Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin Cheat Sheet

The following is a checklist and set of information I use when playing Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin to make sure I don't miss an item, conversation, or boss. I hope you find it useful. A big thanks goes out to the community of contributors on the Dark Souls 2 Wiki where some of this information is borrowed from and Stephen McNabb for creating the original Dark Souls 2 Cheat Sheet. If this is your first time visiting this page please check out the Help section.

Warning: Contains Spoilers!

Playthrough Checklist

Things Betwixt

Majula

Forest of Fallen Giants

Heide's Tower of Flame

No-Man's Wharf

The Pit / Grave of Saints

The Lost Bastille / Belfry Luna

Huntsman's Copse / Undead Purgatory

Harvest Valley

Earthen Peak

  • Continue onwards and up the stairs, and get the Radiant Lifegem from the corpse
  • Go across the walkway, watching for the archers to your right, turn right and follow the path to the chest to get the Pike
  • Head back the way you came and up the ladder, go through the fog gate, light the bonfire and then light your torch
  • Burn the windmill to drain poison from some keys areas in this level
  • Go up the stairs, pick up the Black Firebombs, watch for the arrow trap that fires towards you, and get the Manikin Mask
  • The gate is likely closed so climb up the ladder and head right towards the archer, picking up the Flame Butterfly along the way
  • Drop down the hole, break the poison vases, and continue through the lowest level until you reach the lever to open the gate
  • Break the fence and walk along the ledge to the left, and talk to Laddersmith Gilligan
  • You can pay him 2,000 souls to lower a ladder so you can get a Pharros Lockstone and Twinkling Titanite from the ledge
  • Talk to him to learn the Prostration gesture and buy stuff from him
  • Optionally, kill him to get the Melu Scimitar and Ladder Miniature
  • Go back along the ledge to get a Simpleton's Spice
  • Pull the lever and quickly get the Large Soul of a Proud Knight and Divine Blessing from underneath and climb up the ladder
  • Pull the lever again and ride the platform up, and get the Mirrah Shield from the chest
  • Drop down, go up the ladder, follow the passageway, head down in to the room on the right and talk to Mild Mannered Pate
  • Go back up and continue up the steps to get a Pharros Lockstone from the trapped chest
  • Go back down, go straight ahead and try the difficult jump to get the Radiant Lifegem, and a Soul of a Brave Warrior and Crimson Water from the chest
  • Jump back, drop down on to the platform below, get the Great Heavy Soul Arrow Sorcery from the chest, go through the door and talk to Pate again
  • Go back out the door, drop down to the platform on the right, and get the Lightning Spear Miracle from the chest
  • Get a good running jump across to the other walkway and get the Poisonous Broadsword and Human Effigy from the corpse
  • Jump across to the next walkway where you opened the chest earlier, and make your way back to the bonfire
  • Go up the stairs, past the arrow trap, and take the ladder up to the next level. There will be an illusory wall past some poison pots, behind of which is a Spell Quartz Ring +1. Then, continue down the hall
  • Make your way along, ignoring the fog gate for now, go up the steps and clear the room on the right, and get the Small Smooth and Silky Stone from the corpse
  • Don't waste a Pharros Lockstone but do kill the Mimic, and get the Dark Gauntlets and Work Hook
  • Go upstairs and left along the ledge, open the hidden door and get the Petrified Something from the chest
  • Go along the ledge in the other direction, open the hidden door and light the hidden bonfire
  • Head down to the fog gate and pick up the Poison Stone to the left of the steps
  • Go through the fog gate and kill the Mytha The Baneful Queen boss
    • You can summon Jester Thomas to the right of the steps
    • You can also summon Devotee Scarlett just past the very first bridge
    • Make sure you set fire to the windmill earlier or this fight will be multiple times harder
    • You will get the Mytha, the Baneful Queen Soul and 20,000 souls
    • Optionally do some jolly co-op to get some extra souls. You will get 5,000 souls each time
  • Continue through the new door, go up in the elevator to enter the Iron Keep, and light the bonfire down the steps to the left
  • Return to Majula, level up, upgrade your weapons and armor, and buy any consumables you need
  • If you still need the ladders to get down the pit go talk to Laddersmith Gilligan
    • The small ladder costs 500 souls
    • The medium ladder costs 3,500 souls
    • The long ladder costs 12,000 souls
    • If you buy the long ladder and talk to him he will give you the Melu Scimitar
  • Travel to The Gutter / Upper Gutter bonfire

The Gutter

  • There are a few things to note while making your way through this area
    • It is much easier if you carry a torch at all times and light all the sconces for better visibility, to know where you've been, and to spawn the Gutter Denizen invader later in the area
    • Make sure you have some Poison Moss or lots of Lifegems to deal with the poison in this level
    • Smashing the Poison Shooting Statues uses weapon durability, so bring a second weapon or Repair Powder with you
    • The steps below assume you don't fall through a collapsible floor unless stated
    • There are multiple branching paths in this area, so it's easy to get lost or turned around. Stay calm, there's always a way back
  • Before crossing the first bridge, break the pot to the left to get the Dung Pies
  • Cross the bridge, watch out for the collapsing floor in the middle of the platform, then cross the next bridge
  • Cross the next bridge to the right, go up the ramp and drop down to the dirt area below, being mindful of the Grippers that pop out of the tar pools
    • Note that you can set the tar pools on fire from a distance to damage and even kill the creatures before they appear
  • Drop off the edge farthest from where you came from and towards the wooden structure
  • Clear out the area on the ground level, climb up the ladder on the side of the structure, jump across to the ledge, and get the Ring of Soul Protection from the chest
  • Jump from the ledge back in to the wooden structure to get the Dark Armor and Lightning Winged Spear from the mimic
  • Go back up the ladder, jump across to the ledge and light the sconce at the other end to get Melinda the Butcher to invade you
  • Drop down off the ledge, drop down again at the other edge, and head back towards the bonfire, getting the Lifegem from the pot along the way
  • Go back across the first bridge, drop down through the collapsing floor, taking care of the ambush when you drop
  • Take a running rump across to the platform with the torch wielding Undead Citizen
  • Later, when you get the Forgotten Key in Black Gulch, come back here and go up the ladder to get Havel's Set and Havel's Greatshield
  • Go across the bridge, drop down the hole, get the Dark Pyromancy Flame and Rotten Pine Resins from the pot, and watch out for the Swollen Mongrel in the next room
  • Go up two ladders and get the Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier from the pot, as well as a Fragrant Branch of Yore, Twinkling Titanite, Human Effigy, and Smooth and Silky Stones
  • Drop down and cross the first rope bridge
  • On the other side of the bridge, go up the ladder and get the Black Firebombs from the chest
  • Go down the ladder and drop down twice on the same structure and get the Titanite Chunk from the pot
  • Drop down in to the next structure and get the Tattered Set from the pot
  • Jump across to the dirt ledge and kill the Heide Knight for the Heide Knight Iron Mask and the Heide Lance, then open the chest to get the Aurous Set
  • Go up the very long ladder, pick up the Estus Flask Shard, and get the Soul of a Proud Knight and the Bandit Greataxe from the pot
  • Go to the separate platform where several hollows are, then drop down twice to find Flame Butterflies inside a pot
  • Keep dropping down until you end up on the same level as the rope bridge
  • Head across the planks to kill the Swollen Mongrel, and climb the ladder to the start of the second rope bridge
  • Cross the bridge, watching for the exploding Undead Citizen, and avoid the collapsing floor in the middle of the platform
  • Cross the third rope bridge and go into the cave to get the Wicked Eye Greatshield from the chest
  • Leave the cave, drop down to the left, go into the cave with the non-hostile Corrosive Ant Queen, and get the Poison Moss from the pot
  • Go through the fog gate, watch out for the holes in the floor, smash the wooden wall on the far side, and light the bonfire
  • Head around the corner, break all of the poison statues, and jump across the gap to the other structure
    • This jump can be tricky, but if you stick to the right side and jump straight across, you should make it just fine
    • Even if it takes a few attempts, there is a bonfire just around the corner to save running through the whole area again
  • Kill the Swollen Mongrel, break the pots for Black Firebombs, then jump back across the gap
  • Go back through the wall you smashed and down the ladder in the far left corner of the room, next to a pot with Dung Pies
  • Drop down, get the Rotten Pine Resins from the pot, drop down two more dirt ledges and get the Great Club from the chest
  • If you light all the torch sconces in the gutter, the Gutter Denizen will invade you, and will drop pieces of the Black Witch Set
  • Get the Dark Fog Hex, Torch, and Lifegems from pots in the area
  • Use a ranged weapon, spell or consumable to destroy the corrosive pots in front of the hole in the wall, drop down and get the Fragrant Branch of Yore
  • Go through the fog gate into Black Gulch and light the bonfire in the cave to the left
  • Return to Majula, level up, upgrade your weapons and armor, and buy any consumables you need
  • Travel to the Black Gulch / Black Gulch Mouth bonfire

Black Gulch

Iron Keep / Belfry Sol

Shaded Woods

Doors of Pharros

Brightstone Cove Tseldora

Sinner's Rise / Shrine of Winter

Drangleic Castle / King's Passage

Shrine of Amana

Undead Crypt

Aldia's Keep

Dragon Aerie

Dragon Shrine

Memory of Orro

Memory of Jeigh

  • Travel to the Forest of Fallen Giants / Cardinal Tower bonfire
  • Go down the ladder, cross the bridge and head outside to the large door, and put on the King's Ring to open it
  • Rest at the bonfire, go out and drop down to get the Twinkling Titanite and Fragrant Branch of Yore, and use your feather to get back to the bonfire
  • Examine the tree to enter the memory. You will have about 5 minutes to complete it
  • You can summon Benhart of Jugo before you go through the fog gate, at the bottom of the steps
    • This is the third of at least three boss fights you need to summon him for and have him survive to complete his quest
  • You can summon Captain Drummond before you go through the fog gate
    • His sign will not appear unless you have already spoken to him in Memory of Vammar
  • You can only summon one of them. The other's summon sign will vanish when you summon one of them
  • Go through the fog gate, avoiding the fireballs that will rain down in this area
  • Get the Bonfire Ascetic from the corpse on the first platform on the left
  • Move forward past the first fireball area and trigger the huge rolling head
  • Continue forward and get the Fire Seed from the platform on the left near the end
  • Kill the Giant Lord boss
  • Get the Old Radiant Lifegem from beside the pillar and then go out the door and down the steps
  • Examine the giant's corpse to get the Soul of a Giant and again to leave the memory

Memory of Vammar

Ancient Dragon's Memories

Shulva, Sanctum City (Sunken King DLC)

  • Make sure you have obtained the Dragon Talon from The Pit. Note you must also have completed Black Gulch and killed the two giants before the door in The Pit can be opened
  • You should also have a bow and arrows in your inventory to safely activate obelisks and switches from a distance
  • Travel to the Black Gulch / Hidden Chamber bonfire, head through the boss room, and interact with the shrine behind the Primal Bonfire
  • Collect the Dragon Charms and make your way to the first bonfire
  • Take the stairs to the left to find Old Growth Balms and a shortcut that will open later
  • Head back to the bonfire and continue down the path
  • Just around the corner, look left across the gap and shoot the obelisk, which will raise a platform that you can now drop down to
  • Head into the building, up the stairs, and onto the roof to find the Poisonbite Ring +1, and then drop back down to the main path
  • Up ahead are more obelisks, which once activated will cause structure to rise and damage the nearby Sanctum Soldiers
  • Collect the Lifegems, then return the second platform to its lowered position and raise it again, jumping onto the top of it as it rises
  • Run across to the roof and get the Dark Quartz Ring +3
  • Hop off the roof and look down to activate another obelisk, which will raise a platform that will allow you to get the Long Bow +7
  • Drop down to the path and pick up the Poison Stone
  • Head along the path and take the room to the left with the Corrosive Egg Insects and collect the Goldenfruit Balm from a body in the corner
  • Take the doorway to the left from where you entered and follow the edge of the building around, drop down to another ledge, and get the Old Growth Balm behind you
  • Jump across to the stairs and head back up, this time going into the other building
  • Outside will be another obelisk, which when activated will extend a platform from the wall
  • Before crossing it, drop down and pick up the Lightning Urns and head around the corner to activate another obelisk
  • Go back up the stairs, through the building, and across the walkway we just created to activate yet another obelisk, which will extend a platform below you
  • Drop down, make your way across to the room with more Corrosive Egg Insects, and head upstairs to get the Elizabeth Mushroom
  • Back to the main path, head down the stairs and pick up the Poison Throwing Knives and Cracked Red Eye Orbs next to the Poison Statue Cluster
  • Continue and collect Magic Bolts from a body on the left and hit the obelisk next to it
  • Quickly jump onto the roof of the structure that is now starting to rise and head into the building for a bonfire
  • Head out the other doorway and drop down to a ledge with a Dried Root on a corpse
  • Go through the room and to the right to pick up the Sanctum Mace, then back through the room and down the hole in the floor
  • Leave the building and head up the ramp back to the main path
  • As you continue up the hill, shoot the obelisks that you can see and get the Lloyd's Talismans and Twinkling Titanite
  • Before entering the building, go around the back side and activate the last obelisk
  • You should now have a series of platforms you can walk across from the bonfire to the roof of this building, accessed by the ladder inside
  • From the front of the building, look down for a platform and drop down to it
  • Look around for the statues with red eyes and shoot the obelisk to raise the platform you're on
  • Hop off as you reach the cave but turn around and wait for the structure to reach the top to loot the Torches
  • Go into the cave and pick up the Notched Whip +7 and the Promised Walk of Peace hex
  • You can choose to kill the tree in the cave for Dried Roots, attack it with a whip to restore durability to your items, or attack it with the curved sword Eleum Loyce to steal health
  • Return to the bonfire, either by backtracking or using a Homeward Bone or Aged Feather
  • Lower the first platform, drop onto it, and jump to the platform on the left for Darknight Stones
  • Shoot the obelisk with an arrow and jump to the middle level as it rises to get the Thunder Quartz Ring +3
  • Hit the obelisk that controls the third platform, jump onto it, and hit it again to return to the bonfire
  • Drop down to the bottommost level and make your way down the stairs and across the bridge, and get the Rusted Coins from the building straight ahead
  • Roll through the pots and head around to the back of the building for the Focus Souls sorcery

Dragon's Sanctum (Sunken King DLC)

  • Head across the bridge and into the tunnel, past the first locked door, and hit the wall switch next to another door to get a Soul of a Great Hero and Dragon Charm
  • Go through the doorway on the opposite side and hop down into a room with some altars
  • Watch out for the ghostly Sanctum Knights and quickly destroy the glowing bodies on the altars so that the enemies become corporeal, then deal with of them
  • Open the chests for Old Growth Balms, a Titanite Slab, a Soul Vessel, Destructive Greatarrows, and the Catarina Helm
  • Head into the next room and get Dried Roots from the trapped chest
  • Activate the switch on the ceiling using a bow and get Twinkling Titanite and Petrified Dragon Bones from the chest that is revealed
  • Drop down into and clear the room with the Sanctum Priestess, pick up the Human Effigy from the corpse, then activate the floor switch to rotate the contraption until you can walk through
  • Go down the narrow hallway and get the Repair Powder from the alcove on the left
  • Jump over the hole in the floor and head down to the tiny window in the wall, inside which is a distant switch for you to activate
  • Continue past the revealed passage and shoot another switch high up on the wall straight ahead
  • Go back and enter the passage, but be mindful of the small pressure plate on the floor just before the stairs, which triggers spikes to come out of the walls along the staircase, then grab the Soul of a Hero and Human Effigy
  • Open the chests at the bottom for Boltstones, Bleed Stones, Twinkling Titanite, Petrified Dragon Bones, and the Puzzling Stone Sword
  • Go back to the hole in the hallway floor, drop down, and head right
  • Take out as many of the Corrosive Egg Insects and their eggs as you can from here, then drop down
  • Loot the area for Dung Pies, Lifegems, and Old Growth Balms
  • Go up the stairs, grab the Poison Throwing Knives, climb up the ladder, and get Flynn's Ring from the chest
  • Drop down the hole, go back to the hallway, drop down the hole in the stairs again, and head right
  • There are many more ghostly Sanctum Knights in this area, so keep your guard up
  • Avoiding the spikes in the floor, hug the right wall and go through the doorway, then take a left and go up the ladder to deal with the Sanctum Priestess
  • Activate the switch on the ceiling to the left to lower the spikes, then drop down to the right and look for the set of stairs going down
  • Go down a short distance and turn back to find and activate a switch high up on the wall
  • Head back up and around to the ladder, then jump across the gap through the door that is now open, light the bonfire, and pick up the Sanctum Crossbow around the corner
  • Jump back across the gap and continue across the bridge where another Sanctum Priestess is waiting
  • Hit the switch to open a shortcut and open the trapped chest for Lloyd's Talismans, avoiding the ethereal Sanctum Knight as much as possible
  • Go across the short bridge and down the stairs to a room with several ghostly Sanctum Knights and glowing bodies lining the walls
  • Make your way around the room, destroying all the bodies as you go, and kill the Sanctum Knights once they become corporeal
  • Once the room is clear, pick up the Eternal Sanctum Key and a Sanctum Knight Helm, then head back up the stairs
  • Drop down to the right and get the Bloodbite Ring +1 from the chest
  • Drop to the main level and go around to loot Torches, Twinkling Titanite, Holy Water Urns, and a Human Effigy
  • Look for a switch on one of the bridge supports and activate it to reveal a room near the ladder, inside which is a chest holding the Dragon Stone
  • Climb the ladder and look through the opening on the spinning contraption to find another switch you can activate with your bow
  • Drop down and shoot it again through the smaller hole, then climb back up the ladder and shoot it one more time
  • Head through and get the Denial miracle from the chest
  • Leave the room and head towards the stairs down, keep going to get the Old Growth Balm, and down more stairs where eventually Jester Thomas will invade
  • After dealing with him, head through the fog gate and follow the right wall
  • Kill the first Imperfect and pick up the Petrified Dragon Bones just past it
  • Continue around the right to reach the bonfire, then carefully clear the area to loot Human Effigies, Dried Roots, and a Soul of a Great Hero
  • Head out of the water to a stone structure with a circular object on top of it, and insert the Dragon Stone to raise a bridge
  • Go inside the nearby room and hit the obelisk to activate the elevator, but before using it head out the other door and up the path for the Drakeblood Greatsword
  • Return to the elevator and ride it up, then take the second elevator up for a shortcut to the first bonfire in Shulva, Sanctum City
  • Go back down the elevator and outside, grab the Human Effigy, and go up the stairs to enter Dragon's Rest

Dragon's Rest (Sunken King DLC)

Cave of the Dead (Sunken King DLC)

  • Drop to the lowest level, cross both bridges, and use the Eternal Sanctum Key to open the locked door from earlier
  • Watch out for the Sanctum Priestesses, then open the chests for Dried Roots, the Lightning Clutch Ring, and Bonfire Ascetics
  • Climb the ladder and the next, deal with the Corrosive Egg Insect ambush, then climb the third ladder
  • Get the Sanctum Shield from the chest, then head back down the ladder and cross the bridge
  • At the end of the bridge, deal with the invader Rockshield Baldyr then light the bonfire
  • You may also want to light a torch as the next area is quite dark and there are several sconces you can light to find your way easier
  • Hit the obelisk to activate the elevator, then head through the cave, through the fog gate, and drop down
  • This area is made easier with a phantom or two, so consider summoning other players or the NPCs, Rapacious Andrei and Ruined Alfis, from this room
  • Drop down and make your way into a room with a few petrifying statues and Sanctum Soldiers
  • After clearing this level, look down the holes and eliminate as many enemies as you can from here before dropping down
  • There are many more petrifying statues, Sanctum Soldiers, and a few Petrifying Statue Clusters down here so move slowly so as to not over-aggro
  • Once the threats are dealt with, grab the Petrified Somethings from a chest and Brightbugs and Bonfire Ascetics from corpses
  • There is only one exit out, so take the one-way drop once you've picked up all of the loot
  • Down here are a few more petrifying statues, Sanctum Soldiers, and Petrifying Statue Clusters, so deal with them as before, but be cautious of the Razorback Nightcrawler that pops out of the wall halfway through
  • Go through the fog gate and kill the Graverobber, Varg, and Cerah boss
  • Head to the side opposite the entrance, past the petrifying statues, to find a chest containing the Flower Skirt and a corpse with Blackweed Balms
  • Drop down the hole, head right, and traverse the ledge until you come to another room with a chest containing the Dark Greatsword hex
  • Go back the other direction to find a corpse with Torches
  • Carefully jump to the platform and drop down to the bridge, take the elevator up, and arrive back at the bonfire
  • Return to Majula, level up, upgrade your weapons and armor, and buy any consumables you need

Brume Tower (Iron King DLC)

Memory of the Old Iron King (Iron King DLC)

Iron Passage (Iron King DLC)

  • From the Brume Tower / Foyer bonfire, take the elevator down and open the door using the Tower Key
  • Follow the stairs, grab the Twilight Herb, take the elevator down, go through the tunnel to reach the bonfire, and drop down into the next room
  • This area is made easier with a phantom or two, so consider summoning other players or the NPCs, Drifter Swordsman Aidel and Steel-willed Lorrie, from this room
    • With this in mind, the NPC phantoms cannot be effectively used with the first path described, so consider waiting to summon until you've cleared this route and then take them on the second path
  • Head to the next room and pull the lever to release the Ashen Warriors from their cells, then pick up Large Titanite Shards
  • Unfortunately the gate on the far end is on a timer and will be closed by this point, and since the lever can only be used once, head back to the bonfire using your Homeward Bone / Aged Feather to reset it
  • Pull the lever again but this time rush through the enemies and dodge as necessary to avoid the Flame Salamander's attacks, and drop down at the far end before the gate closes
  • Deal with the Astrologist then go through the hole on the left, but do not drop down the ledge
  • Grab the Crimson Water from the end and head back into the cave to take the other path
  • There is another lever here similar to before, so pull it to open the cells, deal with the enemies, and grab the Simpleton's Spice and Torches from the cells
  • Return to the bonfire and make your way back here, but this time after pulling the lever, rush through same as before to reach the next room before the gate closes
  • Take the right path, drop down, and kill the Possessed Armor to reach the Old Growth Balms and Cracked Red Eye Orbs
  • Drop down to the upper ledge on the left to deal with the Astrologist, then drop down again for the Dried Root
  • Return to the bonfire if you plan on summoning the NPCs, otherwise continue to the boss and go back for the last loot later
  • Ignore the lever this time and take the left path instead
  • Stay on the upper ledge and get the Wilted Dusk Herbs from behind the Possessed Armor, then make your way through the rest of the level
  • Go through the fog gate and kill the Smelter Demon boss
  • Go through the tunnel and grab the Pharros Mask from the corpse, then take the elevator and follow the path to return to the bonfire
  • Return to Majula, level up, upgrade your weapons and armor, and buy any consumables you need

Frozen Eleum Loyce (Ivory King DLC)

Frigid Outskirts (Ivory King DLC)

  • Travel to the Frozen Eleum Loyce / Expulsion Chamber bonfire, then rest in the coffin to be transported to the Frigid Outskirts
  • This area will periodically be affected by a whiteout blizzard, reducing visibility to a very short distance, during which will spawn the dangerous Ice Stallions
  • This makes navigation quite difficult, so to avoid getting lost and aggroing too many Ice Stallions, you can stand still during the blizzard and only move when it dies down
  • Grab Blackweed Balm from one of the other coffins, then head to the circle of stones
  • This area is made easier with a phantom or two, so consider summoning other players or the NPCs, Head of Vengarl, Abbess Feeva, or Manhunter O'Harrah from these ruins
  • Run to the first building and get a Dried Root inside and the Mirrah Hat outside
  • Halfway to the next building is a corpse with Lacerating Knives
  • Run into the next building and only use a Pharros Lockstone if you need to activate the healing water for yourself or any phantoms
  • Make your way towards the next building and get Twinkling Titanite from a corpse
  • Run into the next building and get Human Effigies from a corpse
  • Head towards the cliff and look for a body on the ledge to get the Ring of the Living
  • Follow the path to the left and cross the bridge, and note that no more Ice Stallions will spawn down here but they will follow if they've already spawned and spotted you elsewhere
  • Go through the fog gate and kill the Lud & Zallen, the King's Pets boss
  • Examine the beam of light to teleport out
  • Return to Majula, level up, upgrade your weapons and armor, and buy any consumables you need

King Vendrick

Throne of Want

  • Travel back to the Drangleic Castle / King's Gate bonfire
  • Go out and down to the left to the door and put on the King's Ring to open it
  • Talk to the Emerald Herald and continue along the path to the fog gate
  • Go through the fog gate and first kill the Throne Defender and Throne Watcher
    • You can summon Benhart of Jugo outside the fog gate to the left
    • This is the fourth of at least three boss fights you need to summon him for and have him survive to complete his quest
    • You can summon Head of Vengarl outside the fog gate to the right
    • You will get the Throne Defender Soul and the Throne Watcher Soul and 68,000 souls
    • Optionally do some jolly co-op to get some extra souls. You will get 17,000 souls each time
  • Now you need to kill Nashandra
    • You must have killed the Giant Lord before she will spawn
    • Your summons will stay with you for this fight
    • You will get the Soul of Nashandra and 90,000 souls
    • Optionally do some jolly co-op to get some extra souls. You will get 22,500 souls each time
  • Finally, you must kill Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin
    • Your summons will stay with you for this fight as well
    • Rewards no souls or items but unlocks an alternative ending
  • You may choose to claim the throne or abandon it by walking out
  • You will now be back at Majula, where you can finish up some final tasks before continuing to New Game Plus

Miscellaneous Tasks

Dark Chasm of Old

  • It's best to save this for last due to its difficulty and the need to use Human Effigies every time
  • Also, this guide is written so that the easiest one is last, making the Darklurker fight easier to repeat if needed, but feel free to do them in any order you prefer
  • If you have met Darkdiver Grandahl in all three locations you can now join the Pilgrims of Dark covenant
  • Travel to the Black Gulch / Hidden Chamber, go up the hill and drop off by the first worm to the ledge
  • Go in and talk to Darkdiver Grandahl, join the covenant if you haven't already, and give him a Human Effigy to open the portal
  • Enter the portal and complete the area
    • You will need to kill six enemies. Two heavy melee, two pyromancers, and two shades
    • Remember to light the cauldron, using a Flame Butterfly to light your torch
    • Drop down the mist filled hole to complete the area
  • Talk to Darkdiver Grandahl to rank up in the covenant and receive the Resonant Soul Hex
  • Travel to the Drangleic Castle / Under Castle Drangleic bonfire, go out and around the corner to speak to Darkdiver Grandahl
  • Give him a Human Effigy to open the portal, enter it and complete the area
    • You will need to kill four enemies. One heavy melee, two fast melee, and a shade
    • Be very careful not to fall of the ledges in the water
    • Remember to light the cauldron, using a Flame Butterfly to light your torch
    • Drop down the mist filled hole to complete the area
  • You won't rank up after the second area is complete. You need to complete all three areas to get the next rank
  • Travel to the Shaded Woods / Shaded Ruins bonfire and drop down the hole near the second tower
  • Give Darkdiver Grandahl a Human Effigy to open the portal, enter it and complete the area
    • You will need to kill four enemies. Two fast melee, one archer, and a shade
    • Remember to light the cauldron, using a Flame Butterfly to light your torch
    • Drop down the mist filled hole to complete the area
  • When you drop down the fog gate in the third area you can kill the Darklurker
    • There are no NPCs to summon for this fight
    • You will get the Darklurker Soul and 35,000 souls
  • If you completed all areas talk to Darkdiver Grandahl to rank up and receive the Great Resonant Soul Hex
  • If you also killed the boss talk to him to rank up and receive the Climax Hex, Xanthous Set, and Dragon Chime
  • Head back to Majula

New Game Plus Preparation

New Game + Tasks

New Game ++ Tasks

Checklists

Master of Sorcery (Learn all sorceries)

Master of Miracles (Learn all miracles)

Master of Pyromancy (Learn all pyromancies)

Master of Hexes (Learn all hexes)

Gesture Maestro (Learn all gestures)

Credits

I'd like to extend a HUGE thanks to Stephen McNabb for creating the original Dark Souls 2 Cheat Sheet, MuFeR, Rafal Hejna, and TheParty020 for many SotFS additions, and Zachary Kjellberg for the Dark Souls 3 Cheat Sheet from which I borrowed some design elements. If I missed crediting someone please let me know!

Furthermore, I wouldn't have made it through this with my sanity intact if it weren't for the walkthroughs from FightinCowboy and BlueLizardJello, so go stop by their channels sometime and check out their amazing content.

Help

Is this a guide?

Nope, not really. This is a set of checklists and information that you can use while playing Dark Souls to make sure you don't miss an item, action, conversation or boss. If you need playthroughs then you can click on the links scattered throughout the page to find them in the wiki.

Do I need to follow the playthrough in this exact order?

Dark Souls is not a liner game and has multiple ways of progressing. This is generally the way I like to play through the game, so feel free to follow it if you like or mix it up. You can always jump back and forth and check things off in a different order.

Can I use this for multiple characters?

Yup, use the profile selector and buttons at the top right of the page to setup multiple characters.

How do I help with feedback, corrections, suggestions or additions?

You can post in this Reddit thread or if you know your way about Git/GitHub then fork my repo and submit a pull request.

Thanks to the following people for their suggestions, fixes and improvements (for the original DS2 checklist)

How does the checklist status get saved?

It gets saved to the local storage in your browser and not to any database or API. So if you are clearing your browser cache make sure not to delete the site data or your checklists will get reset.

Back to Top