In Demon’s Souls, one of the most powerful tools you can have is information. So naturally, the game itself doesn’t give you very much. Much of Demon’s Souls is fairly straightforward, but the nuance of what to do and when is very much a mystery to new players. This includes some systems that are deliberately vague. In this case, we’re talking about Tendency, an option you can check in the menu, but without an explanation.
That’s what we’re here for!
Demon’s Souls Tendency Guide
There are two kinds of Tendency in Demon’s Souls. There’s World Tendency, and Character Tendency. Each level has its own Tendency gauge, an icon that looks sort of like a cat’s eye combined with a full moon.
These icons can change color depending on what happens as you play, from “Pure White” to “Pure Black.” And depending on which color Tendency leans toward, parts of a player’s experience can change. Here’s what it all means.
World Tendency
Each level has its own Tendency, and depending on where yours lies, there will be modifiers for things like loot drops or enemy strength. If a level has white Tendency, enemies will have slightly lower health and defense.
There are also certain NPCs you can run into, and items you can find via specific events you can come across. Black Tendency is basically the inverse. Enemies will be stronger, and there are certain events and parts of levels that will open up.
Beyond that, there will be new Phantom enemies that are really tough, but grant you sweet rewards if you can defeat them. Also, the stronger normal enemies drop better loot and more Souls in general.
Changing a level’s Tendency alignment depends on specific actions, some of which you only have so much control over. To get “points” towards white Tendency, you need to succeed.
That means defeating Demon bosses, defeating invading players, and defeating those powerful Phantom enemies we mentioned earlier. For the other side, there are two ways to head in that direction.
You can die while you have your body, or you can kill friendly NPCs. So getting your ass kicked while in Soul form won’t count against you.
If you’re trying to grind Souls or seek out those tough Phantoms, you can use a Stone of Ephemeral Eyes to restore your body, then go die. Do that enough times in a row and you’ll be in the black.
Character Tendency
Character Tendency is similar to World Tendency in its form and function. Based on how your game goes, there will be a slight impact on your character. On the white side, you’ll have slightly higher health and damage output.
Your Blue Phantom, which other players can summon in their games, will also be a bit stronger. Conversely, on the black side you’ll have slightly lower health and attack, but your Black Phantom will be stronger for when you invade other players.
Each side also has its own event of sorts in the Nexus, which can get you respective Rings that boost your Phantoms as well.
Changing your Tendency alignment is similar to how it works for World Tendency. If you beat a player’s Black Phantom or one of the Phantoms that appear in black World Tendency, you’ll lean white.
If you kill friendly NPCs or defeat players as a Black Phantom yourself, you’ll gain points towards black Tendency. In the grand scheme of things, the impact Tendency has on your levels and character isn’t huge, and either side opens up new opportunities.
And if you’re just playing through blindly, it’s likely you won’t land on the extreme end of either color. So really this is only something you really need to care about if you’re aiming to see everything Demon’s Souls has to offer.
What do our readers think? Do you have a Tendency preference, or do you prefer to just play the game and react to it as you go? Let us know what you think about the new Demon’s Souls remake over at the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter channels!
