Basics

Learn the essential gameplay mechanics of Dark Souls III: The Ringed City, including health, death, souls, leveling, saving, weapons, armor, and rings to survive the challenges ahead.

Dark Souls 3 offers little in the way of a tutorial, so this guide covers the general information you'll need to make it through the beginning of the game. You'll learn about health, death, souls, leveling up, saving, weapons, armor, and rings.

Health & Death

Your character's health is indicated by the red gauge at the top left of the screen. When your health reaches 0, you will die and return to the last activated bonfire, dropping your Souls on the ground. You can regain health by resting at a bonfire, using an Estus Flask (which refills at bonfires), casting a healing spell, or using an Ember to increase your max HP and heal you to full. Dying while Embered will make you unkindled, reducing your max HP until you become human again. Embrace dying and playing unkindled to become a better fighter and avoid invasions; save Embers for difficult fights or when you need the extra HP.

Souls & Leveling Up

Souls are the currency used for purchasing items and leveling up. They are obtained by killing enemies or using items and are lost upon death. If you die, your Souls will drop at your bloodstain; retrieve them before dying again to avoid permanent loss. To level up, visit the Fire Keeper at Firelink Shrine and exchange Souls for stat points. The cost increases with each level gained.

Saving & Loading

Dark Souls 3 uses an auto-save feature, meaning you cannot reload to retry after death. The game saves periodically, including after death. The only way to retry boss fights or endings without replaying the entire game is by backing up your save file to an external device.

Weapons & Equipment

Weapons and equipment are crucial for combat and defense. Use the item details page to understand how new gear affects your stats and playstyle. Equip Load, determined by Vitality, affects your mobility based on the combined weight of your gear.

Equip Load %	Effect
< 30%	Fastest state; rolls and backsteps are extremely fast.
30.1 - 70.0%	Normal state; rolls and backsteps are normal speed.
70.1 - 100.0%	Slow state; rolls and backsteps are slow, and Stamina regeneration is decreased.
> 100.1%	Slowest state; unable to roll or run.

Weapons

Weapons include swords for melee, shields for blocking, ranged weapons like bows, and catalysts for magic. They are equipped to either the right or left hand and can be switched quickly. Weapons can be reinforced with upgrade materials or infused with gems at Andre the Blacksmith in Firelink Shrine to enhance their stats, though not all weapons can be infused.

Armor

Armor is equipped to four slots: Head, Chest, Gloves, and Legs. Each piece affects defense and resistances. Light armor offers less defense but allows for greater mobility, while heavy armor provides more defense at the cost of mobility.

Rings

Rings offer various supportive abilities with minimal weight cost. You can equip up to four rings, and experimenting with different combinations is encouraged.