Dark Souls‘ multiplayer mechanics are often overlooked by newcomers to the game. The most common and relevant multiplayer experiences are the co-operative phantoms that can be summoned in difficult areas, and the invaders that enter players’ worlds at random when various circumstances are met. While there are more variety and depth to these encounters, most fans are satisfied with the basic mechanics presented to them without diving deeper into the inner workings of invading and matchmaking.
One system that players tend not to read into (either due to its relatively unexplained complexities in-game or just because of the amount of time needed to get the most out of it), is the vast list of covenants available to follow. Covenants, which can be joined after performing certain actions or speaking to various NPCs, allow players to tap into a set of tiered rewards systems. These systems, while more or less inconsequential to the main game, offer new items, abilities, or online capabilities, depending on which covenant one is currently following. To enhance future playthroughs, here are a few tips and details that players may not have known about these covenants.
10 Priority Co-op Matchmaking
For players who might need an extra hand or two with bosses, three particular covenants are fantastic resources for picking up additional help by means of jolly cooperation.
The Way of White, Princess Guard, and Warrior of Sunlight covenants, among other exclusive perks, allow players priority matchmaking with phantoms in the same group. This can potentially make or break boss fights, as some areas are less populated than others, and phantoms are quickly picked up by other players.
9 Additional Powerful Spellcasting
Many of the covenants will eventually grant players a more powerful roster of combat spells, including Chaos Servant’s Chaos Storm pyromancy, and the Lightning Spear from the Warriors of Sunlight.
A particularly powerful spell that many players might not take the time to obtain is also available through the Warriors of Sunlight, but only after completing the game once and entering NG+. After attaining Warrior of Sunlight +1 by offering 10 medals to the Altar in the Undead Parish, players must then offer the Soul of Gwyn, granting them access to the Sunlight Spear miracle. Sunlight Spear requires a Faith score of 50, but for the trouble it does nearly twice the damage of the regular Lightning Spear, and adds a knockback effect to any other creatures in the vicinity.
8 Dark Moon Sin System
Dark Souls uses a more-or-less invisible system of “sin points” to set up consequences for actions that may not be entirely moral in terms of the game’s world. For example, players who kill certain NPCs will not only lose that character’s service in-game and restrict certain spells or items, they will also be marked with sin points.
Other ways of sinning include betraying covenants or indicting other players who have been killed in matchmaking. Players with accumulated sin are more likely to be targeted by members of certain PvP focused covenants that can make playthroughs a fair amount harder for newcomers.
7 Forest Hunter Soul Farming
Soul farming is something that every player inevitably attempts at some point in their Souls career, whether it’s because of a particularly difficult area, equipment restrictions, or spellcasting purposes. Aside from a few good areas to stock up on souls, one of the better methods is the Forest Hunter covenant, popular in the PvP community for its early game ease-of-access.
Because of the environmental formatting of the forest, ranged builds and spellcasters have a lot of places to run when facing melee players, and there are a handful of spots for strength builds to pick off unsuspecting players by taking advantage of narrow spaces. The only problem with this method is the possibility of infrequent players, especially with the game being nearly a decade old.
6 Embracing The Inner Dragon
Dragons, some of the most powerful creatures in the Dark Souls universe, are a force to be reckoned with for any player regardless of skill level. What some might not know, however, is that gamers can become part dragon themselves with the Path of the Dragon covenant.
To join Path of the Dragon, the Everlasting Dragon must be found and prayed to in Ash Lake. Upon becoming a member, players will receive a Dragon Eye and a Dragon Head Stone. The Dragon Eye allows online duels, with the winner receiving Dragon Scales as a reward, the Dragon Head Stone, however, is much more interesting as it changes users’ heads into the form of a dragon, granting additional flame damage. Later, at rank +2 (requiring 30 Dragon Scales), players can also obtain a Dragon Torso Stone, transforming users into a full Dragonoid.
5 Humanity Farming
The Darkwraith covenant, joined through Darkstalker Kaathe in the Abyss, is another primarily PvP covenant. In joining, Kaathe gives players a red orb that allows them to invade other worlds (with infinite uses) and a Dark Hand, which is the main focus as it allows players to steal humanity from NPCs and invasion hosts.
The Dark Hand can be obtained without joining the Darkwraiths, but as covenant members increase in rank, so does the number of humanities stolen on a successful attack. By rank+3, members will be able to steal 10 humanities with each use of their Dark Hand, which makes this a fantastic way of farming humanities in the mid/endgame state.
4 Powerful Gravelord Miracles
When players join the Gravelord Servant covenant, Nito grants them some powerful abilities for dealing extra damage, as well as a few unique tricks for PvP invasions. The spells (Gravelord Sword Dance and Greatsword Dance), while useful on their own, are also granted a 10% damage bonus at every rank.
To dissuade covenant betrayal, these miracles are penalized 10% damage if used outside the covenant. However, while in the covenant Gravelord Servants can deal bonus miracle damage up to 130% at rank+3, effectively making these some of the most powerful spells in the game. With the added damage buffs and invasion Curse ability, Gravelord Servant makes for a fun PvP build, especially for spellcasters.
3 Succumbing To The Egg Head
When encountering egg carriers in the Demon Ruins and Blighttown, players can potentially be infected by one of the parasitic eggs upon hatching. This infliction replaces the player’s head with a large, disturbing egg, which can be cured by consuming an Egg Vermifuge obtained from various areas around the world as well as Eingyi, residing with the Spider Witch. However, if a player keeps the egg head, it will evolve over time.
While this is not directly a covenant, the system works almost the same, as after the player collects 100,000 souls the head will “upgrade” and allow various new effects, including new pyromancies from Eingyi, and a larval bite attack (which has a greater stagger effect than the normal kick attack).
2 Bloodthirsty Invaders
Some players just love the thrill of PvP encounters, especially in games like Dark Souls where loss has consequences, and the rewards are much greater. A tactic many of these players use to achieve their ideal duel conditions is found in Anor Londo, taking advantage of other players’ covenants instead of joining one themselves.
The Blade of the Darkmoon covenant is bound to Dark Sun Gwyndolin, with its members invading and doling out punishment to players who have sinned in their own worlds. One of the best ways to provoke this covenant is by killing Gwynevere, effectively dispelling Gwyndolin’s illusion and darkening Anor Londo. In doing this, players in human form will be constantly invaded by members of the Darkmoon, which sets a perfect stage for duels.
1 Saving Solaire
The covenant of the Chaos Servant, available after defeating Quelaag, can be joined by speaking to the Spider Witch and making an offering. Upon offering 30 humanities total, the player will rank up in the covenant, unlocking both the Chaos Storm pyromancy and a shortcut to Lost Izalith. From here, players can kill the sunlight maggots before Solaire arrives and is subsequently infected.
While 30 humanities may be a lot for some players, the satisfaction of jolly cooperation will be incentive enough for some, and the added bonus of Chaos Storm only sweetens the deal more.
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