Key Takeaway
The Dark Wood Grain ring is dropped by the NPC that’s behind Shiva of the East in Darkroot Garden. This NPC only appears when you join the Forest Hunter covenant.
The Dark Wood Grain Ring is one of the many rings you can equip in Dark Souls. Rings are accessories that provide bonuses and stat upgrades. In the case of the Dark Wood Grain Ring, it alters your dodge animation when you meet certain conditions.
Table Of Contents
Getting the Dark Wood Grain Ring in Darkroot Garden
To get the Dark Wood Grain Ring, you must first become a member of the Forest Hunter covenant. You can join this covenant by talking to Alvina the Cat in Darkroot Garden.
You can easily access this area by purchasing the Crest of Artorias (costs 20,000 Souls) from Blacksmith Andre in the Undead Parish.
The Crest of Artorias opens the massive sealed door at the end of the initial path in Darkroot Garden from the Undead Parish. Once the door is open, descend the stairs, make a left, and immediately make your way to the structure ahead. If you can help it, don’t attack any of the enemies here yet. Simply run past them and make your way to the structure.
Once inside the structure, talk to Alvina and join her covenant.
If you’re not willing to part with 20,000 Souls to buy the Crest of Artorias, you can still arrive at Alvira’s location by making your way to the Darkroot Basin and taking the ladder left of where the Hydra is lurking. This path leads you to the back entrance of the building where you can find Alvira.
After joining the covenant, leave the building, make a left, and you’ll find an NPC named Shiva of the East. Behind him is another NPC. This one looks somewhat translucent and will not say anything to you when you attempt to engage him in conversation.
NoteYou’ll want to focus on this translucent NPC. Quickly kill him before the other NPCs here gang up on you. Shiva’s bodyguard drops the Dark Wood Grain Ring.
What Does the Dark Wood Grain Ring Do?
The Dark Wood Grain Ring changes your dodge animation from a standard roll to a cartwheel flip. On top of that, your dodge’s invincibility frames increase from 12 to 14. 2. This may not seem like much, but they’ll make a difference as you continue to rely on the maneuverability that’s made possible by the ring.
TipThe Dark Wood Grain Ring can work really well regardless if you’re using a Strength or Dexterity build. However, due to its equip load requirement, you’re compromising defense for agility. That being said, if you’re someone who prefers dodging to blocking or tanking hits, this is the perfect ring for you.
This ring will make you hard to hit, whether you’re playing PvE or PvP. However, you must also be excellent at dodging. Practice this aspect of Dark Souls gameplay first and you’ll beat the toughest enemies in the game without getting hit thanks to the Dark Wood Grain Ring. You may even defeat a boss as tough as Ornstein & Smough using this ring!
