Weapon Modification

Weapon modification is a vital gameplay mechanic of Dark Souls.

Weapon modification allows weapons (including Shields) to be improved in power and endowed with special elemental damage, dramatically improving their performance against tougher enemies.

Reinforcement
Weapons can be reinforced by any blacksmith NPC, increasing their damage statistics and stability. The player may also do this at any bonfire after purchasing the Weapon Smithbox.

However, the Weapon Smithbox does not allow players to ascend their weapons, or to pass milestones; if one wishes to upgrade from +5 to +6 or from +10 to +11, the player must see the relevant blacksmith.


 * Base
 * Titanite Shard to +5
 * Large Titanite Shard to +10
 * Titanite Chunk to +14
 * Titanite Slab to +15


 * Raw
 * Large Titanite Shard to +5


 * Divine
 * Green Titanite Shard to +5


 * Lightning
 * Titanite Chunk to +4
 * Titanite Slab to +5


 * Fire


 * Magic


 * Enchanted


 * Dragon
 * Dragon Scale to +5


 * Boss
 * Demon Titanite to +5

Weapon ascension
At certain reinforcement milestones, specific blacksmiths can ascend a weapon, resetting its reinforcements but changing its base statistics dramatically. Alternately, they can also upgrade the weapon further along its current path (e.g. +5 to +6.)

Note that the weapon must be at this exact milestone. If upgraded further, they must be downgraded; see below section.


 * Andrei of Astora (Undead Parish)
 * Raw (regular +5; Large Titanite Shard)
 * Divine (regular +5; Green Titanite Shard)
 * Occult?


 * Giant Blacksmith (Anor Londo)
 * Lightning (regular +10; )
 * Boss (regular +10; specific Weapon type; specific Boss soul)


 * Magic
 * Fire?
 * Chaos?
 * Chaos?

Downgrading
Weapons can be downgraded at any blacksmith, including ones unable to ascend the weapon to its present state (e.g. Andrei of Astora can downgrade Lightning weapons to +10 base weapons, but he cannot ascend to Lightning.)

A +6~+10 regular weapon can also be downgraded to a +5 regular weapon, and a +11 or higher weapon to a +10 weapon.