8. Bonfires and shortcuts Dark Souls III Guide

Bonfires are both landmarks and places to rest.

Bonfires are special places, placed in each location. They serve the purpose of checkpoints, separating parts of a larger location and allowing you to travel between them instantaneously. There's a specific amount of bonfires hidden in each location, but they have to be unlocked (lit) before you can use them. When you travel through a location and stumble upon a bonfire, don't forget to activate it, so that you will have a checkpoint in case something happens.

Additionally, you can rest by a bonfire. It allows you to replenish your health points, focus points, as well as refill any flasks in your possession. By resting at a bonfire, you also save the location, at which you will respawn if you are killed, or if you decide to use an item transporting your character to a bonfire - it will always teleport you to the last bonfire you used. Resting by a bonfire comes with a price - all the nearby monsters will respawn (aside from bosses and unique enemies).

A bonfire gives you the option to use fast travel. You can move from any bonfire to another, assuming it was previously discovered and activated, regardless of whether it is located in the same, or in a different location.

Spell attunement is another function of the bonfire. It allows you to select and change the spells your character will be able to use in combat.

Some items can be burned at a bonfire with various effects, such as increasing the difficulty level.

The last option is to use a chest, storing the items you don't need at the moment. They will be available when you visit the bonfire next time, or when you travel to any bonfire in the future.

An elevator almost always means a shortcut.

Now for the shortcuts. Always unlock shortcuts. You can find them in different parts of every location and they are, almost always, unlocked from the other side. It means that when first venturing into an area, you must go along the path that the developers prepared, but you will be able to use the shortcut later on. It's extremely important when repeating boss encounters, as running through the entire area might be problematic. Remember about unlocking those special routes whenever it's possible.