*1 Blood vials are bought from the vendor or dropped by enemies. They are not like estus which refill after resting at a bonfire. Whatever you do refill comes from whatever overstock you have stored in the workshop. *2 when you go back to the doll to level up, use whatever is left over and buy blood vials. Even if you are carrying the max, the overstock goes into your chest at the workshop and there WILL be bosses that will tap that overstock so stock up as much as you can. *3 fire good against beasts. Paired with a saw toothed weapon (saw cleaver, saw spear, tricked out cane etc) its brutal. *4 explore explore explore then go back and level up. *5 learn your timing: dodge timing, parry timing etc. also dodging side to side and sometimes into an enemies attacks will keep you alive alot better than dodging backward will.