Unleashing the Power of Demonbrandt: A Deep Dive into Demon’s Souls’ Enigmatic Blade

The Demonbrandt is a unique and powerful weapon in Demon’s Souls, not for its base stats, but for its peculiar dependence on the player’s Character Tendency. Unlike most weapons in the game, it cannot be upgraded, and its power fluctuates dramatically based on your character’s alignment towards pure white or pure black. Simply put, Demonbrandt’s damage output is directly tied to your Character Tendency, scaling up significantly with white tendency and decreasing to zero with pure black tendency. This makes it a weapon that rewards players who actively strive to maintain a virtuous character in the game. Let’s explore what makes this weapon so intriguing.

What Does Demonbrandt Do?

The core function of the Demonbrandt revolves around its dynamic damage scaling. It doesn’t rely on conventional attributes like Strength, Dexterity, or Magic. Instead, it’s all about your Character Tendency, a hidden alignment that represents the overall good or evil of your actions throughout the game.

• White Character Tendency: The closer you are to Pure White Character Tendency, the more damage the Demonbrandt will inflict. At Pure White, the weapon reaches its maximum potential, becoming a formidable force in combat.
• Black Character Tendency: Conversely, as your Character Tendency shifts towards black, the Demonbrandt’s damage will decrease. At Pure Black, the weapon’s attack power drops to zero, rendering it completely useless.

This makes the Demonbrandt a weapon that encourages players to play in a certain way – to act heroically and avoid actions that would corrupt their character. The weapon effectively serves as a powerful reward for playing with a “white knight” mentality.

Acquiring the Demonbrandt

Before we delve further, it’s essential to know how to obtain the Demonbrandt. The sword isn’t a random drop; it requires a specific sequence of events to unfold. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Location: The Demonbrandt is located in the Mausoleum in Boletarian Palace (1-1).
2. Key Acquisition: To access the Mausoleum, you’ll need the Mausoleum Key. This key can be obtained from Ostrava of Boletaria either by completing his questline throughout the game or by killing him at any point.
3. Battle with Old King Doran: Once you have the key, you can challenge Old King Doran inside the Mausoleum. You don’t necessarily have to defeat him; proving your worth through a certain amount of damage dealt will unlock the Demonbrandt. Be warned, this fight is quite challenging.

Understanding the Importance of Character Tendency

Character Tendency is a mechanic distinct from World Tendency. Here’s what you need to know:

• Character Tendency is tied to player actions: Killing specific NPCs or Black Phantoms will negatively impact your Character Tendency, pushing it toward Black. On the other hand, defeating invaders (Black Phantoms controlled by other players) will increase your Character Tendency toward White. Avoiding these negative actions and actively engaging with online features or NPC quests that yield positive results will raise your tendency.
• Unlike World Tendency, Character Tendency is persistent: Character Tendency does not reset with the completion of an area or game cycle. Once you are in pure black, you will need to focus on activities to shift it back toward white. It’s crucial to be aware of your actions if you wish to maximize the power of the Demonbrandt.

Demonbrandt and the Northern Regalia

While the Demonbrandt itself is powerful under the right conditions, it’s also a crucial component in crafting an even stronger weapon: the Northern Regalia.

• Ingredients: To forge the Northern Regalia, you need the Demonbrandt, the Soulbrandt (obtained after defeating King Allant, the final boss), and the False King’s Demon Soul.
• Blacksmith Ed: These items must be taken to Blacksmith Ed in the Stonefang Tunnel area. Once given the Searing Demon’s Soul, he can then craft the Northern Regalia.

The Northern Regalia is often considered one of the strongest weapons in the game, and its creation is a major goal for many players. The Demonbrandt, therefore, isn’t just a weapon; it’s a stepping stone towards even greater power.

FAQ: Delving Deeper into Demonbrandt

1. What are the stat requirements for the Demonbrandt?

The Demonbrandt requires 18 Strength, 14 Dexterity, and 12 Faith to wield effectively. However, if you two-hand the weapon, the Strength requirement effectively becomes 12 because two-handing increases your effective strength by 1.5x.

2. Why can’t I upgrade the Demonbrandt?

The Demonbrandt is a unique weapon that doesn’t follow the usual upgrade paths. Its damage is determined solely by your Character Tendency, making it different from conventional weapons that are upgraded with materials.

3. Does the Demonbrandt scale with other stats besides Character Tendency?

No, the Demonbrandt only scales with your Character Tendency. It does not benefit from increases in Strength, Dexterity, or other attributes.

4. How do I achieve Pure White Character Tendency?

To achieve Pure White Character Tendency, you need to defeat Black Phantoms (both NPC and player invaders), refrain from killing friendly NPCs, and cooperate online by assisting other players. Killing Primeval Demons found at Black Tendency will also help.

5. How do I avoid Black Character Tendency?

Avoid killing friendly NPCs, avoid invading other players, and try to cooperate with other players to earn the souls of invaded bosses.

6. Can I obtain the Demonbrandt early in the game?

Yes, it’s possible to get the Demonbrandt early. However, facing Old King Doran can be extremely challenging, and requires either some clever gameplay, strategy, or a powerful high-leveled build.

7. What happens to Demonbrandt’s damage at Pure Black Character Tendency?

At Pure Black Character Tendency, the Demonbrandt’s damage is reduced to zero, rendering it completely useless in combat.

8. How does the Northern Regalia compare to the Demonbrandt?

The Northern Regalia is considered superior to the Demonbrandt, due to its higher base damage and dynamic damage based on both white and black character tendency. It becomes a powerful weapon once you reach pure white or black.

9. Do I need to complete Ostrava’s quest to get the Mausoleum Key?

No, you can get the Mausoleum Key at any time, either by completing Ostrava’s questline or killing him. Killing him skips most of his questline.

10. Can I use the Demonbrandt effectively with any build?

Yes, but you must commit to maintaining a white or pure white character tendency to reap the benefits of this weapon. If you are going for a different style of play that would lead to a black tendency, this would not be the weapon for you.

11. Is it worth getting the Demonbrandt if I don’t plan to create the Northern Regalia?

If you are committed to maintaining a white character tendency, the Demonbrandt is a viable weapon on its own.

12. Does the Demonbrandt do any magic damage?

No, the Demonbrandt only deals physical damage that is scaled based on your character tendency.

13. Can you combine Demonbrandt and Demon’s Souls?

No, you cannot combine Demonbrandt and Demon’s Souls directly. Demonbrandt is used to create the Northern Regalia once you have the proper boss soul and second sword in your inventory.

14. What is Soulbrandt?

Soulbrandt is another unique sword that is obtained by defeating King Allant. It is also needed to create the Northern Regalia.

15. Is there a way to track your Character Tendency in-game?

No, there isn’t a direct in-game display of your Character Tendency. Players must infer their tendency based on their actions and the game’s visual cues and effects. There are external player resources and forums that help track tendency.