FromSoftware released Scholar of the First Sin in April 2015, rebuilding Dark Souls II on a DirectX 11 renderer, folding in all three Crown DLCs and shuffling enemy placement so returning players could not run their old routes. Drangleic still runs on Adaptability, the stat the game never explains: it feeds Agility, which starts at 85 and caps at 120, and Agility decides how many invincibility frames a roll carries. Aldia now appears as a burning apparition at bonfires and returns as an optional final boss after Nashandra.
Starting DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin is a rpg game built around Adaptability and Agility and Soul Memory matchmaking. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Knight | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Warrior | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Swordsman | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Bandit | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Sorcerer | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Warrior. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Sorcerer as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Adaptability and Agility
Adaptability is the stat that feeds Agility, which begins at 85 and caps at 120. At 85 Agility a roll carries roughly 5 invincibility frames, about a sixth of a second, which is why the opening hours feel unfair. Most players push Agility to 96 or 105 before spending souls anywhere else, and Attunement raises it too at half the rate.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Adaptability and Agility works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Majula
The hub, and the only truly safe place in Drangleic. The Emerald Herald handles every level up, Sweet Shalquoir sells rings, Maughlin sells armour, and the bottomless pit beside the mansion hides an entire optional area.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Estoc: it's the most accessible early upgrade. A thrusting sword that attacks fast, works from behind a raised shield, and pairs with the Old Leo Ring for large counter damage. Its poking moveset also travels through narrow gaps where a swing would hit the wall.
Step 4: Understand Soul Memory matchmaking
Co-op and invasion ranges run off Soul Memory, the running total of every soul the character has ever picked up, spent or dropped on death, sorted into 45 tiers. Souls you farm and never spend still push you up a tier, so a deliberately low level build ends up matched against far stronger characters anyway.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Forest of Fallen Giants
The first real area and the one that teaches the ambush pattern the rest of the game repeats. The Pursuer shows up here early and again later, and the Cardinal Tower bonfire is the safest respawn point for the whole region.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Adaptability and Agility
Adaptability is the stat that feeds Agility, which begins at 85 and caps at 120. At 85 Agility a roll carries roughly 5 invincibility frames, about a sixth of a second, which is why the opening hours feel unfair. Most players push Agility to 96 or 105 before spending souls anywhere else, and Attunement raises it too at half the rate.
Soul Memory matchmaking
Co-op and invasion ranges run off Soul Memory, the running total of every soul the character has ever picked up, spent or dropped on death, sorted into 45 tiers. Souls you farm and never spend still push you up a tier, so a deliberately low level build ends up matched against far stronger characters anyway.
Power stancing
Holding the two hand button with a matching weapon type in each hand opens a separate dual wield moveset with its own attacks. It requires 1.5 times the Strength and Dexterity printed on the heavier of the two weapons, so twin Mastodon Halberds demand real stat investment before they swing at all.
Hollowing and Human Effigies
Each death trims maximum HP until it settles near half, and burning a Human Effigy is the only way to reverse it. The Ring of Binding lifts that floor from 50 percent to 75 percent, which makes it one of the first pickups worth a detour for on any run.
Bonfire Ascetics
Burning a Bonfire Ascetic at a bonfire pushes that one area to the next New Game cycle, respawning its boss and upgrading the loot in its chests. It is the only way to farm a second copy of a boss soul without restarting the whole game, and the difficulty increase is permanent for that area.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Ignoring Adaptability because the tooltip is vague, then blaming the game for rolls that do not dodge anything at 85 Agility
2. Hoarding souls without spending them, which raises Soul Memory into a higher matchmaking tier while the character stays weak
3. Running past enemies toward a boss fog gate, since Dark Souls II reliably places two or three chasers that follow you straight into the arena
4. Upgrading three or four weapons at once when Titanite Slabs are scarce, instead of committing to a single weapon at +10 by mid game
5. Treating the Iron Keep archers as a skill test rather than a positioning problem, when the answer is to break line of sight and pull them one at a time
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Adaptability and Agility and Soul Memory matchmaking
- Choose Warrior as starting build
- Clear Majula main content
- Acquire Estoc or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Forest of Fallen Giants
- Adaptability is the fix for every complaint about the roll. Take it to 20 as fast as you can, check Agility on the status screen rather than the stat itself, and stop at 96 or 105 depending on how much you want to spend.
- Lifegems are the reason Melentia exists. She sells them from Majula in stacks, they heal over time instead of instantly, and carrying 30 of them removes almost all pressure to reach the next bonfire on low Estus.
Tips for New Players
- Adaptability is the fix for every complaint about the roll. Take it to 20 as fast as you can, check Agility on the status screen rather than the stat itself, and stop at 96 or 105 depending on how much you want to spend.
- Lifegems are the reason Melentia exists. She sells them from Majula in stacks, they heal over time instead of instantly, and carrying 30 of them removes almost all pressure to reach the next bonfire on low Estus.
- Enemies stop respawning after 12 kills in the same area. That is a legitimate tool: a corridor that keeps killing you can simply be emptied over a few attempts and it will stay empty for the rest of that New Game cycle.
- Fragrant Branches of Yore are limited. Do not spend one on the first petrified statue you see; the Ornifex rescue in Brightstone Cove Tseldora and the Cave of the Dead in the Crown of the Ivory King content are the ones worth the branch.
- Torches matter far more here than in any other Souls game. Several Scholar of the First Sin areas darken to near black, and a lit sconce also unlocks doors in the Gutter and reveals Shaded Woods paths.
- Weapon durability actually breaks things in Dark Souls II. Ultra greatswords chip on stone walls, so carry a Repair Powder or a backup weapon on long runs between bonfires, particularly in Black Gulch.
- Soul Vessels reset every stat, and they exist for a reason. If a first run overspends on Attunement or Vitality, one Soul Vessel from Straid of Olaphis converts a ruined build into a working one for free.
- Straid and Ornifex both trade boss souls for weapons and spells. Sitting on unspent boss souls to level up is usually the worse choice, since a Smelter Sword or a Great Resonant Soul is worth more than two soul levels.
- Powerstancing only unlocks at 1.5 times the requirement of the heavier weapon, and the game never says so. Check the requirement, multiply it, and only then buy the second copy of the weapon.
- The Ring of Binding should be your first ring slot on any run. Hollowing down to 50 percent maximum HP is what kills most new players, and lifting the floor to 75 percent removes an entire failure spiral.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Scholar of the First Sin and the original Dark Souls II?
Scholar of the First Sin is the April 2015 DirectX 11 rebuild. It bundles all three Crown DLCs, changes enemy placement and item locations across the whole game, raises the online player count to six, and adds Aldia as a recurring apparition and an optional final boss.
What Agility should I aim for in Dark Souls II?
Agility 96 is the usual first target and 105 is the comfortable one. Agility starts at 85, caps at 120, and is raised mainly through Adaptability, with Attunement contributing at half the rate.
Which starting class is best for a first playthrough?
Knight for the shield and the armour, or Warrior if you plan a Strength weapon like the Zweihander. Explorer is the pick if you want the starting items rather than the stats, since every class converges once you have spent 30 levels.
How does Soul Memory affect multiplayer?
Soul Memory counts every soul the character has ever obtained, spent or lost, and sorts players into 45 tiers. Character level is ignored entirely, so two players can only summon or invade each other if their Soul Memory totals are close.
What order should I tackle the four Great Souls in?
The Lost Sinner in Sinner's Rise is the most forgiving, then the Old Iron King in Iron Keep, then the Duke's Dear Freja in Brightstone Cove Tseldora, and the Rotten in Black Gulch last. All four are required before Drangleic Castle opens.
More DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Guides
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Overview
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Best Builds
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Tier List
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Walkthrough
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Tips & Tricks
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Weapons Guide
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Combat Guide
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Boss Guide
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Maps & Locations
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Crafting Guide
- DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin Classes & Characters
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