Could anybody suggest a simple PvE build?

After messing around a bit and exploring the wiki I think I'm leaning with a faith build. Since I plan to make this my first full run it's more for experience and not perfection. I can make a perfection character after I know what weapons I like.


Main things I would like.

- A good stat allocation that can let me use most weapons within a level range I can get plenty of co-op
- Can hold it's own in PvP when I am invaded, but this is a PvE and co-op build first

Far as stat allocation. I really don't need a lot of vitality. 12 Minimum vit works for me. I do prefer high endurance.

http://tinyurl.com/75kckan
Good hp, high def, 40/40 str dex allows you to use every weapon effectivlly. Murak takes advanatge of the stats. Bloodshield is an awesome shield but it can be replaced for the crest shield. The fth allows you to get a WoG and SLB.
Missed the co-op thing. Let me make an 80 version.

http://tinyurl.com/7nq2ngx
SL 80 allows you to get co-op in the lords areas. Reduced it to a 30/30 so you can still use most things. Dropped fth down to 12 so you can use heal while co-oping.

just 12 faith won't do enough. I might just have to level the strength and dex later on in that case. Is there plenty of co-op in NG+ or SL120 or is it way more PvP than Co-op?


Thanks for the help

Simple PvE? Increase stats according to the scaling of the weapon your gonna use, and have lots of poise. You can even fat roll and as PvE doesn't have an SL cap, you can increase stats deliberately, except resistance of course.

You'll get more co-op at lower SLs like 80 but there is still a bit of co-op at 120 since people will do multiple runs of the game to get copies of spells. Just note the first build I posted was 130 not 120. So whiel you can get people at 120 with it you'll miss out of people in the hundreds so you mightwant to lower its end/vit.
If you do level fth faster either use an elemental weapon or level one of the stats to 40 as well so you dont suffer from doing no damage.

A mid-level, co-op fth build? Try this:

http://tinyurl.com/84zdo6o

16/ 14 Str/ Dex will allow you to use a very decent range of weapons (check this page to see what you can use: http://darksoulswiki.wikispaces.com/Weapons ). Can wield pretty much anything short of ultra-great weapons; greatswords 2 handed; almost anything smaller 1 handed (some straightswords, curved swords, piercing swords, katanas, etc). Since it's for co-op, you don't need your damage output to be its absolute highest, so going +15 on your weapons wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially since I sneaked a Sunlight Blade in there, which will obliterate bosses! But you could use elemental weapons up to the boss, then switch to the regular + SLB before going through the fog gate.

Do be careful, since that health is very low. Normally I raise End only high enough to be able to equip my gear, but I figured you could use more weight since you may want to swap gear around a lot. If you want to increase your survivability, you could swap the DWGR instead of Wolf's, and also potentially put a mask on. Equip a beefier shield and some more substantial armor, too.

Faith isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I just got DMB and SLB, and it does about the same damage on my +15 Bastard Sword at 30 str 20 dex with 30 fth as my +10 fire server.

Really, faith is best for PvP or very high SL. I recommend going full melee or full mage, as you haven't even played the game all the way through. Looking at faith or hybrids is best when you're looking at playing the game multiple times through like I am or if you're looking at PvPing.

DoughGuy wrote:http://tinyurl.com/75kckan
Good hp, high def, 40/40 str dex allows you to use every weapon effectivlly. Murak takes advanatge of the stats. Bloodshield is an awesome shield but it can be replaced for the crest shield. The fth allows you to get a WoG and SLB.
Missed the co-op thing. Let me make an 80 version.

Is the Wood Grain Ring a necessity in SL120? I could remove that and use whatever that ring is called from that guy you free and that could let me sacrifice a few points on vitality and endurance.

You could use the RoFaP. Especially for co-op you wouldnt need to flip. I just put it on cause its generally what I do now. Feel free to switch it to anything else.

DoughGuy wrote:You could use the RoFaP. Especially for co-op you wouldnt need to flip. I just put it on cause its generally what I do now. Feel free to switch it to anything else.

I used to be a big fan of the normal fast roll, then I took an arro-

I mean, I started using the DWGR in PvE with my Elite Knights, and it's just so nice.

JoeBroski09 wrote:Faith isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I just got DMB and SLB, and it does about the same damage on my +15 Bastard Sword at 30 str 20 dex with 30 fth as my +10 fire server.

Really, faith is best for PvP or very high SL. I recommend going full melee or full mage, as you haven't even played the game all the way through. Looking at faith or hybrids is best when you're looking at playing the game multiple times through like I am or if you're looking at PvPing.

Curved greatswords are not the equivalent to greatswords, they're the equivalent to ultra greatswords, you comparison is flawed, as well, damage has numerous modifiers that lend themselves to pure physical rather than split damage.


furthermore, resistance is an excellent pve stat, it dramatically reduces damage recieved from npcs and further reduces the damage of any blow an npc lands that would prove fatal without the resistance. The damage is reduced by a %, potentially allowing one to survive 2 or 3 otherwise fatal blows before actually dieing.

Uhhh. The Curved Greatsword speed is between a greatsword and an ultra, for one, and the stagger is the same as a greatsword.

Plus, dude, come on, don't try to pick a fight so freaking randomly. The buffs aren't that great with my stats. My main point was that with me trying to get my str, dex, int, and faith up all at once, I don't really have max damage in any of them. Because my Bastard Sword doesn't have max scaling of 40 str and 40 dex and my DMB doesn't have max scaling of 40 faith, then the damage output is the same as my +10 fire Server.

And you don't understand resistance. It isn't %. It's very much more complicated than that, but the only thing we need to know is that the more damage someone does, the less the defense can block it, making defense more and more useless as you get to higher an higher levels, making resistance nearly useless at 60, as putting stats into other categories is MUCH more effective.

Forum Pirate wrote:furthermore, resistance is an excellent pve stat, it dramatically reduces damage recieved from npcs and further reduces the damage of any blow an npc lands that would prove fatal without the resistance. The damage is reduced by a %, potentially allowing one to survive 2 or 3 otherwise fatal blows before actually dieing.

I'd like to see your proof for this.
@Joe buffs are very useful for boss fights.

DoughGuy wrote:@Joe buffs are very useful for boss fights.

Oh yeah. I don't disagree that they aren't useful, just not as much as I thought they'd be.

Thats because you are comparing a +10 elemental weapon with a buffed +15 weapon that isnt fully utilised (i.e. its scaling stats are 40). Also what tali are you using, and what foes are you using it againts? Finally what are the respective ARs f the weapons?

Well, the fact that I was comparing it to damages when I'm parrying Gwyn, it's not a very accurate comparison, since parrying is the same speed.

But the fact that you need to sacrifice other stats in order to even use DMB kinda makes it not worth it in my eyes for a sl 60-80 simple PvE build. I say those because the OP hasn't even beat the game yet, let alone NG+. I doubt he'll really get past SL 80 very easily without farming.

In my mind, a simple PvE build for co-op and for a first time finishing a playthrough, would be a full melee or full mage. A faith hybrid would just take too much from vit/end if he gets enough stats for scaling with a +15, just kinda making the buffs not worth it.

The damage for an otherwise fatal swing is reduced by a percentage, though I doubt it is static. It also poses hidden modifiers that reduce all pve damage, not by boosting defense but with said modifiers. Its been tested, though lighter armor users will get more out of the stat due to the low defense, it can very well be very helpful. Rynn tested it. I'll see if I can find the post. Its by no means the greatest stat, but for a pve build it will likely save your life.

That your build is stated poorly for the weapon only weakens your comparison. If you point was that a buff can't make up for bad stats, then you're right.

As is, enough faith for heal is a good idea, though not vital, to save your flasks for when you need them and use heal and the thorolund talismine between fights.

Well for PvE resistance could be good for low SLs. But if you make a very high SL build, say an SL 300, physical and elemental defenses cap at 170 defense. A 99 resistance build has ~170 defense. And as defense increases along with stats, it's really a complete waste of points.

Point was that the stats that are needed in order to get the buff as well as have a good vit/end make the buff unnecessary and just not worth it, especially in this low SL case.

But once you can get high enough SL, then, go ahead, grab it, but it's usually best to have the better stats for better base damage than rely on being a hybrid, unless you're going for PvP or if you're an expert at the game and can go with low vitality.

Overall, the buff just isn't what it's cracked up to be.

At any sl under 80, excluding the 50 faith base stat dagger thing, I agree. At any sl above 80, I disagree. Even just dodging like mad and refusing to fight, buffed spears or washing poles are hugely powerful weapons more than capable of ending the fight in less than the 60 seconds they last, even if they only hit once before it fades, they now have to hit you 2-4 fewer times to kill you.

Yeah. Above 80, I agree. Though, my toon is 130... I spread my points evenly across the board 'cause I change my mind often haha!

Found that post with the proof yet forum?

http://tinyurl.com/7npoe4x

That will deal with most everything without to much trouble.


No I haven't, I'll pm Rynn and ask.

Direct from the stats page.

Resistance

Resistance increases physical and flame defense and resistance to poison.
Defense (including physical and flame) are also affected by your total level and the diminishing returns from both appear to stack, causing resistance's effectiveness at higher levels to become negligible. Poison defense does not suffer from this double diminishing return effect, although armor and the poisonbite ring are better options.
Resistance offers a static debuff on damage. 1 point of res = 1 point less damage taken, or 1% less damage taken, whichever value is -lower-. Attacks that would normally kill you have about a 7 time multiplier on damage reduced. This only has effect on PvE enemies in game, not other Players and hence is not useful for PvP.


http://darksoulswiki.wikispaces.com/Stats is the page itself.

Its usefulness is unquestionable. Wether or not its worth the points is preference but it definitely has validity as a pve stat.