How Does Northern Regalia Work? The Ultimate Guide
The Northern Regalia is arguably the most powerful weapon in Demon’s Souls, and its unique mechanics make it a coveted prize for dedicated players. Unlike most weapons in the game, its damage output doesn’t rely solely on conventional stats like strength or dexterity. Instead, its power is intricately tied to your character’s Character Tendency, reaching its maximum potential at either the Pure Black or Pure White extremes. In essence, the Northern Regalia’s damage fluctuates based on your alignment, rewarding players who commit to a particular moral path. Understanding this mechanic is key to harnessing the weapon’s full potential. This article will break down exactly how the Northern Regalia works and how you can maximize its effectiveness.
Unveiling the Northern Regalia’s Power
The Northern Regalia is not a weapon you find lying around. It’s crafted by combining two legendary swords, the Demonbrandt and the Soulbrandt, both of which require dedication and progression to acquire. Once you have both, you must bring them to Blacksmith Ed along with the Flamelurker’s Soul, at which point he can forge them into the powerful Northern Regalia.
The Character Tendency Connection
The crux of the Northern Regalia’s functionality lies in its scaling with Character Tendency, not to be confused with World Tendency. Character Tendency reflects your overall moral alignment based on your in-game actions, ranging from Pure Black to Pure White. This alignment is a hidden stat that shifts whenever you perform specific actions.
- Pure White Character Tendency: This is achieved by consistently acting virtuously, mainly by defeating Black Phantoms (both player invaders and NPC versions) and avoiding any actions that would lower your tendency. Think of it as being a hero within the world.
- Pure Black Character Tendency: This occurs when you commit morally reprehensible actions like killing NPCs, or dying in human form, impacting the tendency in a negative manner.
Damage Scaling Explained
The Northern Regalia’s base damage is substantial, but its true strength is unlocked when your Character Tendency is at either extreme. At Neutral Character Tendency, the weapon has moderate damage, but as your Character Tendency moves towards either Pure Black or Pure White, the damage drastically increases. At either of the extremes, the weapon reaches its maximum attack value of 540, making it incredibly powerful.
Why Character Tendency is Different
It’s vital to distinguish Character Tendency from World Tendency. World Tendency is a stat that represents the general state of a particular world area within the game. This also moves from Pure White to Pure Black, however its dependent on actions within a particular world. World Tendency affects things such as enemy difficulty and item drops, while Character Tendency focuses exclusively on the actions of your specific player character. These are two separate systems that work in parallel within the game.
Northern Regalia FAQs
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about the Northern Regalia, designed to provide deeper insight into its mechanics and uses:
1. What are the stat requirements for wielding the Northern Regalia?
The stat requirements are: 20 Endurance, 14 Dexterity, 12 Magic, and 12 Faith. These stats do not contribute to the weapons damage though, these are simply to allow its use.
2. How do you obtain Demonbrandt and Soulbrandt?
Demonbrandt is acquired by battling Old King Doran in the Mausoleum in Boletarian Palace (1-1) and having him concede defeat. Soulbrandt is not found, it’s automatically obtained upon defeating the final boss.
3. Can you upgrade the Northern Regalia?
No, the Northern Regalia cannot be upgraded or enchanted in any way. This is because the core function is to scale with your Character Tendency, rather than relying on traditional upgrades.
4. Can you obtain the Northern Regalia in New Game Plus?
Yes, you can obtain the Northern Regalia in New Game Plus (NG+). You will need to re-acquire the necessary items, including re-defeating Flamelurker to forge the sword unless you have obtained them in a previous playthrough.
5. What stats does Demonbrandt scale with?
Demonbrandt scales with Character Tendency, similar to the Northern Regalia. It cannot be upgraded either, and it also gets a significant damage buff at the extremes of White or Black character tendency.
6. How do I quickly change my Character Tendency?
You can quickly change your Character Tendency by engaging in the following:
- To increase to White: Repeatedly defeating Black Phantoms (both player and NPC invaders).
- To decrease to Black: Repeatedly killing NPCs or dying in human form.
7. What does “Black Phantom” refer to?
Black Phantoms are either player invaders who invade your game online, or NPC enemies that appear when your world or character tendency is Black. Defeating these increases your tendency toward white.
8. Can you use the Northern Regalia with any build?
The Northern Regalia is effective with any build because its damage scales with Character Tendency, not with traditional stats like strength or dexterity. This makes it useful regardless of your stat allocation.
9. What is the fastest way to reach Pure White Character Tendency?
The fastest way is to defeat multiple Black Phantoms in quick succession while avoiding actions that would lower your tendency. Online play can be very helpful with this.
10. Is the Northern Regalia worth the effort to obtain?
Yes, the Northern Regalia is absolutely worth the effort. It is easily one of the most powerful weapons in the game when used properly.
11. How does the Northern Regalia compare to other late game weapons?
When your Character Tendency is maxed out, the Northern Regalia will out damage almost all other weapons, even if these weapons are fully upgraded and enchanted, this makes the Northern Regalia a must-have.
12. Does world tendency affect the Northern Regalia?
No, World Tendency does not affect the Northern Regalia. Its damage is only determined by your Character Tendency.
13. Can you enchant or buff the Northern Regalia?
No, the Northern Regalia cannot be enchanted or buffed by any means. It is also not affected by items that can increase attack power.
14. Is the damage split between physical and magic?
No the damage from the Northern Regalia is purely physical damage. This means it can be blocked and does not deal any magic damage.
15. Is it better to go for pure black or pure white tendency?
The damage output of the Northern Regalia is the same at both Pure Black and Pure White. There is no practical advantage of one over the other when it comes to the weapons damage.
Conclusion
The Northern Regalia is a testament to the unique and complex mechanics of Demon’s Souls. Its strength is directly tied to your choices within the game, forcing you to actively consider your actions. Mastering its Character Tendency scaling is essential to fully unlock its potential, making it a rewarding and formidable weapon for players willing to dedicate the time and effort. This weapon stands as an emblem of the game’s commitment to player agency and its unique systems. By understanding its unique scaling mechanics, you can wield the Northern Regalia as the game’s most powerful force.