Mound-Makers |
---|
![]() |
A malformed vertebra found by the mad, with a queer symbol on its inside, proof of the shackles of the Gods. Equip to pledge oneself to the Mound-makers covenant. |
Mound-Makers is a Covenant in Dark Souls 3. The covenant can be gained by equipping the item Mound-Makers which is gotten from Holy Knight Hodrick.
Mound-Makers Information
- You must obtain the item: Mound-Makers and equip it.
- Before the Curse-Rotted Greatwood breaks the ground, start at the Undead Settlement bonfire and continue through the house until reaching the camp with an Evangelist near a burning pile (where you find Loretta's Bone), from here take a right and cross the wooden bridge. At the other side of the bridge there's a bunch of crates and barrels, break those and walk behind the stables insted of entering. Behind a small house with a ladder is a cage spider NPC, it will give you a hint that there's something fishy going on with a cage. Climb up the ladder of the small house, then drop off the roof on the right side. You will see a large guy with a cage on his back, approach his cage and use the action button to examine it. A cutscene will appear and you will be teleported to the area where an Holy Knight Hodrick gives you the covenant. (Does not work with summons or while being invaded).
- After joining the covenant there is no apparent way to leave the area apart from using a Homeward Bone (Hodrick will give you one if you talk to him for the third time), but a quit/reload will spawn you back at the settlement where you entered the cage, without reviving everything you had killed up to that point.
- If you kill the Curse-Rotted Greatwood before acquiring the covenant, go to the entrance of the boss room after having defeated Aldrich. There you can activate the summon sign of Sirris of the Sunless Realms and join in cooperation. If successful, you will acquire the Covenant. You must not have turned Sirris hostile towards you.
- If the Curse-Rotted Greatwood breaks the ground before acquiring the covenant AND failed the questline for Sirris of the Sunless Realms for whatever reason, it will be impossible to acquire the convenant's insignia until your next journey/playthrough (Tested by DD: I've killed the Greatwood & didn't know about the Hollow Manservant (Cage Bearer "enemy") then offered a Pale Tongue to Rosaria while following Leonhard's questline and this failed Sirris's questline).
Effects of Covenant
- How you enter a host's world dictates how you can interact with the world. You can either be summoned via a White Sign Soapstone or invade using a Red Eye Orb.
- When using the summon sign you are placed in the friendly phantom slots for the host. You can kill any phantom and the host. You also can attack and kill the enemies in the hosts world. However you cannot enter a boss fog with the host. You will be sent away when the host enters the fog.
- If you invade as a mad phantom you can only hurt other phantoms and the host. Killing the host will send you home with your reward. Regardless of how you enter the hosts world other mad phantoms can attack and hurt you as well as any phantom or host. The only thing that changes hostility based on how you enter is the pve enemies which are no longer hostile to you when you invade.
- The white phantom ring does not change your summon sign from purple to white.
- Whether you use the white soap stone, red soap stone, or the red eye orb a mound maker phantom will always appear as purple as well as the signs you place.
- Invading as a Mound Maker will prioritize worlds with many players, allowing for maximum chaos. (from officialPrima guide)
- It is worth noting that, even if you did not obtain the covenant equip item in a playthrough, you may still turn in vertebra shackles obtained through other means for the covenants rank rewards.
- The Matchmaking Formula is Covenant Dependent:
Condition | Min | Max |
Summoning a White Phantom, Warrior of Sunlight, Mound-Maker or no covenant | Host - 10 - (Host * 0.1) | Host + 10 + (Host * 0.1) |
Invasion from Mound-Maker | Invader - (Invader * 0.1) | Invader + 20 + (Invader * 0.15) |
Rank Requirements
Players can increase their rank in the covenant by offering acquired Vertebra Shackle Items at the altar in the Pit of Hollows where you face Curse-Rotted Greatwood in the Undead Settlement. Acquire these by defeating the world host; being present for the death of up to 3 phantoms of any type, the exact number of which is determined by the existing number of non-Host players in that world; or defeating any Mound-Maker who invades you. They are also rare drops from large red-eyed skeletons in Catacombs of Carthus. Hosts who defeat a Mound-maker invader will receive a Vertebra Shackle as well, but this does not apply if the Mound Maker invaded by means of Red Sign Soapstone. A cheesy way to farm Vertebra Shackles is to have two Mound Makers summon each other repeatedly and allow the invader to kill the host. The rank requirements are additive, meaning you only have to earn a total of 30, not 10 and then another 30, to obtain all covenant rewards.
A slow & steady offline way to farm Shackles is to travel from the Catacombs of Carthus Bonfire, right past the ball trap & out the left hall to the two large red eye skeletons which each have ~1% drop rate. This will also net a large number of Titanite Shards & Large Titanite Shards as well as frequent Carthus Shield & Curved Sword drops.
Achievements/Trophies
Covenant: Mound-Makers
Discover Mound-Makers covenant.
- Anonymous
Needing help grinding those darn shackles. Happy to return the favour for anyone looking to Platinum.
Reply if interested. On PS4. :)
- Anonymous
My children will finish up this grind for me, after i've passed on.. jfc
“The greatest shackles we bear in this life are those forged by our own goal to 100% the game.”
— John Darksouls Evans
- Anonymous
One of best ways to boost farming this or other covenant items is to not hold any of the items in your inventory.Offer all the items you get to the covenant.This boost the farm.
- Anonymous
One of best ways to boost farming this or other covenant items is to not hold any of the items in your inventory.Offer all the items you get to the covenant.This boost the farm.
- Anonymous
i need help with mound makers covenant on xbox - X BLIKERISH X
- Anonymous
i need help with mound makers covenant my PSN IS KLR_Virtual_2030
- Anonymous
My favorite convenant! Warmth is a great reward on my pyro build. It's satisfying seeing all the reds or faithfuls bowing and waving as we're huddled around the aoe.
- Anonymous
If anyone’s interested in farming, we can help each other. My PSN is tim_q_ak
- Anonymous
Would appreciate some help farming shackles, my psn is tim_q_ak, can help with something as well
- Anonymous
If you want to farm,use anri's sword buffed with blessed weapon and a luck build plus ethereal oak shield and power within and sun ring and lloyd ring. Trust me,bonus against skellies plus regen and lloyd wrecks them
- Anonymous
So I attempted to get this covenant on NG++, did the cage first, talked to the guy and he didn't give me the covenant item. Does he only give it in NG?
- Anonymous
need help for m8undmaker covenant... i need 27 vertebrae shakles... im lvl295, ng+3 playthrought,
ps id : Hunter_Dreyann
- Anonymous
Could use some help farming if anyone is willing. PS: Dassem_Ultor
- Anonymous
I feel like the idea of this covenant is really cool, but the lack of rewards for helping the host instead of killing them sort of makes invading feel the same as it would for any covenant, but harder. Dark Souls 3 took a lot of great steps for the covenant system and I really hope we see it continued one day.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Every 10 comments here is "need to farm shackles". I guess the catacombs are hotspots then. Noice.
- Anonymous
Anyone down to help me grind for 23 more vertebra shackles? PS4: Spyrofan1999
- Anonymous
I need help farming vertebra shackles, my steam friend code:1075299315
- Anonymous
Idk if you knew this but you can actually be summoned as a spear of the church while trying to invade someone in the ringed city streets as a Mound Maker with a red eye orb, however it doesn't grant any vertebra shackle
- Anonymous
i need help farming vertebra shackles, my steam friend code:925943732
- Anonymous
Ghost Phantom Mode for these bois. Untrue White Ring + Hidden Body, Dark Hand or Sacrificial Flame if you're brave enough to try and catch people fighting NPCs.
- Anonymous
The only original covenant dark souls 3 added, and it’s best one.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
-sharp lothric knight gs
-lightning blade
-hornet ring
-red tearstone ring
-morion blade
-untrue white ring
-spy tf2
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I don’t know who I am, or even why I’m here... all I know is that I must kill.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
To ppl who sees no reason to use white sign in this covenant: use it in the ringed city. Whoever can see the sign is put into a hard decision: "should i summon him, waste a phantom slot and try to kill him? Or go with my three phantoms into the bossfight and run the risk of that purple appearing as a spear of the church?"
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
if you've got homing soulmass up and a mound maker approaches you, will the soulmass attack them? Does it depend on whether they've invaded or been summoned, or if they've attacked you?
- Anonymous
How to play moundmakers:
"Murdervictimsayswhat"
And then you kill anyone who's confused.
- Anonymous
I today just tried it. Snuck up on the poor guy. I was nice enough to wait for him to notice me. He wasted all his stamina rolling away...
- Anonymous
My favourite mound maker memory was as a host coming out of pontiff on my third or fourth play through. I always remember being invaded more then usual her so for shits and giggles I use the dry finger summon the mound maker and have way of blue equipped. Pure chaos is the only fitting description as me, a finger, a faithful, a mound maker, and two blue bois duke it out. Long story short the mound maker fights on the invaders side kills one of the blues before turning on the invaders kills both and the last blue in seconds and waves at me as he disappeared
- Anonymous
"The white phantom ring does not change your summon sign from purple to white." -> How to kill a unique covenant 101, well done FromSoftware.
- Anonymous
The thing i dont like is when i invade the world of gankers, i kill all white phantoms and i really want to finish the host rifgt now after he was such an ass but im send back to my world
- Anonymous
gotta love when there's:
1. a host
2. a darkmoon blade
3. and me, a purple
and the red decides he just really hates the color purple today
- Anonymous
Today I was doing some invading in grand archives and i managed to damage the scholars, no other enemies but still, got really confused what's up with that?
Anyhow, I decided to help the host, which seemed to be new to the game, make it to the last short cut, showing the way and such. He was so happy to make it, such a sweet encounter! Of course I killed him when we got back to the bonfire but still! Def the best covenant
- Anonymous
Love being unpredictable, maybe I'll kill your red phantoms maybe I'll kill you
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I swear this covenant gives me mixed results. Someimes it's "ah gottem ggs" after killing a random summon that got lost and was away from his team before I'm sent home, and I enjoy it. Other times, I feel terrible about being forced to abandon the red I've been fighting alongside for that past 20 minutes against the resummoning gank.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Okay but imagine if you could summon purples unembered, that way there's risk/reward for it, since there's less penalty for them betraying you, but in return, they can betray you
- Anonymous
Want easy shackles? Put down a purple sign in Cathedral of the Deep. Then just vibe. I don't know why but hosts have a weird tendency of wandering off and dying when no one is looking, particularly in this level. Can't explain how many moments where me and a sunbro were working together to kill the second giant when BOOM. "Duty fulfilled". Cue a few confused glances between me and them before we're each booted back to our world.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
If you want easy shackles, invade where in the catacombs. Those who killed abyss watchers are always embered, and there is a good chance farmers are as well.
- Anonymous
If you need to boost discovery with two crystal rapiers but no gold coins. Use chaos pyromancy and switch to rapiers before the lava finishes off the skeletons.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
need help farming shackles please
Steam name SpaceIsGood
ive got 21 so far
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
i am looking for someone to help with the vertebra shackle farming. i have 6 from trying to get them from the catacombs but it is very tedious and boring. if someone is willing to help me out with this it would be awesome. PSN is Deathreign.
- Anonymous
Watching this comment section makes me wish hodrick and tsorig invaded together in the catacombs.
- Anonymous
To Baron Blazeflame or what ur name was I forgot (guy with firelink helm), thank you for helping me farm vertebrae in the catacombs with no communication at all, just gestures, summon signs, and mutual understanding XD! Thanks to u I have only 4 vertebrae left to reach 30.
As a tip to anyone else, if you go the Catacombs of Carthus bonfire, and find purple summon signs from players wearing the Symbol of Avarice, they are also farming vertebrae. You can help by summoning them and letting them kill you, if they are friendly and notice you let them kill you, once u respawn leave ur own Red Soapstone sign and they just might summon you and let you kill them just like you did. Remember to be polite with gestures, 2/4 players I encountered with this method understood and we helped each other out. ALSO NOTE: If you summon a purple phantom to your world and then kill them, you don't get a vertebrae. So there's nothing to gain from being a ****.
Having finished up most of the invasion covenants (barring Aldrich Faithful since I'm SL30), I can say this is the best covenant to wear when you're invading for fun. The main appeal for me is the worlds with more phantoms to kill, and the fact that if you die, the host gets a covenant item out of it. It's a win-win; either you get the satisfaction of taking out a host and their crew, or the host gets Estus refills and one less Shackle to farm down the road.
Being a friendly White Sign purple in Cathedral is also cool. One build I had worked around being a "tour guide" of sorts, with a Torch and Talisman to cast healing miracles (and totally not Force). My offhands had a parry shield and a Fire Dagger, while I had the Hornet Ring and Untrue Dark ring equipped. Even in basic clothing, I got great results from critting Thralls, Cathedral Knights, and invaders who wanted a piece of my victim. Every time we opened a shortcut back to the bonfire, I'd signal that it was time to fight, and even though my results were 50/50, I always got resummoned.
The amount of friend requests I'd received at the end of my few days on this character genuinely makes me happy. There's really no reason to have anything else equipped if you're playing general multiplayer, unless you're pure co-op and want to Praise the Sun at the end of a great boss battle.
Take care, folks, and best of luck farming or playing <3
- Anonymous
Lookin for a mound maker bro to farm vertebras and other stuff. Thx.
Ps4 masaru9000
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Anyone still farming on PS? I'm bored of fight clubs which turn into ganks. PSNID Prelude2disastr
Feel free to add me to farm :)
- Anonymous
Anyone up for some cheesy farming?
Steam Code: 76561198044202148
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Nee'td help to farm thou'st shackles? or thy need satisfy the urge to contend to a foe PvP style?
steam code:1013759832
- Anonymous
Use white soapstone with this equipped at the ringed city. You won't attract any blues and use a "white phantom" slot. If the host doesn't fight you as a mad phantom, he will fight you as a boss.
- Anonymous
looking forward to farm the covenant object with someone :D, steam friend code 165356610
Rosaria's fingers: removes the tongues of their victims for their speechless goddess.
Blade of Darkmoon: takes the ears of the guilty as proof of their conquest and to put fear into others.
Mound-Makers: Rips out a specific bone from each of their victims to add to their already large pile of bones.
the player who switches between every covenant: my goals are beyond your understanding
- Anonymous
Did you really thought getting 30 bones was an easy job? Think Anons think!
Looking to farm and help with someone on PlayStation
PSN ID: spiritistz_jp
- Anonymous
Looking to Farm V.B..
PS4. PSN: diegodramos
Sign on Great Wall of Lothric - 1st bonfire
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
anyone wanna 1v1 and like help each other get covenant items?
i cant ever stay in a match ppl jus alt f 4 and its taking 50 invations to get one and that's a bit absurd
- Anonymous
I'm very confused. If I put my sign down with the white soapstone, do I always spawn in in the same set locations an invader can show up?
I assumed if I'm using the white sign that it would just spawn me where I put the sign, like the way the white sign always works. But that's not what's happening. Is this how it's supposed to work?
- Anonymous
what's up with people treating purple phantoms as ALWAYS hostile, it's ****ing annoying. if we're in irythill and someone invades without being summoned in then let's team up and **** em. the amount of times the host will team up WITH the invader against me is unreal
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Invading as purple, battle taking too long due to host turtling behind 2 phantoms, finally got a red to invade, now all 4 are trying to kill me, some red invader you are
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I died to Holy Knight, but as I was dying he walked off a cliff and I never got the item. Is there any way to gain it, aside from NG+?
- Anonymous
This is my favourite covenant after Rosarias Finges because of the Mad-Phantom idea. With untrue white ring i was able to easly slay some filthy casuals. I even named myself ater him and killed like 39 people as him.
- Anonymous
Farmed all the shackles in one day. Was SL 20 had only +2 equipment on me and started invading at the Delapitating Bridge Bonfire. Half the time I had to do nothing, the Embers of the Host died on their own before I managed to get to them.
- Anonymous
I'm a Pyro on my first game and decided to play blind like you're supposed to and I missed my chance to join for the playthrough. Wish not everything needed an extensive guide with spoilers. Guess I'll farm offline.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Best place to farm for me was Earthen peak ruins bonfire in Ringed city, lots of people die by the angel's laser, nothing to actually do and you got a shackle! ;)
- Anonymous
Do people play NG+ on PC? The only pyro spell I need is from this Covenant.
- Anonymous
What i see here is the catacombs becoming gank city 2.0 thanks to so many beggars being easy prey for whoever actually invade.
- Anonymous
People are so lazy. Just play online. In time you'll get the stuff you need. Play well, and you'll get them faster. This isn't a game for impatient people anyway.
- Anonymous
I need to farm these on Steam. If anyone would like to help my ID is 76561198135802607
- Anonymous
Looking to farm these if anyone still around psn: Ryan_kboots
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
If only you could camouflage your purple sign by equipping the untrue white ring and then **** the host over at a convenient time or not if you so please.^^ I mean, as long as the lock-on function works every host is able to check if that one is legit or not. Maybe displaying the username a bit different compared to normal friendly phantoms to add another hint somethign is wrong would also do the trick.
- Anonymous
If someone can help me cheese this farming on PS, add me @TheEvolvedNerd
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
idk man everyone seems to hate purple mad men. One time I tried to watch duel between host and invader but they forfeited their duel to gank me. Each pointed down on me with great joy
- Anonymous
Need to farm these on Steam. Anyone who would like help my Steam ID is: 76561197989871519
- Anonymous
Anyone here who still needs shackles and wants to farm them with me? If so, pls reply and i'll add you on steam
- Anonymous
"Excuse me, host of embers, but you re too used to ganks and game prioritizes that to invasions. Not sorry in the slightest for yeeting your phantoms with dragonslayer greataxe and returning to my world with my well earned vertebra shackle and a point down for you and your salt at my success."
Now seriously, if you want one-shot builds to end, you know well what to do.
Would like to trade kills for shackles (or any other help).
Steam code: 67084538
NG+2, SL 247
0
+10
-1