When to Crack Open the Humanity: A Dark Souls 1 Guide
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Humanity in Dark Souls 1 is a precious, multi-faceted resource. Unlike simple currency, it impacts everything from your character’s form and available actions to the very odds of finding coveted loot. Knowing when to consume it, and more importantly, why, is crucial to navigating the treacherous world of Lordran. So, when should you use Humanity? The short answer: When you need to reverse hollowing to access co-op or kindle bonfires, or when you need a temporary boost to item discovery. Don’t hoard it unnecessarily, but don’t be reckless either. Now, let’s delve into the nuances of Humanity usage in Dark Souls 1.
Understanding the Dual Nature of Humanity
Humanity comes in two forms: hard Humanity, the item you consume to add to your Humanity counter, and soft Humanity, the number displayed in the upper left corner of your screen. This soft Humanity is what provides the tangible benefits. Think of hard Humanity as potential energy, and soft Humanity as kinetic energy. Knowing how these interplay is vital to maximizing their benefits.
Reverse Hollowing: Reclaiming Your Corporeal Form
The most fundamental reason to consume a Humanity is to reverse hollowing. Hollowing is your default state upon death. Reversing it allows you to:
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Summon other players for co-op: Facing a tough boss like Ornstein and Smough? Reversing hollowing is mandatory to summon allies for assistance. Be warned: this also opens you up to invasions.
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Summon NPC phantoms: Certain bosses have NPC summons available, but you must be human to see and summon them. Solaire of Astora is a prime example, offering invaluable assistance against challenging foes.
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Kindle bonfires: Kindling a bonfire, also requiring you to be human, permanently increases the number of Estus Flasks you receive when resting there. This is essential for long treks and areas with limited safe havens.
Item Discovery: Increasing Your Loot Luck
Soft Humanity directly affects your item discovery stat. Each point of Humanity adds to this stat, increasing the chance of enemies dropping valuable items. The benefits cap out at 10 Humanity, so there’s no need to stack more than that for item find.
- Farming: Need Titanite Chunks to upgrade your weapon? Consuming Humanity to reach 10 increases the drop rate from enemies in areas where those chunks are available. Couple this with the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring for maximum effect (more on that later).
- Targeted Loot: Farming for specific, rare items is where humanity truly shines. From the Balder Side Sword to the Channeler’s Trident, humanity will increase your odds of success.
Covenant Offerings: Pledging Allegiance
Certain covenants require offerings of Humanity to rank up and receive rewards.
- Chaos Servant Covenant: Offering Humanity to Quelaag’s Sister allows you to open a shortcut to Lost Izalith, a massive time saver.
- Other Covenants: While some covenants accept Humanity as an offering, it’s usually not the most efficient way to rank up compared to other items.
When Not to Use Humanity
Equally important is knowing when to avoid using Humanity.
- High Risk Areas: Walking around with a large amount of soft Humanity in dangerous areas is a recipe for disaster. If you die, you lose all of it! Store hard Humanity in your inventory until you need it.
- Before Exploration: If you are going into a new area and exploring, it is best not to reverse hollowing. If you die, you will lose your humanity. Exploring whilst hollow allows you to take risks and not feel bad about losing precious humanity.
- Overkill: Stacking Humanity beyond 10 for item discovery is wasteful. The benefits don’t increase past that threshold.
- Purely for Aesthetics: While reversing hollowing removes the undead look, the visual change is purely cosmetic. Don’t waste Humanity if you’re just concerned with appearances.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does being human increase drop rate?
No, being human or hollow doesn’t directly affect drop rate. What matters is the soft Humanity counter in the top left of your screen. This counter contributes to your item discovery stat, with benefits capping at 10 Humanity.
2. What does 10 Humanity do in Dark Souls?
Having 10 Humanity maximizes your item discovery stat bonus. When combined with the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring (found later in the game), you reach the absolute maximum item discovery rate of 410. This significantly increases your chances of enemies dropping items.
3. Should I offer Humanity and reverse hollowing?
You don’t need to reverse hollow to get the item find benefits from soft Humanity. You only need to reverse hollowing if you want to summon other players or NPCs for help, or kindle bonfires. Consider the risks and benefits carefully.
4. What is Humanity good for in Dark Souls 1?
Humanity serves multiple purposes:
- Reversing Hollowing: Allows summoning and kindling bonfires.
- Boosting Item Discovery: Increases loot drop rates.
- Covenant Offerings: Used to rank up in certain covenants.
- Curse Resistance: Slightly increases curse resistance.
- Defensive Stats: Provides minor defensive stat boosts (capped at 99 Humanity).
5. Is Humanity finite in Dark Souls?
Technically, no. While individual Humanity items are limited, you can farm Humanity from enemies, making it an effectively infinite resource. The rats in The Depths are a popular farming spot, especially with the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring.
6. How do you farm Humanity fast in DS1?
The rats in The Depths are the most common and easiest Humanity farming location early in the game. Equip the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring (found in Sen’s Fortress) and accumulate up to 10 soft Humanity to maximize your item discovery. Other locations, like the Pisacas in the Duke’s Archives, can be more efficient later in the game.
7. Does being human increase drop rate in Dark Souls 1?
No, your human form does not increase the drop rate. Your drop rate depends on the soft humanity you have.
8. What is the highest item discovery in Dark Souls Remastered?
The maximum item discovery stat is 410. This is achieved by having 10 soft Humanity and equipping either the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring or the Symbol of Avarice.
9. What does 99 Humanity do in Dark Souls?
Having 99 soft Humanity provides minor increases to your defensive stats, but is generally wasteful. The item discovery benefits are capped at 10 Humanity, making the remaining 89 largely irrelevant for loot purposes.
10. Is there a downside to hollowing?
Hollowing itself has no inherent gameplay disadvantages. You are in hollowed form most of the time due to death. It only prevents you from summoning help, kindling bonfires, or being invaded. However, it’s required for certain questlines.
11. Why should I reverse hollowing in Dark Souls?
Reverse hollowing when you need to:
- Summon allies for boss fights.
- Kindle bonfires for more Estus.
- Interact with certain NPCs.
- Participate in online multiplayer (invasions/co-op).
12. How much Humanity does it take to reverse hollowing?
Reversing hollowing consumes one hard Humanity. Using the “Reverse Hollowing” option at a bonfire will add one soft Humanity to your counter and restore your human form.
13. Do you need to reverse hollowing to summon?
Yes, you must be in human form (reversed hollow) to summon other players or NPC phantoms for assistance.
14. What is the max item discovery in DS1?
The maximum item discovery in Dark Souls 1 is 410.
15. Is being hollow bad in Dark Souls 1?
Being hollow is not necessarily bad. There’s no inherent penalty to gameplay. The advantages of being human are mostly related to online interactions and Estus quantity. Hollowing is the default state and is not bad.
Mastering the Art of Humanity
Knowing when to use Humanity in Dark Souls 1 isn’t about hoarding or recklessly consuming it. It’s about understanding its multifaceted benefits and strategically applying them to overcome the game’s challenges. From summoning allies to maximizing loot drops, Humanity is a powerful tool in the hands of a discerning player. Master its use, and you’ll greatly increase your chances of conquering Lordran. The knowledge gained from games like Dark Souls can often be transferred to other aspects of life, and the Games Learning Society studies these connections in detail; check out GamesLearningSociety.org to see more.