---
title: "Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition: Complete Guide"
game: "DARK SOULS: Prepare To Die Edition"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/dark-souls-prepare-to-die-edition"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Bosses"]
summary: "A practical guide to the original 2012 PC release of Dark Souls: where it stands today, how to get it running well, how to build a character, the order to tackle Lordran, and how to reach the Artorias of the Abyss…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/dark-souls-prepare-to-die-edition-complete-guide-b93d4230"
published: "2026-09-27T21:17:13.230Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T21:17:13.230Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition: Complete Guide

A practical guide to the original 2012 PC release of Dark Souls: where it stands today, how to get it running well, how to build a character, the order to tackle Lordran, and how to reach the Artorias of the Abyss content.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of the final Prepare To Die Edition build (online services ended; delisted from Steam). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

> **Status check (September 2026):** Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition is **no longer sold on Steam** — the store page carries the notice "no longer available on the Steam store". It was superseded by **Dark Souls: Remastered** (released 25 May 2018). On 25 October 2022 FromSoftware/Bandai Namco announced they could not restore the PTDE online service "due to the aging of the system", so **online play (summons, invasions, messages, bloodstains, the PvP arena matchmaking) is gone for good**. If you already own PTDE, it still works as a single-player game. If you want co-op/PvP, you need Remastered. The half-price upgrade offer for PTDE owners ended on 30 September 2021.

## Quick Start

1. **Treat PTDE as an offline game.** Nothing online will connect. Play offline mode from the start so you are not waiting on failed connection attempts.
2. **Install DSFix** (by Durante) to unlock the internal render resolution — the stock PTDE port renders at 1024x720 no matter what you set. Keep the **frame rate at 30**: unlocking it to 60 breaks physics (sliding down ladders, jump distances, and some falls).
3. **Pick your class for its starting stats, not its gear.** Any class can become any build. Pyromancer and Knight are the most forgiving starts; Deprived is for veterans.
4. **Take the Master Key as your gift** if this is your first run. It opens shortcuts and alternative routes (including the path to the Valley of Drakes and the Darkroot back door) and saves you a lot of grief.
5. **Upgrade one weapon, not five.** Titanite is scarce early. A +5 or better starter-grade weapon beats a pile of +0 finds.
6. **Get the Estus up.** A bonfire's Estus refill depends on its kindle level, not on whether you're human. You do have to be human to kindle, though: it costs 1 Humanity and raises that bonfire's refill from 5 to 10.
7. **Lock on, keep stamina in reserve, and roll through attacks.** Stay under 50% equip load for a normal roll; over it you "fat roll" and get punished.
8. **Retrieve your souls.** Dying drops your souls and Humanity as a bloodstain; die again before reaching it and they are lost. Spend souls before risky areas.
9. **Wrong way is often the right way.** Early on, the Catacombs and New Londo Ruins are dangerous for a fresh character; the intended route is Undead Burg to Undead Parish.
10. **The DLC is in this edition** — Artorias of the Abyss is part of PTDE, so you do not need to buy anything else to reach Oolacile.

## Getting It Running on a Modern PC

| Fix/tweak | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DSFix (Durante) | Raises internal render resolution, adds AO/DOF options, texture overrides | Leave the FPS unlock off or at 30 to avoid physics bugs |
| DSMFix / mouse fix mods | Makes mouse-and-keyboard camera usable | A controller is still the smoother way to play |
| Offline play | Avoids connection attempts to retired services | Online services are officially ended |
| Remastered | Native high-res, 60 fps, working online | Separate product; PTDE saves do not carry over |

Other practical notes:

- The PTDE Steam build was moved off Games for Windows Live years ago, so you do not need GFWL anymore.
- The January 2015 patch removed the old multiplayer region lock and fixed a Book of the Guilty crash — both moot now that online is closed, but it tells you the Steam build you have is the final one.
- If you choose Japanese as the game language, the January 2017 update notes that mods are disabled.

## Core Mechanics

### Stats and what they do

| Stat | What it raises | Who wants it |
|---|---|---|
| Vitality | HP | Everyone |
| Attunement | Spell slots | Casters |
| Endurance | Stamina and equip load | Everyone, especially heavy armor users |
| Strength | Strength scaling, weapon requirements | Heavy weapons, big shields |
| Dexterity | Dex scaling, casting speed | Katanas, curved swords, bows |
| Resistance | Poison resist, physical defense | Almost nobody — a common trap stat |
| Intelligence | Sorcery power, magic scaling | Sorcerers, Moonlight Greatsword |
| Faith | Miracle power, lightning/divine scaling | Clerics, lightning weapons |

### Humanity and Hollowing

- You spend most of the game Hollow. Using a Humanity item at a bonfire (**Reverse Hollowing**) makes you human.
- Human form lets you **kindle bonfires**. Normal bonfires refill 5 Estus; kindled once, 10. Kindling further (up to 20) requires the **Rite of Kindling**, dropped by Pinwheel in the Catacombs.
- Your Humanity counter (the number top-left) also boosts item discovery and curse resistance, and increases some weapon damage (for example the Chaos-upgraded weapons).

### Upgrading

- **Titanite Shards** take normal weapons to +5, **Large Titanite Shards** to +10, **Titanite Chunks** to +14, **Titanite Slab** to +15.
- **Andre of Astora** in the Undead Parish is your main smith early. The **Giant Blacksmith** in Anor Londo and **Vamos** in the Catacombs (fire/chaos) handle later paths. Elemental paths need the matching Embers found around the world.
- Boss weapons are made from Boss Souls by the Giant Blacksmith.

## Build Archetypes

| Build | Core stats | Key weapons/spells | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality knight | STR/DEX evenly | Claymore, Zweihander, Balder Side Sword | Great scaling from both stats, reliable swings |
| Strength | STR | Black Knight Greataxe, Dragon Tooth, Great Club | Huge poise-breaking hits; pair with Havel's Ring for weight |
| Dexterity | DEX | Uchigatana, Iaito, Balder Side Sword | Fast attacks, easy stamina management |
| Pyromancer | Any + upgraded Pyromancy Flame | Great Combustion, Chaos Storm, Great Chaos Fireball | No INT/FAI needed; the Flame scales by upgrading it |
| Sorcerer | INT, Attunement | Soul Arrow, Great Heavy Soul Arrow, Crystal Soul Spear, Moonlight Greatsword | Strong ranged damage, safe boss kills |
| Miracle/Faith | FAI | Lightning Spear, Great Lightning Spear, Sunlight Spear | Buffs weapons and throws lightning |

Useful early items to know:

- **Drake Sword** — shoot the Hellkite Drake's tail on the Undead Burg bridge. A strong early weapon that falls off later because it does not scale.
- **Grass Crest Shield** — speeds stamina regeneration.
- **Havel's Ring** — raises equip load; from Havel the Rock in the Undead Burg watchtower (Master Key or Watchtower Basement Key).
- **Ring of Favor and Protection** — boosts HP, stamina and equip load by 20% each, but breaks for good if you ever unequip it. Knight Lautrec drops it, or you can trade a Xanthous Crown to Snuggly the crow for it.
- **Hornet Ring** — boosts critical damage (backstabs and ripostes). It's on a corpse behind Artorias' grave in Sif's arena, beyond the Crest of Artorias door. Circle wide around the grave and you can grab it without starting the Sif fight.

## Area Order (First Playthrough)

1. **Northern Undead Asylum** — tutorial; Asylum Demon.
2. **Firelink Shrine** hub, then **Undead Burg** (Taurus Demon) and **Undead Parish** (Bell Gargoyles). Ring the first bell.
3. **Lower Undead Burg** (Capra Demon) and **Depths** (Gaping Dragon), opening **Blighttown**. Beat **Chaos Witch Quelaag** and ring the second bell.
4. Optional in this window: **Darkroot Garden/Basin** (Moonlight Butterfly, the Hydra, Great Grey Wolf Sif later).
5. **Sen's Fortress** — traps and boulders; **Iron Golem** at the top.
6. **Anor Londo** — **Ornstein and Smough**, then receive the **Lordvessel**.
7. The four Lord Souls, any order:
   - **Nito** — Catacombs into Tomb of the Giants (bring a light source such as the Skull Lantern or the Sunlight Maggot helm).
   - **Seath the Scaleless** — Duke's Archives and Crystal Cave.
   - **The Four Kings** — New Londo Ruins; you need the Covenant of Artorias ring from Sif to walk the Abyss.
   - **Bed of Chaos** — Demon Ruins (Ceaseless Discharge, Demon Firesage, Centipede Demon) into Lost Izalith.
8. **Kiln of the First Flame** — Gwyn, Lord of Cinder.

Optional bosses worth doing: **Crossbreed Priscilla** (Painted World of Ariamis, reached via the Peculiar Doll), **Dark Sun Gwyndolin** (Darkmoon Tomb in Anor Londo), **Stray Demon** (return to the Asylum), **Pinwheel** (for the Rite of Kindling).

## Artorias of the Abyss (the PTDE extra content)

How to get there:

1. Kill the **Hydra** in Darkroot Basin.
2. Free **Dusk of Oolacile** from the golden Crystal Golem in the Basin.
3. In the **Duke's Archives**, a Crystal Golem at the entrance area (after the first elevator) drops the **Broken Pendant** — only if Dusk was rescued.
4. Return to Darkroot Basin and enter the dark vortex in the cave area behind where the Hydra was.

DLC bosses: **Sanctuary Guardian**, **Knight Artorias**, **Black Dragon Kalameet** (Hawkeye Gough helps you ground it), and **Manus, Father of the Abyss**. Aim for roughly the Anor Londo point of the game or later before going in; the enemies are tuned for a character with a +10 weapon or better.

## Boss Tips

- **Taurus Demon** — go up the tower ladder and plunge-attack when he walks under you.
- **Capra Demon** — the arena is tiny. Sprint up the stairs to the left immediately to deal with the dogs first.
- **Ornstein and Smough** — use the pillars to separate them. Kill the one you can hit most safely; the survivor powers up, so be ready for either phase.
- **Sif** — he swings the greatsword in his mouth in wide arcs, so stay close to his legs rather than at mid-range, and punish after each swing. He limps once he's low on HP.
- **Four Kings** — pure DPS race. Maximize damage and kill each King before the next spawns in.
- **Artorias** — do not heal when he backs off to power up; interrupt with an attack instead, or heal at a distance only when he is committed.
- **Manus** — the Silver Pendant (a DLC item) reflects his dark magic barrage; otherwise stay close and punish his slow combos.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Leveling Resistance.** It does very little per point; spend on Vitality and Endurance instead.
- **Going down to the Catacombs or New Londo early** from Firelink. Skeletons and ghosts will farm you. Ghosts can only be hit with a cursed weapon or while under the Transient Curse item.
- **Unlocking to 60 fps in DSFix.** Ladders and jumps break; some glitches can kill you.
- **Freeing Lautrec without planning** — he later kills the Fire Keeper Anastacia at Firelink. You can get her back by retrieving her soul, but it is a detour.
- **Attacking friendly NPCs by accident** (Andre, Solaire). Hostility can lock out services and quests.
- **Burning Humanity for no reason.** Keep a couple for kindling and for the DLC.
- **Rolling fat.** Keep equip load under 50% for normal rolls.

## Missable and Easy-to-Miss Content

- **Solaire of Astora** — his questline runs through the Parish, Anor Londo and Lost Izalith. Kill the bug-headed enemy in Lost Izalith (it drops the Sunlight Maggot) before Solaire gets there, or he goes hollow.
- **Siegmeyer of Catarina** — follow him through Sen's Fortress, Anor Londo, Blighttown and Lost Izalith for his reward.
- **Anor Londo** — attacking Gwynevere dispels the illusion and darkens the city for the rest of the playthrough. Plan before you do it.
- **Lord's Blade Ciaran and Hawkeye Gough** in the DLC give different rewards depending on how you deal with them. Talk to both before deciding anything.
- **Crystal Caves and Painted World** items are easy to overlook.

## Advanced Tips

- **Parry-riposte** everything humanoid. Black Knights and Silver Knights are easy to parry once you learn the timing.
- **Poise** matters: heavier armor sets like Havel's let you trade hits instead of being staggered.
- **Backstabs** happen when you walk behind an unaware or attacking enemy and press attack — prioritized over normal hits.
- **Shortcuts:** the elevator between the Undead Parish and Firelink Shrine is the most important early one — open it before you ring the first bell. Warping between bonfires is only unlocked after you receive the Lordvessel.
- **Soul farming:** the Darkroot Garden and Anor Londo silver knights are common routes; the Silver Serpent Ring (Covetous) increases soul gain.
- **New Game Plus** begins as soon as you finish the ending; enemies get tougher and you keep your gear.

## Dark Souls: Remastered — What Changes

| Topic | PTDE | Remastered |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Delisted | On sale on Steam |
| Online | Ended (Oct 2022 announcement) | Active |
| Frame rate | 30 fps (60 via mods with bugs) | 60 fps, dynamic 4K |
| Multiplayer size | 4 players | Up to 6 players, password matchmaking |
| Content | Base game + Artorias of the Abyss | Same content |

Most tactics, bosses and builds in this guide apply to both.

## FAQ

**Can I still buy Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition?**
Not on Steam — it is delisted. The current PC version is Dark Souls: Remastered.

**Does PTDE multiplayer still work?**
No. Official online service for PTDE ended; the 2022 announcement said it cannot be restored.

**Is the Artorias of the Abyss DLC included?**
Yes, it is built into the Prepare To Die Edition.

**Should I use DSFix?**
Yes, for resolution. Keep the frame cap at 30 to avoid physics problems.

**What starting gift is best?**
Master Key for a first run; Binoculars and Pendant are effectively cosmetic.

**When should I do the DLC?**
After Anor Londo is a comfortable point, since you need access to the Duke's Archives for the Broken Pendant anyway.

**Do PTDE saves transfer to Remastered?**
No, they are separate games with separate saves.

## Sources

- [Steam store page — Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition (delisting and online notices)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/211420/)
- [Steam announcement — PTDE online service update, 25 Oct 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/211420)
- [Steam — Dark Souls: Remastered](https://store.steampowered.com/app/570940/DARK_SOULS_REMASTERED/)
- [Fextralife Dark Souls Wiki — Broken Pendant](https://darksouls.wiki.fextralife.com/Broken+Pendant)
- [Fextralife Dark Souls Wiki — Ring of Favor and Protection](https://darksouls.wiki.fextralife.com/Ring+of+Favor+and+Protection)
- [Dark Souls Wikidot — Hornet Ring](http://darksouls.wikidot.com/hornet-ring)
- [Fextralife Dark Souls Wiki — Dexterity](https://darksouls.wiki.fextralife.com/Dexterity)