The Ballad of the Newbie

Every melee weapon can be held with one hand as long as you have the STR to do so, you can two hand a weapon to reduce the STR needed. As well if you haven't you might want to head back to the Asylum and get the Crest Shield, it can be useful in blocking some of those spells if you aren't that great at dodging them.

The Asylum? Is that where you start? I have a Knight Shield atm

If you want and are on 360 I could hop on one of my toons and you could summon me.... I could get a better idea of what you are talking about this 'stumbling'

GT ThaMonopolyGuy

I am on the 360 and I'd love for you to help me but 1 I have no humanity and 2 I'm not quite sure how to summon specific people. If that's your gamertag I'd gladly add you and talk it over with you?

Yes, there is a path which can be used reaching the elevator in the undead church. That one can be a bit tricky if you don't know, so I may be able to find a video to show you how to do it. It is the starting area, though it will have new and tougher enemies. As long as you opened the barred door shortcut you can avoid the Black Knights and find the Knight in the Elite Knight Set, kill him and get his Crest Shield which blocks 80% of magic attacks I believe it is. His attacks will also damage you through your shield.

I would very much appreciate a video since I don't really know anywhere in the game, I found the lift in the church by mistake So I at least know where that is

https://youtu.be/DiZlNNA2hwA

There you go.

Sent a pm

That seems so complex, I think it's a bit above my abilities atm

By the way, what level are you and on what system? You might be in need of summoning another player to assist you, someone probably with a lot of ranged abilities.

Have you been keeping your weapons repaired?

I'm level 28, bought all the smithbox/repair boxes after farming the Parish knights/skeletons. Good news, after upgrading my weapon and repairing my armour I just one shotted that damn butterfly My xbox was so shocked it crashed, I crapped myself thinking my data would be lost but no, I'm standing where I killed it

One shotted the butterfly really?

Well not 1 hit kill but on my first attempt after upgrading my weapon, I went from hitting it for like 40 to 120-130 each hit I managed to dodge everyone of it's slow orbs with trails but still got hit with quite a few of the needles, it never even used it's solar beam or explosive ball.

ThaMonopolyGuy helped me out, slowly helping me progress to Blighttown, helped me take out a giant dragon (forgot it's name) but it's tail gave me an axe that hits for 350 damage, sadly I'll need 50 strength before I can use it

Currently at the stage where I'm travelling through the sewers to Blighttown, unfortunately the massive guys with clubs keep knocking me off the narrow platforms but I'll keep at it

Been struggling on with Blighttown for the last few hours, found a katana, Iaito, an Eagle Shield which has pretty good lightning resistance and fairly good magic and the Shadow set which gives me really good poison resist which is handy cos of the creatures with the blowdarts.

I've been around the place and I can't quite find a route through, I think possibly the closest I've come to finding the correct way out is there was a massive slime blob on a wall with tentacles coming out

It'll be worth it if eventually I crawl out and find a bonfire, I can't see a direct route, a few times I've took a risky run and leap from one platform to another, that's probably why I've found so many items in there

Always check Torches, most of the ladders have a Torch right next to them. They are still pretty easy to miss, but you'll find your way. I'm glad to see B-town isn't frustrating you too much, it usually gets to a lot of players. On my first playthrough I know I had to shut the game off for a while because I got too pissed off after falling to my death at one point and losing forty thousand souls. Keep at it man, this is the worst part of blight town, once you get to the ground level it gets easier. When you get to the swamp at the bottom know this, huge the right wall. When you see what looks like the entrance to another sewer head in, that's the bonfire.

Glad to see your doing the good ol' slow crawl! I was like that when I first went into blight town.

Not been able to play the last few days due to work/nights out so I'm still at the same point, being aimlessly lost (even when I try to follow torches) in that god forsaken pit All it takes is a bit of luck and time Didn't realise there was an alternative to a slow crawl through that dank, dark place

Sorry to be a pain, I forgot to add - since it's my first run through I've decided I'm gonna basically try to be a traditional "warrior" or "tank" type - shield and weapon, turtle any melee hits and try to strike hard when given an opportunity (I've not really tried to parry/riposte and backstab can't be guaranteed in each encounter) so I was wondering what I should do stats wise. For survivability I'd need high Vitality, I quickly got that up to 20, my strength is my second highest stat at around 17, followed by Endurance I think? The one that increases stamina and carry load, it's around 15, I put 2 points into Resistance but got told not to so I've not put any more points into it, I think my dex is slightly less than strength, maybe 16.

So does this seem right-ish? Obviously I'm not gonna crack it on my first play through but it seems to work - high health so I can take a fair few hits with sufficient stamina to block then follow with an attack.

Still using the Claymore +5 with an Eagle Shield and currently wearing the Shadow set simply for the poison resistance for going through Blighttown. I much prefer wearing heavier armour though although the only "heavy" set I have so far is the basic starter Knight set. Got an axe waiting to be used though for when I get 50 strength I can't remember the dragon I killed but his tail is the axe I believe.

Anyway update/questioning over, gotta go eat dinner, bathe and then hopefully get a shot of Dark Souls

Vitality to take hits.

Strength and Dexterity to use weapons and deal damage.

Endurance to carry heavier weapons, armor, and equipment.

Attunement if you want to take a crack at Pyromancy, literally all that is needed for Pyromancy is slots, no faith or intelligence.

As well you can find certain armors in areas, like in the Darkroot Garden near to the Stone Knights there is the Elite Knight Set, it weighs more and has a little less poise, but it has better defenses than the knight set.

That'd be a lovely set for me to get one day, my problem is I cannot kill the stone knights It'd be a mad dash to try and find it

I know enemies get harder as you progress but do they get harder with your level? For instance say I got to level 100, went back to the Firesomething shrine, the first place with the raven and went to the undead on the path to the right, would I strike them down easily with next to no damage or would they level up with me?

Enemies do not get stronger unless you are going into NG+.

NG+?....

When you beat the game you get sent into NG+, where everything gets harder. Let's just say everything becomes a threat again.

Update : Got my way through Blighttown Found the key to New Londo, my problem atm is the bonfire I'm using is in Blighttown, gotta work my way through spiders then the fat, club wielding grunts before getting into New Londo. I keep dying against the ghosts, no obvious bonfire yet, I've managed to get through the initial ambush of 5 when I go into the castle but after the bridge when the second ambush comes I die due to lack of Estus :/ Still on the hunt for the bonfire though.