I've finally really gotten into Dark Souls. Had previously done two or so playtroughs that got stuck, now very much on my way, hooked on the game.
I'd like to ask a question concerning my possible build.
I like the idea of getting miracles as a side extra to this melee character I have. But I could also just stick with a pure melee.
1. How much use is magic (specifically miracles) to a mainly melee character? Is there more use to ranged/magic attacks later in the game? Just finished the Depths, don't know if I'm anywhere near half finished.
2. I was thinking I'd start pumping all my stats into divine, till at least 25 and upgrade my halberd/shield to divine too. Then get sunspears as a fun extra, sunbro-ing it up.
3. Is that better than just sticking with health/stamina/strength/dexterity build with regular equipment upgrades?
I'm not looking to get an expert super good build, but I am wary of possible downsides to choices. But overal I'm looking to have fun. Did anyone use magic on a melee character and think it took a bit of the fun out of pure melee? I haven't really tried it so I can't say.
I don't know why, but I spent some souls on pyromancy, and so far it's been really useless to me. Not too great damage, too slow, lobbed rather than flying straight I just haven't used it effectively once. Would most other magics be the same?
Excuse the thread necro, if you will!
EDIT: I must also be a god. I've been playing with the mouse+keyboard all this time. Installed dsfix and dsmfix but otherwise changed no settings in-game, and am doing fine. Camera is wonky but that's totally fine, since all the rest works and I can see what's happening since you don't have to point your camera all too exactly.
I'll try to answer the best I can from my own experiences and what I've seen/read.
1. Miracles are very useful for a melee character. The two weapon boosts are very powerful, and some spells, such as Wrath of The Gods and Tranquil Walk of Peace are immensely useful in pvp. Miracles also offer some mid-ranged spells that can be useful for taking out or softening up enemies you'd rather not go into melee with. Faith/miracles has nothing to do with magic/intelligence and aren't exactly extra useful for a mainly ranged build. It's hard to say how far you've come after finishing the Depths, since you can do a lot of things in different order. But I'm fairly sure you have lots and lots of stuff left to do. What level are you?
2. If you want to use miracles, then go ahead and pump up your faith stat. But you're better off with +15 upgrades on standard weapons so you can use the miracles weapon boosts. As far as I'm concernes, the only time a divine weapon is useful is when first exploring the graveyard and crypts.
3. Vitality, endurance, strength and dexterity will always be the most useful stats for a new player. There are soft caps for all stats, look them up if you want to. But you can easily go with 30 in vitality and endurance. Strength and dexterity are more dependant on what type of weapons you want to use. Find out what weapon/weapons you prefer, then focus on the stat that scales the most with your weapon of choice. Some strength-based weapons are extremely powerful but require a lot of strength to wield with one hand. And you don't want to be completely reliant on two-handing a weapon. Get your main damage stat up to at least 30, if not 40.
If you're not going to do a lot of pvp, there isn't really a limit to how much you can increase your stats. But I think people still usually stay at soul level 100-120, for pvp reasons. That's where most of the action is.
Pyromancy can be extremely useful, but requires A LOT of investment. You will want to find a certain lady who can upgrade your pyromancy flame to +15, and then ascend it to a better version that goes up to +5. There are some expensive and covenant-related pyromancy spells that can wreak havoc. They're very effective in pvp, and also against enemies weak against fire and for cleaning up large mobs of enemies. Pyromancy isn't reliant on any stats, so it's actuallly a good idea for anyone to invest in it.
All three schools of magic have very different types of spells. Pyromancy is more short-ranged and aoe-focused, but there are also some very effective buffs. "Normal" magic is more long-ranged and has some nice buffs and tricks. Miracles are more defensive and good for melee characters mainly.
Worth noting is that dexterity decreases casting time for all spells, so a dex-build is good to combine with spell-casting.
Any build, even if it's god-like or just for fun, requires some planning and investing in stats, spells and gear. But don't forget to have fun and explore the game on your own. For a first playthrough, I'd say a good strength- or dexterity-based melee character is a good idea. Then you can play around with spells on alternate characters and see if you want to try out another build eventually.
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