Mastering Humanity in Dark Souls: A Comprehensive Guide
So, you’ve stumbled into the unforgiving world of Dark Souls and are scratching your head about Humanity. Fear not, Chosen Undead! Humanity, a seemingly simple item, is actually a crucial mechanic with wide-ranging effects that can significantly impact your journey. Here’s the lowdown:
Use Humanity strategically. Primarily, it serves two main purposes:
- Reversing Hollowing: Consuming a Humanity restores your human form. This allows you to summon other players (co-op) and makes you vulnerable to invasions from other players (PvP).
- Kindling Bonfires: When human, you can kindle a bonfire using another Humanity, permanently increasing the number of Estus Flask charges it provides. This is incredibly valuable for difficult areas.
Beyond these primary uses, carrying Humanity (up to 10) boosts your item discovery, increasing the chance of enemies dropping valuable items. Managing your Humanity wisely is vital for survival and progression.
Understanding Humanity: Why it Matters
Humanity isn’t just a consumable item; it’s a multifaceted mechanic that influences various aspects of gameplay:
- Cooperative Play: Reversing hollowing is essential for summoning allies. Tackling tough bosses with friends can make a massive difference.
- Increased Item Discovery: Even if you don’t want to be human, carrying Humanity (the number displayed in the top-left corner) greatly increases the chance of finding rare items and equipment.
- Bonfire Management: Kindling bonfires is a game-changer, allowing you to carry more Estus Flasks and survive longer without needing to rest.
- Character Appearance: While not a direct gameplay effect in Dark Souls 1, being hollow impacts your character’s appearance, an aspect that is more pronounced in later Souls games.
Strategic Use Cases for Humanity
Deciding when and how to use Humanity is a key skill. Here are some common scenarios and how to approach them:
- Before a Boss Fight: If you’re struggling with a boss, reverse hollowing and try summoning help. Remember, summoning increases the boss’s HP.
- Farming for Items: Stockpile Humanity to maximize your item discovery when farming for rare gear.
- Early Game: Kindling the bonfire in the Undead Parish is highly recommended, as it’s a central location you’ll return to frequently.
- High-Risk Areas: If you’re confident in your abilities, stay human in areas with good farming potential, but be prepared for invasions.
FAQs: Delving Deeper into Humanity
Here are 15 Frequently Asked Questions to further expand your understanding of Humanity in Dark Souls:
Q1: Am I supposed to use humanity in Dark Souls?
Yes! Humanity is a critical resource. Use it to reverse hollowing for co-op, kindle bonfires for more Estus, and boost item discovery. Knowing when to spend and when to save is key.
Q2: Should I offer humanity and reverse hollowing?
It depends. Reverse hollowing for co-op or kindling bonfires. Offering Humanity at certain covenants might have benefits too. However, remember the invasion risk when human.
Q3: Is there a downside to hollowing?
In Dark Souls 1, hollowing itself has no gameplay downsides. It’s required for some NPC questlines and provides a bonus to luck when wielding Hollow weapons with a hollowing level of at least 15. In later games, it can affect your appearance.
Q4: What is the downside of hollowing in DS3?
The main downside in Dark Souls 3 is cosmetic – your character looks more decrepit. It can also lock you out of certain endings if you don’t manage your Dark Sigils properly.
Q5: What does 10 humanity do in Dark Souls?
Carrying 10 Humanity maximizes your item discovery rate, significantly increasing the chance of enemies dropping items. It provides a substantial boost without needing to be human.
Q6: What is the point of reverse hollowing in Dark Souls?
Reversing hollowing allows you to summon other players for cooperative play and enables you to kindle bonfires, permanently increasing the Estus Flask charges provided by that bonfire.
Q7: Can you be evil in Dark Souls?
While Dark Souls doesn’t have a traditional morality system, you can make choices that are generally considered “evil,” such as betraying NPCs or invading other players’ worlds. The definition is subjective.
Q8: Is Chosen Undead a bad guy?
The Chosen Undead’s morality is ambiguous. They are tasked with prolonging the Age of Fire, which could be seen as both a necessary act and a selfish one, depending on your interpretation.
Q9: What happens if an invader kills you in Dark Souls?
If an invader defeats you, you lose any souls and Humanity you were carrying, just like dying to a regular enemy. You can retrieve them from your bloodstain.
Q10: Should I cure hollowing?
In Dark Souls 3, curing hollowing affects certain endings. Consider your desired ending before curing it. In Dark Souls 1, curing it has no long-term impact outside of the cost.
Q11: What happens if you cure hollowing?
In Dark Souls 3, curing hollowing removes your Dark Sigils, potentially locking you out of the “Usurp the Fire” ending.
Q12: How much humanity do you need to reverse hollowing?
Reversing hollowing costs one Humanity.
Q13: What does 99 humanity do in Dark Souls?
While carrying 99 Humanity won’t increase item discovery beyond the cap of 10, it provides a small boost to your defenses.
Q14: Is being human increase drop rate?
No, being human doesn’t increase the drop rate; carrying humanity does. The effect caps at 10 Humanity.
Q15: Is Hollowing bad Dark Souls?
Hollowing itself is not inherently “bad” in Dark Souls 1 and has no negative effects on gameplay. However, it is required for certain NPC questlines and provides a bonus to luck when wielding Hollow weapons with a hollowing level of at least 15.
Conclusion: Embrace the Humanity
Humanity in Dark Souls is a tool, and like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how you use it. Understand its effects, weigh the risks and rewards, and make informed decisions. Whether you choose to embrace co-op, maximize item discovery, or simply enjoy the challenge of solo play, mastering Humanity will significantly enhance your Dark Souls experience. Good luck, and don’t go hollow!
And, if you’re interested in the educational aspects of gaming, be sure to check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org for insightful research and discussions. They explore how games can be used as powerful tools for learning and development.