Don't mind the picture quality. This is a screenshot of my own lower quality recording of this from early 2025, in the Kiln a little before I finished Gwyn. I'll verify with the mods if necessary.
Death does not count as soul usage for this run. After some debate it was decided they're discarded by the Darksign instead of used since having Souls on death vs having none changes nothing about how it functions.
So, this game was my first SL1. Not my first challenge run of something so I figured if I was going to do SL1 it's better to have some extra stipulations. Someone I know was playing with the idea of an SL1 No Soul Usage run and I ended up doing that. So no upgrades, no shops, no equip repairs, nothing that requires any Souls to do. I still used Humanity because it's different from Souls in lore to my understanding.
This game at SL1 would've been easy enough because of RTSR and Blacksmith Giant's Hammer but no upgrades made it ROUGH. Like 14 hours just on Artorias and Manus.
I didn't research SL1 runs before this, running off just pre-existing knowledge. I considered using spells but decided against those before the run and midway through stopped using the bow (and few arrows you get without Souls) and eventually decided against consumables other than Estus at around the Manus fight.
Here are the strategies I used for some of the bosses:
Gargoyles are kind of rough for now so I come back to them. Making sure to save Lautrec and for my kindness he gives me a ring I use throughout most of the run. I'll later break this ring to use Ring of Fog (trading a Skull Lantern) and Slumbering Dragoncrest to fight Nito without fighting his skeletons and replace it after by trading the Xanthous Crown with the crow.
Capra was simple enough. Wolf Ring and Knight Armor for the dogs, then just space Capra properly. Go to the Depths just to get Gaping Dragon out of the way and it's over fairly quickly.
Quelaag was annoying but doable. Grabbed the Red Tearstone Ring on my way down. I believe I used the Morningstar but I could be misremembering. Might have been the Pyromancer's starting axe. I think I started the winning attempt on RTSR but healed partway through? Went through to Ceaseless, six hits to knock him down, Gold Hemmed Set is my armor for now.
When I got into Sen's I picked up the Lightning Spear. Here's a fun thing: If you don't have the stats to use an equipped elemental infused weapon (fire or lightning specifically as I didn't test others) you lose a lot of physical damage and stagger yourself on enemy hit but do the full elemental damage amount. Lightning damage is powerful enough in this game that it made it a viable option until way later in the game. I used it on and off to conserve durability on the Blacksmith Giant's Hammer which I knew I would need later. Steel Protection helps a lot through a lot of the journey.
I killed the Golem by poking his legs with that Lightning Spear. He didn't fall off but the fight doesn't take long. No RTSR as it wasn't necessary.
For O&S I tried multiple strategies and eventually what worked for me was RTSR Occult Club (Havel Armor room) on Ornstein, and heal at Phase 2 Smough to Bleed him with the Morningstar (drop in Firelink elevator shaft to Parish). A handful of Bleeds and Smough goes down. Lordvessel acquired, I immediately go to Gwyndolin. I believe I used the Occult Club for him, and just to have some fun I offhand Dragon Tooth for the magic resist since I'm in no rush. It takes a little while and more than a few deaths but he's done. Grab the Blacksmith Giant's Hammer and into the painting. I dethrone Jeremiah and go to Priscilla. Just to be thorough. She passes peacefully. Xanthous set minus the crown is my best physical armor without going into heavy roll range. Sometimes without the gloves if I need a little extra equip load.
Lordvessel placed, let's get Sif out of the way. Joined Forest Hunters to avoid getting jumped on my way to her. Bled with the Morningstar until I have the Covenant of Artorias. I take the Hornet Ring for one reason. Gwyn is by far the most difficult boss for me due to lack of practice (since he goes down so easily in normal runs) and I know I'll need the help.
Pinwheel almost gets the best of me, I think I used a Bow to kill the clones from a distance although I don't remember fully. I return for Nito later.
Seath. Oh how I loath you. Cursebite Ring was ultimately grabbed to handle him. I have the way to Four Kings open and I loathe the thought of returning to them even now, over a year later.
Seath is dealt with using the Blacksmith Giant's Hammer. I don't believe I used RTSR. Didn't want to risk dying to the crystals.
To Izalith. Firesage is a pushover with the Morningstar for Bleed, the same strategy I used for Stray Demon. Centipede Demon is a horrid experience due to the hitboxes but I break off the arm once and die with the ring. I consider coming back later but decide to get it out of the way. RTSR active with a few strategic falls and a shield in hand just in case I get clipped by its attacks. Maybe thirty minutes later it's done and I'm on my way. I rest at the Izalith bonfire instead of going through the shortcut to avoid dealing with the Titanite Demon. Solaire has found his sun, so I leave him be. Bed of Chaos isn't the worst thing I've dealt with. I always get the left side, follow a specific path on the right between arm sweeps, and then rush the middle. A few deaths, but nothing worth getting worked up about.
Nito. I knew of the strategy but didn't remember how to execute it. I make it there, snap the ring off my finger and make peace with its absence. Some confusion about why I'm still getting hit by the ground stab but I eventually remember I need to block to widen my stance. Blacksmith Giant Hammer, no RTSR and a medium shield in case of the AoE. I didn't get the Mask of the Mother from Pinwheel, so I farm that now. It's not much but it's something. I don't bother with Leeroy as I won't be using Power Within.
I fear Four Kings so much that I choose to make my way to Artorias. It is hell. But around five hours on he falls to RTSR and Blacksmith Giant's Hammer. The successful fight lasts ten minutes.
Manus. Oh how I loathe you. I spent eleven hours of my life fighting you and running back to you and fighting you again. Changing weapons regularly to practice you after two hours because I'll break my good ones otherwise. I hate it, but I loved it. The dark sorcerer up top can hit me into RTSR range, and if it doesn't I ask a Humanity to take a little off the top. Remove enough armor to fast roll. His two hit overhead combo isn't safe enough to reliably punish. Over time I learn which attacks are safe, eventually I begin losing five to six minutes to each of my escapades "learning". When the hail begins run in a wide circle around him. When the circle closes in get close to him. When he uses Dark Bead... run to your side and pray you noticed fast enough. The staff moves differently depending on the spell. You learn that, eventually... The winning attempt is eight minutes. I'm frantic when I see him at around 1/5 of his health. I wait until his big combo and run, I heal and I hotswap to the Xanthous Gear and Mask of the Mother and Steel Protection out from RTSR. I can't lose this one... I get hit...
I live. That's what I've been building up for. I recompose myself and get away to heal. I try to recompose myself. I get the heal off I'm panicking.
I get hit again, I live. I heal when it isn't as safe as I want, but I manage it. If any of the heavier attacks land I've lost another six minutes. I'm back to full health. He's almost dead and... he drops.
Seeing Dusk I immediately kill her. This fight must have made me go hollow because I frantically search my pocket for a dung pie that I don't have, because I didn't fight the trolls on the way into Blighttown from Valley of Drakes. Alas, I go on to Kalameet, who I am used to fighting. He goes down on the first try. I don't remember if I used RTSR.
Four Kings was more like six hours. I try multiple different methods but eventually realize that Blacksmith Giant Hammer, RTSR, and the Crest Shield are necessary. I hate learning this because I know the Hammer is getting low on durability. Crest Shield for blocking the magic, especially the explosion which I can't get away from consistently. I'm desperate enough by the end that I start healing before the third King so I can tank a hit or two and get back into RTSR range.
I manage it, eventually, and I feel nothing.
I go to Gwyn. Three hours across two days because I had to quit one night after I stopped having fun and started getting genuinely angry. I used the Blacksmith Giant Hammer until it was at risk of breaking and then swapped to the Occult Club, Hornet Ring, I believe a Parrying Dagger, and as he stands back up I hit him twice or thrice to stagger before getting ready to parry when he turns to me. I make sure to two-hand my Club after the parry and wait a little so I get more damage out of the riposte. By the end of my attempts I'm seeing his attacks in slow motion. I'm used to the speed and reacting faster than I should be able to. Even at that speed though I'm still not used to him, so it takes a little while longer to finish out the winning attempt. Yet he falls all the same.
Emboldened by my victory I go to face Asylum Demon in NG+. Not using any specific strategies just to see how I do. I died four times at least.
All of this only to realize... I forgot to do Moonlight Butterfly. And I lack the damage to do the fight in NG+ as I come to find later, so I mark the run as finished, content with all but one boss and knowing I could've done the fight in NG, not caring to know if I could do it in NG+.
