Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is an action-RPG by FromSoftware, published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, with Steam also listing FromSoftware as a publisher. Scholar is not just a plain repackaging of the original Dark Souls II on every platform: it includes DLC, balance and matchmaking changes, and, on PS4/Xbox One/DirectX 11 PC, overhauled enemy and item placement with 6-player online sessions.
Content warning: PlayStation Store lists Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Violence, and online-interaction caveats. This guide stays non-graphic and focuses on player actions.
Difficulty caveat: this is a beginner guide, not a promise that Scholar becomes easy. The game still expects careful routing, stamina control, death recovery, and repeated learning. It also punishes original Dark Souls II muscle memory because some Scholar versions deliberately move enemies, items, and safe zones.
This guide is for a first playthrough of Scholar of the First Sin fundamentals. It is not a full walkthrough, exact boss route, PvP guide, DLC route, speedrun route, achievement guide, or optimized build sheet.
Essential Tips
1. Treat Scholar as Its Own Version
Do not trust every original Dark Souls II route from memory.
If a guide, video, or memory is based on original DS2, confirm it is for Scholar before following exact item paths or enemy setups. The broad game is the same action-RPG, but Scholar-specific enemy and item placement can change how safe a room, chest, doorway, or runback feels.
2. Move Slowly Through New Areas
Most deaths are easier to prevent before combat starts.
Walk into blind spaces, check corners, look up and down, and use a bow, throwing knife, spell, or line-of-sight pull when enemies are grouped. Scholar rewards separating enemies more than sprinting into the center of a room.
3. Spend Souls Before You Gamble Them
Souls are levels, upgrades, items, and lost progress all at once.
When you reach a bonfire with enough souls for a useful level, weapon upgrade, repair, or supply purchase, consider returning to Majula instead of carrying that stack into an unknown path. Saving for a specific purchase is fine; wandering with no plan is not.
4. Level Adaptability or Agility Deliberately
Your dodge and item-use comfort are tied to stats.
Dark Souls II handles rolling differently from many other Souls games. Adaptability and Attunement feed Agility, and Agility affects roll invincibility frames and Estus-use speed. You do not need to chase an exact number immediately, but ignoring the system can make dodges and healing feel worse than expected.
5. Keep Stamina in Reserve
The final swing is often the one that gets you killed.
Attacking, blocking, rolling, sprinting, casting, shooting, and parrying all compete for stamina. Stop a combo while you still have enough stamina to roll or block. If you use a shield, lower it when you are out of attack range so stamina can recover faster.
6. Heal From a Safe Window
Estus is powerful, but drinking is not instant.
Use Estus when you have space, a knocked-down enemy, or a clear punish window. Use Lifegems to recover chip damage while moving between threats, but do not assume a Lifegem will save you if an enemy is already mid-swing.
7. Get Comfortable Being Hollow
Human Effigies are useful; do not burn one after every death.
Repeated deaths reduce your maximum HP, but Human Effigies are better saved for bosses, co-op needs, or situations where the HP loss is stopping progress. The Ring of Binding limits the hollowing HP penalty and is an early priority for Scholar routing.
8. Carry a Backup Weapon
Weapon durability matters during long routes.
Weapons degrade as you fight and recover at bonfires unless they break. If a weapon gets close to breaking during an area, swap before it fails. A second upgraded weapon, Repair Powder, or a return to a bonfire can save a run.
9. Upgrade One Main Weapon First
A focused upgrade path beats a backpack full of weak experiments.
Try weapons until one feels reliable, then put early Titanite into it instead of spreading materials across every new drop. Damage upgrades make regular enemies safer, shorten boss attempts, and make soul recovery less risky.
10. Exhaust NPC Dialogue
Talk until the lines repeat.
NPC conversations can unlock items, vendors, sidequest steps, and progression context. If you meet someone new, speak to them several times before leaving. Do not attack NPCs to test what happens on a first playthrough.
11. Read Covenant Choices Before Joining
Some covenants change the rules.
Do not join and forget a covenant just because the prompt appeared. Company of Champions is especially punishing for a new character because it is tied to harder enemy behavior and continued enemy respawning.
12. Treat Power Stance as Optional
Dual-wielding is a build commitment, not a beginner requirement.
Power Stance can be strong and stylish, but it needs compatible weapons and higher Strength/Dexterity requirements. For a first run, a reliable one-handed weapon plus shield, a two-handed weapon, or a caster setup is simpler than forcing dual-wielding before your stats and stamina support it.
Scholar-Specific Notes
| Topic | Beginner Takeaway |
|---|---|
| Included DLC | Scholar includes the Crown DLCs, but DLC areas are better handled with a dedicated route |
| Enemy placement | On modern Scholar versions, old safe spaces may not be safe; pull enemies and scout rooms |
| Item placement | Do not follow original DS2 item routes blindly, especially for early rings, branches, keys, and upgrade materials |
| Forlorn | Be prepared for surprise NPC invader pressure in Scholar-scoped routes |
| Online play | Soul Memory and the Agape Ring matter for co-op/PvP planning, but they are not required for a first offline playthrough |
| PS3/Xbox 360 scope | Older Scholar package and update behavior can differ from newer Scholar releases |
Combat and Survival
| Situation | Safer Habit | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Entering a new room | Stop at the edge and pull one enemy | Prevents Scholar groups from surrounding you |
| Blocking attacks | Lower the shield after the string ends | Restores stamina before the next exchange |
| Dodging bosses | Roll with stamina left, then punish once or twice | Avoids getting caught unable to move |
| Fighting groups | Back up through a doorway or narrow path | Turns several enemies into one or two threats |
| Low on Estus | Use Lifegems between attacks or retreat to reset | Reduces panic healing in unsafe windows |
| Weapon near breaking | Swap, repair, or return to a bonfire | Prevents a sudden damage collapse mid-area |
| Carrying many souls | Level, upgrade, or buy supplies before pushing deeper | Makes the next death less costly |
Exploration and Progression
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Return to Majula often: Level with the Emerald Herald, upgrade your flask, repair gear, shop, and spend souls before taking on a new branch.
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Mark locked paths mentally: Petrified statues, locked doors, Pharros devices, drops, and DLC doors are not all meant to be solved the moment you see them.
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Use death as scouting: After a death, ask what killed you: stamina greed, enemy placement, a bad heal, durability, a missed shortcut, or carrying too many souls.
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Open shortcuts before bosses: If an area is grinding you down, look for doors, elevators, ladders, and levers before committing to more boss attempts.
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Let enemies despawn only when needed: Repeatedly clearing a route can reduce pressure, but it is slow. Use it when a runback is blocking progress, not as your default answer to every area.
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Be careful with Bonfire Ascetics: They can reset and strengthen local areas. Save them until you understand exactly what the bonfire controls.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not sprint through unknown rooms - Scholar placement can punish you with side angles, ambushes, and enemies pulled from more than one direction.
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Do not spend every point on damage stats - Survivability, stamina, equip load, and Agility comfort matter more than a few extra attack points early.
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Do not empty your stamina bar for one more hit - A dead enemy is useful, but a missed final swing with no stamina can lose the whole attempt.
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Do not drink Estus in an enemy’s face - Create distance, wait for a recovery animation, or use terrain before healing.
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Do not use a Human Effigy after every death - Save them for moments where being human actually changes your odds.
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Do not let your only weapon break - Watch durability during long routes and keep a fallback ready.
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Do not ignore NPC dialogue - Leaving before dialogue repeats can delay shops, items, quests, or progression context.
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Do not join Company of Champions by accident - Check covenant effects before accepting a harder rule set.
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Do not force Power Stance too early - Meet the requirements, test stamina cost, and make sure the weapon pair is actually compatible.
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Do not follow original DS2 routes without checking Scholar - Enemy, item, and version differences can turn good advice into a trap.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Version Scope | Use Scholar-specific routing for enemies, items, and early pickups |
| Exploration | Pull enemies, check corners, and open shortcuts before boss attempts |
| Stamina | End every attack string with enough stamina to roll or block |
| Stats | Invest in Adaptability/Agility deliberately instead of ignoring dodge feel |
| Healing | Use Estus from safe windows and Lifegems for controlled recovery |
| Hollowing | Save Human Effigies and prioritize the Ring of Binding |
| Equipment | Upgrade one reliable weapon and carry a backup |
| NPCs | Exhaust dialogue and avoid attacking NPCs on a first run |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin.
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