Demon's Souls SL1 Guidelines
~ Comprehensive, complete ruleset for Soul Level 1 runs ~
When someone mentions a 'SL1 run' regarding Demon's Souls or further Souls games,
they are referring to a Soul Level 1 run, a challenge run in which a player completes
the game from start to finish while never leveling up past SL1. This is only possible by
starting the game as the Royalty class.
These runs have a long-standing history in the community, alongside similar challenges or featuring
multiple sub-challenges.
In this page, you can read general information on SL1 runs such as rules, sub-challenges and the
required proof you need to submit in the Demon's Souls Discord
for both our standard and higher challenge runs.
Basic Rules
No other class can be used, as Royalty is the only class that starts with SL1.
Every boss must be killed. A boss can be defined by the sight of a health bar and/or a fog gate.
The required bosses are:
- Vanguard
- Phalanx |
Tower Knight |
Penetrator |
False King Allant
- Armor Spider |
Flamelurker |
Dragon God
- Fool's Idol |
Maneaters |
Old Monk
- Adjudicator |
Old Hero |
Storm King
- Leechmonger |
Dirty Colossus |
Maiden Astraea
- True King Allant
Note: Vanguard falls under different specifications depending on which run
you are attempting (Slayer, Monumental, Speedrun...)
Make sure to fully read the section you're interested in doing before starting your run!
There's multiple cheese tactics or exploits exclusive to this game. Most prominent ones are, to name a few: abuse of boss aggro ranges; excessive use of the Maneaters' arena brazier, or killing one of them through the fog (glitch exclusive to PS3); boss skips like 4-2 or 2-1, where the challenges of Old Hero or Armor Spider are entirely removed; killing Vanguard in 4-1 outside of its aggro range; PS5's AI-disableing through entering, then glitching out of the boss fog, or simply glitching out of the fog. None are allowed. Don't cheat yourself. If you are unsure as if something constitutes cheating or cheesing, please consult the Demon's Souls Discord moderators.
Important! In terms of glitches, it is generally allowed to dupe items as long as it simply cuts down farming time and the items can be farmed by the character, however, please notify the Demon's Souls Discord moderators if you want to get your run verified. Remake specific glitches like the infamous coin level up glitch are obviously not allowed.
Killing bosses via summoning players or with the help of Biorr is not acceptable. Every run found breaching this will be disqualified.
Important! In terms of trading, it is generally allowed to get items dropped as long as it simply cuts down farming time and the items can be farmed by the character, however, please notify the Demon's Souls Discord moderators if you want to get your run verified.
Multiple "interesting tactics" have been already tried and cut down. Needless to say, but this is a run where you challenge yourself.
- It is not allowed to obtain items before it is usually possible.
- No debug.
- No scripts nor external tools.
- Turning on iframes
- Script-killing bosses via flags
- Messing with stats
- Cheesing the AI...
These, and similar cheats will result in a disqualification of the run in question, with further moderation action to be taken.
Proof for SL1 Slayer of Demons
The SL1 Slayer award is given to those that complete a standard SL1 run. This is a run with no other stipulations than the ones listed above, where the player provides the proof listed below.
You have two choices in order to show proof for a SL1 Slayer of Demons run:
- Record a video showing your character stats and all boss souls,
archstones or empty arenas. This will prove you defeated each of them.
- Make a gallery of full screenshots (no cropping or editing will be allowed) of your character
stats and all boss souls, archstones or empty arenas. This will prove you defeated each of them.
Forward the record/screenshotted proof to a moderator in order to submit the run.
Important! - Vanguard: For a SL1 Slayer of Demons run,
you are allowed to kill Vanguard either in the tutorial or in 4-1.
If you used any boss souls for items, show them as well for proof.
It is strongly recommended to not use boss souls just for souls,
as you are effectively destroying your own SL1 proof.
For boss weapons, if you use Storm King's soul for Morion Blade,
you will need to give Flamelurker's soul to Blacksmith Ed.
In this case, alongside the rest of your proof must come proof of having Morion Blade,
and Flamelurker and Storm King's empty arenas and/or unlocked archstones.
Proof for SL1 Monumental of Demon's Souls
List of Monumentals
Monumental runs are SL1 runs with various specifications that make them exceptionally harder. Check the list below for possibilities of what counts, and what doesn't. If you have any doubts, ask the Demon's Souls Discord moderators.
To prove and verify this challenge,
you need to beat and record/stream all boss fights no matter what.
It is highly recommended to start recordings before you enter the boss fog.
A recording where the fight is ongoing and the boss has lost significant health or has advanced
through phases will not be accepted, and consequently disqualified.
If you are streaming or recording an entire run (start to finish),
please provide timestamps as the moderators will usually be expecting to mainly check boss kills.
Not taking the time to do so will just cause the verification to take longer.
Important! - Vanguard: For a SL1 Monumental run,
it is recommended to kill Vanguard during the tutorial due to it being treated as a proper boss fight,
offering the highest level of control for the runner. However, kills in 4-1 are allowed.
In any case, both recordings must start before engaging Vanguard.
Important! - Throwables: There is no specific number or ban on using throwables,
such as throwing knives or firebombs. However, depending on how you use those, you might end up disqualified.
While we allow runners to use throwables, spamming is strictly forbidden and considered under the 'No Cheesing' rule,
and it is a combination of tactical item usage and proper fighting against the boss what will be considered valid. The boss that
generates this situation the most is Phalanx. Firebombs are allowed on Phalanx, however, killing a majority of hoplites, or even the
boss via spamming firebombs and barely engaging the boss itself will result in a clear disqualification and the need for a redo. As previously
said, there is no specific max number of firebombs, but this paragraph should help runners understand that it must not be high.
Acceptable SL1 Monumental Criteria
The following are a list of acceptable Monumental runs, as well as proof examples. Please, make sure to also check the section after this, to see general SL1 Monumental Banned Equipment and Strategies
- SL1 NG+5
While checking the damage done by and to the boss and its full health is proof enough, you are free
to include proof such as the 'Games Completed' feature on the PS5.
- SL1 +0 Weapons, Normal Upgrade Path (No Infusions)
Before and/or after you fight the boss, and in the same video, provide proof that you
have used +0 weapons. This can be done by opening up your equipment screen and hovering over your equipment
so that it can be properly verified.
- SL1 Broken Weapon
See above, but in this case you must prove your weapons are broken.
- SL1 No Roll/Block/Parry
This run proves itself, a single block, parry or roll results in a disqualification.
- SL1 Deathless (Full run)
You must record the full run. Dying is obviously a disqualification.
Ignores dying to tutorial Dragon God.
- SL1 No Hit (Full run)
You must record the full run.
Ignores dying to Journey to the Nexus’ Dragon God.
Ignores fall damage.
SL1 Monumental Banned Equipment and Strategies
With great challenges come responsibilities and challenge control. The following items, spells or strategies are banned, and using them will result in a disqualification. If you have any doubts, ask the Demon's Souls Discord moderators.
- Tanking or excess of healing: Consistently failing to avoid coming into contact with a boss resulting in tanking damage and consequent excess when it comes to usage of healing items
will be heavily watched over. Such an instance will require the kill to be redone.
- Soulbrandt, Demonbrandt, Northern Regalia, Morion Blade and/or Clever Rat Ring on regular NG.
Allowed on NG+5.
- No Poison, No Plague.
- Second Chance.
It's cheap, granting a second opportunity in the middle of a fight.
- Spells or equipment that alters aggro, them being Thief's Ring, Cloak or Familiar's Prank against any boss.
- Remake exclusive item: Cracked Eye Stone.
- Offensive spells, such as:
Light Weapon and Soul Arrow/Ray (high damage).
- Defensive spells such as:
Protection, which trivializes challenges with a 30% defense increase.
Warding, which cheaply trivializes challenges with a 70% defense increase.
Water veil, which cheaply trivializes fire-based challenges with a 45% defense increase.
Speediest Monumentals
You can obtain a special role if you are the fastest player
in the server to complete a SL1 run.
However, if someone beats your time, you will lose the role.
- Time of completion will be dictated by RTA (Real-Time Attack).
Experimentation has found IGT (Ingame Time) to be inconsistent,
hard to verify, and forces PS3 runners to be on the Private Server in order to provide a full HH:MM:SS time.
- Due to this, it is recommended to use a split tool, and provide an
on-screen timer during the run.
- The speedrun must follow ALL the guidelines on the SL1 Monumental Banned Equipment and Strategies.
- A speedrun will start on the tutorial. Recording should start when you gain control of your character.
Vanguard is mandatory. Death by tutorial Dragon God is mandatory. No skips allowed (except 4-1), no glitches.
- Emulation, PS3 and PS5: RPCS3 and PS3 will be categorized differently due to
FPS and hardware differences and obviously, the Remake will be its own category.
(X) - Runs done under outdated specifications.