New Game Plus

Description

After the ending of the game a new game will start. This is called New Game Plus (NG+). New Game Plus begins after you have defeated the final boss, Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder. The game begins again, allowing you to keep most of your gear and items, but with increased difficulty. After NG+ is completed, the game will continue onto NG+2 with slightly increased difficulty again. This continues all the way to "New Game Plus 6" (NG++++++).

• After the seventh playthrough is completed, the game will no longer increase in difficulty after it restarts. NG+7 and any subsequent playthroughs are a repeat of NG+6. It is a common misconception that NG+7 is the highest difficulty.

• The most significant change is between the first playthrough and NG+. Once NG+2 is reached, the increases become much smaller and less significant with each subsequent playthrough. The differences between NG+ and NG+6 are smaller than those between NG and NG+.

Newgame Lifecycles

Play- through	Title	Full Title	Description	Enemy HP/ Souls
1st	NG	"New Game"	This is the first playthrough of the game.	Regular NG values
2nd	NG+	"New Game +"	Begins after beating the game for the 1st time.	Enemy HP and Souls increase by inconsistent amounts.
3rd	NG+2	"New Game ++"	Begins after beating the game for the 2nd time.	Enemy HP and Souls are 7% greater than NG+ values.
4th	NG+3	"New Game +++"	Begins after beating the game for the 3rd time.	Enemy HP and Souls are 10% greater than NG+ values.
5th	NG+4	"New Game ++++"	Begins after beating the game for the 4th time.	Enemy HP and Souls are 14% greater than NG+ values.
6th	NG+5	"New Game +++++"	Begins after beating the game for the 5th time.	Enemy HP and Souls are 19% greater than NG+ values.
7th	NG+6	"New Game ++++++"	Begins after beating the game for the 6th time.	Enemy HP and Souls are 25% greater than NG+ values.

• A single formula cannot be applied to the increase in enemy HP and Souls between NG and NG+. This is because they increase by inconsistent amounts, usually corresponding to the location.
  • In NG+, enemy HP is between 1.54x to 2.7x of NG values, while souls dropped are between 2x to 5x NG values.
  • Damage and defense changes are applied as well, from NG to NG+, enemy's Attack Rating is between 1.37x to 2.4x of NG values, and defenses between 0.97x to 1.7x of NG values.
  • Additionally, from NG+1 to NG+6, all enemy's defense is multiplied by (1+4.2%*(#GameCycle-2)), after which it stays at a constant 1.21x multiplier.

• Starting with NG+2, subsequent playthroughs have enemy HP and Soul amounts that scale consistently off of NG+ values.

What changes?

• Most progress is undone (asides from the exceptions listed below in "What stays the same?"). Levels need to be beaten again, killed NPCs will be living again, etc.
• Enemies hit harder, can take more damage, and are harder to kill as a result. Even small enemies can put out a lot of damage, but they also give more souls.
• You lose all of your Embers. Ascend weapons before starting NG+.
• You lose all of your Keys except for the Master Key.
• You lose all of your Bonfire Items except for the Bottomless Box. Without the Lordvessel, you can no longer warp, and all of your warp locations are lost. I.E. you will need to find the ash lake bonfire again before you can warp there, even once reaquiring the Lordvessel.
• You lose the Orange Charred Ring and the Covenant of Artorias ring.
• Domhnall of Zena sells you Gwyn's armor, the Great Lord's Set.
• You can offer the Soul of Gwyn, Lord of Cinder at the Altar of Sunlight as a rank +1 member of the Warrior of Sunlight covenant to receive the Sunlight Spear miracle.
• Rite of Kindling is removed; however, kindled bonfires retain their status.
• You cannot level up until you get to Firelink Shrine, so try not to lose the souls received from Gwyn, Lord of Cinder before you get there.
• You can now be infected with Gravelord Black Phantoms, in NG+ or higher.

What stays the same?

• Enemy behavior remains the same, but with higher stamina and damage output, they may appear to be more aggressive at times.
• You keep your equipment, stats, souls, and items (except for the items mentioned above).
• Your Estus Flask level stays the same.
• You keep your covenant and rank.
• Bonfires keep their status. Bonfires kindled three times in the first playthrough will have the same status in NG+ and provide the same number of flasks.
• Oscar, Knight of Astora gives you the Big Pilgrim's Key regardless of New Game iteration, after you've killed the Asylum Demon.

Notes

• Since you keep your stats and equipment, it should be pretty easy to kill the Asylum Demon in NG+ and collect the Demon's Great Hammer.
• If you completed the game with decent equipment, the earlier parts of the game are typically considered easier in NG+. Despite the greater difficulty, having upgraded gear generally outweighs the extra damage and HP of enemies. Players typically first experience a much more noticeable challenge when reaching areas like Anor Londo and beyond.

NG+ Checklist

Things to do or collect in each playthrough. This list includes items or actions you can only do a limited amount of times each playthrough, such as purchase a spell, collect a ring, or trade with Snuggly the Crow before the new game+ / ++ etc.

• Trade for all wanted items with Snuggly the Crow

• Collect all items that only appear once per playthrough. You should check each of these pages for a detailed list with a location summary:
  • Merchants - some of the merchants sell unique items that you can only get from them, and only once per playthrough
  • Armors - especially Domhnall of Zena's merchandise, as you can't get both Ornstein's Set and Smough's Set at the same playthrough
  • Weapons, Shields, and Magic Catalysts
  • Rings
  • Miracles
  • Pyromancies
  • Sorceries

• Collect all Titanite Slabs. Check each page for Availability details
  • Titanite Slab: 2 slabs (3 slabs with Additional Content)
  • White Titanite Slab 1 slab (2 slabs with Additional Content)
  • Red Titanite Slab: 2 slabs
  • Blue Titanite Slab: 1 slab (2 slabs with Additional Content)

• Level up your Covenant to +3. Especially if you want to use the covenant's spell/item with maximum efficiency on NG+
  • Max. efficiency Darkmoon Blade - Blade of the Darkmoon +3, farm Crow Demons for Souvenirs of Reprisal
  • Max. efficiency Gravelord Sword Dance and Gravelord Greatsword Dance - Gravelord Servant +3, farm Basilisks for Eyes of Death
  • Max. efficiency Dragon Head Stone - Path of the Dragon +3, farm Drakes for Dragon Scales

• Farm Humanities.
  • Use them to kindle as many bonfires as you can as kindled bonfire carry to NG+
  • Consume in NG+ for extra defense and/or Chaos weaponry
  • For levelling up Chaos Servant or Darkwraith

• Upgrade your playstyle's main weapons and armors to face tougher opponents in NG+
  • Blacksmiths lose their forging abilities in NG+ until you re-collect Embers, so upgrade your main weapons before you face the last boss
  • Upgrade all weapons and shields you will need to make Boss Soul Items

• Upgrade your Estus Flask with all available Fire Keeper Soul

• Stock up usable items and ammunitions: Blooming Purple Moss Clumps, Transient Curses, Repair Powders, Feather Arrows, Dragonslayer Arrows, etc.

• Kill all optional Bosses for their souls and item drops

• Kill all Crystal Lizards for their item drops

• Finish all NPCs' questline for special rewards:
  • Siegmeyer of Catarina/Sieglinde of Catarina
  • Big Hat Logan
  • Dusk of Oolacile/Elizabeth
  • Knight Lautrec of Carim/Anastacia of Astora
  • Petrus of Thorolund/Rhea of Thorolund
  • Quelaana of Izalith
  • Hawkeye Gough

• Kill all NPCs for Humanities and items they drop. Be wary not to accidentally kill NPCs that breaks your Covenant.
  • If you have the Dark Hand, use the Dark Hand's strong attack to suck additional Humanities
  • The blacksmiths except Rickert each drop their hammers if you kill them
  • Kill the Fire Keepers for their Fire Keeper Soul: Quelaag's Sister and Lady of the Darkling
  • Don't forget to kill hollowed merchants after you buy all their merchandise