Dark Souls 3 serves as the third and final installment of the Dark Souls trilogy. Like its predecessors, it stands out in the entirety of the RPG genre – fans wanted a brilliant and memorable end to their favorite video game series, and FromSoftware certainly delivered on that! This series has been such a booming success over the years due to the revolutionary game design choices FromSoftware made and stuck to from their very first beginning, refining the formula even more with every sequel in the trilogy.
An important variable in their successful formula was keeping their game diverse and packed with a wide variety of weapons, each unique in their way, offering their users a completely new experience. Dark Souls 3 provides all sorts of weapons, ranging from conventional straight swords, greatswords, spears to the more unorthodox whips, reapers, and bows. These weapons themselves go quite in-depth as far as stats and upgradability are concerned, making the process of choosing the best from the best not an easy one.
Such complexity forces their player base to think much beyond the weapon in front of them. Determining, for instance, the best chimes in Dark Souls 3 is not as simple as comparing base stats but also involves taking their stat scaling into account. While conducting that analysis for all weapon classes is too much for the scope of one article, I will be going over just the best chimes in Dark Souls 3.
Magic in Dark Souls 3
What is magic?
While Dark Souls 3 is rich in weapons, it is also relatively abundant in magic. Divided into sorcery, pyromancy, and miracles, magic is considered the most overpowered force of combat in the game, both in PvE and PvP. This statement has been reinforced repeatedly as the Dark Souls community continues to amaze the player base with frightening one-shot builds that eviscerate even endgame bosses in PvE and havel monsters in PvP. But how do you use magic in Dark Souls 3? That’s where Catalysts come into the equation.
How to use magic?
Catalysts are a highly specialized class of weapons in Dark Souls that are used to cast spells equipped in one’s Attunement Slots (which can be increased by leveling up the Attunement stat or equipping certain rings obtained in the game). While their viability only extends as far as spell casting is concerned, there are a few exceptional ‘Melee Combat Catalysts’ that bilaterally behave as both Catalysts and viable Melee weapons.
What are Chimes in Dark Souls 3?
Amongst catalysts are Chimes (short for Sacred Chimes), a subclass of catalysts that can be used to cast miracles and sometimes sorceries. Apart from that, what really makes chimes unique is that they have some of the highest spell buff stats in the game; in case you don’t know what that is, every catalyst has a spell buff stat which dictates how powerful a miracle will be when casted. Given that chimes have a high affinity with miracles, they are the most used catalysts for miracle builds, both pure and hybrid, in the entire game.
Best Chimes in Dark Souls 3
While chimes are perfect for casting miracles, including some of the powerful ones like lightning spear and wrath of the gods, they differ in several ways. Each of the seven chimes in Dark Souls 3 cater to a different playstyle – whether it is electrocuting enemies with literal lightning, casting faster than anything else the world’s ever seen, or even blaspheming and playing with the forbidden power of dark miracles! I’ll be ranking all seven chimes in Dark Souls 3 as well as going in-depth on each one so that you can find the one most suitable for your playstyle!
Saint-Tree Bellvine
Characteristics
The Saint-tree Bellvine is a unique catalyst partially because merely wielding it will increase the caster’s casting speed to its cap of 50 virtual Dexterity, significantly reducing your spell casting time. However, the trade-off is that the Saint-tree Bellvine has some of the lowest Spell Buff numbers out of all Faith catalysts in the game. Thus, compared to the Sunlight Talisman, it loses and barely wins against the Sacred Chime of Filianore, putting it as the first entry in my list Dark Souls 3 Best Chimes. As such, one practical aspect of the catalyst is that as it only needs to be held to maximize the caster’s casting speed, one can wield a more powerful catalyst in the opposite hand and still cast spells at maximum casting speed! This includes Staves and Pyromancy Flames, not simply Chimes or Talismans, making the Saint-tree Bellvine a powerful tool for any caster.
Upgrade
The Saint-tree Bellvine comes with a stat requirement of 3 strength and 18 faith, not too demanding. Moreover, it comes with a natural scaling of E in strength and C in dexterity, both of which can be improved, not through infusions though. Unfortunately, this chime can not be buffed or infused and is only capable of being reinforced with titanite up till +10. However, at +10 reinforcement, on top of achieving 117 physical damage, it is able to achieve a neat D scaling in strength and a whopping A scaling in faith, making it pretty good for casting miracles that require little spell buff to do significant effect.
Weapon Art
The Saint-tree Bellvine comes with the Gentle Prayer weapon art. Do note that you must meet the requirements of the chime and have enough FP to use this skill. Gentle Prayer heals 360 HP over the course of 60 seconds and expends 13 of your FP, averaging to 6 hp per second or 27.7 hp per FP spent. This makes it exceptionally effective early game, though its only downside is that it heals gradually and is weapon dependent. Lastly, this skill is weapon based, meaning never switch away from the chime or its effects will immediately wear off!
Location
Looted from a tree stump in Cathedral of the Deep, close to the bonfire. Exit the chapel through the entrance, turn right where 4 hollows are praying infront of an Estus Shard, and drop down into the water with the prowling maggots. The sacred chime can be found outside to the right, just behind the building with the ladder shortcut. Other than that, it can also be traded with Pickle Pee in exchange for the Help me! Carving (only once per character).
Crystal Chime
Characteristics
Perhaps the most unique catalyst in the game, the Crystal Chime possesses the properties of both a staff and a chime, allowing it to cast both Sorceries and Miracles. On the other hand, it is not attuned with the Dark and will not gain the usual spicy 1.4x bonus damage with Dark spells like an Izalith Staff or Caitha’s Chime would. This makes it ideal for players using a combination of offensive Miracles and Sorceries, but not for using Dark spells. While it is pretty solid, I still rank it quite low on my list of the best chimes in Dark Souls 3 as it fails to deliver at the higher soul levels due to its two soft-caps. The first soft-cap is encountered at 30 Intelligence and 30 Faith, up to which its scaling increases the fastest. Beyond this point, Spell Buff will still increase appreciably but slower than before, until reaching the second soft-cap of 45 Intelligence and 45 Faith.
Upgrade
The Crystal Chime comes with a heavy stat requirement of 3 strength, 18 intelligence and 18 faith, which is not surprising considering it can cast both Sorceries and Miracles. In return, however, it offers an E scaling in strength and a D scaling in both intelligence and faith. These scalings can only be improved by a single notch via reinforcement with twinkling titanite as the chime is devoid of buff or infusion capabilities. It is important to note that this chime gets dual Intelligence and Faith scaling on all magic sorceries and all lightning miracles, but the physical miracles will only scale with Faith.
Weapon Art
The Crystal Chime comes with the Gentle Prayer weapon art. Gentle Prayer heals 360 HP over the course of 60 seconds and expends 13 of your FP, averaging to 6 hp per second or 27.7 hp per FP spent. This makes it exceptionally effective early game, though its only downside is that it heals gradually and is weapon dependent. Do note that you must meet the requirements of the chime and have enough FP to use this skill. Lastly, this skill is weapon based, meaning never switch away from the chime or its effects will immediately wear off!
Location
Found in the Grand Archives. From the first wax pool on the first floor, navigate to the right of the entrance to the dark room and look for a corridor, where a red-eyed spear-wielding Lothric Knight is making rounds. The chime is inside a small room at the end of the corridor.
Sacred Chime of Fillianore
Characteristics
The Sacred Chime of Fillianore is one of the best chimes in Dark Souls 3 – being an unorthodox chime, it holds a special place among all faith catalysts. What stands out about this chime is that it has a large area of effect when casting heals or buffs, making it very clutch in cooperative play in situations where allies need to be aided from a distance. However, it is also one of the weakest faith catalysts in the game, meaning that any scaling healing miracles will lose a significant fraction of their potency, negating the advantage granted by the larger effect radius. Ultimately, the catalyst performs poorly when integrated into a dedicated Faith build and instead finds its niche when wielded by a player that invests in low to moderate amounts of Faith for utility purposes.
Upgrade
The Sacred Chime of Fillianore comes with a reasonable stat requirement of 3 strength and 18 faith. Other than that, it offers an E scaling in strength and a C scaling in faith. These scalings can be bumped up significantly through special reinforced with twinkling titanite. While this chime cannot be infused or buffed, it achieves a D scaling in strength and a whopping A scaling in faith. Furthermore, it achieves a spell buff of 159 at 40 faith and 130 physical damage at +5 reinforcement.
Weapon Art
The Sacred Chime of Fillianore comes with the Pray for Favor weapon art, making it the only weapon in the game to have this weapon art. Similar to Gentle Prayer, it heals 240 HP over the course of 60 seconds, averaging to 6 hp per second. What’s more is that it can also heal nearby allies that happen to be present in its area of effect. Lastly, unlike Gentle Prayer, its buffs remain active even if you unequip the chime or put it away. This makes it the perfect weapon art for support/healer builds.
Location
Given by Shira in The Ringed City when you first speak to her while she is behind the doors at the top of the large steps. Accept her request to kill Darkeater Midir and she will give this. If you talk to Shira, knock Midir off the bridge, then touch Fillianore without returning to Shira then Shira will leave her home. She will now be found on the right of Fillianore’s Rest and defeating her yields you the Sacred Chime of Fillianore.
Caitha’s Chime
Characteristics
Unlike most other chimes, Caitha’s Chime is a Dark-focused catalyst, applying Intelligence scaling to its Spell Buff when casting Dark Miracles. The Intelligence scaling is not applied to regular Miracles (pertaining to lightning or physical damage), and Dark Miracles cast from this catalyst will have their power boosted by between 40 and 64%, making it one of the best chimes in Dark Souls 3. As such, it fares poorly outside of its specialty area due to its comparatively weaker Faith scaling. Instead, it is ideal for casting Miracles such as Dorhys’ Gnawing and Lifehunt Scythe. Furthermore, Caitha’s Chime comes with a decent spell buff stat and is generally better for survivability outside of combat due to being able to replenish HP with its weapon art slowly.
Upgrade
Caitha’s Chime requires 3 strength, 12 intelligence and 12 faith to use properly. Furthermore, it comes with an E scaling in strength, a C scaling in intelligence and a B scaling in faith. While it cannot be infused or buffed, reinforcing it to +5 with twinkling titanite helps it achieve a D scaling in strength and an A scaling in both faith and intelligence! This versatility gives you multiple options of either fitting it on either one attribute or a hybrid of both – I would personally recommend investing in both faith and intelligence as it achieves an awesome spell buff stat of 312 at 60 intelligence and faith.
Weapon Art
The Caitha’s Chime comes with the Gentle Prayer weapon art. Do note that you must meet the requirements of the chime and have enough FP to use this skill. Gentle Prayer heals 360 HP over the course of 60 seconds and expends 13 of your FP, averaging to 6 hp per second or 27.7 hp per FP spent. This makes it exceptionally effective early game, though its only downside is that it heals gradually and is weapon dependent. Lastly, this skill is weapon based, meaning never switch away from the chime or its effects will immediately wear off!
Location
Found in Lothric Castle. In the small chapel prior to encountering the Dragonslayer Armour, there is an exit on the opposite side and a drop-down from a broken railing. Dropping down below, the chime can be found on a corpse lying above a group of Lothric Knights, in the area just past the moat guarded by the two Lothric Wyverns.
Priest’s Chime
Characteristics
The Priest’s Chime is the strongest chime for low to medium Faith builds and has the lowest Faith requirement amongst all Miracle-based catalysts. While the Priest’s Chime has a slow Spell Buff growth below 30 Faith, it significantly improves between 30 Faith and 40 Faith before slowing back down. This means that it generally possesses better Spell Buff than almost any other Miracle catalyst at 45 Faith and below, making it one of the best catalysts in Dark Souls 3. Although it is weaker than something like the Rose of Ariandel for much of its range of strength, the Priest’s Chime weighs much less, and possesses the Gentle Prayer skill, which aids in survivability.
Upgrade
The Priest’s Chime, despite how good it is, comes with a light stat requirement of 3 strength and 10 faith. Moreover, it comes with a natural scaling of E in strength and B in faith, both of which can be improved with titanite reinforcement as it lacks the ability to be buffed or infused. At +10 titanite reinforcement, it achieves a D scaling in strength a solid A scaling in faith, apart from 117 physical damage.
Weapon Art
The Priest’s Chime comes with the Gentle Prayer weapon art. Gentle Prayer heals 360 HP over the course of 60 seconds and expends 13 of your FP, averaging to 6 hp per second or 27.7 hp per FP spent. This makes it exceptionally effective early game, though its only downside is that it heals gradually and is weapon dependent. Do note that you must meet the requirements of the chime and have enough FP to use this skill. Lastly, this skill is weapon based, meaning never switch away from the chime or its effects will immediately wear off!
Location
Sold by Greirat for 4,000 souls once he has returned from his scavenge expedition in the Undead Settlement.
Cleric’s Sacred Chime
Characteristics
The Cleric’s Sacred Chime is said to be a chime for casting miracles of the Gods; chimes such as these are often given to clerics who become Undead. It is a well-balanced chime that is adequate for casting Miracles at all points in the game, making it one of the top 3 best chimes in Dark Souls 3. It shares a similar Spell Buff range with the Priest’s Chime, though the Priest’s Chime is a superior chime for most values of Faith below 45. At around the 45 to 50 Faith range, the Cleric’s Sacred Chime possesses the highest Spell Buff of all Miracle catalysts in the game. However, it is ultimately superseded by Yorshka’s Chime past 50 Faith. Therefore, if you’re looking to use the best of the best, I would highly recommend equipping this bad boy before you reach 50 faith.
Upgrade
The Cleric’s Sacred Chime requires 3 strength and 14 faith to properly wield. Furthermore, while it lacks the ability to be buffed or infused, fret not for it comes with a natural scaling of D in strength and A in faith! Furthermore, at +10 reinforcement with titanite, it achieves an S scaling in faith, being the first weapon on my list of Dark Souls 3 best chimes to hit an S scaling in any attribute. Thus, dump as many points as you can in faith, for you also achieve a spell buff of 232 at just 60 faith.
Weapon Art
The Cleric’s Sacred Chime comes with the Gentle Prayer weapon art. Gentle Prayer heals 360 HP over the course of 60 seconds and expends 13 of your FP, averaging to 6 hp per second or 27.7 hp per FP spent. This makes it exceptionally effective early game, though its only downside is that it heals gradually and is weapon dependent. Do note that you must meet the requirements of the chime and have enough FP to use this skill. Lastly, this skill is weapon based, meaning never switch away from the chime or its effects will immediately wear off!
Location
The Cleric’s Sacred Chime is the starting equipment for the Cleric class. If you don’t go for that class, then this chime can be dropped by Undead Clerics at the Cemetery of Ash or Untended Graves. I would recommend farming them from the bonfire up to the boss area in the Cemetery of Ash.
Yorshka’s Chime
Characteristics
Yorshka’s Chime is a sacred chime belonging to Company Captain Yorshka. Her brother, the former knight captain, presented her with this medium together with another gift: her name. Yorshka’s Chime is renowned as the most robust Miracle catalyst at high levels of Faith, easily putting it at the top of my list of Dark Souls 3 Best Chimes. With a minimum wielding requirement of 30 Faith, a significant investment must be made in order to even begin using this Chime. However, unlike most other Faith catalysts, its Spell Buff increases steadily without fail instead of reaching a 40 or 45 Faith cap. This means that while the Chime is noticeably weaker than other catalysts for most of its life cycle, it becomes the strongest one once Faith is leveled past 50, with the highest spell buff in the game at 247 (60 intelligence).
Upgrade
Yorshka’s Chime, given how amazing it is, comes with the unsurprising stat requirement of 3 strength and 30 faith – yes, 30 faith. Furthermore, it comes with a natural scaling of D in strength and A in faith, both of which can be significantly improved with titanite reinforcement. While it cannot be buffed or infused, it achieves a D scaling in strength and a whopping S scaling in faith upon maximum reinforcement. Such versatility allows it to be fit on multiple hybrid builds, making it a must have on any kind of faith build.
Weapon Art
The Yorshka’s Chime comes with the Gentle Prayer weapon art. Gentle Prayer heals 360 HP over the course of 60 seconds and expends 13 of your FP, averaging to 6 hp per second or 27.7 hp per FP spent. This makes it exceptionally effective early game, though its only downside is that it heals gradually and is weapon dependent. Do note that you must meet the requirements of the chime and have enough FP to use this skill. Lastly, this skill is weapon based, meaning never switch away from the chime or its effects will immediately wear off!
Location
Dropped by Company Captain Yorshka in Anor Londo, the covenant leader of the Blades of the Darkmoon. Be careful, as killing her may aggravate Sirris of the Sunless Realms in the Firelink Shrine.
Common Questions And Answers
The Yorshka’s Chime is dropped by Company Captain Yorshka, the covenant leader of the Blades, after killing her in Anor Londo. Be careful, as killing her may aggravate Sirris of the Sunless Realms in the Firelink Shrine – a fair trade off for obtaining one of the best chimes in Dark Souls 3.
Most Chimes can be upgraded with either titanite or twinkling titanite. As twinkling titanite is a rather scarce resource, it’s reasonable to want to spend it efficiently. I would recommend upgrading Caitha’s Chime with them, as it is ranked number four on my list of Dark Souls 3 best chimes – and for good reason!
The Crystal Chime is found in the Grand Archives, the area you encounter after clearing Lothric Castle. From the first wax pool on the first floor, navigate to the right of the entrance to the dark room and look for a corridor, where a red-eyed spear-wielding Lothric Knight is making rounds. The chime is inside a small room at the end of the corridor.
The faith requirement for chimes vary from chime to chime. For instance, Yorshka’s Chime requires as much as 30 faith to wield, while Cleric’s Sacred Chime only requires 14. But if you’re interested in being at a level of faith where you can wield every single chime in the game, then go for 18 (Yorshka’s Chime excluded) or 30 (Yorshka’s Chime included).
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