Every class in an RPG brings something special to the table. In Demon's Souls, there are ten classes to choose from, each with unique starting stats and equipment. The Royal class is often pinned by fans as the "easiest starting class," due to the excellent starting stats, including the lowest soul level, and an emphasis on magic and spells.
Although Demon's Souls is by no means an easy game, picking the right class to best fit the individual player's preferred gameplay style is a must if gamers want to ensure they aren't excessively dying or running into frustrating boss fights. Those playing as the Royalty class will still have their fair share of obstacles to overcome, but there are a number of things players can do to provide a smooth and relatively painless experience.
Updated November 14th, 2021 by John Charron: Demon’s Souls is a tough game, but it doesn’t have to be. Magic is one of the secret weapons players use to get around tougher areas and bosses, and while Royals might not be as iconic as some of the other starting classes, Demon's Souls' Royalty builds are a crazy amount of fun to play as. Like anything with Demon’s Souls, the class takes some time to get comfortable, but a few key items and gameplay tips can help speed that process along and make players a magical powerhouse capable of taking down any foe with ease.
Consider The Wooden Catalyst
The Royalty build starts off with the Silver Catalyst, which makes casting magic spells easier and more effective, but that’s not to say it is a catch-all weapon. Most of the starting weapons can be upgraded or replaced as players progress.
Players looking to beef up their Catalyst should try the Wooden Catalyst, which does more damage than the Silver. It can be found by the tower bridge in The Lord’s Path or in a cell in the Prison of Hope along with the Wizard’s Clothes Set.
Use Magic Scaling Weapons
Magic is the lifeblood of the Royalty class, it is what makes the build so effective at dealing damage on a large scale. It is important to use weapons that match this criteria. The Kris Blade is one such weapon, a sharpened blade that increases magic attacks and delivers some serious bonus damage. It can be found in the Smithing Grounds by the final elevator.
The Rune Sword scales off strength but adds a healthy dose of magic defense that Royals could find useful. It is found in Upper Latria in the tower with the beating heart or can be acquired by defeating Black Phantom Ostrava in the King’s Tower.
Steal MP
What’s more annoying than running out of MP? It can throw any magic-wielder through a loop. Thankfully, there is an item in Demon's Souls that makes things a whole lot easier. Geri’s Stiletto doesn’t have the most intimidating name, but with every hit, players can steal 20 MP from their enemy.
This is incredibly useful for magic-mains who are looking for a weapon that gets their MP as filled up as possible. Geri’s Stiletto is awarded to players in the Prison of Hope for rescuing Sage Freke.
Recover MP
The only thing better than stealing MP is recovering it over time by itself. Combine the two and you are really cooking. The Fragrant Ring is a great accessory for players looking to go this route. This nifty little ring recovers 1 MP per second every 4 seconds when equipped, making it essential for long boss fights that rely heavily on magic.
Thankfully, Royals start with it, while other builds have to buy or find it. Crescent weapons also have regenerative powers and should be weighed as options for players who desire this ability. The Phosphorescent Pole also increases MP slowly over time and is a pretty awesome weapon too. It is dropped by Lord Rydell Black Phantom in the Tower of Latria.
Build To Become A Magical Powerhouse
The strongest traits of the Royalty class lie in magic, with a beginning stat number of 13. The higher the character's magic stat is, the more damage cast spells will deliver onto enemies. Magic is an excellent way to deal out some serious punishment to hordes of monsters as it negates having to get up close and personal with some seriously tough creatures.
The Royalty build starts off with the Fragrant Ring which allows the player to regenerate MP a little bit over time, granting more opportunity for casting spells. Players looking to become a powerful mage should consider leveling up the magic, intelligence, and faith stats to gain the upper hand.
Use Long Range Spells And Weapons
The Royalty class starts the game off with the Soul Arrow spell, which allows for players to shoot a magical beam at an enemy. This long-range attack is useful as it allows players to attack from a distance and remain defensive enough to block or dodge attacks. This is incredibly helpful to use in boss fights and is a great building block for the class.
Other great long-range spells include the Fireball attacks, which can ignite enemies up from a distance, or the Soul Ray, which shoots a laser of light that can go through multiple enemies. Players can also use bows and crossbows to take out enemies from afar.
Customize, Customize, Customize
Leveling up in Demon's Souls gets more and more difficult with each higher level, as it requires more and more souls to do so. This is where the Royalty class especially shines as one of the best builds in Demon's Souls, as the beginning soul level is a whopping 1. This makes it easier to customize a character early on in the game and boost up stats that will ultimately shape the strengths and weaknesses of a player.
Players should strongly consider which specific stats to focus on early in the game, rather than leveling up every single stat. Certain stats like magic and intelligence play a larger part in the Royalty class than other stats like luck or strength.
Save The Boss Demon's Souls
Demon's Souls is notorious for its intricate and intimidating boss battles. Many players say they are one of the best features in the game, while others are still stuck on that one boss they can never get past. After a grueling and taxing battle, players are typically rewarded with a special demon soul from their slain opponent. These souls offer an abundance of souls that the player can then use to level up, certainly a tempting offer.
However, it is wisest to hold onto those special souls as they are used to purchase special spells or create powerful weapons. These unique spells include the Acid Cloud (traded with Sage Freke for the Eroded Demon Soul) which corrodes enemy weapons and armor, and Warding (also traded with Sage Freke for the Iron Demon Soul) which offers the player protection from physical damage.
Avoid Close - Quarters Combat
When a character is wielding a massive battle axe or giant saber, it is tempting to direct them to run into a horde of enemies to annihilate some monsters. But Demon's Souls is punishing and any misstep from greediness can be fatal. A Royalty build can certainly be a skeleton slaying machine with the rights stats, but starting off with low strength, vitality, and endurance can make that difficult.
Players would be smart and keep to the sidelines and focus on taking out one or two enemies at a time and using spells to weaken their opponents.
Don't Forget About Endurance And Vitality
It is easy to get wrapped up in the overpowered magical aspects of a Royal, but that does not necessarily mean the other stats should be ignored. While the Royalty class should absolutely be leveled up to fit the player's preferences and gameplay style, endurance and vitality are two of the most important stats in the game as they account for the stamina and health bars. Royalty builds only have a starting stat of 8 for each, so upgrading these is not a bad idea.
Also finding items such as the Eternal Warrior's Ring (dropped by Old King Doran) and The Regenerator's Ring (can be found in The Shrine of Storms behind a broken wall, in The Swamp of Sorrow in the muddy waters, or traded with Sparkly the Crow for the Jade Hair Ornament) will slowly increase the gauges for stamina and health respectively over time.
Use Lightweight Weapons
The Royalty class doesn't have an amazing starting strength, so heavy armor and oversized axes can be tricky to carry early on. Luckily, there are a number of great weapons that have low strength requirements. The Crescent Falchion +1 can be found in the Shrine of Storms at the top of the archway, down a left corridor, and onto a cliff where it is guarded by a black skeleton. This nifty sword has a low strength and dexterity requirement but still performs some of the most brutal slicing and dicing in Demon's Souls.
Another excellent lightweight weapon is the Estoc piercing sword. This sharp weapon is perfect for backstabbing enemies with quick fluid motions. It can be found in the Prison of Hope down a balcony corridor on a corpse lying in the rubble.
Experiment With Different Spells And Miracles
As a Royal, having a wide range of spells and miracles to choose from will make Demon's Souls much easier. With so many different spells and miracles to choose from, it might take some trial and error to calculate what works best for certain areas or bosses. Spells such as Cloak allow the player to avoid enemies, while Soulsucker instantly kills any non-boss enemy and absorbs their souls.
Miracles revolve around the faith stat and are more defensive, but can be helpful in avoiding certain doom. God's Wrath allows players to create a shield of damaging energy around them, whereas Evacuate transports the player back to the Nexus.
Use The Talisman Of Beasts
The Royalty class starts off with the Silver Catalyst which increases the user's max MP and allows for more powerful spells to be cast. However, the Talisman of Beasts is a weapon that will make playing as a magic-based build all the easier. This unique item allows players to not only cast spells with it but perform miracles as well, removing the need to switch between two separate weapons.
This special talisman is given to the player by Mephistopheles as a mission reward for assassinating Ostrava, of Boletaria. Note that this assassination must be completed before talking to him at the end of the Penetrator Archstone.
Consider Lightweight Armor
Armor is one of the fun customizable aspects of Demon's Souls that makes it as original as it is gritty. For a Royalty build, choosing a lighter armor option is a good tip due to the mobility it offers. Royalty starts with the Wizard Set, which is a pretty standard set of armor with few pros or cons. Players should also consider the Leather Armor Set and Shaman's Set for great adaptive and non-debilitating armor.
Demon's Souls is available on the PS5.