Dark Souls 3 Covenants Guide – Earn & Be Rewarded

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The world of Dark Souls is a decaying one that highlights the solitude players feel as they explore its desolate locales and fight its undead citizens. As you play through the games, most of your company comes from either cryptic NPCs that speak in esoteric ramblings or in reliving the deaths of others by watching their spirits that are doomed to repeat it. Of course, you can also summon a friend to accompany you temporarily, but these can also be offset by strangers invading your world against your will with the sole purpose of killing you. There are covenants for players who want to play a more social role in the community.

Key Info Up Front

Covenants are factions that players can join to earn ranks for unique rewards or be summoned to help or harm other players. This makes them an excellent way for experienced players or those who enjoy fighting others to get even more playtime out of each Dark Souls title. The covenants in Dark Souls 3 are:

  • Warrior of Sunlight: Focuses on helping others
  • Way of Blue: Summons others to help you
  • Blue Sentinels: Summons others to help you and helps others
  • Blades of the Darkmoon: Summons others to help you and helps others
  • Rosaria’s Fingers: Focuses on invading others
  • Mound-Maker: Can either invade others or help them
  • Watchdogs of Farron: Will summon you to defend Farron Keep
  • Aldrich Faithful: Will summon you to defend Anor Londo
  • Spears of the Church: Will summon you to take part in the Darkeater Midir boss fight

Covenant Overview

Each covenant has unique requirements for players to join, but upon doing so, each rewards you with a ring. The covenant’s effects will only occur while the ring is equipped, allowing you to opt-out of being summoned if you aren’t looking to play online or are just trying to get past a demanding boss. Each player can only be aligned to one covenant at a time, so joining one immediately makes you leave your previous one. Joining a covenant can be a great way to get more playtime out of Dark Souls 3 and to engage with the game’s bustline online community, but completing actions for them also rewards you with a unique resource that can be turned in to unlock their specific rewards for their members. These rewards can be anything from valuable consumables to unique spells or mechanics.

Warriors of Sunlight

The Warriors of Sunlight worship the sun’s divine light and work effortlessly to bring its benevolence to others by helping them in their times of need. This covenant is mainly focused on placing summoning signs to be summoned into another player’s game to help them get through an area or defeat a boss. This means that it is excellent for players who like cooperative play and aren’t as interested in facing other players in PvP duels.

Joining the Warriors of Sunlight

To join the Warriors of Sunlight, you’ll have to get your hands on an item called the Warrior of Sunlight. This item can be found in the Undead Settlement, which you reach by being carried there by gargoyles after receiving the Small Lothric Banner from Emma. Once there, take a left from the bonfire and go straight through the house of corpses toward the burning tree. Go straight through the area with the tree until you reach a cluster of houses and go into the first one. The room you enter should be filled with hanging corpses, but you have to jump down into the hole in the floor of the room to get the item.

Warriors of Sunlight Effects

Since the Warriors of Sunlight are focused on getting summoned to help other players, a golden hue around your summoning sign in other players’ worlds is one of the most significant effects you get for joining the covenant. This helps make your sign stand out and informs other players that if you successfully assist them, you both will receive a Sunlight Medal and regular rewards. When you are summoned into their world, your character will also perform the unique Praise the Sun gesture rather than the default calling animation and brightly glow with the sun’s light as long as you are in their game. Suppose you do decide to use an item to invade a player’s game instead. In that case, your matchmaking will prioritize a player already being plagued by someone else and will still give you your golden glow, although with a red outline around it.

Ranking Up in the Warriors of Sunlight

Like all covenants, the Warriors of Sunlight have two ranks that can be achieved, each having its reward. You have to turn in 10 Sunlight Medals to reach the first rank, while the second rank requires a cumulative 30. Sunlight Medals are earned by helping a player complete an area or kill a boss, successfully invading another player and killing them, or a few drops from the Lothric Knights found in the Lothric Castle area. To turn the Sunlight Medals in, you have to travel to the sunlight altar located in Lothric Castle.

Reaching the first rank will net you the Sacred Oath miracle. It is a group buff miracle that grants all players within range with a 10% increase to damage dealt and 10 points of absorption for every damage type. However, these effects are halved while playing PvP. The second rank rewards you with the Great Lightning Spear miracle. This miracle hurls a bolt of lightning towards an enemy to deal damage equal to your spell buff x 1.85.

Way of Blue

Way of Blue is a covenant focused on asking for help from other players. It results from an old accord through ancient magics with the moon. Rather than summoning you to other games, it instead guarantees that other players will be called to help you when invaders join yours. This makes the covenant perfect for players who are nervous to try PvP themselves or want some extra help.

Joining the Way of Blue

To join this covenant, you need the item Way of Blue. To get it, you have to travel to the area across from the Vordt of the Boreal Valley boss fight where there is a cathedral with Emma inside. When you exhaust all of the dialogue options with Emma, you will receive the item.

Way of Blue Effects

While you have the Way of Blue item equipped and are part of the covenant, any time an invader comes to your world, a friendly spirit from the Blue Sentinels or the Blades of the Darkmoon will be summoned to help you. However, the summoning can take some time, so you will likely want to hide or run away from the invader until your help arrives. Once they are in your world, you can either let them take care of the invader by themselves, or you can help them. These friendly spirits will not be summoned while facing invaders from the Aldrich Faithful or Watchdogs of Farron covenants.

Ranking Up in the Way of Blue

There are no ranks or rewards in the Way of Blue since it is a covenant that only helps you defend yourself.

Blue Sentinels

The Blue Sentinels are the higher echelon of the Way of Blue. They are sworn to protect the weak who request it, leading to them being automatically summoned whenever a member of the Way of Blue is invaded against their will. For this reason, when you are a part of this covenant, you do not choose when you are summoned to help other players, so you should only join it and wear its ring if you are ready for PvP content.

Joining the Blue Sentinels

To join the Blue Sentinels, you have to get the Blue Sentinels item from Anri of Astora and Horace the Hushed in the Road of Sacrifices. The bonfire can find them in the Halfway Fortress.

Blue Sentinels Effects

The primary effect of the covenant is summoning its members to defend those in the Way of Blue covenant from invaders other than those that are part of the Aldrich Faithful or Watchdogs of Farron covenants. When summoned to another’s world, your sole purpose is to kill the invaders or for the player to enter a boss room, as that will banish the invaders as well. As part of this covenant, you will not stay to help the player defeat the boss.

Ranking Up in the Blue Sentinels

To reach the two higher ranks in the Blue Sentinels, you need to collect Proof of a Concord Kept. These are gained by defeating invading players when summoned, earning one Proof of Concord Kept for each player defeated. They can also be dropped by Silver Knights in Anor Londo, although this is quite rare. Once you have the Proofs, they must be turned in to Company Captain Yorshka, who can be found in a tower near the first bonfire of Anor Londo.

For reaching the first rank, you will receive the Darkmoon Ring. This ring gives you two additional attunement slots when equipped, allowing you to bring more spells with you at any given moment. The second rank rewards you with the Darkmoon Blade Miracle. This miracle is a buff that increases your weapon damage with magic damage that equals your spell buff times 0.95 and lasts for a full minute.

Blades of the Darkmoon

The Blades of the Darkmoon are a sister covenant to the Blue Sentinels. Although the Blades are a much older sect of the order, they share the same purpose and rank rewards. This means that the Blades of the Darkmoon are also automatically summoned to help those of the Way of Blue, so you’ll only want to join this covenant if you’re ready to tackle PvP.

Joining the Blades of the Darkmoon

To join the Darkmoon Blades, you have to acquire its unique item and get your hands on the Darkmoon Loyalty gesture. The thing is found in Anor Londo inside a tower at the end of an invisible walkway accessed by the rotating platform. To reach it, see the tower in the distance with a visible bonfire in it. Walk towards the bonfire until you are directly above it, and then step off the invisible walkway to land next to the bonfire. You have to talk to Sirris of the Sunless Realms to acquire the gesture. Sirris can be found in the Firelink Shrine and will give you the gesture for free if you exhaust their dialogue lines.

Effects of the Blades of the Darkmoon

When you join the Blades of the Darkmoon, you will automatically be summoned to fight players who invade the games of others that are part of the Way of Blue. However, you will not be summoned to defend players invaded by members of the Aldrich Faithful or Watchdog of Farron covenants, and if you kill any of them. In contrast, you won’t receive any rewards in another player’s world.

Raking Up in the Blades of the Darkmoon

Blades of the Darkmoon share the ranks and rewards of the Blue Sentinels.

Rosaria’s Fingers

The Rosaria’s Fingers covenant works to serve the goddess Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth. Rosaria is a dark goddess that is voiceless, so she requests her followers to bring her pale tongues in a cruel twist of irony. This covenant is entirely focused on invading other players and killing them, so make sure you only join it if you are ready for PvP content.

Joining Rosaria’s Fingers

To join this covenant, you have to find Rosaria herself in the Cathedral of the Deep. To do so, travel to the area and make your way up the elevator that acts as a shortcut on the left side of the Cleansing Chapel. Then, go outside and climb up the ladder there before heading into the hole in the wall at the top. You then have to drop onto the support beam below and go to its top. Then, go through the first passage on your right and cross the stone arches to the opposite side of the room. Fall to the platform of stone below and then jump down again. Then, hug the wall to your right, and you will eventually reach Rosaria and a bonfire that you can use to fast travel to her.

Effects of Rosaria’s Fingers

When you join this covenant, you get the unique ability to be reborn up to five times each playthrough. This can be done by giving Rosaria a pale tongue and allowing you to change your character’s physical appearance and thoroughly respond to your attribute points. This can be incredibly useful for testing out different builds. However, giving any pale tongues to Rosaria to rank up in the covenant will end Sirris’ questline and make him aggressive toward you.

Ranking Up in Rosaria’s Fingers

Rosaria’s Finger ranks are rewarded for gifting Rosaria pale tongues. These are earned by invading the worlds of other players and killing them and any defenders, although you can only offer her a maximum of 99. When you invade a player’s world, you will be completely red, alerting them to your hostile nature.

For turning in 10 pale tongues and reaching the first rank, you will be gifted the Obscuring Ring. The ring is beneficial for invaders, as it makes you completely invisible to other players at a range of 10 meters away or more. This is great for setting up ambushes or disengaging from your target to heal or make preparations before attacking again. The second rank nets you Man-Grub’s Staff. This staff is an exciting choice because its stats are increased by Luck rather than intelligence, making it an excellent option for Luck-based caster builds.

Mound-Makers

The Mound-Maker covenant is unique in that it is primarily made up of those driven insane with the task of killing others to increase the size of their mounds. This makes the covenant entirely impartial for who they kill, as any death fuels their growth. This makes the covenant appealing for players looking to help others with bosses or those more interested in PvP fights.

Joining the Mound-Makers

The process for obtaining the Mound-Maker item is more complicated than the covenants up to this point. You can join it before the Curse-Rotted Greatwood breaks the ground by traveling to the Undead Settlement and going to the burning pile with an Evangelist next to it. Then, go across the wooden bridge to your right and walk behind the stables there. From there, you’ll be able to see a cage spider NPC behind a small house. Climb up the ladder near that NPC and drop off the roof on the right side. There you will find a large man with a cage on his back and interact with him. This will teleport you to an area where you have to talk to Holy Knight Hodrick to get the item. However, if you kill the Curse-Rotted Greatwood before doing this, you have to go back to its boss room and summon Sirris of the Sunless Realms to join the covenant. If the Curse-Rotted Greatwood has already broken the ground and you have failed Sirris’ questline, it is impossible to join the covenant on that playthrough.

Effects of the Mound-Makers

The unique outlook of the Mound-Makers is heavily reflected in their invasions and summoning. Regardless of which way you enter a host’s world, you can damage all of the players there to sow maximum chaos and harvest as many Vertebra Shackles as possible. The only difference between being summoned or invading is that you will not be targeted by NPC enemies when you invade. Matchmaking, while part of this covenant, also prioritizes games with numerous players in them so that you can create as much chaos as possible.

Ranking Up in the Mound-Makers

You can reach the higher ranks of the Mound-makers by collecting Vertebra Shackles. These are collected by killing enemy players regardless of whether you are summoned to help them or invade to kill them. You can even target other summoned spirits or fellow invaders as well. They can also be earned by killing other Mound-Makers who invade your world regardless of whether or not you are in the covenant.

The covenant’s first rank rewards you with the Bloodlust katana. It has a unique ability that allows you to sacrifice some of your health to receive incredible sharpness temporarily. Reaching rank two will give you the Warmth pyromancy. This pyromancy heals you and any characters nearby in bursts of 35 health every second for 60 seconds, totaling 2100 health each cast.

Watchdogs of Farron

The Watchdogs of Farron are a covenant dedicated to protecting the sacred ground of Farron Woods through a pact with the Old Wolf of Farron. Joining this covenant automatically summons you to defend the area when other players are going through the site, which is done automatically.

Joining the Watchdogs of Farron

To join the Watchdogs of Farron, you have to pray to the Old Wolf of Farron at Farron Keep. The Old Wolf of Farron shrine is located in the poison swamp at the top of the tall ladder.

Effects of the Watchdogs of Farron

After you join the Watchdogs of Farron, you will be automatically summoned to kill other players in the area as long as their game still has either the Abyss Watchers or the Crystal Sage alive. While you are invading, you will not be attacked by any enemies in the area, and you are unable to damage them in return. While you are summoned to the other player’s world, you can also fight any other invaders there as well.

Ranking Up the Watchdogs of Farron

To rank up in the Watchdogs of Farron, you have to collect Wolf’s Blood Swordgrass by killing other players in the area. Once you have them, you turn them into the Old Wolf. You can also get Wolf’s Blood Swordgrass as rare drops by the Ghru Grunts as Elders, meaning you can farm those enemies while waiting to get summoned to another player’s world.

When you reach rank one, you get the Old Wolf Curved Sword greatsword. It has a unique skill Wolf Leap that allows you to make a spinning attack to damage enemies before leaping away and then performing a solid attack. Reaching the second rank will give you both the Wolf Knight’s Greatshield and the Wolf Ring. The great shield is a reliable shield with a unique skill that allows you to perform the weapon’s skill in your right hand. The Wolf Ring, on the other hand, increases your Poise.

Aldrich Faithful

The Aldrich Faithful are sworn to defend Anor Londo from any invaders. The covenant is a religious order that works to keep Aldrich, Devourer of Gods, undisturbed to prevent the age of fire ending and bringing about the age of deep waters. This is another covenant that automatically summons players when needed, so only join if you are looking for a lot of PvP combat.

Joining the Aldrich Faithful

Travel to the Pontiff Sulyvahn bonfire to join this covenant and go straight through the door. Then take a left up the stairs and a right through the valley of dead giants and the door at the far end. Hit the wall to your left to reveal a ladder behind it and go down the ladder and talk to Archdeacon McDonnell.

Effects of Aldrich Faithful

Joining this covenant will summon you to defend Anor Londo automatically. When summoned, you can kill the host and any other invaders or friendly spirits.

Raking Up Aldrich Faithful

To reach the higher ranks in the Aldrich Faithful, you have to collect Human Dregs and give them to Archdeacon McDonnell. These can be gathered by killing other players you are summoned to defend Anor Londo from and rare drops by killing Deacons. However, you cannot perform invasions using the red-eye orb to collect Human Dregs, as a successful invasion doing so will reward you with a pale tongue instead.

Donating 10 Human Dregs will get you to rank one, which comes with the Great Deep Soul sorcery. It is an offensive spell that deals dark damage equal to your spell buff times 1.3. It is a handy spell for hitting players as they flee from you, making it a fantastic final kill option. At rank two, you will be given the Archdeacon’s Great Staff.   It is an intelligence-based staff with a special ability that temporarily boosts the strength of sorceries.

Spears of the Church

Halflight, Spear of the Church | Dark Souls 3 Wiki | Boss Guide, Location, Drops, Stats and Tips

The Spears of the Church covenant was added with the DLC The Ringed City. Members of the covenant are tasked with protecting the slumber of the Princess. It is another covenant with automatic summoning, but with the unique foil of boss battles.

Joining the Spears of the Church

Joining the Spears of the Church is easy. To get its item, you have to kill Darkeater Midir underneath the Ring Wall bonfire, which will drop the thing for you to collect.

Effects of the Spears of the Church

While you are a member of the Spears of the Church, you will be automatically summoned to take the role of Halflight, Spear of the Church. Halflight is a boss fight in The Ringed City DLC that functions similarly to a regular PvP fight.

Ranking Up Spears of the Church

To reach the two ranks of Spears of the Church, you have to collect Filianor’s Spear Ornaments and take them to the altar next to the Ringed Knight with two greatswords just outside the chapel. These are earned by either killing Halflight, Spear of the Church, or defending.

The first rank rewards players with Young Grass Dew, which gives you passive bonuses when summoned for the covenant. Reaching rank two gives you the Divine Spear Fragment. This item can only be used when summoned through the covenant and allows the player to summon a row of spears in front of them that stab upwards, dealing double the damage of the Ritual Spear Fragment that functions similarly.

Conclusion

Covenants are a great way to encourage players to engage with Dark Souls 3‘s PvP content. There is a covenant out there for every type of player, and some of the most challenging fights one can have in the game tend to be against other players. So, whether you want to get some unique gear or test yourself against the community’s best players, covenants are here to help.

FAQs

Question: Can you join every covenant in Dark Souls 3 in one playthrough?

Answer: Yes, you can switch back and forth between the covenants at will and as much as you want in one playthrough.

Question: Does leave a covenant impact your rank?

Answer: Yes, leaving a covenant lowers your rank by one.

Question: Does covenant rank reset when starting New Game+?

Answer: No, your covenant rank will carry over when you start a New Game+ playthrough.

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