TheSword
Legend
Okay so for some reason I got my copy of this early. It arrived on my doorstep today. So I agreed to do a summary with Q&A.
The descriptions in the book are short and evocative as any Dark Souls fan would expect.
Backstory: There is a section on backstory, memory and drives that have random tables. Not mechanical. No races, everyone plays a tarnished. Race has no impact on the mechanics
Origin: Determines Hit points, what happens when you’re bloodied and your starting stats. No rolling or point but it depends on your Origin. Ranges from 8 to 15.
- Brute
- Fencer
- Jack of all trades
- Caster
There is no multiclassing but there is a class (The Deprived) that lets you take abilities from any other classes at set levels
- Knight
- Mercenary
- Assassin
- Thief
- Warrior
- Herald
- Cleric
- Sorcerer
- Pyromancer
- The Deprived
Magic: No spells slots. You have attunement slots based on level that let you equip spells that can each be cast a set number of times. You find the spells as treasure or buy them (just as in the game). Spells can cost position. They can also take multiple rounds to cast (though spellcasters get abilities to speed this up) All the spells in the first game are in the book (and just those spells)
Combat: You have base position based on origin (a dice + Con mod x level) you also roll your level x origin die for temporary position that gets added to your base position once you act in combat (surprise could be very nasty!) At the end of combat you revert back to your base position or current position if it is lower.
PCs make an initiative roll and if it beats the monsters initiative value they go before (in any order they like) or after in any order they like if they fail.
At half position you become bloodied and gain additional abilities as do monsters.
Short rests let you roll for healing same in 5e. You can only king rest at a bonfire.
PCs and bosses can spend position to get + to hit (unlimited) + to damage (up to +5) + to speed (up to your base speed value) and for special abilities and spells.
Otherwise combat is the same
Equipment: This is about a quarter of the book. You can buy equipment for souls. Every item is listed (pretty much all the ones from dark souls) they each do different things and have special abilities. You can wield two weapons, armour and two rings. You can carry up to your carrying capacity same as 5e.
Everyone starts with an Estus flask with charges that refills at a bonfire and can at any time.
Leveling up: You spend souls to level up. If you die you lose all souls - there are no points you can reclaim them . You reawaken are the bonfire with a Dc 18 Wis save or take a holllowing effect usually negative but small chance of being beneficial.
The World: quite a large section on different locations in Lothric and the kind of things found there.
Monsters: These are the monsters from the game. Very recognizable. With the addition of bloodied result. Bosses is a smaller section but they are very recognizable.
Fair warning there are a lot of typos in the book. Things referenced that don’t exist (Healing kit for instance where the game makes it clear that you die at 0 position) hp is mentioned a few times when it doesn’t exist. Paladin is referenced where there isn’t any Paladins in the book etc.
Feel free to hit me with any questions?
Last edited:
