Bloodborne FAQ: Everything You Need to Know – Burial Blade, Blood Echoes

Lots of people have been playing Bloodborne on PS4. Some were Dark Souls veterans who were able to jump right in, while others quickly succumbed to the difficulty. No matter what kind of player you are, everyone has questions about Bloodborne that need to be answered. That said, we created this Living Guide, which will update every 24 hours. If you can’t find an answer to your question(s), leave a comment below and we’ll provide a quick response. 

For more tips, read Prima’s free Bloodborne walkthrough.

How do I get a weapon in Bloodborne?

When you first begin Bloodborne you’ll fight with your bare hands. You must visit Hunter’s Dream in order to get a weapon. You can do this by dying once, or by visiting a lamp. The first lamp is found in Central Yharnam right after you climb the ladder next to the first humanoid enemy you encounter. Once you’re in Hunter’s Dream, move up the stairs straight ahead to see little Messengers pop up from the ground. Interact with the Messengers to choose your first primary weapon and gun. 

Am I supposed to die at the beginning?

Although many people die to the Nether Beast downstairs after first beginning the game, it is possible to defeat the enemy and continue. Dying at this location doesn’t hurt your game at all, other than the fact that you’ll have to retrieve your Blood Echoes. Even if you don’t get them back, you’ll only have a few hundred, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. 

The best strategy to beat the Nether Beast is to wait for the big attack when it stands on its hind legs. Dodge to the creature’s back and then immediately hold R2 to unleash a full Charge Attack on the Nether Beast. This will stun the Nether Beast and allow you to follow up with an R1 attack at close range. With proper timing, you will get a visceral attack animation (critical strike) that inflicts significant damage to this enemy. Do this twice and the Nether Beast will die. 

How do I level up in Bloodborne?

You may have noticed a doll sitting on the ledge in Hunter’s Dream. Once you have at least one Insight the doll comes to life. To gain Insight, all you have to do is begin a boss battle or use a Madman’s Knowledge item. You do not have to defeat a boss to earn Insight. For example, if you enter the Cleric Beast boss battle and lose, the doll will be available as soon as you return to Hunter’s Dream. 

Once the doll is accessible, you can spend Blood Echoes to increase individual stats one point at a time. Every time you increase a stat, you also increase your overall level. As you increase your level, it costs more and more Blood Echoes to increase it again.

After dying, where did my Blood Echoes go?

If you die at any point in Bloodborne, your character drops all of his or her Blood echoes. When this happens, you can still retrieve them as long as you don’t die again beforehand. Your dropped Blood Echoes look like a small red pillar of light. However, it is possible that a roaming enemy may have picked up your Blood Echoes (it can be any monster, so look around). If this happens, the enemy with your Blood Echoes will have glowing purple eyes. Luckily, they aren’t any stronger. Simply defeat the enemy to regain your lost Echoes. 

How do I get the Burial Blade (Gehrman’s weapon)?

In order to obtain the Burial Blade weapon, you must first complete the game by defeating Gehrman, the First Hunter. If you beat the game without fighting him (which is possible), you will not be able to obtain the weapon. Once Gehrman is down and you begin your New Game+, check the Bath Messenger in Hunter’s Dream and you will be able to buy the Burial Blade for 60,000 Blood Echoes.

Where is the Tiny Music Box?

On the way to fight Father Gascoigne, you’ll encounter a giant pig in the sewers. There are multiple ladders in the sewer area. When you first dropped down into the sewer, on the opposite end of where you encounter the pig, there was a group of Crawler enemies (the ones that crawl along the ground and moan). On the ledge just above the Crawlers are two ladders. One ladder leads down to the area where the Crawlers are, and the other leads up to a bridge high above. 

Take the ladder up to the bridge and head across to the far side to find a Brute holding a club. Kill it and then climb up the ladder to the right of the Brute to find a lever at the top. This lever opens a gate that serves as a shortcut, but to the right of the lever is a red lantern next to a window. Interact with the window to speak to Father Gascoigne’s daughter. She will give you the Tiny Music Box so your battle against Father Gascoigne is a bit easier.

Where can I find more Sedatives?

Sedatives are hard to come by in Bloodborne during your first play through, but they’re important to have later in the game because they counteract the effects of frenzy. If you get your Insight above 40 (to increase the drop rate of items) and head to the Lecture Building, you can farm sedatives from the Graduate enemies there (the ones with the graduation caps). There’s a room on the bottom floor of the Lecture Building with around 20 Graduate enemies. Stand by the door to this room so it’s easier to attack the Graduates and kill them all to get a few sedatives and some Quicksilver Bullets. 

Where is the Blood Rock?

There’s only one known Blood Rock that you encounter as you play through Bloodborne. You find it by traveling to the Mergo’s Loft: Middle lamp in the Nightmare of Mensis area. Head outside the room, then up the stairs on the left.

There’s a lift in the corner on your right, but don’t take it all the way down to the bottom. Jump off when you see an opening about halfway down. The timing on this can be a little tricky, but if you fall your Blood Echoes will be waiting at the top of the lift when you return. Go to the end of the hall and head left to find three Brain Trust enemies along this path. Your best bet is to run past them instead of trying to attack. 

For the first Brain Trust enemy, wait until it turns its back so you don’t have to worry about frenzy. For the next two, wait on the left until the closer of the two moves to the right side of the bridge, then immediately run for the building directly ahead. You will get hit and you will be frenzied, but heal through it or use a sedative so you can make it into the next room. Stay out of the doorway to avoid continued attacks. 

There are four spiders in the room here. Make your way through the doorway in the far corner and follow the path into the next room. Head out the doorway at the other end to find a lever. Pull the lever to lower the Brain that would cause you issues getting the Blood Rock, then head back into the previous room and drop down the hole.

Head back to the Mergo’s Loft: Middle lamp and then across bridge to get back down to where you fought Micolash, Host of the Nightmare. Go down the stairs to the left, then another flight of stairs, then continue straight ahead and down the circular staircase. 

Make your way to the left, and when you reach the mist again continue straight ahead down two more flights of stairs, then turn right. Watch the wall to the left to a hallway that can be difficult to see. Head down the hallway to find a gate at the end, which you should have the Iron Door Key for (if not, you can find the location in our walkthrough). 

Follow the path around and continue up the stairs. This is normally where a large brain resides to the left that will constantly inflict you with frenzy, but pulling the lever beforehand took care of that. Drop down into that area to find the Blood Rock.

More updates coming daily.