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Finding A Build, Answering A Question

Posted by on Nov 24, 2010 in Commentary |

The mage guide I posted recently is the culmination of the 10+ characters (2 profiles, deleting toons I didn’t like, creating new ones, in case you were wondering) I created in Demon’s Souls. It’s the result of a lot of trial and error, of looking for the character that feels right; right in the way that defines how I want to play the game.

It feels like I completed a journey of sorts. I created multiple characters, experimented with different builds and play styles. I made a tank that regenerated health like a D&D troll, merely shrugging off any damage he took. One toon relied on luck to deal damage. Items dropped left and right for her; she was never left in want of consumables. My first mage was fun but felt underpowered as I progressed.

Finally finding the build that suited me best has left me with mixed emotions. On the plus side I found what I was looking for. I was finally able to create a character that played exactly how I wanted it to. The other half is saddened by the fact that it only goes downhill from here. I don’t play DS as often as I used to after coming up with the build because nothing else compares to it. So far, at least.

I need a new game. Hopefully Infamous will fill the void when I get it next month.

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A Demon’s Souls Mage Build

Posted by on Nov 19, 2010 in Commentary, Guides |

Here’s my mage PvE build for Demon’s Souls. It borrows ideas from two existing builds: the Demon Mage and the VIT North Regalia. The concept is simple: have Magic high enough to deal decent damage on its own (without bonuses) and also have enough health to take advantage of the Morion Blade + Clever Rat’s Ring combo. The build is intended to make your toon a glass cannon.

Starting ClassMagician
Vit60
Int/Will24
Enddefault
Strdefault
Dexdefault
Mag50
Faith10
Luckdefault
GearSilver Coronet
Wooden Catalyst
Morion Blade
Clever Rat’s Ring
Kris Blade +5
Ring of Magical Sharpness
Magic Sword “Makoto”

This should bring you to SL 105. Vit 60 should give you decent health whether in soul or body form. I recommend equipping the Cling Ring in soul form while you’re getting used to the build. Int/Will 24 gives you 4 spell slots while 10 Faith grants 1 miracle, enough for Evacuate. I recommend Homing Soul Arrow and Fireball for the spell slots. HSA is your boss-killer while Fireball is for mobs. Replace the latter with Soul Ray or Flame Toss depending on the occasion, or in case you don’t have Fireball yet.

The Silver Coronet will help with the relatively low Int/Will score. I recommend you increase this once you have more souls to spare. The low score also explains why I recommend using a Wooden Catalyst. Needless to say, it’s going to be a must to boost this number further if you want to use an Insanity Catalyst instead.

As you can tell by now, the point of this build is to combine magic with the damage boost from the Morion Blade + Clever Rat’s Ring combo. For mobs, Fireball will be sufficient as your mainstay spell. Use Homing Soul Arrow for bosses. Use the Ring of Magical Sharpness and Kris Blade if you prefer to keep your health high, then reduce it with Makoto once you get to the boss. Even without the damage bonus, a score of 50 Magic is enough to cause substantial damage to your enemies.

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Demon’s Souls Speed Run

Posted by on Oct 22, 2010 in Commentary |

What you’re seeing above is part 1/4 of a speed run of Demon’s Souls. The guy completes the whole game in 55 minutes. It’s an impressive feat, especially for a game that’s infamous for being tough as hell.

It made me realize that seeing something like this is unhealthy for me. It gets in my head, making me think about the possibilities. What caught my attention was how powerful Homing Soul Arrow is. It’s his main boss-killer spell. Naturally, I thought about trying it out myself, which then led me what I knew was going to be the biggest threat to that plan: the Maneaters.

The Maneaters are a pair of gargoyle-like monsters that will try to pound, blast and shoot you to death. You fight the first one for three minutes or until his health is reduced to 20%, after which his partner comes along to join the fun. As if that wasn’t enough, the main fight area is a bridge with no rails. Dodge at the wrong spot and you’ll fall to your death. How does he handle them? With skill, that’s how. Check this out, jump to 7:40 to witness the fight.

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Demon’s Souls: Notes on World Tendency

Demon’s Souls: Notes on World Tendency

Posted by on Oct 19, 2010 in Commentary, Guides |

archstones-wt-boletaria

• Until you get a good grasp of how World Tendency (WT) works, it’s a good idea to always commit suicide in the Nexus after defeating a boss. You’ll be in body form then and will cause WT to shift to black if you die in the area you’re in. To prevent this, head back to the Nexus, die there and then resume whatever you were doing. There is no WT shift if you die in soul form.

• Play offline if you’re concerned about your WT.

• While it sounds tedious to learn about WTs in a game that’s already difficult by default, it is in your best interest to strive for it as soon as possible. This is because certain events, quests, items and NPCs only appear during Pure White or Pure Black WT. Simply put, PWWT or PBWT = more loot.

• The simplest way to achieve PWWT (outside of server events, of course) is to keep killing bosses and then dying in the Nexus every time you gain body form. PBWT is even easier. Just keep dying in body form then use Stones of Ephemeral Eyes to gain it back. Note that the archstones in your menu won’t update their color until you get back to the Nexus.

[Image Source]

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Demon’s Souls Quick Start Gear Guide

Demon’s Souls Quick Start Gear Guide

Posted by on Oct 12, 2010 in Guides |

demons_souls_cover

I’m just going to re-post something I wrote somewhere else here. It’s sort of a quick start gear guide (meaning where to find good gear early in the game) for Demon’s Souls:

• IMO, the best starting class is the Royal. Other than having an offensive spell available (Soul Arrow), you also get a Fragrant Ring (provides MP regen) by default. It makes killing even the tougher mobs possible.

• Get the Thief’s Ring ASAP. You’ll find it in the same ledge where you first find Prince Ostrava. Equip it. Mobs will have a harder time detecting you, making you less of a target.

• Buying a Heater Shield (2000 souls) from the Nexus blacksmith will let you block 100% of incoming physical damage. It’s better than most default shields. And while we’re at it, I suggest learning how to read the stats page (like knowing what the strength and dexterity requirements of a weapon are).

• After finishing 1-1 and opening the other zones, I suggest you go to 4-1 to get a Talisman of God (you’ll need it to cast Miracles AKA healing spells), a Crescent Falchion +1 (a good sword given your current level, see below) and a Regen Ring (HP regen).

• The skeleton mob in 4-1 is intimidating at first but he’s not too tough once you learn his attack. Keep your shield up, block his attack then counter with one of you own. Keep doing this (watch your stamina otherwise your block will fail when it reaches 0) until he dies. You also don’t want to get hit by his overhead swing. It’s slow, giving you time to roll out of the way. If it hits it’s guaranteed to stun you and leave you open for another attack. Just to give you an idea, the Crescent Falchion +1 you’ll get from this level should kill him in 3-4 swings (2 if you manage to land 2 R2 attacks).

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