Soulslike - Discussion, News, Memes

I can, at any time. Suddenly be overtaken by the skin tingling urge to once again attempt the DS2 no death no bonfire run. I've gotten as far as old iron king before being unceremoniously tossed into a tiny hole full of lava.

The run forces you to think about the game entirely differently as you can only repair weapons at bonfires (not allowed), in Majula, or with the rare repair powder. No spells can be used as no spells can be attuned. and souls are absolutely precious. Resulting in an almost rogue-like feel where a random weapon drop can be the difference between breezing through a boss or being forced to switch between your 4 almost broken weapons to get through the last 20%

No enemies ever respawn so you find yourself trudging through empty areas you cleared perhaps twenty hours before to use a lock stone or take on a heide knight for a chance at their lightning sword. Only to perhaps lose precious life or the entire run to an overlooked trap or ambush.

No fast travel so you learn the routes between zones and challenge the oft levied criticism of the disparity between it and the originals world design. Though some routes are genuinely slogs. It does give you a good opportunity to check every nook and cranny to dig the most mundane items out.

My old strategy involved prodigious use of the small white soapstone. An underused and confusing item that allowed you to be summoned for a mere 8 minutes to a hosts world reduced by some amount per enemy killed. (Which if you died it it counted as a death and your run was over.) However completing this summon rewarded a full estus flask, a full heal, and a full repair to your equipped items. As well as a smooth & silky stone.

The primary appeal to use this was when a host decided to take on a particularly deadly section I would simply. Not. Often I would trigger the optional encounter with the pursuer in the forest to start these runs and perfectly parry him something like 25 times to kill him. Immediately ending my summon. But if the host elected to jump to the section of scaffolding over a poison pit full of crossbow hollows? They received naught but a wave emote from me.

I haven't attempted it in some years but I still feel the call sometimes. I just worry that there won't be anyone left to summon me.

The reward for completing this run? A pair of rings that make your weapons invisible.