New and Confused

[Mathalis]

So, I know I'm not the best at these "souls like" games. I beat DS2 and Elden Ring after a billion tries, but this just doesn't come natural to me. This game has me confused in a few areas.

First off, when I open a big door with a bell on it, those mobs seem significantly higher level and tougher than the rest of the area. Is this some end game? I mean I go from taking the +4 hammer I have and nearly one shotting things to just getting raped behind these doors.

I 'm at the one in Pilgrims Rest area now. What is the deal here?

Also, I have 30 Radiance and my mana still feels like I am out of mana all the time. Am I building this wrong. My goal was a paladin build.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

[mayhem523]

Before you go to that area, you should have completed the swamp area, then fitzroy's gorge, then lower calrath, then sunless skien, then (optionally) the depths. If you haven't done those areas yet then you are skipping ahead and that's why the mobs feel overpowered.

[Mathalis]

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Before you go to that area, you should have completed the swamp area, then fitzroy's gorge, then lower calrath, then sunless skien, then (optionally) the depths. If you haven't done those areas yet then you are skipping ahead and that's why the mobs feel overpowered.

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

[D. Flame]

If you bought a key from a merchant and opened that door, then it is an endgame area.

If you want to spam spells, you have to purchase and use a bunch of the little blue stones. The are essentially this game's version of mana potions. You can eventually get a rune stone that slowly regens mana (you can get a copy in NG+ too) and potentially a ring that does too. If you go that route, you can start relying less on the mana stones.

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by Mathalis:

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Before you go to that area, you should have completed the swamp area, then fitzroy's gorge, then lower calrath, then sunless skien, then (optionally) the depths. If you haven't done those areas yet then you are skipping ahead and that's why the mobs feel overpowered.

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

In this genre, you usually figure it out by walking into an area, getting your cheeks clapped, and going, "huh, maybe this is the wrong way; let me look for alternate paths instead."

[mayhem523]

Originally posted by Mathalis:

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Before you go to that area, you should have completed the swamp area, then fitzroy's gorge, then lower calrath, then sunless skien, then (optionally) the depths. If you haven't done those areas yet then you are skipping ahead and that's why the mobs feel overpowered.

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

Since you said you have a +4 hammer I'm assuming you found the blacksmith, which means you probably killed the archer woman boss with the dogs immediately after, correct? From there all the areas I mentioned are linear progression, you just keep continuing forward along the path. You must have returned to hub prematurely at some point. No way to really know other than the usual clue these games give you... if mobs are suddenly stomping a mudhole in you while you tickle them with your weapons, you've probably gone the wrong way.

[Mathalis]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Originally posted by Mathalis:

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

In this genre, you usually figure it out by walking into an area, getting your cheeks clapped, and going, "huh, maybe this is the wrong way; let me look for alternate paths instead."

Well consider my cheeks clapped...

[Mathalis]

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Originally posted by Mathalis:

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

Since you said you have a +4 hammer I'm assuming you found the blacksmith, which means you probably killed the archer woman boss with the dogs immediately after, correct? From there all the areas I mentioned are linear progression, you just keep continuing forward along the path. You must have returned to hub prematurely at some point. No way to really know other than the usual clue these games give you... if mobs are suddenly stomping a mudhole in you while you tickle them with your weapons, you've probably gone the wrong way.

Yeah...I found the hole and the tickle you mentioned. I thought those doors were advanced areas that are still tied to the zone level wise, not an end game run. I'll just sacrifice the vigor and farm somewhere else for a while.

[Mathalis]

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Originally posted by Mathalis:

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

Since you said you have a +4 hammer I'm assuming you found the blacksmith, which means you probably killed the archer woman boss with the dogs immediately after, correct? From there all the areas I mentioned are linear progression, you just keep continuing forward along the path. You must have returned to hub prematurely at some point. No way to really know other than the usual clue these games give you... if mobs are suddenly stomping a mudhole in you while you tickle them with your weapons, you've probably gone the wrong way.

I did kill the archer boss with the dogs. I'll go back to that room.

[Turd Cutter]

Originally posted by Mathalis:

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Before you go to that area, you should have completed the swamp area, then fitzroy's gorge, then lower calrath, then sunless skien, then (optionally) the depths. If you haven't done those areas yet then you are skipping ahead and that's why the mobs feel overpowered.

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

It's how souls games work. Half the fun, trial and error. If it doesn't work try something else. The wiki has really good walk-throughs if you don't want to think for yourself

[adamshowers6]

a little advise for Mathalls in these games if it requires a key you usually dont want to go to that area low leveled and to me thats anything under 100 but thats my personal play ethic

[adamshowers6]

also if you need any help just send me a request and an invite

[mayhem523]

Originally posted by Mathalis:

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Since you said you have a +4 hammer I'm assuming you found the blacksmith, which means you probably killed the archer woman boss with the dogs immediately after, correct? From there all the areas I mentioned are linear progression, you just keep continuing forward along the path. You must have returned to hub prematurely at some point. No way to really know other than the usual clue these games give you... if mobs are suddenly stomping a mudhole in you while you tickle them with your weapons, you've probably gone the wrong way.

I did kill the archer boss with the dogs. I'll go back to that room.

A tip for later... when you get to sunless skein (mines) and kill the boss, don't go through the door at the end of the boss room and up the elevator. Instead turn around, go back down the ramps, and drop down in front of a doorway. In there you'll find a lever that drains the water in the area. Then go down further and you'll find the entrance to depths. Clear this area before taking that boss elevator up.

[Limp Squirrel]

Originally posted by Mathalis:

Originally posted by mayhem523:

Before you go to that area, you should have completed the swamp area, then fitzroy's gorge, then lower calrath, then sunless skien, then (optionally) the depths. If you haven't done those areas yet then you are skipping ahead and that's why the mobs feel overpowered.

How would I ever know that though? The game doesn't really explain anything. Did I just miss something?
Are just the big doors higher level? I needed to do Pilgrims Reach, but not the big doors?

You will know by the fact that you're getting your arse handed to you in a matter of no time.

I'll admit, the game can be incredibly cryptic and hard to navigate, especially first time around. But I ventured into the Bellroom door after buying the key early on. I managed to get a particular mini boss and I just NOPED out of there. I did vaguely remember there was another path that I didn't follow at that point, which turned out to be where I should have gone to at the time.

[Aizen_Kratos]

Originally posted by Mathalis:

So, I know I'm not the best at these "souls like" games. I beat DS2 and Elden Ring after a billion tries, but this just doesn't come natural to me. This game has me confused in a few areas.

First off, when I open a big door with a bell on it, those mobs seem significantly higher level and tougher than the rest of the area. Is this some end game? I mean I go from taking the +4 hammer I have and nearly one shotting things to just getting raped behind these doors.

I 'm at the one in Pilgrims Rest area now. What is the deal here?

Also, I have 30 Radiance and my mana still feels like I am out of mana all the time. Am I building this wrong. My goal was a paladin build.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

Don't worry brother. I have been in your shoes. I got lost soooo many times. This is precisely why I made a full game guide for people like you.

Here's a guide to the FULL game, which took me 6 HOURS to completely time-stamp. You can't get lost anymore. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGbbpbrgnUw&t=4134s&ab_channel=F

And here's a NG+11 run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTYRI7X7CkI&t=10336s&ab_channel=F