Character Tendency

What is this?

There is World Tendency and Character Tendency. While World Tendency has events which affect a World, Character Tendency has its own risks and rewards and adds special content as well. Character tendency is roughly analogous to an 'alignment' or 'karma' for your character. Your character's tendency is independent of the world tendencies. Similarly it affects the difficulty, and at Pure White or Pure Black, adds some content to the game. Character Tendency carries over to new games.

In summary:

• Killing invading or named Black Phantoms moves your character towards White.
• Killing friendly NPCs/vendors or invading as a Black Phantom moves you towards Black.

What does it do?

Character Tendency affects difficulty and at Pure White or Pure Black, adds some content to the game. Character Tendency is independent of World Tendency for the most part. Resulting amount of maximum Soul Form HP is affected by both Character Tendency and World Tendency (see table).

• Pure White
  • Talk to the Monumental to get the Friend's Ring when your Character Tendency is Pure White.
  • Attack power is increased in Soul Form. Increases 10% at White, and 20% at Pure White. Stacks with World Tendency.
  • Attack power is increased as a Blue Phantom in another world.

• Black
  • Maximum HP in Soul Form is reduced to 47.5%.

• Pure Black
  • Maximum HP in Soul Form is reduced to 45%.
  • Mephistopheles will show up on the second floor of the Nexus after you have released and killed Yurt in 3-2. When you speak to her, she will offer you a number of assassination quests.
  • Attack power is increased as an invading Black Phantom.

What is the character's tendency at present?

PW

Tendency can be confirmed by viewing the statue at the center of the Archstone status display menu. The statue's hue may range from glowing bright blue (pure white) to totally black (pure black).
The image shown on the right is a character in pure white tendency.

Determine Character Tendency

The bonus damage of these Weapons is dependant on Character Tendency

Weapon Pure Black Neutral Pure White PhyAtk MagAtk PhyAtk MagAtk PhyAtk MagAtk Demonbrandt -130 -110 0 0 +130 +110 Soulbrandt +120 +130 0 0 -120 -130 Northern Regalia +135 +135 0 0 +135 +135

Character Tendency effect on Northern Regalia Attack Bonus:

Pure Black -4 -3 -2 -1 Neutral +1 +2 +3 +4 Pure White +PhyAtk 135 108 81 54 27 0 27 54 81 108 135 +MagAtk 135 108 81 54 27 0 27 54 81 108 135

How can it be changed? Change in Character Tendency is immediate. There is no need to return to the Nexus. Towards White Defeat invading Black Phantoms online In 3-3 Defeat another player invading as the Old Monk - counts as Black Phantom kill. Offline mode doesn't count. As a Host: Defeat invading Black Phantoms in any world where the Boss is still alive. As a Blue Phantom in another world: Strike the fatal blow against a Black Phantom - in addition, the host Character Tendency will also go towards White. Defeat Unique Named NPC Black Phantoms which appear only with Pure Black World Tendency. This applies only to these five unique "named" NPC Black Phantoms: World 1-1 - Defeat Black Phantom - Executioner Miralda (+1) World 2-2 - Defeat Black Phantom - Scirvir, The Wanderer (+1) World 3-1 - Defeat Black Phantom - Lord Rydell (+1) World 4-1 - Defeat Black Phantom - Satsuki (+1) World 5-2 - Defeat Black Phantom - Selen Vinland (+1) Defeating any of these will shift the Character Tendency 20% from Neutral towards White. Defeating all five will move the Character Tendency from Neutral to Pure White (it takes two playthroughs, or 10 kills, to go from pure black to pure white offline). Killing these will also move the World Tendency +3 towards white. If the killing blow towards a named NPC black phantom is dealt by means of Soulsucker or any source of poison/plague damage, there will be no change in Character Tendency. If a Black Phantom falls to their death it will also prevent any change to character tendency. Towards Black Invade as a Black Phantom and kill the host. In any world, use a Black Eye Stone and defeat the host as an invader Using Blue Eye Stone in the World 3 -- Tower Of Latria. You will sometimes to be summoned by the Old Monk to be a Black Phantom; which will lower your Character Tendency, if you beat the host player. You can keep doing this as many times as you like until your Character Tendency is Pure Black. It doesn't require the killing of NPC's, and is safer than invading with the Black Eye Stone. ( You may use the Black Eye Stone in 3-1 to be summoned by the Monk. Note that this does not mean you will be summoned by the monk the first try, and you do not have to wait to be summoned at 3-3. This has been confirmed by many players. ) You can also "force" the Old Monk to summon you if you use the Black Eye Stone in 3-3. You can use the stone in the small chamber at the bottom of the tower's steps, close to the Maneater Archstone. You may have to move some distance from the Archstone. If the invasion fails, there was no player available to challenge. If summoned for the Old Monk, your tendency will only change if you actually kill the other player yourself. It's possible that the other player will die getting to you. You may still receive the Monk's Head Collar, but it won't shift your Character Tendency. Kill non-hostile NPC. Murdering these NPC will have no effect on World Tendency. Boletarian Palace: Dregling Merchant (-2) Ostrava (-2) Biorr (-2) Yuria (-1,5) Stonefang Tunnel: Filthy Man (-3) Blacksmith Ed (-3) Patches (-1) Tower of Latria: Once Royal Mistress (-3) Sage Freke (-1,5) Shrine of Storms: Graverobber Blige (-2) Patches (-1) Saint Urbain (-2) Valley of Defilement Filthy Woman (-1) Nexus Crestfallen Warrior (-2)1 Disciple of God (-2) Acolyte of God (-2) Worshipper of God (-3)2 Freke's Apprentice (-2) Blacksmith Boldwin (-3) Stockpile Thomas (-3) Kill 3 of the special named NPCs. Killing these will also move the World Tendency -3 back towards black. World 2-2: Body Form Scirvir the Wanderer (-2). Appears only in Pure White World Tendency World 3-1: Blue Phantom Lord Rydell (-2). He has no Tendency requirement to appear, but requires Cell Key from Pure White World Tendency in 3-2. World 5-2: Body Form Selen Vinland (-2). Appears only in Pure White World Tendency No change Killing any NPC (deal the final blow) with Soulsucker, Poison Cloud, Death Cloud, or other environmental kills (death by falling, bonfire, poison or plague) will not trigger a change in Character Tendency. This applies to Black and Blue Phantoms as well. Note that World Tendency changes will still take effect for the death of a special named NPC. Killing the following named NPCs has no effect on Character Tendency World 1-1: Body Form Executioner Miralda. Pure White World Tendency required. World Tendency (-3). World 1-1: Old King Doran. World Tendency (-2). World 1-4: Black Phantom Ostrava World 3-2: Yurt, the Silent Chief Nexus: Mephistopheles World 4-1: Body Form Satsuki. Pure White World Tendency required. World Tendency (-3). World 5-3: Body Form Garl Vinland World 5-3: Black Phantom Garl Vinland. Pure White World Tendency required. Unnamed Black Phantom NPC will not adjust Character Tendency or World Tendency either.

Footnotes

1. If not spoken to, he'll remain in the Nexus for the entire playthrough, but if his dialogues are exhausted after completing World 1-2, upon reloading the game only a Storied Soldier's Soul will be found in his spot

2. Remember to get the Pure Faintstone from her when Faith is at least 20.