Since Scholar has a lot of new changes I'm adding this thread to point out some tips for finding new secrets and other things people might not find easily.
1. In the tutorial you will find a petrified statue barring your progress that requires a Fragrant Branch of Yore. You can now buy one from Melentia when you get to her for 12,000 souls. Whether or not to use it there is up to you, but there is an Estus Flask Shard in the cave, as well as a number of basilisks. It also gives you access to the two ogres and the sex change coffin, but beware of a new, very tough enemy that will be difficult at low levels.
2. This one is for later in the game at Drangleic Castle that is stumping a lot of people. When you need to activate the lift to get the key for the King's Passage you now need to kill one of the manikins who ambush you in the room AFTER the stone knights, who are now inert, in front of the golem so he absorbs the soul.
I'm a Sunbro/girl so I co-op a lot and have had to show several people via gestures, which isn't that easy, how to do it. I've gone through there a number of times with hosts who are probably new to the game and missed it, otherwise I'm sure they would have worked it out.
3. Sublime Bone Dust is now in chests in new locations and guarded by Syan Knights.
4. The Bastille Key is now obtainable in a chest before The Lost Sinner, and it's no longer necessary to defeat the gargoyles to get it.
5. The Pursuer now lives up to his name, or at least in The Bastille. He now has dark magic attacks and drops Twinkling Titanite on death.
6. DLC Keys are no longer added to the inventory when starting the game. They are scattered throughout the game for you to find.
The Dragon Talon to access The Crown of the Sunken King is now found behind the locked door in the Pit in Majula. To get The Forgotten Key to the door you need to kill the giants in the cave below The Black Gulch.
The Heavy Iron Key to access The Crown of the Iron King is now in the Salamander Pit in the Forest of Fallen Giants. It is on the same corps as the Rebel's Greatshield.
The Frozen Flower to access the crown if the Ivory King is on a body soon after the first bonfire at Drangleic castle.
7. There is a new shortcut in No Man's Wharf which since there's no bonfire in the level, makes it much easier to traverse on subsequent visits if needed. You still need to get to Carhillion which is almost all of the way through the level, but once activated cuts out most of the level.
8. Many NPC's have been moved. For example Lucatiel has had a couple of her meeting places changed. Gavlan has been moved to the first shortcut at No Man's wharf.
9. There is now a reason to light all torches in every place in the game and the Undead Crypt is now a place to be feared. I'll leave it to you to discover what happens. Mostly, it's optional, but at Aldia's keep it is a necessity to get Aldia's Key. Watch out for lots of mimicry.
10. Speaking of mimic...most of them have been moved and are in more dangerous, and sometimes confined places making them hard to fight. You can still use Lloyd's talismans to put them to sleep....that is if you detect them first.
11. There are a LOT more NPC invaders now. One who makes several appearances in several places, is The Forlorn. On defeating him each time his gear can be purchased from Straid.
The last part of The Black Gulch is now more dangerous as two red invaders appear there and they can both appear at once. If the poison wasn't enough... The hidden bonfire is also blocked by a statue requiring a Fragrant Branch of Yore making it hard to run there quickly if invaded.
The entrance to the Iron Keep has two new red invaders. One of those is Armourer Dennis who also appears at the third bonfire at The Forest of Fallen Giants. He has some intimidating spells for some players so beware.
More to come...
1. In the tutorial you will find a petrified statue barring your progress that requires a Fragrant Branch of Yore. You can now buy one from Melentia when you get to her for 12,000 souls. Whether or not to use it there is up to you, but there is an Estus Flask Shard in the cave, as well as a number of basilisks. It also gives you access to the two ogres and the sex change coffin, but beware of a new, very tough enemy that will be difficult at low levels.
2. This one is for later in the game at Drangleic Castle that is stumping a lot of people. When you need to activate the lift to get the key for the King's Passage you now need to kill one of the manikins who ambush you in the room AFTER the stone knights, who are now inert, in front of the golem so he absorbs the soul.
I'm a Sunbro/girl so I co-op a lot and have had to show several people via gestures, which isn't that easy, how to do it. I've gone through there a number of times with hosts who are probably new to the game and missed it, otherwise I'm sure they would have worked it out.
3. Sublime Bone Dust is now in chests in new locations and guarded by Syan Knights.
4. The Bastille Key is now obtainable in a chest before The Lost Sinner, and it's no longer necessary to defeat the gargoyles to get it.
5. The Pursuer now lives up to his name, or at least in The Bastille. He now has dark magic attacks and drops Twinkling Titanite on death.
6. DLC Keys are no longer added to the inventory when starting the game. They are scattered throughout the game for you to find.
The Dragon Talon to access The Crown of the Sunken King is now found behind the locked door in the Pit in Majula. To get The Forgotten Key to the door you need to kill the giants in the cave below The Black Gulch.
The Heavy Iron Key to access The Crown of the Iron King is now in the Salamander Pit in the Forest of Fallen Giants. It is on the same corps as the Rebel's Greatshield.
The Frozen Flower to access the crown if the Ivory King is on a body soon after the first bonfire at Drangleic castle.
7. There is a new shortcut in No Man's Wharf which since there's no bonfire in the level, makes it much easier to traverse on subsequent visits if needed. You still need to get to Carhillion which is almost all of the way through the level, but once activated cuts out most of the level.
8. Many NPC's have been moved. For example Lucatiel has had a couple of her meeting places changed. Gavlan has been moved to the first shortcut at No Man's wharf.
9. There is now a reason to light all torches in every place in the game and the Undead Crypt is now a place to be feared. I'll leave it to you to discover what happens. Mostly, it's optional, but at Aldia's keep it is a necessity to get Aldia's Key. Watch out for lots of mimicry.
10. Speaking of mimic...most of them have been moved and are in more dangerous, and sometimes confined places making them hard to fight. You can still use Lloyd's talismans to put them to sleep....that is if you detect them first.
11. There are a LOT more NPC invaders now. One who makes several appearances in several places, is The Forlorn. On defeating him each time his gear can be purchased from Straid.
The last part of The Black Gulch is now more dangerous as two red invaders appear there and they can both appear at once. If the poison wasn't enough... The hidden bonfire is also blocked by a statue requiring a Fragrant Branch of Yore making it hard to run there quickly if invaded.
The entrance to the Iron Keep has two new red invaders. One of those is Armourer Dennis who also appears at the third bonfire at The Forest of Fallen Giants. He has some intimidating spells for some players so beware.
More to come...