Comprehensive Guide to Leveling the First Berserker Khazan

In the challenging world of soulslike games, character progression is key to surviving and thriving. In “The First Berserker: Khazan, ”enhancing your character makes you more resilient, increases your damage output, and transforms daunting boss encounters into manageable challenges. This guide provides essential insights into leveling up, optimizing your stats, and resetting your character if you make any missteps.

Leveling Strategies in Khazan

To level up effectively in “The First Berserker: Khazan, ”you must collect Lacrima, the crucial currency for character improvement. You earn Lacrima by defeating adversaries and bosses, which you can then spend at a Blade Nexus to enhance your core stats: Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Willpower, and Proficiency. However, proceed with caution—dying results in lost Lacrima. Fortunately, the game grants small amounts of Lacrima as a reward for merely attempting boss fights, adding an interesting twist to the challenge.

Understanding Lacrima

Lacrima functions as the essential power-up currency in Khazan, paralleling the Souls of Dark Souls or Runes from Elden Ring.

Ways to Acquire Lacrima: The primary source of Lacrima is vanquishing enemies. Major bosses also yield a significant reward upon defeat.
Rewards for Boss Attempts: Khazan incentivizes even unsuccessful attempts at boss fights by providing Lacrima based on damage inflicted and boss phases reached. This encouragement makes exploration less punishing and more rewarding.
The Risk of Death: As is customary in Soulslike games, dying means you drop all your Lacrima at your demise. You have one opportunity to retrieve it; if you perish again before reclaiming your Lacrima, it will be lost forever. Approach with caution!
Additional Sources: Stay vigilant for Lacrima grants hidden throughout the game world, as certain items may provide direct Lacrima rewards upon use.

Utilizing Blade Nexuses

Throughout Khazan, you’ll encounter Blade Nexuses, which are akin to Bonfires in Dark Souls, offering safe havens.

Benefits of Resting:
- Restores full health.
- Refills healing items.
- Allows for leveling up by spending collected Lacrima.
- Respawns regular enemies in the area (bosses remain defeated).

Core Stats Explained

Leveling up at a Blade Nexus involves spending Lacrima to boost your fundamental stats, which consist of the following five categories:

Vitality:
- Increases Max Health by 50.
- Reduces weight slightly (by 0.05%).
- Boosts all Attribute Resistances by 4, which enhances elemental resilience.
Endurance:
- Increases Max Health by 10.
- Increases Max Stamina by 15, enabling more actions like dodging and attacking.
- Provides a minimal attack damage boost (1 DMG).
- Improves Stamina recovery speed by 0.8%.
Strength:
- Boosts Max Health by 10.
- Effective weight reduction (0.1%).
- Decreases stamina damage taken by 0.6% when hit.
- (Attack damage scaling depends on the weapon used; see below)
Willpower:
- Increases Max Health by 10.
- Enhances stamina recovery speed by 0.4%.
- Reduces stamina expenditure while blocking by 0.7%.
- (Attack damage scaling also weapon-dependent)
Proficiency:
- Raises Max Health by 10.
- Boosts stamina damage inflicted by 0.4%.
- Decreases dodge stamina costs by 0.7%.
- (Scaling varies depending on weapon)

The First Berserker Khazan stats window — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Understanding Weapon Scaling

Attack damage influences are tied directly to your stats in relation to weapon types. Notably, while Strength, Willpower, and Proficiency enhance your effectiveness, their output is weapon-dependent.

The weapon types and their scaling relationships are:

Dual Wield: Primarily scales with Willpower, with a secondary emphasis on Strength.
Greatsword: Primarily scales with Strength, secondary is Proficiency.
- Explore the best Greatsword builds in Khazan!
Spear: Primarily enhances Proficiency, secondary scaling with Willpower.

Gear screen for the Fallen Lord's Spear showing stats and scaling — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Key Takeaway: If wielding a Spear, investing in Strength won’t boost your damage at all; instead, prioritize leveling Proficiency for significant damage enhancement. Decide on your weapon type first, then allocate your stats accordingly!

Optimal Early Stat Allocations

Where should you direct your initial Lacrima investments?

Prioritize Vitality: Initially invest points into Vitality to enhance Max Health. This provides a safety net as you’ll likely face challenges while learning the game. Additionally, it offers small damage and resistance benefits. Aim for a level that allows you to withstand a few hits.
- This approach helps familiarize you with game mechanics, especially parrying, making early encounters more manageable.
Focus on Weapon Stats: Once you feel secure with your health, channel your points into the primary scaling stat of your weapon.
- Using Dual Blades? Enhance your Willpower.
- Leveraging a Greatsword? Concentrate on Strength.
- Equipping a Spear? Allocate points to Proficiency for the maximum damage boost.
Consider Endurance: Always valuable, Endurance assists in maintaining stamina for attack, dodge, and block maneuvers. This is especially advantageous for quicker fights (like facing Viper, your first significant challenge in Khazan).

How to Reset Your Stats

Made some poor choices? Ready to try a different weapon? You can easily reset your stats and regain all of your spent Lacrima.

Required Item: To respec, you need a Primeval Regression Orb.
Where to Purchase: The Orb is available from the Bard NPC, located in the Forgotten Temple area for a cost of 10, 000 Gold.
Important Clarification: Despite the description indicating it refunds a single stat type, using it will return ALL Lacrima across all stats, granting a fresh start.
Stock Reminder: The Bard NPC stocks three Primeval Regression Orbs initially, which will restock upon mission completion or resets.

Bard NPC showcasing items for sale, including the Primeval Regression Orb — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Steps to Use the Orb:
1. Purchase the Orb from the Bard.
2. Access your Inventory.
3. Select the Primeval Regression Orb to use it.
4. Confirm your decision to reset your stats via the prompt.
5. Receive all your spent Lacrima back for redistribution!

Finding the Bard NPC

Searching for the Bard to acquire your respec Primeval Regression Orb? Follow these directions:

Overview of the Embars Ruins highlighting available Blade Nexus — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Starting Point: Fast travel or navigate to the Forgotten Temple Entrance Blade Nexus.
Ascend the Stairs: Navigate the stairs until you reach a large chamber where three Dragonkin are found.
Continue Upward: Ascend the staircase furthest from your position within that chamber.

Character standing amidst debris and blood before a decrepit chamber — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Turn Right: Upon reaching the top, make a right turn.
Proceed Along the Path: Continue through the upper level while eliminating the two troublesome archers.
Identify the Gap: Look for a segment with missing railing.