardiness and ability to survive the lethal trials of their world. For ever point of a character’s vitality stat, they have 15 health points (e.x. A character with a vitality of 10 would have 150 HP)
Attunement - This stat represents a character’s capacity to utilize a variety of magical and martial techniques. For every 3 points of attunement, player’s may attune 1 spell or 1 martial technique. (e.x. A character with 9 attunement would have 3 slots available for magic spells, martial maneuvers, or some combination thereof)
Focus - A character’s focus represents their ability to take actions in combat time as they divide their attention between attacking their enemies and defending themselves. If you fine yourself drained of focus, you will be incredibly vulnerable. For every 2 points in your focus stat, your focus pool will have 1 mote that can be spent on actions. In addition, you will recover these motes of focus every round equal to 1 + 1/5 points of your focus stat (e.x. A character with a focus stat of 12 will have 6 motes in his focus pool and will recover 3 motes per round)

>>18343593
I don't see how they're such a problem. Was one of the most fun boss fights I ever had, unprepared or otherwise. Heck, the boss fights are all fun. Except for the Bed of Chaos, which was just boring and shitty.

>>18343504
Alright, I guess I'll get started posting things section by section from my rules. A lot of stuff is still rough/unfinished, but where that's no obvious, I'll try to point it out.

* * * * *


Statistics

In Dark Souls: Lordran Adventures, players have 7 key statistics which represent their basic capabilities for interacting with and defending themselves against the myriad threats of Lordran. These 7 stats and their importance are summarized here:

Vitality - This number represents a character’s physical hardiness and ability to survive the lethal trials of their world. For ever point of a character’s vitality stat, they have 15 health points (e.x. A character with a vitality of 10 would have 150 HP)
Attunement - This stat represents a character’s capacity to utilize a variety of magical and martial techniques. For every 3 points of attunement, player’s may attune 1 spell or 1 martial technique. (e.x. A character with 9 attunement would have 3 slots available for magic spells, martial maneuvers, or some combination thereof)
Focus - A character’s focus represents their ability to take actions in combat time as they divide their attention between attacking their enemies and defending themselves. If you fine yourself drained of focus, you will be incredibly vulnerable. For every 2 points in your focus stat, your focus pool will have 1 mote that can be spent on actions. In addition, you will recover these motes of focus every round equal to 1 + 1/5 points of your focus stat (e.x. A character with a focus stat of 12 will have 6 motes in his focus pool and will recover 3 motes per round)

>>18343611
*ahem*

>>18343615
Strength - Strength represents your character’s muscular capacity to exert force. It governs heavy weapons that depend on brute force to power their destructive blows. This stat factors into a weapon’s damage calculations.
Dexterity - Your character’s muscular finesse, this stat represents how effective he is with weapons that depend more on speed and precise strikes than on brute force. This stat factors into a weapon’s damage calculations.
Intelligence - The force of your character’s mind, this stat governs his ability to use sorcery. In addition, his spells will be more powerful the higher his intelligence score rises.
Faith - Your character’s piety and wisdom, this score represents his ability to call on the divine powers of the gods. In addition to giving him access to the gods’ magics, higher faith scores will increase the effectiveness of the miracles he uses.

>>18343649
Character Creation

The default setting of Dark Souls assumes that players take the role of the Undead, humans cursed by the darksign, a wicked brand that dooms them to an immortality of slow degeneration into mindless bloodlust. At the beginning of their exodus in Lordran, the undead are relatively normal humans, proficient in whatever skills they knew before leaving (or being banished from) whatever mortal land they once called home.

A starting character begins with a base stat of 8 in each of the seven different basic stats. They then have 21 points to distribute between the different stats on a one for one basis.

Once a character has his attribute points divvied up, he can choose his equipment. Beginning characters get 1 suit of armor, and 3 items chosen from amongst the basic weapons, shields, and magic catalysts. Characters also get their choice of two spells or weapon techniques (in any combination) that they meet the prerequisites for.

>>18343581
Hmm.
It's been a couple of months, but I'll see what I remember.
Stuff: the Gold-Hemmed robe set is crazy weight/armor efficient, and with the size of the weapon you want to carry that's very good.
Grass Shield: it's what you want with a tolerable lack of 100% Block. Upgrade it, and even on your back you'll get the extra stamina regen.
Kill Spic and Span with Phantom help if you need it. There's no real reason to delay and the Lordvessel will do wonders for your mobility.
Forest Grinding may be worthwhile, but for staggering enemies, particularly strong ones, weapon _weight_ is the great hidden stat. It matters for defeating enemy armor as well. The Dragon Weapons are kings of this kind of action, and I particularly like the Stone Greatsword and the Demon's Greataxe for general destructive use.
What's your Soul Level, and what are you trying to do in general?

>>18343610
>Astrea
>holy

>>18343657
Combat Actions

When the undead find themselves under siege, surrounded on all sides by the demons and hollows of Lordran, they have few recourses other than the sword. With weapon in hand or magic in mind, they must strike back at their enemies if they hope to survive. What follows is a breakdown of how combat works in Dark Souls as well as a list of actions that characters may take.

In combat time, characters use their focus pools to initiate most of their actions. Except where noted, characters may take as many actions per round as they can afford to by spending motes from their focus pool. The primary exceptions to this, however, are free actions, which can only be taken once in a round. There are others, but in general, these are the rules that govern action in combat time.

Actions Template:
Action Name (Action Cost)
Effects:
Restrictions:

>>18343597
Is raw worse than just leveling up further? I always did the latter just because I didn't understand it.

>>18343597
Strength build.

I've grown pretty fond of that giant sword. As for making it raw...its been that way since before blighttown, and at +5 its pretty good, but its likely getting reverted and upped to +15 standard whenever I get the chance.

>>18342780

If by awesome you mean generic as fuck yes

You're right

>>18343664
Move (Free)
Effects: The character moves up to 6 panels on the hex grid, modified by his armor.
Restrictions: This action may only be taken once per round.

Swap Equipment (Free)
Effects: The character changes between the primary and alternate equipment in one of his hands.
Restrictions: This action may only be taken once per round, and the newly equipped item may not be used until next round.

Change Stance (Free)
Effects: The character either takes his weapon in both hands or returns to wielding it with only one and redraws his off-hand tool. While holding his weapon in two hands, the character adds 1/2 again to his strength (round down) for the purpose of determining prerequisites and scaling damage.
Restrictions: This action may only be taken once per round.
Special: While wielding a weapon in two hands, it deals 1 extra point of stability damage with each blocked blow.

Light weapon attack (variable)
Effects: The character strikes with his weapon’s basic attack, dealing damage equal to the (light attack damage) + (stats x scaling modifiers) at a speed equal to the weapon’s light attack speed.
Restrictions: n/a

Heavy weapon Attack (variable)
Effects: The character strikes with his weapon’s heavy attack, dealing damage equal to the (heavy attack damage) + (stats x scaling modifiers) at a speed equal to the weapon’s heavy attack speed.
Restrictions: n/a

Dodge (2)
Effects: The character moves into 1 unoccupied hex in any direction and avoids damage from one attack with speed equal to or less than (8 - modifiers from armor and shields)
Restrictions: This action may not be taken if the character has no space to move into.
Special: This action may be taken during and in response to the actions taken by other characters in combat.

>>18343663
nothing that guy postulates makes sense.
So, no.

>>18343680
Raise shield (Variable)
Effects: The character readies his shield in order to deflect incoming attacks. As long as his shield remains, he negates all damage from attacks targeted at him. This continues until the character’s guard is broken. This happens when all of his shield’s stability points are spent in one round, or when he takes any action other than movement.
Restrictions: The character may not raise his shield until one full round has passed since their guard was broken.
Special: If a character wields his weapon in two hands, he can use it as if it were a shield. It costs 1 focus to raise and has a stability of 1.

Kick (2)
Effects: The character immediately guard breaks one enemy adjacent to him.
Restrictions: The use of this combat action immediately ends a character’s initiative round.

Dash (1)
Effects: During the character’s move action this round, he may traverse 2 additional hexes.
Restrictions: n/a

* * * *

Worth noting; I intend for this to be played on a hex grid, mostly because I like them and think they're underused, and because I think they more accurately represent a battlefield than squares do without getting into the headache of actually measuring distance.

>>18343670
>generic
You play a lot of games with blind, crippled, scaleless dragon sorcerers I assume?

>>18343701
Armory

Weapon Template:
Weapon Name (Light attack cost/Heavy attack cost)
Speed - (Light/Heavy)
Requirements - (Strength/Dexterity/Intelligence/Faith)
Damage - (Light/Heavy)
Modifier - (Strength/Dexterity/Intelligence/Faith)
Properties - (Variable)

Longsword (1/2)
Speed (5/3)
Requirements (10/10/-/-)
Damage (40/100)
Modifier (1/1/-/-)
Properties:

Estoc (1/1)
Speed (5/3)
Requirements (10/12/-/-)
Damage (30/70)
Modifier (1/2/-/-)
Properties:

Dagger (1/1)
Speed (6/5)
Requirements (6/12/-/-)
Damage (20/30)
Modifier (-/2/-/-)
Properties:

Bandit’s Knife (1/3)
Speed (6/2)
Requirements (6/14/-/-)
Damage (20/*)
Modifier (-/4/-/-)
Properties: Critical kill*

Claymore (2/3)
Speed (4/2)
Requirements (16/10/-/-)
Damage (70/140)
Modifier (3/1/-/-)
Properties:

Spear (1/2)
Speed (4/3)
Requirements (11/12/-/-)
Damage (30/80/-/-)
Modifier (-/2/-/-)
Properties: Shield Compatible

>>18343712
Hunting Bow (2/-)
Speed (6/-)
Requirements (8/14/-/-)
Damage (30/-)
Modifier (-/3/-/-)
Properties: Range Increment (30ft)

Dragonslayer Bow (4/-)
Speed (4/-)
Requirements (16/16/-/-)
Damage (80/-)
Modifier (1/2/-/-)
Properties: Range Increment (50ft)

Shield Template:
Name (Cost to lift)
Stability (Stability score)
Armor (Percent)
Speed (-Penalty)

Buckler (1)
Stability (2)
Armor ()
Speed (-1)

Heater Shield (1)
Stability (3)
Speed (-2)

Knight Shield (2)
Stability (4)
Speed (-2)

Greatshield (3)
Stability (6)
Speed (-3)

>>18343717
Armor Template
Armor Name
Armor (Damage reduction)
Speed (-penalty)

Heavy Clothing
Armor (10)
Speed (-0)

Thief’s leather
Armor (15)
Speed (-1)

Chainmail
Armor (20)
Speed (-2)

Knight’s Plate
Armor (30)
Speed (-3)

Catalysts/Talismans/Pyromancy Flame

Template
Name (Spell Type)
Requirements (Strength/Dexterity/Intelligence/Faith)
Modifier (Strength/Dexterity/Intelligence/Faith)

Sorcerer’s Catalyst (Sorceries)
Requirements (-/-/14/-)
Modifier (-/-/3/-)

Talisman (Miracles)
Requirements (-/-/-/12)
Modifier (-/-/-/2)

Pyromancy Flame (pyromancy)
Requirements (obviously unfinished stuff is obviously unfinished)

>>18343663
YEP!

Oh right, I forgot.

>That guy plays some random blind woman... who it turns out is one of the most powerful demons, ever. Able to empower herself and others to ridiculous levels.

>>18343668
>>18343665
The problem mainly lies in the fact that raw sucks, not giving any further benefits beyond a mild bonus when you have the chance to build it. It gets better quick just forging weapons up normal. And even rescinding the weapon means you still worked it up and wasted all those items making them raw.

>>18343728
Spells and Techniques

The undead who wander Lordran in pilgrimage are not limited to the basic forms of attack and defense. They arrive with a lifetime’s worth of experience, and through the trials of their pilgrimage, they may acquire many more. Below are detailed the various attack techniques and mystic spells that those cursed with the darksign might have access to.
Technique/spell template
Technique/spell Name (cost)
Requirements (strength/dexterity/Intelligence/Faith)
Description:
Restrictions:

Martial Techniques

Guard Breaker (N/A)
Requirements (12/-/-/-)
Description: While wielding a weapon in two hands, it deals an extra point of stability damage to shields that block it.
Restrictions:

Piercing Attack (+1)
Requirements (-/14/-/-)
Description: By adding 1 to the focus cost of an attack, that weapon strike ignores damage reduction from armor.
Restrictions: In order to use this technique, the striking weapon requires a dexterity modifier of 2 or greater.

Miracles

Heal (4)
Requirements (-/-/-/14)
Description: The caster of this miracle takes a few moments to kneel in prayer to his god(s), calling on their divine power to close his wounds and heals himself of (30 + modifiers) hp.
Restrictions:

Force (2)
Requirements (-/-/-/14)
Description: With a sudden, powerful gesture, the caster generates a globe of force that pushes humanoid characters in base contact one space away (in a direction of their player’s choosing) and immediately breaks their guard.
Restrictions: This spell is considered to have a speed of 4 for purposes of dodging.

Lightning Bolt (4)
Requirements (-/-/-/16)
Description: Conjuring the power of the gods in the shape of a lesser lance of lightning before releasing it to soar through the air towards her target (any opponent within 6 spaces without cover). It deals damage equal to (60 + modifiers) and ignores reduction from armor.
Restrictions:

>>18343728
Spells and Techniques

The undead who wander Lordran in pilgrimage are not limited to the basic forms of attack and defense. They arrive with a lifetime’s worth of experience, and through the trials of their pilgrimage, they may acquire many more. Below are detailed the various attack techniques and mystic spells that those cursed with the darksign might have access to.
Technique/spell template
Technique/spell Name (cost)
Requirements (strength/dexterity/Intelligence/Faith)
Description:
Restrictions:

Martial Techniques

Guard Breaker (N/A)
Requirements (12/-/-/-)
Description: While wielding a weapon in two hands, it deals an extra point of stability damage to shields that block it.
Restrictions:

Piercing Attack (+1)
Requirements (-/14/-/-)
Description: By adding 1 to the focus cost of an attack, that weapon strike ignores damage reduction from armor.
Restrictions: In order to use this technique, the striking weapon requires a dexterity modifier of 2 or greater.

>>18343737


But to be fair, the items you waste making an object raw can be regained with some time and effort. I brought my halberd up to raw +5 and by now it's regular +14. It's not as if I have a small array of other fully upgraded weapons by now...

damn I'm getting tired of my shitty internet double posting . . .

Anyway, the miracles are as far as I've written up, so for the moment, that's the entirety of it. Please, let me know what, if any, feedback you guys have. Also, I'm still looking for people potentially interested in playtesting this at some point, so if it strikes you fancy, shoot me an email and I'll add your name to the list.

Email here*

>>18343665
Somewhat. Raw is basically for builds that want to use a weapon they don't have the stats for.
Not inherently a bad idea, but crippled by Holy, Magic and by Dex weapons -if you don't have Strength, you've probably got at least Int, Dex, or Faith. If you've got _none_ of those, you've got some serious problems.

>>18343668
Ok then. Straight 15's pretty good, and you're doing it with a weapon that'll get a high mark for Str. bonus damage. In that case don't sweat your Str progression too much -you can always get more damage easier then anything else.
Havel's armor is fantastic, but I favored stamina recovery and mobility more.
God damn it.
I sold my copy of DS some months ago, and of course I can't remember _shit_ about what I did for armor.
Argh.
Sorry, I don't have any really good advice without data to reference.
Basically for armor measure value of weight, but also factor in _location_. The Helmet slot is the worst for armor = weight ratio, and contrary to what's implied in game you don't take extra damage from being hit in the head if you don't wear a helmet. Or wear a cosmetic one that you like for it's look.
So in your breastplate you want to go as heavy as you're comfortable with. Leather gloves are stupidly good for gaunlets with some upgrading -light and effective. Leg slot's your choice. And head is whatever after all that.

>>18343753
Yeah, I can just grind enough souls and buy the stones I need from that guy in Sen's Fortress.

Most conventional armor is pretty good when you cap it out.
What was I using...?
Oh yeah. Giant armor. Giant armor is verrry efficient. Ditto Stone. But Giant gets remarkably close to Havel's armor at much less weight at near full upgrade. A critical difference is that not all named armors go to +15. Some do, some don't, and the difference is paramount -some people dress for style and personality, and some for functionality. That's what the difference between +15 and +5 is.
Now, rumor had it that adding things like Lightning or Fire to armor upped it's resistance to those elements.
I never found out. I did notice however that doing do _didn't_ change the item's listed resistance, so I remain skeptical.

I feel really sorry for Nito. He got fucked over worse than pretty much everyone else. I felt worse killing him that Sif.

>>18343425
I've seen this gif plenty of times but where is it from?

>>18343933
I...can't remember.
Fuck.
Some anime that's about two girls who are mortal rivals, but they were actually friends before the straight-haired one got mind-controlled. That gif is actually completely out of tone for the rest of the series, but I guess that'd be the point.

Yo Iron Lung, s'the best light armor and 'magic user' armor, yo?

>>18343926
The... Horrible skeleton monster? What happened to him?

Out of curiosity, I realize the homebrew is a decently sized chunk of mechanics to parse, but I wanted to know if people were actually looking through it. I'm planning on heading off to bed sometime in the next hour. Hopefully, if I miss some replies, this'll be around in the morning when I check again.

>>18344027
The boss in the area leading up to him, the Pinwheel guy, used to be one of his necromancers until he decided to start sapping power from Nito. Mind you, this was after Nito was already weakened by the fact that humans, the most populous and mortality-limited race, was branded with the Darksign, meaning fewer people died and he lost a shitton of power from that factiod.

Makes you feel for the guy a bit. Not even the gods can get a break here in Lordran!

>>18344074
If you install 4chan X, it'll update the thread for you, and redirect you to the archives if it 404s! The more you know!

Polite sage for not contributan

>>18344074
Seems pretty interesting to me but I'm not a numbers guy. More wondering how you're gonna go about preventing this from being SUNBRO STOMPING PARTY: The PnP game.

>>18343954
>>18343933
Gai-rei zero. Watch the first TWO episodes before making a judgement call. Its blatantly obvious why, you will see.

>>18344088
I really liked how thoroughly they managed to convey the "golden age coming to an end" feeling. Everywhere you see once great ruins and left-overs of a great civilization, everyone you fight is a shade of their former self or a stand-in (instead of fighting the great knight, you fight his best friend guarding his grave)

And man, when I first came to the kiln. For some reason, I don't know why, I expected a lolredblack WoW dungeon. Instead nothing but cold ash.

>>18344101
What makes sunbros stompy is their high level gear that makes them disproportionately strong for a given encounter. Players aren't going to be summoning each other for encounters. Instead, they'll be adventuring as a group, meaning their strengths will scale with each other. If they do get to summon, it'll be an NPC like solaire who, while powerful, is somewhat limited tactics wise and scaled to the level of the challenge they're facing.

>>18344091
Thanks, I'll look into it.

>>18344162
>kiln
that stairway full of ghosts..

what a great area.

What most people don't see about Raw is that you aren't committing to it.

Raw is to throw together a decent weapon for early in the game, to keep your head above water cheap until you get the weapon you actually want to upgrade the way you want.

>No magic
>No enchants
>No shield
>Two-handing only

The real Dark Souls begins now.

>>18344167
Okay then. Also wondering, what've you got to keep them from meta-ing their way through, if they've played the game?

>>18344088
Hell, all the lord soul bosses were shadows of their former power. The Bed of Chaos was a failed mess, Seath and Four Kings only had shards of lord souls, and Gwyn was a burned-out zombie husk.

I imagine if any Nito, Gwyn or the others had their souls as the same strength they were during the war with the dragons, the player would have been obliterated as he/she traversed those fog walls.

>>18344162
>Sif defending his friends grave and sword
>Artorias's whole fucking story
>Ornstein and the knights of Anor Lando mercilessly protecting an illusion. They protect her to their dying breath
>The sun vanishing from Anor Lando. There is.....nothing left. Just darkness, silence
>Blighttown.
>The horror when you realize your character really in fact can't die. He took on this journy looking for a way to finally die before he hollows. In both endings you get shafted.
>The Kiln is a blackened scar of the first kindling

This game man.

>>18344242
>Blighttown.

Made me laugh.

>>18344241
Now THAT, that might actually be cool. Fighting them at the peak of their power, slugging it out, up and coming Dark Lord against the defending champs! It'd be heart-attack Gygax-laughs-at-your-tears hard, but, as we all know, that would make winning so much fucking better.

>>18344242
Yeah, its a pretty harrowing thing. All their work, their toil and struggle, and they ended up accomplishing nothing. Makes you wonder how humanity or the Undead are gonna get by without wondering if that is their fate too. 'I am Ozymandias', indeed.

>>18344242
Also, everyone you meet and doesn't want to kill you goes hollow or is a giant, lying cunt.

>>18344232
The campaign won't necessarily be based straight out of the game dark souls. Players might not end up as the "chosen undead." Ideally, their place in the lore will be closer to groups like the way of white expedition, or lautrec. Hell, I might end up making up entire sections of the game world, or having things take place in an altered Lordran from a later cycle. Could go a lot of directions with this.

In other words; This (may or) may not be your daddy's dark souls.

>>18344255
Man, did you not get the story for Blighttown? Thats where they throw all the diseased wretches, then the two sisters came along, and the pale lady sucked all of their sickness out. Kellogs has to force feed her humanity to keep her alive. Talking to her with the ring on is heartbreaking.

>>18344219

I did this for Demon's Souls. Is Dark Souls any harder?

>>18344242
Don't forget.

>"FINALLY, I HAVE FOUND IT...I HAVE! MY VERY OWN SUN...I AM THE SUN!"

>>18344292
From what I heard, Dark Souls encourages a more defensive way of fighting than Demon's.

>>18344289
As someone who suggested this in a mail, I still do. Demon's Souls the RPG, you know you want to. Player bodies aren't ready.

>>18344294
God damn it.

>>18344294
That moment was kind of ruined for me, because as he said that I jump-attacked him with the greatsword, cutting him off.

>"I AM...THE S"
clang

>>18344284

CHOSEN UNDEAD, DO NOT BELIEVE THIS FOOLISH CREATURE. I, KINGSEEKER FRAMPT, AM YOUR GUIDE AND GUARDIAN.

NOW, IF YOU WOULD JUST BE SO KIND AS TO GO GET THE LORDVESSEL. ITS OVER THERE, AROUND THOSE NICE ARMORED CHAPS. JUST TELL THEM I SENT YOU AND IT SHOULD BE JUST FINE.

>>18344304
NOPE, however. Many enemies will make a mockery out of your defenses.

>>18344284
I love that possible duality of the gods.

Is he trying to keep the age of fire going because it's the only way for humanity to survive as they are, or is he trying to prevent the ending of his divinity, and a time when humans become as powerful as gods?

Pretty much everyone is a dick, more or less.

>>18344304
Heavy Armor is far, far more useful in Dark Souls then it was in Demon's, where it was basically a waste of time.

>>18344306
Yeah, I'd need to be a lot more familiar with demon's souls to pull that off. Still, stuff like that would be easily pulled off.

Warning: Opinions and spoilers ahead.
Every undead is 'chosen'. Any undead that will actually follow the legend and link the fire is good enough. If they can actually fucking get to the Lordvessel and somehow kill everything without going hollow like a bitch. Frampt wants you to replace Gwyn as kindling for the fire, Kaathe wants you to kill the fire off and allow his Darkwraiths to go on murderkill forevertime.

Gwyndolin is the one that probably started the myth of the Chosen Undead, as he created Tittyprincess Illusion after the real one left. He has massive daddy issues and is also a trap, soo...yeah.

The reason the other undead you see aren't being the Chosen Undead is because you have to come from the Undead Asylum, according to the myth. You did-proved your worth by stabbing Ass Demon in the testicles until dead, too-so you're 'good enough'.

>>18344280
It would have been cool, sure. But I think fighting these gods at their lowest, all broken like the Age of Fire, did wonders for the games atmosphere.

>>18344294
The saddest part about that for me was, not just that I had encountered him there by accident, but that I killed him in three blows.

Three attacks. Three pathetic, measly attacks. That's all it took for me to end the life of one of the greatest bros who ever lived.

>>18344346
What I wonder about is Frampt in the Dark Lord ending. Was he always secretly in cahoots with Kaathe or did he just quickly switch to the winning side in the end?

>>18344316
Does anyone else believe the theory that Frampt and Kaathe are actually the same being, and that the primordial serpent is a hydra?

>>18344364
I buy it. Especially given the Dark Lord ending.

Also, how the fuck else would he know you're talking to Kaathe just randomly?

>>18344361
You're the Dark Lord. You're the LAST Lord, in case you didn't notice, you murdered every other one there was. They're scared you'll fuck their shit if they don't follow along.

>>18344345
You already know my e-mail, shoot me a message if you'd be interested in working stuff out. I'd be happy to help you out, I've even got tons of ideas regarding stats for the various creatures.

>>18344346
I thought that all the undead in the game were the distant descendants of the Furtive Pygmy. Any one of them could be the Dark Lord, you were just the only one who went the distance.

I usually hate spoilers, but I'm actually glad I knew what would happen when I linked the first flame in the kiln.

They didn't have to lie to me. I would have done it. I did it. It just hurts that nobody was straight with me. Nobody said "I need you to save the world, but it's going to..."

I'm not blind. I've seen the kiln. I've seen what happened to Gwyn's silver knights. I'm a good person. I will do what needs to be done. Just tell me.

>>18343969
The Princess Set is good, as is the Antiquated Set. I like to hybridize those with a heavy BP, or better yet with a heavy leg/hands set to keep the look consistent and the protection real.
The good news about that kind of thing is how light it all is. You can easily match it up with something like the Black Knight's Shield for a lot of sort of binary defenses: tough as hell while you're blocking, dead as ash if you're caught shield down. Also you've got no Poise to speak of, so rush down packs of enemies like you get in the Duke's Archives are terribly hazardous even if you're skilled at parrying.
Low Poise is one of those things that can lethally sneak up you, be warned.
As for weapons? The Magic enchantment does wonders of course, and I really came to love the Partisan and the Estoc. The Partisan's a fantastic do-everything tool, and the Estoc's the king of light weapons.
Btw: the named multi-stab rapiers are fun, but damn useless against too many things. Anything that can block. Anything that doesn't mind you holding still. Anything strong. Be enwisened about this.
The Uchigatana's a personal favorite. When I'm feeling saucy I roll that and a Ghost Dagger offhand as they both cause Bleeding. The Uchi's light and effective, and getting a Bleed damage burst every couple of strokes is just lovely.
Sorry for the delay on the answer: had a phone call.

>>18344294
>... My Sun ... it's setting ...
>... It's dark, so dark...

>>18344375
No, humans are dependence of the Pygmy. Your character just happens to be a direct descendant, and inheritor of the Dark soul. There is a reason humanity is a black thing you know.

>>18344378
But are you saving the world, or are you just keeping the old gods in power and preventing the empowerment of humanity and their true destiny?

>>18344375
That's entirely true. But only you fulfilled the exact requirements of the 'legend'.

>>18344366
>All look the same
>All emerge from some holes
>Kaathe emerges from abyss
>Dark Lord ending - all of them poke their heads out of darkness
>Speak of showing the world true darkness
>The darkness is their body
>They want to envelope the world

>>18344378
You got played. The Age of Fire has to end eventually so that the Age of Humans can begin. The Gods tried to prolong it once and look what happened.

>>18344381
I had that feel when I cut off Priscilla's tail, and then reset the fight. I thought I could just sneak past.
Nope.
To the death, HERO. Good job breaking it.
I did it to get the Platinum trophy, but damn did I feel dirty afterwards.

>>18344361
I reckon he's bound to some sort of duty that calls him to serve you.

But then again, I always kinda figured that the Primordial Serpents benefit a little too much from that ending. They probably go around eating people, devouring their souls and humanity and "serve" you because you're a chump.

>>18344388

By the end, by the time you have to choose to keep the flame burning, there aren't any gods left. You can't be linking the bonfires for their sake.

>>18344374
Yeah, that may happen sometime in the future, but getting the basic system done is the first priority. I've seen way too many homebrew systems fall to pieces because they tried to cover too much ground too quickly. I'll get the foundation solid and then go from there.

Also, I think I've decided that I'll make pyromancy not scale. It's useful in that it's an available form of magic with quick buy in and few/no prerequisites, but a master of sorcery or miracles will eventually outpace them (substantially) if they're dedicated. A dedicated pyromancer may be able to increase his abilities through certain rare means, but it'll require a focus like that of of the other disciplines.

So who exactly is the narrator of the intro? One of the witches?

Whats going to happen in the Dark age? We have seen some of the shit that is out there, it took a race of super giants and magical girls to keep them at bay.

What luck can humans have against the eternal night?

>>18344424
The narrator is Anistacia. That's why her tongue got cut out, she went around telling the 'chosen' Undeads that.

>>18344420
Well, Gwynevere is probably still out there getting banged by her war god husband and you don't have to kill Gwyndolin.

>>18344420
The only god left is a totally optional encounter, and many people won't ever see him unless they know he's there. It's more than possible for him to be left.

And surprise surprise, his illusions are the ones urging you on to do exactly what will keep him in power.

>>18344411
>>18344388
Maybe.
Without Fire, Humanity is in for a long, dark "ascension."
That's literal. Fire, All Fire Everywhere, is going out in the beginning. No forges, no hearths, no ovens, not even fucking torches.
A true age of Darkness.

>>18344436
Ooh, that actually makes sense. Good job.

>>18344430
The myth says that all humans will be branded with the darksign, but no one will ever go hollow. In essence, everyone will become immortal.

Or at least, that's one possible result.

Hey, does anyone have that short comic about anarchists? The one with the last frame showing a conga line of people stabbing each other in the back while yelling, "WE'RE FREE!"

Could someone please post that? I need to save it as this is what Darkwraiths believe.whatever.

>>18344436
Too bad she sounds like an old woman in the narration, when in the game she sounds like a young girl.

>>18344438

No, I killed the fuck out of gwyndolin. Gwynn's firstborn fell from grace. The witch of izalith, nito, seath, they're all gone. I didn't do it for any of them.

I did it to keep the eternal dragon, the darkwraiths, and god knows what else, at bay.

>>18344455
this one?

>>18344458
She got killed, and then you revived her with her own soul somehow. Her clothes are dirty as fuck, and that's far more than 20-something years of grime there.

Who knows what reviving a firekeeper does to them? It restores tongues, at least.

>>18344462
Still, Gwynevere and her god husbando. Since that husbando is apparently not from gwynn's line, there might be other deities out there.

How long do you think the PC has been "alive"?

>>18344470
There's Velka and Fina. Velka being the God of I'm Telling Daddy On You and Fina being the God of Forever Alone.

>>18344479
Depends on how good the people rounding up the hollows for confinement in the asylum are, but I doubt he is more than a natural lifespan old.

>>18344480
Isn't Velka considered a rogue God? Also, I think it was hinted at that Velka was at war with the other gods at some point.

>>18344384
Personally, its my belief that he's only descendant in the means that the Undead-Dark-Lord-to-be is strong enough to get to Kaathe in the first place, meaning he had to go through New Londo, an absolute hellhole filled with ghosts and darkwraiths.

You see, I figured that the Pygmy gave all humans a little nugget of the Dark Soul and that the leveling up was the result of the Dark Soul maturing and making the person stronger as a result. Anyone who could become strong without going hollow is a 'descendant' of the Pygmy. Because, honestly, I don't think the Pygmy had time to go around fucking broads while hiding from the gods during their Golden Age.

Something that's always bugged me about this game - why are you the only undead who can come back to life? Everyone else you meet is an undead and has the darksign, but if you kill them they're never seen again.

>>18344539
You have the Dark Soul.

>>18344521
Well, how long ago was that war against the Dragons? Depending on how long it was he could have only had one kid and the still have enough descendants.

>>18344539
>>18344544
Or your killing them sends them back to 'their' world (whereas the game is 'your' world). Who knows? Its not explained fully.

>>18344539
I always thought they respawned in their own worlds, or otherwise met grisly ends.

>Invade and kill Lautrec-find his corpse up near the Tittyprincess
That's just one example. Beatrice, too, leaves her corpse and shit in your world after she bites it after the Four Kings.

Solaire says that the timeline is basically fucked, and that's when he's NOT a summoned phantom. Later on, you have to summon him for bossfights, and later on, after that well. He's in your timeline again.

I personally think that you crashed Crestfallen Warrior's timeline.

>>18344559
I assumed that they went hollow and wandered off.

>>18344553
Long enough for humans to have nations and middle age tech. If you take the gods into account though it could go either way, they could have sped things along OR stagnated them.

It could be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand for all we know.

>>18344539
Yeah, that was weird to me also, especially since all the generic hollow undead you kill come back to life constantly.

>>18344539
All undead can come back to life, it's just a question of if they can retain their sanity after doing it so much. Most of the enemies you fight are just undead who've hollowed, and constantly die and revive, driven by nothing but the urge to kill.

You manage to keep yourself sane by the use of humanity, and you're quite good at "collecting" it.

seriously who's the Furtive Pygmy this is what I get when I googled it

>>18344634
It's not my fault. They all turn out to be crazy or assholes in the end.

>>18344649
It's something that requires a lot of looking to figure out.

Basically, the intro makes an offhand comment about him, noting that he's one of the Lords, but he played no part in the war, and then nothing else is known about him.

Doing certain shit lets you find out that he was indeed one of the Lords, and is perhaps one of the most powerful of them all. His descendent, IE, you, are capable of unleashing that power, and the gods did everything in their power to try and stop it from happening. And half the game is about them tricking you into doing the same thing.

The million dollar question is who's the good guy and who's the bad guy.

>>18344675
Patches is the good guy, as /vg/ will tell you.

>>18344649
...son of a bitch, that's fucking funny. The Darkwraiths are all hipsters!

>>18344379
Also, what princess set? Gwyndolins?

>>18344649
He's the last lord. His descendant is destined to snuff out the fire bring about the age of humanity.

>>18344675
No one. This isn't a story of 'good guy beats the bad guys' or 'bad guy whups the good guys'. This is a story about the transference of power (dark lord) or the continuation of a falling empire. I mean, as bad as the situation is in Lordran, its pretty shit everywhere else too. Almost all the nations are overfilled with hollows to the point where if anyone has the Darksign show up on them, they get shipped off to the Asylum. Why? Because they literally have no where else to put them. The balder knights, if you look at their equipment, basically got royally fucked up, for example.

>>18343195

>>18344294
>>18344242

Don't forget the corpse of a once proud king defending the place where he created his own world, being slain by the undead who killed every last remnant of his world.

Also, he has the saddest song in vidya history, FACT.

>>18344705
Who were the Baldar Knights? I'm not that far yet, whats up with them?

>>18344762
I remember nothing so keenly as the horror I felt in my stomach watching the intro, when it panned over Gwynn and his knights, and I thought to myself, "I'm going to have to fight this guy."

It got worse when he did the lightning bolt thing, because that shit was so awesome.

>>18344801
Balder was a kingdom.

Everyone went Undead.

The end.

>>18344801
You haven't made it to the Parish yet? Geez man, get crackin'.

>>18344801
You know those guys who were bigger than the normal hollows in the Undead Church? With the upturned helms? Yeah, that's the Balder Knights.

They're all undead now.

>>18344804
Can you imagine the shit that went down if this WAS a PnP campaign?

> Yeah, hundreds of immortal stone-scaled dragons? I throw lightning bolts at them. THOUSANDS of them!

>>18344835
Oh, those guys.

So those guys, who fuck me sideways if I try to fight more than one at once, a whole contingent of these guys came it and they all went hollow?

What killed them? I can only think of one enemy in the Parish that would stand a chance. That's assuming that the hollowed remain in the area they went mad.

>>18344907
They were probably besieging Sen's Fortress. One look at the place should tell you why they failed.

>>18344907
>>18344999
Could've been the Snakes, they're plenty dangerous in a straight fight.
Also, about the only non-human humanoid enemy. I wonder what their story is. Almost everything else is either a warped human or an outright mindless monster.
The Snakes are right in the middle.

>>18345163
Seath probably created them. He uses them as guards, and we know he has methods of transforming people into reptilian monsters.

I dislike how linear dark soul is.

Theres no diplomacy or sneaking involved. Its just fighting people whom you HAVE to fight to progress to the next boss.

You cant ally with anyone badass for some reason.

From what I understand, "Fire" and "Dark" are just names for the different cycles the world goes through. You started off with the age of "Dragon" because well, Dragons ruled. Then you had the age of "Fire" because it was brought on my the conquering races (Gods, Giants, and Witches) discovering "Lord Souls" (which I believe are basically elements of massive power) and ascending to become the dominant race. The Furtive Pygmy was probably a God, who found the "Dark Soul" or the power of the next age. The Pygmy was an outcast for his status and begot the Human race.

Now, the Gods and their ilk wished to hold onto power for as long as possible. Unfortunitely for them, the universe worked in cycles, and preventing the wheel of time from turning leads to catastrophe, as seen by how the kingdom in which Dark Souls takes place in is moving in and out of time, everything is falling apart, etc.

The Pygmy had predicted this, and left in his descendents a fail-safe; the Dark Sign. It would activate when the cycle failed to shift, allowing the Human race to try and get the wheel of fate moving again. If they didn't, then the universe probably ends. The prophecy is really just an instruction manual on how to rekindle the Fire and thus keep the previous age going, as Frampt & Co had been manipulating humans for as long as the Dark Sign existed.

By becoming the "Dark Lord" you're just forcing the universe to move on. There's nothing as to how good/bad/lawful/chaotic it is; you're simply breaking the last holds that the last race had on the world. They're not necessarily dead, but their power is gone.

>>18345378
It's an action game first and foremost, not much room for diplomacy. I do agree on the stealth though, it would be nice to feel like a sneaky thief instead of a warrior that cannot into armor or big weapons.

>You cant ally with anyone badass for some reason.

You mean like Solaire, Nito, the Stone Dragon, or any competent players?

>>18344242
>Artorias's whole fucking story

Not too far into the game, but I love whatever lore can be gleamed out of it. What's Artorias' story? Other than his pet guarding his grave and him being able to walk the Abyss, apparently out of a deal with the beasts of the Abyss which I assume are the Primordial Serpents.

A lot of the games' appeal, IMO, comes from how little is actually told. The Dark Souls world is mysterious and vague as fuck and that leads to a huge interest in it, trying to gleam as much information as possible from the game and trying to piece everything together through deduction and assumption. I can totally get that and it was a great move by From.

At the same time, however, it's really kind of a pain that such an interesting setting is left mostly in the dark, likely won't see any further development and will remain as little more than a head-scratching background for a HARDASFUCK dungeon crawler.

I have murdered for my Fair Lady. I have stolen for her. I have even died for her, but I can never right the wrong I did to her without even knowing it.

So I will suffer for her.

I will try to ease as much of her pain as I can.

>>18347433
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoSuyUFiEYo

Remember to read the lyrics found in the description.

>>18347465
Yeah, more or less. I've actually been trying to roleplay in my DS playthrough. I just couldn't leave the Daughter of Chaos to rot down there without her sister, so...

I've killed a lot of people to feed her humanity.

This is now a Maneater Mildred thread

Who else here nearly squeals at the little mushrooms' cuteness, especially when they swing and fall over? Of course I put them down because I know what the turn into...

>>18347556
>Aw look, these mushrooms now also come in big!
>How cute!

>>SMACK

>you have died

>>18347556
>What they turn into
Free Gold Pine Resin?

>>18347433
As soon as I got the Old Witch's ring and heard her dialogue, I killed the Fair Lady on the spot.

She was in pain so I cured her of it.

>>18347582
Monster!

>>18347556
>See mushroom people for the first time.
"Heh. A joke creature. Doubt they would even attack me."
>Get closer.
>Big one begins a swing.
"Oh, they attack me? Hah, I doubt marshmellow man does anything, I'll just block him with my greatshield."
>Kills me by the sheer force of it's punch.
>My face.

>>18344241
That's the point. They're all wasted from trying to prolong their power.

>>18347524
I can't tell if those things are used tampons or bacon strips.

This is doing strange things to my appetite.

>>18347556
Considering it's dark souls, I squeal in the same way I squeal when I see the white rabbit in the holy grail.

>>18344346
>murderkill forevertime
Or you know, just not stagnant plague of undead land.

>>18347628
Probably her summon sign, even though it looks more like an Orange Soapstone sign.

Just got this game yesterday. I've played a grand total of one hour and have died a grand total of thirty-seven times. Those crazy fucking ghosts in the New Londo Ruins just rape me, every time. Didn't help that the first time I faced off against them I didn't have any Transient Curses on me, so I used up all my Fireballs and did no damage. Any advice on getting past this part? I'm playing offline for now, have to get back to school so I get XBL back.

Darkwraith here. Ya'll a bunch of faggots with your faggot covenants. Why bother keeping some blind demon harlot alive or sitting around the forest picking your nose when you could be preserving humanity for the greater good of all undead?

Because your morons who refuse to believe the Age of Fire is over. In the end though the darkness will prevail, and you'll all be wishing you join this bitching covenant beforehand.

DARKWRAITHS 4 LIFE

>>18347684
>New Londo
That's an endgame area your trying to take on. You've got to go for the upper bell first.

>>18347684
>one hour
>new londo

NL is a late game area, you should be in the Undead Parish. Go towards the bridge with the zombie soldiers.

>>18347698
Damn, really? Makes sense I guess. I figured since that Undead told me about both bells I could do them in whatever order I felt like. Now I feel a bit foolish. The game is amazing though.

On another note, Pyromancy is pretty cool guys.

>>18347720
You can but you don't even have to go through NL for the lower bell.

>>18347694
The Darkwraiths are a bunch of Chaotic Evil morons who have no objective but ruining everything for everyone.

>that feel when enterign Anor Lando for the first time

Glorious

Fuck Blighttown

>>18347740
Alright. Is the bridge past the big graveyard with the skeletons that do bleeding damage?

>>18347740
Unless you have the master key.

Which you really should.

Otherwise you will have to go through Blighttown.

And one does not have fun in Blighttown.

>>18347770
No. If you stand before the crestfallen warrior, look right at the bonfire and the tiny well. Go past the tiny well.

>>18347773
5fpstown is pretty much mandatory for a first playthrough IMO, key or not. Even if you don't want to get the ninja set or katana, the pyromancy scroll and eagle shield are must-haves.

>>18347694
Don't make me stick a thunderbolt up yer arse.

>>18347807
>He uses vile magix and tower shields

So, Titty Monster is all an illusion, I don't know what to feel.

>>18347813
Why wouldn't you? Magick is always the way to go IMO.

>>18347762
>Blighttown
Hope you got some blooming purple moss clumps!

>>18347808
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgRtb8b-HK0

>>18347824
Why would you? You can get by perfectly without magix, even on your first playthrough.

>>18347823
when'd you find out? The clues were there all long, particularly the mention that Gwyndolyn was the only remaining deity in anor londo in the loading screens

>>18347823

>>18347773
Invade blight town all day every day.

Its not so bad really once you know your way around.

Also Blight Town is easy mode if you have the fog ring, the damn flies will just fly in place on the other side of the map instead of continuously hunting you down.

i got pyromancy on my second character, ninja with fire spells.

first character, just like demons souls, was a brute force twohander guy though

>>18347842
it's funny to have a 1D character saying that.

>>18347827
I first went into BT with 5 of them. Other than a healing miracle I had no magic. Spent all day in there, rang the bell and barely escaped.

I bought an action rpg. I got a survival horror.

I love the Lore in Dark Souls, it's not spelt out for you and it's like a giant puzzle you piece together from item descriptions and limited dialog

>>18347684
Sounds to me like you went the wrong way man. You gotta go to the right-ish of the firelink shrine.

I did the same thing, fucking with the skeletons in the graveyard the first night I played. I found the path up the mountain the next day.

>>18347837
Okay, fine. Warrior then? Or Knight?

>>18347912
They all fight just about the same buddy.

You really don't need to use Tower Shields in that area at all or ever, pyromancy is also kind of a crutch since its a no-skill button tap, no stat dump shit that people used to spam in pvp for easy wins.

Just use your super warlord abilities to position yourself to Slap axes into everyones backs and keep rolling the fuck out of the way. Standard aggro rules apply

WHY CAN'T I TALK TO THE EVERLASTING DRAGON

THERE IS A FUCKING LIVING, BREATHING DRAGON BEFORE ME AND I CAN'T EVEN TALK TO IT

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED DURING THE WAR, WHY WON'T IT SAY ANYTHING

>>18347930
Because you're a puny mortal.

>>18347924
Well alrighty then. Wanderer from the Far East with a bloodstained past it is then. Always had a soft spot for high Dex.

>>18347930
Dunno if it was just the video I saw but does the verlasting dragon have a goat skull for a head?

>>18347930
They had to cut that part due to time/money issues. In fact, I heard they had to cut an entire area as well (connecting the ash lake and the tomb of giants. That's the weird dead end before Nito), including two enemies and a boss fight. You can see the two enemies in the artbook, if you have it. It's the weird female gargoyle thing and the dude in the tophat on the boar.

>My face when I curbstomp everybody with my massive strength builded character that swings a greatsword AND a greatshield at the same time..

>>18347944
I've got an over powered magic build if you want to rape face forever and kill bosses in under 2 fucking seconds.

>>18347970
Sure. Probs won't use it until I get a feel for the game without magic though.

>>18347970
Where's the fun in that.

>Be trying out a fucking Darkmoon Blade character
>PvP up ten fuckin' ears even though my character isn't all put together and amazing
>Finally do Anor Lando
>My great scythe isn't really doing so well and takes quite a bit of skill to manage all these damn Silver Knights
>Do some jolly co-operation for awhile
>Takes forever to get a guy to summon me
>I help him take down shit and we get to the boss fog
>HE FUCKING DISMISSES ME
>messages me saying I wasn't doing enough damage and would probably just hold him back
>Waiting to summon people myself to just kill the fucker on my own game and fuck everyone
>See that his sign is down not a minute after I was dismissed
>Well okay!
>Get to boss fog
>Darkmoon Blade
>Power Within
>Boss dead in under 2 minutes

>>18347987
Its on the same character I have 99 sun medallions on, so uh, Raping face forever is the fun in it.

>>18348003
>Doesn't play Dark Souls for the challenge
>Takes time to break the game and then kills at least 99 bosses

I really didn't think you could play Dark Souls wrong, but there you go.

>>18347996

At least you were able to get the darkmoon invasions to work. I've done it about two times, I always get INVASION FAILED with the orb and I never get summoned at all with the ring

>My face when Crystal Ring Shield suddenly does one tenth of it's usual damage due to a nerfing.

>That scene where Gwyn and his Knights are holding their bolts.
>Gwyn throws his bolt first, followed by the Knights throwing theres
>It rips apart a dragon.
>Implying this scene wasn't fucking awesome.

>>18348023

No one ever implied that scene wasn't awesome you giant homo

>>18348011
On my first run through the game(blind) I didn't upgrade a single weapon til I got to Sen's Fortress, so I fought the gaping dragon and solo'd it with nothing more than an ordinary battle axe.

I did the same with Quelaag because Maneater Mildred decided to fucking run in a puddle of lava til her health ran out.

Then I figured I would give magic a try, and discovered quickly that magic was ridiculous.

>>18348037

You, sir, obviously have gigantic titanium balls and I salute you

Dark Souls is the best game everl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5xnWvOLOzM

Why... why did you force me do this, Dark Souls?

Why

WHY?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbHtRggFsNA

TARRKUUUUUUUUS

Are there any databases with Dark Souls lore? Most of the wikis are just walkthroughs and miss out key information.

>>18348173
I wish. It annoys me that they still pass around that poorly written theory about how all of the NPCs are demons, and its mostly based around the idea the shop lady in 5-1~5-2 is actually Saint Astrea and her demon is the girl in the swamp.

He skips around on his points and says he'll come back to them but never does.

>>18348052
I just wanted to help out, for the early bosses magic rapes shit so hard its a joke, later on you still have to use quite a bit of dodging or you get your ass handed to you.

Basically you start out as a Sorceror, grab a 100% physical block shield, and then you grab whatever weapon you want to use and go fight the Hydra and then fight the gold golem thing. Buy the Oolacile Catalyst and go put on the dusk crown. Go save that magic selling faggot and get Great Heavy Soul Arrow(any of the soul arrows are actually ridiculous at this point in the game with those two equips). Then go buy the ring or whatever and then you can sunbro for everyone as long as you feel like. I actually made it because I wanted to wield the Moonlight great sword.

Later on when she was 120 I turned her into a forest hosting character and I sat around and would empty out a whole 99 set of grave markers(shining stones?) at the forest when it basically was Lost Izalith, fucking gold hemmed robes and pyromancy everywhere. Then I made a High STR character, the idea being a Capra Demon but two demon machetes is retarded so I turned him into a Golem, Golem armor, and gave him the axe. Eventually he did the same forest trolling but with the Great Lord Great Sword.

Then I made a Lautrec Darkmoon character with a Great Scythe +15, had a lot of good PvP moments with...whatever gender that character was

What reason did Nito have to join Gwyn against the dragons in the first place? Why would he want the dragons gone, and why would he even care for fire?

>>18348325
Fire = Power. Who wouldn't want more power?

As well the everlasting dragons were, well, everlasting. Having such immortal beings around would have dampened Nito's strength as his realm his that of death.

>>18348325
Maybe they asked reeeeeaal nice and said please and everything?

Should I spring for the Chainmail armor? Got a lot of extra souls burning a hole in my pocket...

>>18348486

You can usually scrounge up better armor for free. Spend the souls on leveling up or reinforcing your weapons.

>>18348518
Alright. And how the fuck do I kill those crazy knights with the club/sword/whatever the hell that weapon is?

>>18348538

dunno what you're referring to specifically, just make sure your equip load is below half and strafe around them. Hit in the back or after they attack.

>>18348325

The intro states that they simply found the Lord Souls within the fire and it granted them great power. You'd be an idiot to refuse something that'd grant you that kind of strength, so Nito found it and took it much like Gwyn and Izalith. As for his reasons to join Gwyn and want the dragons gone, I think it's pretty obvious. Banding together they had the power to become rulers of the world. That's really all the reason anyone needs.

And maybe everyone just fucking hated dragons too. Being in power rarely makes you popular and those assholes hadn't even made fire FFS. And they mocked poor Albino Seath too.

>>18348583
Can I sell my useless crap to that crazy merchant? The one who insults you whenever you don't buy something?

>>18348624


Can't sell stuff. You need to wait till a giant serpent eats your items for souls.

>>18348630
Well that isn't completely arbitrary or anything.

>Fighting Taurus Demon
>About to kill him
>Get pushed off edge, about to rage
>He falls off too
>I'mokaywiththis.jpeg
>Go back, do a retrieval
>Meet Solaire
>Start walking across bridge
>DRAGON OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE
>Dead
MFW

>>18348700
Aren't there giant scorch marks on that bridge?

Still, the first time it does come out of left field. Look at it this way, though. These early deaths are going to make you pay attention, and by later in the game, that'll save your ass.

>>18349218
Still stuck on the bridge wyvern. God damn it.

>>18350074
Ok.
First off, be patient. Hang out for a couple of minutes. The Dragon can get bored and leave. It can also get bored and start wandering around the bridge. Both circumstances are exploitable.
Know where you're running to. Presumably you're going to angle to the right where there's a staircase down and a shortcut to unlock.
Got a good Shield? There aren't many options at that point, but the heater shield has decent fire resist and 100% physical so make sure you've got at least that between you and getting incinerated.
Worst comes to worst, head back to the undead burg for a while. You can reset the dragon for a clean first try after a while.

>>18350355
I'm playing a Knight, so I have the Tower Shield. I also have the Drake Sword if that makes any difference. I shot his tail a bunch of times to get it.