Forgive me Father

[Odal]

Let me first say outright that I am a noob in Elder Ring, and that I am at most an average player.
What I found out by the character creation is that the Confessor definitely wins on points. There are 9 points difference between the Confessor and the Wretch for instance, Which means 9 extra levels for the Confessor.
Now I must find a way to die less often. sigh

[Born To Noot]

The starting class only determines your starting gear, the extra points and levels are not that important, since the first levels costs almost nothing
After 400h into the game, I only start a new game as a Wretch, the balance between the stats are more convenient when you respec.

If you want to die less often, level vigor

[cridus]

use a prophet for faith-heavy builds, an astrologer for int-heavy builds and vagabond for pretty much everything else.
maybe the hero is slightly more efficient for arcane builds, but I'm not sure I remember correctly.
also, maaaaaybe the samurai is slightly more efficient for a dex+arcane build, but again, just maybe. I'll double-check in a while.

edit: ok I've checked and actually, prophet and astrologer are only more efficient than vagabond if you don't need to up str above 13 and dex above 12. and I mean at the same time. if you need to up only one of the two, then they're more efficient than the vagabond.

as for arcane, the hero is better than other classes only if you also need to up str. the bandit on the other hand is better if you want arcane+dex.

samurai, warrior, prisoner, confessor and wretch are worse than all the others, it seems. maybe other than for specific very-low-level builds.

by the way, this is assuming you want to have a decent amount of vigor.

[MULTIPASS]

You basically just pick the class that has low points in whichever stats you DON'T plan to use, which is why Vagabond is (usually) the top pick for anything other than pure casters. If you're not going for spellcasting you're probably going to want more STR/DEX than Vagabond has at base, and all the rest of the points are in vig/mind/endurance that everyone is going to use anyways.

[Donoghu]

The level difference between the various starting classes can be good or bad depending on what you're going for.

The Confessor is a good starting point for anyone who want to survive a lot of punishment and mistakes as it has stats that cover a basic need for melee + faith, has average (not the lowest nor the highest, but enough to matter) armors and spells that are worth their pretty value in souls (giving you the ability to save some early in the game). Its 2nd included spells is one that makes stealth (backstabbing) a LOT easier too. It only need 2-6 level investment to use most initial/early good weapon (depending on which direction you go toward).
The weak side of the Confessor is that you are neither super resilient nor hit hard so it's a class that pushes you, early on, mostly toward battle of attributions.

If someone find the MP management as a pain in the butt (or prefer only having healing pots), the Samurai is a pretty good choice because it has some medium armor (good for evasion, but also not too bad when you fail to roll your way) and gives you early access to a really good set of weapons for both close combat and ranged. The weak side of the samurai is the early cost in crafting ingredient as well as the requirement to find the cookbook to be able to craft the good arrows.

The Hero and the Prisoner are starting point for build that aren't exactly caster, but where you plan to make uses of weapons that are requiring Arcane (weapons that deal effect like bleed, poison, sleep, etc.) or Intelligence (Weapons with magic damages) to be efficient.

The Prophet (faith), the Vagabond (melee) and the Astrologer (Magic) are mostly "pure" beginning which can be quite a pain early on if you attempt to fight in a battle where they are at a disadvantage.

Some people think the Wretch as the blank canvas, but they are kinda wrong because of 1 little detail about the game's equipment: The required stats to use the equipment is not balanced in the game and weight toward an higher DEX requirement than STR. The Warrior, with its initial 16 DEX and 10 STR requires around only 2-4 levels to be able to use the early (yet still efficient) good weapons to start in any direction. While, yeah, the Wretch starts at level 1, hence you can fly a bit through the level earlier on, it still need about 5 to 8 levels worth of souls to be at the Warrior's point and, even once there, it will be lacking the equipment and the Vigor/Mind/Endurance which means you basically turn the Wretch into the Warrior and waste lots of souls and time in the process.

[Guglhupf]

Not true that confessor has 9 more levels than wretch bc confessor starts at lvl 10 while wretch starts at lvl 1. It's like you already spent 10 levels. And bc the wretch starts at lvl 1 the levelups start at a lower rune cost. So the only relevant thing is the starting equipment. If I don't want some specific starting gear I always play wretch. And yeah, vigor is most important stat if you don't wanna die a lot.

[königplatzen]

Confessor is a fine starter class. The broadsword with square off is pretty good, but you can also buy it pretty early

[Sabaithal]

First step on how to die less: LEVEL. VIGOR.

[Alby]

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

First step on how to die less: LEVEL. VIGOR. [/quote]

LALALA CAN'T HEAR YOU LALALALA

[EF_Neo1st]

I find Wretch to be the best, it may not be the best "on start" but you dont spend points on anything you dont want.

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by Alby:

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

First step on how to die less: LEVEL. VIGOR.

LALALA CAN'T HEAR YOU LALALALA

Dammit Chuck we got another broken quote-oh god its spreading!

[Odal]

Vigor is certainly important, and I always give it priority. For the rest, like I said, I am not a top player, so grinding is for me a necessity, not a luxury. In this regard, I find ER very disappointing. Mobs give so little runes, it it is outright ridiculous. Especially when the maximum level is so high. Lenne's rise helps. Any other grinding spot for level 50 and higher?

[SnakeshyperTTV/Kick]

The vagabond is better for lower levels and some classes if you are going for a bleed build here is a stat spread for the vagabond class at level 125.
60 vig
10 mind
20 end
60 str
13 dex
25 faith

At level 150 with the vagabond class it is the most optimal stat spread for meta level pvp and here is a stat spread for a strength build for PvE.

60 vig
10 mind
34 end
70 str
13 dex
25 faith

Here is what a strength build with the confessor starting class would look like at level 125.
60 vig
13 mind
25 end
60 str
13 dex
15 faith

Here is the strength build stat spread with the confessor starting class at level 150.
60 vig
13 mind
34 end
66 strength
13 dex
25 faith

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by Odal:

Vigor is certainly important, and I always give it priority. For the rest, like I said, I am not a top player, so grinding is for me a necessity, not a luxury. In this regard, I find ER very disappointing. Mobs give so little runes, it it is outright ridiculous. Especially when the maximum level is so high. Lenne's rise helps. Any other grinding spot for level 50 and higher?

Well aside from the blood bird farm (look it up) there is northern dragonbarrow outside the beast sanctuary area. Those little vulgar milita drop around 1000 runes each, and aren't too difficult to kill.

Just make sure you don't give them a chance to hit you.

[Odal]

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

Originally posted by Odal:

Vigor is certainly important, and I always give it priority. For the rest, like I said, I am not a top player, so grinding is for me a necessity, not a luxury. In this regard, I find ER very disappointing. Mobs give so little runes, it it is outright ridiculous. Especially when the maximum level is so high. Lenne's rise helps. Any other grinding spot for level 50 and higher?

Well aside from the blood bird farm (look it up) there is northern dragonbarrow outside the beast sanctuary area. Those little vulgar milita drop around 1000 runes each, and aren't too difficult to kill.

Just make sure you don't give them a chance to hit you.

thank you, I will look it up. But it sounds that Lenne's rise is the only decent grinding spot. With the Golden Scarab, more than 2K a round, no hassle.

[SnakeshyperTTV/Kick]

Originally posted by Odal:

Vigor is certainly important, and I always give it priority. For the rest, like I said, I am not a top player, so grinding is for me a necessity, not a luxury. In this regard, I find ER very disappointing. Mobs give so little runes, it it is outright ridiculous. Especially when the maximum level is so high. Lenne's rise helps. Any other grinding spot for level 50 and higher?

Moghwyn palace you have to talk to white mask varre and invade some people or invade a npc at altus platue near Mount. Gelmir beware of the blood dogs. Also make sure to get the gold pickled fowl foot recipe and the golden scarab that you get from the abandoned cave from defeating the cleanrot knight duo and to fort faroth and kill greyoll popping a gold pickled fowl foot as she dies.

I do this every time at I reach level 55 pre margit here is how to do it with a +19 weapon.

1. Head to Limgrave tunnels make sure to get 12 smiting stone 1's for the enemies in the mine I recommend guard counters.

2. 5. Head to Caelid and hit the Fort Gale grace then head to Fort Faroth and loot the skul for 2 smithing stone 7’s and 1 smithing stone 8.

3. Head to redmane castle and grab the smithing stone 6 on the tower and one smithing stone 6 in a chest past the virgin abtucter.

4. Head to Raya Lucria Crystal cave and get 12 smithing stone 2’s and 12 smithing stone 3’s make sure to buy a mace and use guard counters for the boss.

5. 13. Head to the sealed tunnel and get the smithing stone bellbearing 2 and get 5 smithing stone 5’s and 3 smithing stone 6’s bewary of the virgin below you might die.

6. Get two smithing stone keys and head to the old altus tunnel and get 8 smithing stone 5’s.

7. Head to seewaterterminus and hit to the craftsmen shack and piss off the bear into breaking the statue and get the 3 smithing stone 6’s.

8. Give the necklace to rya and warp to volcano manor and get 6 smithing stone 6’s and level up your weapon to + 19.