Smouldering Lake is a Location in Dark Souls 3. This optional zone is the center of conflict between many ferocious creatures, with a deep labyrinth built beneath flooded with lava and fire monsters, but exploring it will reveal pyromancies and tomes from ages past.
General Information
- Previous: Catacombs of Carthus
- Next: Irithyll of the Boreal Valley
- Recommended Levels: 40 to 55
- Bosses: Old Demon King
- Bonfires: Abandoned Tomb, Old King’s Antechamber, Demon Ruins, Old Demon King
Smouldering Lake Map
Smouldering Lake Video Playthrough
NPCs in the area
- Knight Slayer Tsorig (hostile)
- Horace (hostile)
- Summon: Knight Slayer Tsorig
- Summon: Great Swamp Cuculus
Bosses
- Old Demon King
- Carthus Sandworm (miniboss)
Items
Consumables
Weapons & Spells
- Black Knight Sword
- Izalith Staff
- Fume Ultra Greatsword (Knight Slayer Tsorig drop)
- Dragonrider Bow
- Lightning Stake (Carthus Sandworm drop)
- Toxic Mist
- White Hair Talisman
- Sacred Flame
Armor
- Black Iron Greatshield
- Shield of Want
- Black Knight Shield (drop)
- Black Knight Set (drop)
- Llewellyn Shield
Upgrade Materials
- 10x Large Titanite Shard
- 1x Chaos Gem
- 2x Undead Bone Shard
- 1x Estus Shard
Keys & Other
- Speckled Stoneplate Ring
- Bloodbite Ring +1 (NG+)
- Flame Stoneplate Ring +2 (NG++)
- Quelana Pyromancy Tome
- Izalith Pyromancy Tome
Enemies
- Basilisk
- Black Knight
- Carthus Sandworm
- Crystal Lizard
- Demon Cleric
- Demon Statue
- Great Crab (Ember)
- Hound-rat
- Large Hound-rat
- Skeleton Swordsman
- Skeleton Wheel
- Smoldering Ghru
- Smoldering Rotten Flesh
Notes
- Ballista shots fall from the sky in the main area. It can be turned off by following an underground path. This path takes you past hound-rats, basilisks, and a great-sword wielding black knight. At the end of this path is a ladder that brings you up underneath the ballista.
- Behind the huge worm in the main area, there is a small incline in the ground. If you stand behind this small hill, you can get the worm caught in the line of fire from the ballista as it tries to shoot you.
- On the opposide side of the map from the worm, there is a mound of exposed stonework. If a ballista shot hits this stonework, it will open a permanent one way shortcut to the Old King's Antechamber Bonfire
- The ballista shot can also be used to break open a wall guarding a hidden item (Speckled Stoneplate Ring) towards the back of the level.
- The Demon Ruins area is full of references to Dark Souls 1, including a number of statues and petrified Capra Demons and Taurus Demons, as well as live demonic statues and basilisks. It is presumed that this area is close to Lost Izalith because of these creatures and the fact that the Quelana pyromancy tome is found here by a large, petrified spider, which is quite likely to be Quelana herself. The large tree-pillars that seem to support these caverns are reminiscent of the Arch-trees of Ash Lake from Dark Souls I.
- There is an easier and safer way to clear out the lake of Giant Ember Crabs. Aggro the crabs with arrows and get them to chase you to the entrance of the cave where you fight Horace. The crabs are too big to get past the rocks and they will stay there, trying to smash you. Keep yourself at a safe distance and ping away at them with magic or arrows.
Full Smouldering Lake Walkthrough
A full walkthrough including all the items, enemies and bosses follows.Click here to go to the Speedrun Walkthrough.
Click here to go the location's Lore and Speculation page.
Finding Smouldering Lake
Discovering Smouldering Lake takes a bit of work. If you have defeated High Lord Wolnir, you can start from this bonfire, or make your way from the Catacombs of Carthus bonfire to the large suspension bridge. Attack the anchor point at that end of the bridge and it will collapse; once it settles, you can climb down the bridge as if it were a ladder to access the area below. Proceed until you reach the room with the large Fire Demon and Mimic up the stairs near the end of the walkway. If you can get the Fire Demon to attack the mimic, it may kill it for you. Alternatively, if you approach the Fire Demon, then retreat through the small entrance where you first enter this area, the Fire Demon will back up down the stairs and retreat to his original position. This should allow you to "bait and strike" him until you defeat him. On the same level where the Fire Demon attacks, you can loot a Large Titanite Shard 1x, but be aware of spawning skeletons. If you exit into the next room, straight ahead you will find a corpse with Old Sage's Blindfold and Witch's Ring. Turn around and head back and make a left into another room with a Bonfire. Advance through to reach Smouldering Lake proper.
Giant Ballista and Carthus Worm
As you enter Smouldering Lake, you will hear the loud mechanical sound of the Ballista winding up. It will target you as you explore the area until you optionally disable it by turning a wheel beneath it. The ballista can also be re-enabled via the same method. Enter into the lake and follow along the left wall until you encounter the Carthus Sandworm. You can navigate past it on the right side, and there is a safe spot to the back left of the worm, behind a rock with a candled stone pillar next to it. This will place the worm between you and the ballista, resulting in the death of the worm. Any low stance helps to make the ballista aim lower, hitting the worm more frequently. The worm drops Lightning Stake and an Undead Bone Shard.
Up a hill to the right, you will find a Large Titanite Shard 1x on a corpse. In a doorway here you can take a staircase down to reach the Demon Ruins Bonfire. There is a summon sign here for Knight Slayer Tsorig, which will remain as long as you are in ember form and the Old Demon King is still alive. Go back the way you came and follow the left hand wall and eventually you will come to a man-made stone wall up against a natural boulder wall. Wait here until the ballista fires at you and breaks the wall to collect Speckled Stoneplate Ring. Retrace your steps with the wall at your right and head back to the bonfire.
Find an Estus Shard & Old King's Antechamber Bonfire
Head through the hallway opposite of the staircase and make a right to take the staircase down. Take the hallway into a next area and face a Demon Cleric to the left. These Demon Clerics can be tricky and, given time, will raise a glowing ball of fire which will fire at you. Use fire protection armor, spells, and shields for defense, and attempt to backstab any time they summon a ball of fire as they have a large "back". There will already be two fireballs spawned near the Cleric (one in front of the clearic, obscured by a pillar and another over the railings), so be aware of their location and use obstacles to block their flames while fighting. Nearby will be a corpse you can loot for an Ember 1x.
Head the other way down this hallway, to encounter four Ghru beasts, similar to the ones encountered in Farron Keep, except they have an "embered" appearance. Outside of this aesthetic change, there is no difference in attacks. One spear-wielding Ghru will patrol the nearby area while the other three (one sword, 1 toxic and 1 more spear) are around the corner. Continuing on this hallway at its end you will find a room with two Ghru beasts. Before entering and attempting to loot the corpse (Ember 1x) on the left of the room, players should note that there is a Smoldering Rotten Flesh from the ceiling as well as a Demon Statue around the corner. Make a left until you come to a hole in the floor. The corpse on the other side holds an Estus Shard, but the jump is rather difficult (you must wait for the last instant to jump). The jump itself is a shortcut to the upcoming bonfire, and that even if you fall though, the shard is still obtainable.
If you manage to make the jump and obtained the shard, take this hallway to the end being wary of the six Smoldering Rotten Fleshes which drop down from the ceiling. Make a right at the end of the hallway and attack the wall at the end to reveal an Illusory Wall. Enter into the next room to discover and light the Old King's Antechamber Bonfire.
However, if you fell through the hole in the floor to the lower level, you will encounter three Ghru beasts; one wielding a Spear, one wielding a sword and one Toxic. To the right of where the spear-wielding was sitting, there is a doorway and there is a lootable corpse (Ember 1x) in the first left turn of this tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, left should bring you along some stairs and at the top is the Old King's Antechamber Bonfire. From the stairs, there is an Illusory Wall on the left, which leads to a path where six Smoldering Rotten Fleshes are waiting on the ceiling and the Estus Shard is on a corpse behind.
Finding Izalith & Quelana Pyromancy Tomes
Exit the bonfire room through the door opposite of the Illusory Wall. Be cautious as there may be a Demon Cleric patrolling the corridor to the right. Continue straight ahead into a room, where a Ghru will be seated to your left and will be joined by others. A prostrate corpse here can be looted for the Izalith Pyromancy Tome.
Backtrack out of this room and make your next left down a hallway with the Demon Cleric. Follow it left and left again to find a Crystal Lizard. Make your way back to the bonfire and exit the doorway which leads to a staircase heading down. Make your right at the next hallway and make your next right to the dead end where a corpse lies with an Ember 1x. Turn around and head right to continue going down the hallway where you will encounter some Ghrus. Follow this hallway to left and into a room of Ghrus. Exit the doorway into the next room where you will encounter a fire statue to the left and some more Ghrus. Behind a pillar here will be another statue and yet another Ghru.
Exit this room and at the end of the hallway, make a left and attack the wall to reveal an Illusory Wall. Step into the revealed room to encounter a Black Knight wielding a great-axe. You can loot the Black Knight Sword from a corpse here. Go back down the hallway and into the larger room with pillars. There are 2 Fire demons here and will fire at you with their orbs. Dispatch them one by one, using the pillars for cover. In the far end of this room, you may defeat 3 Smoldering Rotten Flesh as well as a Ghru to obtain an Undead Bone Shard. From a doorway in the corner of this room, follow the hallway and take your first right which will bring you to a room with 3 small rats. Attack the wall in this room to reveal an Illusory Wall. Head down the short hallway and head left to find the Quelana Pyromancy Tome. Nearby take the staircase down to come to a lava pit.
Equip your best fire protection gear and armor (Flame Stoneplate Ring, Speckled Stoneplate Ring), use a Red Bug Pellet, and spells like Flash Sweat. Drinking estus will delay the fire damage from the lava as well as heal you. Dash in and grab Toxic Mist, continue drinking estus and loot the White Hair Talisman. These are the only 2 items here - return to the stairs if you are able. Otherwise retrace your steps from the bonfire if you died after looting the talisman.
Alternatively, if spells are out of the question, wearing the full Havel's Set or Black Iron Set while under 70% load, having at least 25 Vigor and drinking 2 Estus every 2 rolls will also work (Be aware though that you will literally burn through your Estus, so having the full 15 Charges is advised!)
The Lower Portion
Returning to the large room where all the fire demons were,take the hallway that comes to a hole. Drop down and take out the rats. To the right, attack the wall to reveal an Illusory Wall. Open the chest to reveal a Large Titanite Shard 3x. Behind the chest, attack the wall to reveal another Illusory Wall. Drop down to the ledge to loot the Izalith Staff.
Drop down to the hallway and proceed forward and to the right. You will encounter basilisks along the way. Head right down the hallway and look for a path on the left before a staircase (the path is obscured and somewhat hidden, if you head up the stairs and see a black knight, you are at the correct stairs). Head left and forward down the hallway and make a right down the stairs to encounter Knight Slayer Tsorig. He is a difficult fight and his Fume Ultra Greatsword is fast and powerful. If you have Boulder Heave, you can just knock him into the lava, or use a weapon like the Astora Greatsword which has the Charge skill. While using his sword one handed, you can parry on reaction. You can also time his attacks and attack when he has missed and left himself open. At last, if you're quick enough, you can take down the black knight first and run fast enough to shoot an arrow at the Knight Slayer Tsorig before he runs up the stairs to hide. If you do, he'll charge you and die into the fire. Position yourself close to the edge in order to loot easily after.
You can loot him for the Fume Ultra Greatsword and the Black Iron Greatshield. If your reset the area, you can find the Knight Slayer Ring at the top of the stairs before the lava pit.
In this room is another lava pit where you can loot Sacred Flame and Ember 1x. Follow the same procedure as the prior lava pit to loot these items. Return to the large staircase and take it up and make a right to cross the bridge here and take on the Black Knight. To the right you can loot a Soul of a Crestfallen Knight 1x.
Turning off the Ballista & Defeating Horace
Take the ladder up the stone wall, and which leaves you on a ledge where you can ascend another ladder. Once at the top, drop down to the ledge on the right to loot the Dragonrider Bow. Drop down to the next ledge and take the ladder back up to the top.
Be aware that you are again in range of the ballista and it will start firing as you enter. Run into the large open room and head left, dropping down to the next level and taking the path up the left side. To the right will be three Skeleton Wheels. To the left are a group of skeletons. Proceeding past them and up the path you will encounter some red eyed skeletons with shotels.
Defeat the skeletons and approach the large gear-driven ballista. Operate the handle to rotate and disable the weapon (a Bloodbite Ring +1 can be found near the ballista in NG+). Continue ahead behind the ballista and drop down a series of ledges until you land in the water; make an immediate left to enter a cavern where you will find two Crystal Lizards. Follow this path into an open area where you will find Horace the Hushed waiting, wielding a halberd. Defeat him to loot the Llewellyn Shield. Loot the corpses in the area for a Large Titanite Shard 2x, and Yellow Bug Pellet 2x. After killing him you can tell Anri what has happened back at the catacombs if you wish, but this is unnecessary to further the questline.
Return to the main lake area to loot the remaining contents of Large Titanite Shard 4x, and in a far corner, a Chaos Gem. Finally loot the corpses around where the Carthus Sandworm was for a Large Titanite Shard 1x and the Shield of Want.
When ready to take on the boss, approach the fog at the top of the stairs past the worm. If in ember form you can find a summon sign at the bottom of the stairs for Great Swamp Cuculus; if you are interested in the Spotted Whip or the Cornyx armor set, you must summon her and have her survive the fight. Prepare with fire protection armor, spells, and shields. Enter the fog to fight the boss of this area, Old Demon King. After defeating him, light the Bonfire. Port out to the Catacombs of Carthus, make your way past the suspension bridge, and continue on to fight High Lord Wolnir. If he is already defeated, port to that bonfire and continue to the Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.
Smouldering Lake Videos
Smouldering Lake Walkthrough Part 1 (Main lake area, Old Demon King Boss)
Part 2 (Demon Ruins Area, Ballista)
Example
Speed Run Walkthrough
A quick walkthrough of how to get to the end of the level in the fastest manner, obtaining only essential items, should go here.
AnonymousThe lake is cool, but the Chalice Dungeon sucks. I'm sorry if I offended you.
- Anonymous
Chalice Dungeons in DS3 aren't real, they can't hurt you.
Chalice Dungeons in DS3:
- Anonymous
pro tip: you sick of this ****ing area? havent killed the boss yet? ember up and summon tostig and the pyro dude (he's at the bottom of the staircase of the boss room), tostig is like tarkus but with a bigger sword, 10/10 would cheese again
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Drinking estus does NOT delay lava damage, this guide straight up is wrong about that part, just died trying it.
easy boss, went with the black knight set, obliterated him with BKGS.
- Anonymous
You don't when mention the worst enemies, those 2 bloodsucking grabbing enemies up the stairs to the right where you fight the 2 fire orb spawning demons. I've dropped 10's of K's of souls to those enemies alone.
- Anonymous
The Black Knight near Tsorig is very easy to kill simply by running past him and climbing the ladder. He loses aggro in a matter of seconds and you can plunge him or backstab him as he walks off.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
No matter how often I play this map it always feels like a maze and I get lost.
- Anonymous
Painfully made my way to the crossing before the black knight and Tsorig, got stupidly wrecked with two hits from Tsorig. Had to go through all the way again with all the enemies from the Old Kings bonfire to the crossing and killed the knight instead (easily) and progressed without freaking Tsorig, only to get to the two shotels, luring one, and getting stupidly wrecked against the wall by him. Now gotta go this WHOLE BLOODY WAY again. WHY THE HELL IS THERE NO BONFIRE CLOSER?! This is ridiculous! All the teadous work for nothing. I'm fine with dying and getting better, but not punishing people with ridiculously long ways to the point they died.
- Anonymous
Painfully made my way to the crossing before the black knight and Tsorig, got stupidly wrecked with two hits from Tsorig. Had to go through all the way again with all the enemies from the Old Kings bonfire to the crossing and killed the knight instead (easily) and progressed without freaking Tsorig, only to get to the two shotels, luring one, and getting stupidly wrecked against the wall by him. Now gotta go this WHOLE ****ING WAY again. WHY THE **** IS THERE NO BONFIRE CLOSER?! This is ridiculous.
- Anonymous
There is a second entrance to the demon ruins turn around from the speckled stoneplate ring there should be an area with two torches get the ballista to hit that area that isnt on water with the torches it should bust open an alternate entrance.
- Anonymous
Awful, awful area. The ballista, the enemy placements, the lava and the return of the Ghrus... everything just seems designed to be as frustrating possible. I know it's optional, but FromSoft really dropped the ball here.
- Anonymous
The lore is the best part, my fellows. Dark Souls Prepare to Break Down Emotionally Edition
- Anonymous
Are you still able to block your way through the lava pits by two handing the dragon crest shield?
My run-through for this area:
- Enter from Abandoned Tomb bonfire
- Wait for ballista to fire the third shot, then run for the first tree.
- Sandwurm should spawn. Run forward into it, dodging the ballista bolts if you can see them. Anticipate getting hit and knocked down by either the bolts or the wurm.
- Rush for the dip in the ground behind the sandwurm, and stand in the lowest point. Heal if necessary, and wait for the ballista to kill the wurm. Free souls, miracle, and bone shard.
- Enter the Demon Ruins area, grab the bonfire. Spend souls at Firelink if necessary.
- Exit the Demon Ruins area, and return to the lake (hiding behind the tree for cover). Time the ballista shots, pick up the Shield of Want.
- Run left and take refuge behind the other tree before timing the ballista shots. Head to the broken wall housing the Speckled Stoneplate ring, let the ballista destroy it, and then go to the breakable patch of floor.
- Let the ballista destroy the floor, then drop in and hang left. Kill the crystal lizard for the Chaos gem, then run back the other way to the bonfire.
- Spend any extra souls, then from Old King's Antechamber, bonfire, break the illusory wall and head left for the Estus Shard. Anticipate dying for this and the next step.
- Homeward/walk back past the lava slimes and drop into the corridor with the fireball demons. Roll in and out of the Bone shard hole to bait the slime, or just grab it and die.
- From the Demon Ruins bonfire, head towards the first corridor with fireball demons (where you just were), go down the stairs and use consumables/arrows to kill the fireball blocking your exit.
- Run out and head right, all the way to the end and enter the door on the right. This leads to the rat room with the illusory wall and Quelana's tome.
- Return to the rat room after picking these up, then exit the other door and run down that corridor. Kill the giant rat, then break the illusory wall and snag the Izalith Staff and Large Titanite shards.
- Drop down and run past the basilisks, up the stairs. Dodge past/kill the Black Knight, then climb the ladder. Drop off the second one for the Dragonrider bow, then head back up.
- Run through the ruins, using the cliffs to block the ballista. Past the skeletons and to the ballista, turn it off. Quit-reload if you're still being pursued.
- Drop down the cliffs to lake level again, then enter the tunnel with Horace. Kill him, then loot the shards, and return to the lake area.
You're now free to loot the area without fear of the ballista, have picked up every upgrade and bonfire here, and the remaining items/NPCs are relatively easy to deal with. Suicide run for the white hair talisman (if you need that), and use Alluring Skulls to bait Tsorig into the lava. Suicide run for Sacred Flame (the other item is an Ember, not worth), and then go kill the boss when you're ready.
Thirty minutes, tops. After doing it enough times, it's more boring than cancer lol.
- Anonymous
How does a place called ash lake transition to a place called smoldering lake? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
- Anonymous
I happened to love this area - I thought it was exactly the type of challenge I came for when I booted up ds3. I'm very pleased they added this in, and wish they were more like it.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I dont care if Chaos bed is broken its not worth visiting this heII. Sorry cornyx
- Anonymous
I made my way behind the giant worm, thinking the ballista shots would hit the worm. All three shots went through the worm and hit me, and didn't do any damage to the worm. **** this game.
- Anonymous
Didn’t know this place existed until I needed to go here to progress the duo npcs’ quest line by killing Horace. Place felt like dlc…
- Anonymous
what a hellish location, good thing they probably didnt add two important estus upgrades here haha miyazaki would never do that
- Anonymous
I tried the mimic cheese on the fire demon when i came here and the demon wouldn’t attack. He ended up backing away and then glitched into the ceiling and wouldn’t come down. After defeating the mimic and activating the bonfire, I tried taking him in close quarters a couple of times and died every time until i realized that the freaking skellies in that room do more damage to him than I do, so I found a new cheese method by luring him into the lower room with all the skeletons and let them do all the work for me, and then finished him off in a couple of hits. That’s worth making a note of.
- Anonymous
Would've been a really atmospheric area without the completely unnecessary and annoying ballista. Oh well.
- Anonymous
first time playing ds3. I'm a pyromancer and this area is making me sweat. I'm dying more than the entirety of my ds2 playthrough. I do almost no damage with a deep +4 corvian scythe and my pyromancy is nearly worthless besides the buff spells and I happen to have black serpent which is doing some work.
- Anonymous
First playthrough, I literally charged right at the worm and ended up running underneath it then the ballista killed it while I cowered in fear.
Ended up beating the demon king before doing the ruins or disabling ballista. Did the whole area backwards I guess haha good times.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Really wish I would have known this on my first playthrough: if you lead the demon down to the lower platform where all the skellies spawn, then quickly run back up to where you entered the room, they mobs will attack him and if you're lucky nearly kill him. I ended up just having to hit him once or twice after he killed all the skeletons.
- Anonymous
Smoldering lake, more specifically, demon ruins is the chalice dungeons of dark souls. I wonder if elden ring will have chalice like dungeons
- Anonymous
Recommended Levels: 40 to 55
me: 80+ cathedral knight set + great mace xD
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Another Dark Souls game another unfinished lava themed area (Nowhere near as bas as Lost Izalith tho!)
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
beware its possible to get cancer playing this for too long
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
i never understood it properly, but there is a shortcut in the smoldering lake that drops you straight in the corridor with a bonfire/izalith pyro tome/a crystal lizard with a chaos gem. In the upper part, you need to bait the ballista to fire in a area with a clearly man made ground. It will open a passage for you to drop into.
- Anonymous
You reckon that window near the ballista where you can see Irithyll is a nod to the Lost Izalith/Ash Lake windows in Tomb of the Giants from DS1?
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
The ballista is definitely my favourite part of this area, hearing that mechanical sound is so intimidating and the size of it is terrifying.
- Anonymous
The lava theory is complete bullshit. Not a singel thing works inside.
- Anonymous
Ok Im player pyromancer for the first time on my first DS3 run... should i just quit?
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
لا أقوم غالبًا بتمزيق شخصية NPC حقيقية ، لذلك قررت استخدام المصعد ، على أمل التراجع (أو السقوط من الشجرة أثناء الوقوف). ومع ذلك ، فقد فشلت. لكن من المدهش أنهم واجهوا مشاكل نتيجة لذلك. كنت دائمًا في المنزل لأنهم تساءلوا عن القدرة على حماية جدران المنزل. عليك أن تكون حذرا في هجماتهم ، لأن الطريق في خطر. بعد فترة ، نظر الفأس لأعلى وأنا أخرجه. السيد الثاني. كاتانا في الجزء الخلفي من سيارة الأجرة. في تلك اللحظة ، ضربني وركلني مرة أخرى ، لكن عندما دخلت ، ذهبت إلى السجن (يمكنني ارتداء قميص). كنت بجوار كريم هيلد ، أجلس بجانب باب الغرفة. بالطبع لا بد لي من الخروج من شيء ما. ومع ذلك ، كانت مشاكلي دائمًا هي نفسها ، لكن لم يتم حل المشكلات المتعلقة بالمشروع. لقد التقطتها أخيرًا باستخدام الموسيقى التصويرية القديمة.
- Anonymous
The whole area feels so much easier if you unlock the antechamber bonfire first by getting a bolt to break the floor.
- Anonymous
You can summon Knight Slayer Tsorig to kill Knight Slayer Tsorig.
- Anonymous
For your mental health just go straight to Irithyll and avoid this hell hole.
- Anonymous
The contrast between the Smouldering Lake and the Ash Lake from DS1 really shows how far the world has decayed. Just like the Darkroot Garden turned into a festering Farron Keep. The creatures either evolve (the sandworm is a giant rockworm, the hollows are far stronger now, etc), or are slaughtered and left as background cameos. Even the Demon Ruins below seem creepier.
- Anonymous
I just run through this area dodging all the enemies and collecting items at this point... except the lava... seriously, wtf
- Anonymous
just get a bunch of alluring skulls and throw them into the lava
- Anonymous
second contender to my most hated zone at this moment, god im glad i can just beat the boss and skip the absolute labyrinth that is the underground floor. I can't imagine how someone is supposed to find everything on a first playthrough and even remember to pick up all the items on the lava or that are spread around. It's not even the enemies, they are actually somewhat manageable but the sheer layout of this place along with many fog walls is what drives me away
- Anonymous
People bash on Lost Izalith for being the weakest part of the original and yet this place which is clearly its successor is much worse but seems to get a pass with the only complaints being the annoying enemies. I prefer the view from the giant lava field in Izalith to the open lake here and the tunnel system beneath is really boring compared to the second part of Izalith. The boss is objectively better than the bed of chaos but apart from that I much prefer Izalith to Smouldering Lake!
- Anonymous
is it just me or is there one great crab that doesn't aggro you?
This place Ain't that bad, the only thing i hate in this place are the items in the lava, they could place them on over rocks that we can jump into or drop down instead of increasing fire resist which is kinda lame.
- Anonymous
if fromsoft actually loved us, they would let us destroy this cock and ball torture sh*t hole, once we complete it
- Anonymous
the first time I got here on a blind playthrough I assumed that the demon ruins wasn't optional. I spent about 6 hours suffering in this place before looking up that it wasn't required to progress the main game. a total nightmare
- Anonymous
I forgot about the stoneplate so i found out the hard way that you CAN in fact turn the ballista bastard back on
- Anonymous
Not only is this one of the least fun areas in single player, but the spawn points make multiplayer suck too. Whether you're a red invader or a blue darkmoon, either way you have a high chance of spawning balls deep in the maze while the host is up in the lake. My favorite is spawning by the Tsorig lava bridge while the host is at the fog gate for the demon king - nice 5 minute jog while the host just dies.
- Anonymous
The room with the undead bone shard surrounded by those fire demons was completely obnoxious.
- Anonymous
I completely missed this place on my first two characters, had no idea you could climb down the broken bridge!
- Anonymous
i always play this map backwards, kill the worm, kill the boss, light up bonfire, go for my stus shards, kill tsorig, turn of gigant havelyn, kill horace, and return to shrine. i guess because is faster that way
- Anonymous
I don't really get the hate for this area. I went through it my first time ever without a walk through or anything, and found it okay. If you go through it carefully, and just slightly watch for illusory walls(which you should generally do in a first playthrough to find secrets) it's rather fine. Going at the enemies one by one and dodging their attacks they are fine. Also the bonfires are rather close to each other, which is nice incase you die. It might not be the most enjoyable area of the game but with enough patience you can go through it well.
- Anonymous
tfw everyone is complaining about this area and i just went to it after killing SoC so i just rushed to the boss and killed him before he even started to hit me.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
This area is a representation of everything bad in this game
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
F*** this place. So much. For so many reasons. Been a while since a game actually managed to make me ragequit.
- Anonymous
TFW you just wanted the shield of want, so you follow this guide as you go thinking it’s deep in the chamber, only to find out that to get the shield you could have easily rolled in, grabbed it, covered by a tree to homeward bone back to a bonfire, and get back to soul farming So much time wasted lmao
- Anonymous
***** this place sideways. The crabs are lazy and the worm is meh but the ruins? Jesus christ. ***** those one-hitting pyros with the pre-spawned stunlocking turrets, ***** the swarming ghrus and ***** Tsorig in the ear. There's something to be said about an area when the least aggravating thing on it is a room chock full of basilisks. And sure, it is an optional area, if not because it's where half of the pyromancies and chaos gems are tucked away into. Truly a compendium of the most annoying, broken and spammy enemies in the game placed in an level specifically built to really bring out their horse*****Far and away the worst area in the game.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Smoldering lake!!?! More like... Err... I didn't know where I was going from there... I'll see myself out...
- Anonymous
Is there even a fire gem here??? Couldn't find no.1 Fire Gem
- Anonymous
F*ck this place so much, it has some of the most annoying enemies in the game (not including the bonewheel a-holes and the curse spewing sh*t frogs, these guys are on a whole other level of annoyance), at least it's optional.
- Anonymous
I don't understand the logic of this area. A MECHANICAL catapult shoots you with homing arrows.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
As much as I wish I could ignore this place, it's essential to go to purely for the two bone shards and flask shard. luckily those 3 items are very close to the entrance of demon ruins so I guess that's nice.
- Anonymous
The Demon Ruins area is literally a copypasted Catacomb of Carthus with vines and embers slashed on the walls and enemies. By far the worst area of the game. It has good shortcuts after exploring for a bit but while exploring it I just got lost, half of the shortcuts are behind illusory walls and the bonfire placements are so dumb. The enemies drop such an insignificant amount of souls for their difficulty level. It's such a shame, because entering Smouldering Lake is closely akin to discovering Ashen Lake in DS1 for the first time.
- Anonymous
There are actually 2 chaos gems 1 in the very back of the main room with the crabs
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Two rings not mentioned: Flame Stoneplate +2 is located in the room with the Black Knight fighting a Gru on NG+2 and Bloodbite Ring +1 is located near the giant ballista on NG+.
- Anonymous
The blocking thing with a shield in the lava is really nice. I used red bug pellets and flash sweat, put up my dragon crest shield and ran in. I'd suggest going for the farther item first because picking up the item will drop the shield and you'll take a lot more damage after. While the shield was up, I was only taking slightly more damage than I did in DS1 with Orange Charred Ring.
- Anonymous
If using a shield the damage state has been moved to the left wall. Meaning that you now have to face the left with your shield up for it to count as a block rather than the back wall as it previously was. So try running on an angle and then rolling back and healing when you get too close to the wall. You should still be able to shield up and block after healing.
- Anonymous
You don’t need all that estus or equipment in the lava. All I had was the Havel Set and 11 Estus and I got through with 4 Estus to spare
- Anonymous
I never knew this place existed and just kept on the straight gameplay path... I'm lv90 wizard and was doing 1000+ damage to the boss... The only boss now is the last one. Lmfao.
- Anonymous
White Hair Talisman is unobtainable for some reason on my alt. I'm overleveled this time, so last time I had enough health to get to it and die looting. This time, I get just in reach and die. Chugging estus stops your movement, and you need to do it early enough to matter. By the time you move, you already lost the health from 2 drinks. No clue what's going on, but full max fire resist, +2 and +1 Fire and Speckled Rings, Max Fire Shield, Profuse Sweating... nothing working in combo. Not even new game and my health is melting.
- Anonymous
This is easily the most aggravating place in the whole game
- Anonymous
This is the only place when I dont mind complete the area with 0 soul...
- Anonymous
I just need help but I can't see any summons,I just saw this location I'm level 70
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I hate the demon ruins. I can never find the hosts when I invade, I get turned around like a retard when I'm playing the level solo, and the combination of spear-spam and hopping ghrus just salts me right out. I guess maybe they were purposely going for a get-lost-in-the-labyrinth thing but on every playthrough I put it off until I just have to deal with it.
most annoying area in the entire series, by far.
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