Build for New Players | Part 1: Establishing the Build
0Character Creation: it does not matter what your character looks like, or if you select male or female. i have chosen the default appearance for this walkthrough, but feel free to make your character look however you wish. however, there are two important choices to be made before you begin playing; Starting Class and Gift:
the Class I recommend most for new players is the Cleric. this will be a Strength-Faith build, and the Cleric has excellent starting stats for both. additionally, the Cleric starts the game with a spell that allows additional healing, which is particularly helpful for new players.
the Gift is a free item that will be included in your inventory when the game begins. i strongly recommend that new players choose the Master Key, especially for this specific build. the Master Key will give you early access to a much better sword and shield than the Cleric’s starting equipment.
Notes: the first thing to do once you reach Firelink Shrine is to make two suicide runs to get the Firekeeper Soul in New Londo and Astora’s Straight Sword + Dragoncrest Shield in Valley of Drakes. it’s very unlikely that you will be able to get all three of these items without dying, and you may need to make several attempts. because of this, it’s best to level up at the Bonfire first. i suggest levelling Dexterity twice, because the sword requires a minimum of 10 Dex. any remaining levels you are able to do now should go into Endurance because the Cleric is deficient in that stat. it is important not to use the Firekeeper Soul, rather you should give it to the mute woman sitting in the cave. she can upgrade your Estus Flask with this item [meaning that it heals you more] so you should always give any Firekeeper Souls you come across to her. i do recommend speaking to Petrus, but don’t buy anything from him. his Miracles are all overpriced and are shittier versions of the real spells, which you will be able to get later. you will also want to speak to Solaire and agree to help him so that he will give you the White Sign Soapstone, which you will find helpful for future bossfights. the “Rubbish” is an important item even though it’s description says it has no use. be sure to pick it up and don’t throw it away! i also picked up the Claymore, which will be our main weapon later in the game. but for now the Astora’s Straight Sword is still doing more damage [this will change later in the playthrough] so I will be keeping the Claymore in reserve for the next few videos. just be sure to get your Strength to 16, as this is the minimum required to use the Claymore.
all Dark Souls videos: • First time playing Dark Souls [part 1]