Dark Souls 3: Beginner's Guide

Getting Started in Dark Souls 3

Choose a starting class. According to the Fextralife wiki, the Knight starts at level 9 with a Longsword and Knight Shield; the Herald starts at level 9 with a Spear, Kite Shield and Talisman and has the highest Faith of the three most commonly picked classes; the Pyromancer starts at level 8 with a Hand Axe, a Caduceus Round Shield and the Fire Ball pyromancy. The Warrior is described by the wiki as forgiving and well suited to new players. The Cemetery of Ash is the tutorial area, and Iudex Gundyr is its boss.

Your hub is Firelink Shrine, where the Firekeeper levels you up and Blacksmith Andre upgrades weapons. The Shrine Handmaid sells the Tower Key for 20,000 souls. The area it opens holds the Estus Ring, a Fire Keeper Soul and an Estus Flask Shard, among other items.

Core Mechanics

Stamina is the central resource: attacking, rolling, blocking and sprinting all spend it, so keep some in reserve. A medium roll needs equip load under 70 percent.

You start with 3 Estus Flasks and 1 Ashen Estus Flask (found in the opening area). Andre lets you choose how many of your flasks become Ashen Estus Flasks, which restore FP; the maximum is 15 flasks in total. Give Estus Flask Shards to Andre to gain more flasks, and burn Undead Bone Shards at the Firelink bonfire to raise your flask's strength up to +10.

A Simple Melee Build

For a straightforward Strength build, raise Vigor and Endurance alongside Strength. The Claymore requires 16 Strength and 13 Dexterity and lies on the plateau where the fire-breathing dragon rests, near the first bonfire in High Wall of Lothric; it has the Stance Weapon Art. The Lothric Knight Sword needs 11 Strength and 18 Dexterity. It drops from Lothric Knights (for example near the bonfire in the Tower on the Wall) or can be bought from Greirat for 4,000 souls after you pillage Irithyll Valley.

Essential Tips

1. Explore. Items are placed throughout each area.
2. Collect Estus Shards and give them to Blacksmith Andre at Firelink Shrine to increase your number of Estus Flasks; Undead Bone Shards, burned at a bonfire, make each flask heal more.
3. Use summons for help. You can summon other players for co-op or NPC phantoms before some boss fog gates.
4. Don't hoard souls. If you die again before recovering your dropped souls, they are lost.
5. Weapon Arts cost FP. Check the FP cost of your weapon's art before relying on it.
6. Expansions. For Ashes of Ariandel, talk to Slave Knight Gael at the Cleansing Chapel bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep and accept the rotten scrap of painting. For The Ringed City, use the new bonfire in the Kiln of the First Flame before the Soul of Cinder arena. Fextralife suggests clearing Lothric Castle first and being roughly level 100 to 120.

First Major Boss: Vordt of the Boreal Valley

Vordt is weak to Dark damage and resistant to physical damage other than Strike; he is immune to bleed, poison and frostbite. In the first phase, stay under and behind him, as his lunge is hard to dodge from the front. At about half health he roars, gains a blue buff and adds frost breath, preceded by several charges. Get behind him to avoid the breath, and keep stamina for rolling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long is Dark Souls 3?
A: Playtime varies a great deal between players. The expansions' lengths are not given by the sources we checked; Wikipedia only notes that critics found Ashes of Ariandel short. Check a player-reported source such as HowLongToBeat for current figures.

Q: What weapon should I start with?
A: It depends on your class. The Claymore (Str 16, Dex 13) and the Lothric Knight Sword (Str 11, Dex 18) are both obtainable early; see the build section for locations.

Q: Can I play offline?
A: Yes. You lose co-op summons, invasions and messages, but the game itself is playable offline.

Q: Are the expansions included?
A: The Fire Fades Edition bundles the base game with Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.