Board Thread:Dark Souls/@comment-83.255.97.73-20160305032310/@comment-78.156.67.52-20160305060945

Boy, so many questions. lol

I wouldn't stress too much over being "perfect" on your first runthrough. The joy of the game is discovering how good you can be with all that you've learned throughout, and you'll have more definite ideas of how best to proceed once everything has been revealed.

Some vague guidelines for a decent dex-pyro build:

VIT: 20-25

ATT: 16

END: 30-40 -- depends on how much clunky stuff you want to wear/how many heavy weapons you want to hold

STR: 16 -- you're good for a dex build, no need to go higher

DEX: 45

INT: leave it where it is

FAI: 30

...and you won't want to go beyond Soul Level 125 if you want to retain any chance of finding co-op people to play with.

The only reason I suggest 30 Faith is that you'll come to a fork in the road later where you may decide that you want to use a weapon buff, and those require either 30 Faith or 25 Intelligence. It's worth checking out the buff you get with Intelligence, but maybe save it for a different playthrough. Having a good amount of Faith will let you choose from one of two available weapon buffs found later in the game, and you'll also be able to make use of the Heal and Homeward miracles, which can be a big help to new players.

Weapon-wise, I wouldn't bother with Black Knight Halberd. Its moveset is not for everyone, and it's a little overpowered, doesn't make you feel like a very skillful player. Stick to your Uchi or Balder Sword. The Great Scythe is technically the most damaging weapon for a dex build, but again, not a great moveset and it feels a bit cheap to use at times.

Shields: You'll be a better player by just not bothering with them: unnecessary weight. Wear a light clothes set and practice side-rolling effectively. If you really want a shield, your Grass Crest will give you a good Stamina-regen boost, and you can always wear it on your back and continue to two-hand attack.

Rings: Havel's and Wolf Ring would be the best out of what you currently have. Do a little more exploring and consider trying Cloranthy + Dark Wood Grain, or Bellowing + Lingering Dragoncrest, or even Ring of Fog + Slumbering Dragoncrest.

Armour is entirely up to you, just go with what you think looks cool and affords you a movement speed you find acceptable. If you really want to upgrade a whole set, I'd suggest this:

No headpiece (Big Hat, if you find it, later)

Dingy Robe

Black Sorcerer Gloves

Bloodstained Skirt (switching to Maiden Skirt, if you find it, later)

It's a light set that typically affords you fast-roll, gives excellent magic-protection (important for a couple of key bosses) and reasonably good physical protection. So, functional, but ugly as hell! And if you don't feel like hunting for individual pieces, the Crimson set will probably see you through just fine.