- Not to be confused with Weapon Augmentation.
Weapon modification is a gameplay mechanic of Dark Souls.
Weapon modification allows weapons (including shields) to be reinforced in power and/or endowed with special elemental damage, improving their performance against tougher enemies.
Weapon Ascension[]
At certain reinforcement levels, specific blacksmiths can ascend a weapon. There are numerous ascension paths to choose from. They can change the stat scaling of the weapon, altering its base statistics dramatically, and sometimes add an elemental damage type and/or an auxiliary effect.
The weapon must be at the required level in order to be upgraded down a specific path and some require specific embers that can be found throughout the world.
Standard[]
Andre of Astora - Undead Parish
- Standard +6 requires Standard +5 Weapon and Large Ember
- Standard +11 requires Standard +10 Weapon and Very Large Ember
- Titanite Shard from +1 to +5
- Large Titanite Shard from +6 to +10
- Titanite Chunk from +11 to +14
- Titanite Slab to +15
Raw[]
Andre of Astora - Undead Parish
- Raw requires Standard +5 Weapon and Large Ember
- Large Titanite Shard from +1 to +5
Divine[]
Andre of Astora - Undead Parish
- Divine requires Standard +5 Weapon and Divine Ember
- Divine +6 requires Divine +5 Weapon and Large Divine Ember
- Green Titanite Shard from +1 to +5
- White Titanite Chunk from +6 to +9
- White Titanite Slab to +10
Occult[]
Andre of Astora - Undead Parish
- Occult requires Divine +5 Weapon and Dark Ember
- White Titanite Chunk from +1 to +4
- White Titanite Slab to +5
Fire[]
- Fire requires Standard +5 Weapon
- Fire +6 requires Fire +5 Weapon and Large Flame Ember
- Green Titanite Shard from +1 to +5
- Red Titanite Chunk from +6 to +9
- Red Titanite Slab to +10
Chaos[]
- Chaos requires Fire +5 Weapon and Chaos Flame Ember
- Red Titanite Chunk from +1 to +4
- Red Titanite Slab to +5
Magic[]
Rickert of Vinheim - New Londo Ruins
- Magic requires Standard +5 Weapon
- Magic +6 requires Magic +5 Weapon and Large Magic Ember
- Green Titanite Shard from +1 to +5
- Blue Titanite Chunk from +6 to +9
- Blue Titanite Slab to +10
Enchanted[]
Rickert of Vinheim - New Londo Ruins
- Enchanted requires Magic +5 Weapon and Enchanted Ember
- Blue Titanite Chunk from +1 to +4
- Blue Titanite Slab to +5
Lightning[]
- Lightning requires Standard +10 Weapon
- Titanite Chunk from +1 to +4
- Titanite Slab to +5
Crystal[]
- Crystal requires Standard +10 Weapon and Crystal Ember
- Titanite Chunk from +1 to +4
- Titanite Slab to +5
Boss and Demon[]
- Boss Weapon requires Standard +10 Weapon and corresponding Boss Soul
- Demon Titanite from +1 to +5
Weapon 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 a Weapon Smithbox.
The Weapon Smithbox and all blacksmiths can upgrade any intermediate level of any path not "requiring ascension" (1 to 5, 7 to 10, 12 to 15). To upgrade (on any path) past +5 (to +6) requires a blacksmith. To upgrade (on any path) past +5 (to elemental "+0") requires a blacksmith (see above). To upgrade (on any path) past +10 (to +11) requires a blacksmith. (See the list above if you are unsure of which blacksmith specializes in which elemental qualities.)
The Dragon and Unique upgrade paths are not ascension paths and do not require a specific blacksmith.
Unique[]
- Twinkling Titanite from +1 to +5
Dragon[]
- Dragon Scale from +1 to +5
Downgrading[]
Weapons can be downgraded at any blacksmith, including blacksmiths unable to ascend the weapon to its present state (e.g. Andre can downgrade Lightning weapons to +10 base weapons, but he cannot ascend to Lightning.)
A +6 to +10 regular weapon can also be downgraded to a +5 regular weapon, and a +11 or higher weapon to a +10 weapon.
Please note: downgrading any weapon to its previous state destroys the upgrading materials in the process. For example, if you downgrade a Divine Longsword back to its previous state (Longsword +5), you lose the green titanite shard that you spent to upgrade it in the first place.
In other words, the green titanite shard used to upgrade the Longsword can't simply be removed at will, and will never be refunded to you. It's "spent forever".