A fair amount … I’d say I play, or farm about 20 minutes to a half hour tops and get invaded. I just like turning myself into a box or something to see if I can be found. Most of the time I am found, but occasionally, you blend in nicely with whatever environment you are in and are, well, like a chameleon!
I just got the crowns from the DLC. The Ivory King wasn’t too bad. Do I just go finish the game as usual to win, or is there a new endgame for Scholar?
It’s weird to me how… puzzle-y the DLC seems. I’ve done two of the three (still waiting on Ivory) at around SL 160 (and still first game – feels like Scholar is way more friendly with the souls than base was). What’s interesting to me is how Sunken is very bow-oriented with lots of enemies who you’re better off picking off at range (or have to, in one instance) and puzzle blocks that require bow shots in some cases (but they even provide you a very nice bow to use if need be) and how Iron is basically a series of challenge rooms that remind me of the Rocksteady Arkham games (“we’ve arranged the enemies in this room for you just so with these very specific ways to mess with them baked into the environment and with taking them on head-on without said ways being likely suicide.”)
It’s not that I mind those elements - they’re obviously well-planned and deeply considered. It’s just strange to me how much of a shift they are, both tonally and in terms of gameplay, from the rest of DSII. I’m still figuring out what I think about how well they mesh with the game as part of Scholar as opposed to discreet areas.
I also wonder how on earth one was supposed to know where to find the keys to the DLC areas without consulting a wiki or being really lucky. Ivory’s the only easy one to find. Sunken, at least, is in the same area as its portal and in a place that’s usually well-marked by red glowing signs. I have NO idea how one was supposed to intuit where the Iron Key was…
So, ‘Fragrant Branch of Yore’ … I have 3, which order should I use them in (playing Scholar, not vanilla)?
There are a lot more branches in sotfs, my general rule of thumb is to use the early ones to open up large areas like rosabeth, or important npcs only if you need them.
I haven’t played Scholar but i would do the girl at the door first. My second choice would probably be the guy blocking access to a bonfire. There is a place where you can waste some in vanilla and I assume that probably still exists.
Thanks guys, I guess it’s expected to read guides to determine what any particular statue is protecting, if you’ve not played through before. Scholar has a lot more statues than the original game.
I used one on Rosabeth and promptly got destroyed by trolls and salamander thing. :)
Is it worth using one on the earliest statue in Things Betwixt?
I’m playing Scholar now for the first time.
I’d say if you are a completionist, as I am, you will want to finish the entire Betwixt Area at some point (and, fairly early since it is early in the game). Though Fragrant Branches of Yore are hard to come by, if you ration them out, there are enough to get by throughout the game. I’m pretty late in the game now and have four I haven’t used. You can also buy one here and there, even early in the game.
I think it’s likely the area Scuzz is talking about (where you could end up wasting one or more) could be the Shaded Woods or Shaded Ruins areas (connected, later in the game). I don’t think it’s a bad idea to consult a guide before using one, the gist of it is, as is the case with shortcuts and what not throughout the game, sometimes there are ways to get around a statue without using a branch, plus, whatever lies beyond it, is it something you need or want?)? In the case of Betwixt, if you want to finish the entire area, you gotta use the branch :) In the original game, that area wasn’t closed off …
I have to agree … having trouble with him too as a sorceror. Hoping to find some summons (people) to help. With the two NPCs, I can get him down to about a quarter or less of his health, but they are pretty light weight (and, of course, that makes him tougher) and he mops us up at the end.
Did you just check periodically for summons? Any particular times better?
Thanks Nixxter. So there’s an Estus shard behind the Betwixt statue - I’m going in!
Aha! I didn’t remember that … good reason for going in, for certain!
There are some other things I remember about that area now that I think you will enjoy … in particular, two things which may keep you coming back again. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so let me know once you have completed it, and if you know what those two things are (if not, I can add a spoiler tag).
I don’t recall what time I played. There were some areas that I had trouble finding human phantoms to summon, but I don’t remember if his area was one of them. I think I summoned 2 human phantoms carrying large weapons on the run where I finally beat him.
Thank you robc04! I logged in at various odd times. Just now, a cleric was there (human) and with his help, we took Master Fume down the first time. It wasn’t that tough of a fight, I only had to dodge the Fume Knight a handful of times, mostly he focused on the cleric who kept himself at good health too. Pretty sure he got the finishing blow, but that’s quite alright!
Phew!
I was getting a bit worried about it, what happens, on your first playthrough like I am is there are some depletables as a sorceror (the ones that replenish your spells). Until you get to NG, I don’t think there are any merchants who sell unlimited supplies. Hopefully I can continue on through the DLC and end game now. I will have finished Sunken and Iron Kings soon, leaving Ivory and the very end game fights.
Those DLC bosses were a lot harder than the vanilla bosses in my opinion. It felt good to beat them!
I think I’ve finished that area, but I’m not sure I know what you mean so spoil away!
I know about:
the respec, the gender change, and the nest (which has dropped nothing for me so far except the smallest soldier souls and amber herbs).
I spent most of last night learning how to beat that black Pursuer on the Betwixt beach. I’ve got his number now though, so taking out a couple more of them in Lost Bastille was significantly easier.
You got the two things I was talking about in your spoiler, and then, the Pursuer mini boss. I must have tried 10 or more times early in the game to beat him when he started showing up there. Then, later (for me, a lot later than you!), I was good enough to take him down (and his buddies in Bastilles and elsewhere).
Edit: Now that I think about it - you didn’t have to use the Fragrant Branch to find out those two things … but, maybe the Pursuer doesn’t start showing up until after you clear the last area.
So Scholar is on sale for $20 at one site and now I remember why I haven’t bought it, my PC isn’t up to snuff for it. Damn.
I totally agree! I seem to be unable to handle them on my own, but then add an experienced player and it goes pretty easy.
I tried the Blue Smelter Demon, have you done that yet? It’s later on in Crown of the Iron King. Man, it is a tough run to get to him (brutal) and then the NPC summons, again, when I got them through the gauntlet to the Demon, best I could do is get him to about a quarter health and then, curtains for us! So I waited for a player to help, and again, an experienced cleric tanked him and I wasn’t really at risk the entire fight.
I finished the game, but I don’t remember the Blue Smelter Demon. Was he an optional boss that is possible to miss or is he required. If he is required than I definitely beat him. Not sure if he required a summons or not.
He is optional. Spoilers on two optional parts of CIC content:
Spoilers
[spoiler]After you beat the Fume Knight, there is another part (actually two more parts) of the Crown of the Iron King content. One goes into the Iron Passage (accessible through Brume Tower) and it is the Iron Passage that is a brutal run to the Blue Smelter Demon. I ended up wiping out (despawning) all the enemies before the boss room so all the cleric and I had to do was run there unmolested and in top health.
The other part of the Crown of the Iron King content (also optional) involves finding an extra bonfire, a Throne Room bonfire, also in Brume Tower. You have to fight off an invasion of about four NPCs to get to the bonfire (not too bad a fight, but, may be best to run through them to activate the bonfire in case you die). Then there is a set of armor there through which you access The Kings Memories, which leads to a boss fight with Sir Alonne. I haven’t done this part yet myself, will be starting it next.
[/spoiler]