1. The Hero Dark Souls II Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

From this chapter, you will learn how to create your character, which you will be controlling throughout the game. You will learn everything on the available character classes, their starting statistics and the equipment that is available at the beginning of the game. Also, you will learn here about all the gifts that you can receive, while creating your character.

Classes and statistics

You always start the game as "undefined". To create a character, you need to go to a small cottage in the area. The way is simple, you just need to go straight ahead. The first step, while creating the character, is to choose a name for yourself. The developers gave the player quite a freedom, when it comes to defining the looks. As a matter of fact, if you try to do your best and spend some time with it, you can create a character that very much resembles you. But, let's focus on the most important thing, which is character classes.

There are eight classes in the game. The most important piece of information, concerning lasses, is that, although it might seem otherwise, they do not impose a pre-set playing style on you, and suggest some solutions instead. In other words, the class division, in the game, is arbitrary and you can develop your character in any way that you want (e.g. choosing a mage does not mean that you need to use magic). Classes only define the base statistics, the general level and, which is probably most important, the starting equipment.

• Warrior - your typical fighter with high statistics for strength and dexterity. Its specialty are heavy two-handed weapons that inflict a lot of damage.
• Knight - the high endurance rate makes him more difficult to kill. His favorite weapons are one-handed swords and shields.
• Swordsman - he is slender and very dexterous. His specialty are dual swords.
• Bandit - he has a high rate of dexterity. His favorite weapons are bows and axes.
• Cleric - specializes in miracles, i.e. one of the types of magic.
• Sorcerer - your typical mage. Wields spells, which is allowed for by the high indices of intelligence and attunement.
• Explorer - the most versatile class of all the available ones. Its statistics are distributed evenly. At the beginning, he has the most items.
• Deprived - the only character that starts at the first difficulty level. At the beginning of the game, he has no weapons, armory or items.

Statistics that describe your character:

• Level - a statistic, showing the initial experience level of your character
• Strength - the higher the strength your character has, the more damage he can inflict with a melee weapon. Improving this statistic allows you to use and fight with heavy, two-handed weapons and some armors and shields more efficiently.
• Vigor - the statistic that influences your health bar. Health is symbolized with the red bar on the game's main screen.
• Dexterity - symbolizes the strength of an attack with a dexterity-based weapon, like a katana or a saber. Additionally, you need it to be able to use some of the weapons.
• Endurance - the higher endurance, the slower the rate at which your character tires. Dexterity is symbolized by the green bar at the game's main screen.
• Adaptability - influences the character's speed of movement, its endurance and the time needed to drink an Estus bottle.
• Vitality - this statistic determines the weight of equipment that you can carry. It is very important for characters who want to use heavy armors and weapons.
• Intelligence - a statistic for mages. Allows them to use spells and reinforces defense against them.
• Attunement - the statistic that determines the number of available spell slots. It also enhances the speed of casting spells.
• Faith - allows you to use miracles. Enhances defense against lightning.

Each one of the classes has unique statistics at the beginning of the game. You can find a detailed division in the table below.

Class	Warrior	Knight	Swordsman	Bandit	Cleric	Sorcerer	Explorer	Deprived
Level	12	13	12	11	14	11	10	1
Strength	15	11	9	9	11	3	6	6
Vigor	7	12	4	9	10	5	7	6
Dexterity	11	8	16	14	5	7	6	6
Endurance	6	6	8	7	3	6	6	6
Adaptability	5	9	6	3	4	8	12	6
Vitality	6	7	4	11	8	5	9	6
Intelligence	5	3	7	1	4	14	5	6
Attunement	5	4	6	2	10	12	7	6
Faith	5	6	5	8	12	4	5	6

Items

While creating your character, you can receive one of items to be added to your equipment, at the beginning of the game.

• Life Ring - a ring that slightly increases your health, at the beginning of the game. .
• Human Effigy - a very useful item, which allows you to return to your human form.
• Healing Wares - a set of healing items and ones that allow you to remove poisoning.
• Homeward Bone - an items that teleports your character to the bonfire that you have most recently used while keeping the souls that you have collected.
• Seed of a Tree of Giants -(only during online play) in case of an attack by another player, this item will cause the enemies on the level to attack the invader.
• Bonfire Ascetic - an items, which is definitely not recommended at the beginning of the game. At the moment, at which you throw it into fire, the enemies around become stronger.
• Petrified Something - of no value, at the beginning of the game but, as it is in the case of Dark Souls, it May hold a secret... Each one of the classes also has a different set of items that they start the game with. Below, you can find equipment listing for each character.
• Warrior - Broken Straight Sword, Iron Parma, Standard Helm, Hard Leather Amor, Hard Leather Gauntlets, Hard Leather Boots, Lifegem, Darksign, Black Separation Crystal, Bone of Order
• Knight - Broadsword, Falconer Amor, Falconer Gloves, Falconer Boots, Lifegem, Darksign, Black Separation Crystal, Bone of Order
• Swordsman - Scimitar +1, Shortsword +1, Wanderer Hood, Wanderer Coat, Wanderer Manchettes, Wanderer Boots, Lifegem, Darksign, Black Separation Crystal, Bone of Order
• Bandit - Hand Axe, Short Bow, Spiker Bandit Helm, Bandit Amor, Bandit Gauntlets, Bandit Boots, Wood Arrow, Lifegem, Darksign, Black Separation Crystal, Bone of Order
• Cleric - Cleric's Sacred Chime, Mace, Archdrake Robes, Heal, Lifegem, Darksign, Black Separation Crystal, Bone of Order
• Sorcerer - Sorcerer's Staff, Dogger, Black Hollow Mage Robe, Imported Trousers, Soul Arrow, Lifegem, Darksign, Black Separation Crystal, Bone of Order
• Explorer - Dogger, Spell Quarto Ring, Travelling Merchant Hat, Travelling Merchant Coat, Travelling Merchant Gloves, Travelling Merchant Boots, Lifegem, Witching Urn, Aromatic Ore, Prism Stone, Rusted Coin, Repair Powder, Pharros' Lockstone, Wood Bolt, Darksign, Black Separation Crystal, Bone of Order
• Deprived - has no items

An especially noteworthy class is the Explorer. The balanced distribution of the statistics, which allows the character to be evenly developed in various directions. Apart from that, the hero starts with many useful, necessary even, items on him, which makes the game more accessible for any player.