Scholar of the First Sin: Hints and Tips

Since Scholar has a lot of new changes I'm adding this thread to point out some tips for finding new secrets and other things people might not find easily.

1.  In the tutorial you will find a petrified statue barring your progress that requires a Fragrant Branch of Yore.  You can now buy one from Melentia when you get to her for 12,000 souls.  Whether or not to use it there is up to you, but there is an Estus Flask Shard in the cave, as well as a number of basilisks.  It also gives you access to the two ogres and the sex change coffin, but beware of a new, very tough enemy that will be difficult at low levels.

2. This one is for later in the game at Drangleic Castle that is stumping a lot of people.   When you need to activate the lift to get the key for the King's Passage you now need to kill one of the manikins who ambush you in the room AFTER the stone knights, who are now inert, in front of the golem so he absorbs the soul.  

I'm a Sunbro/girl so I co-op a lot and have had to show several people via gestures, which isn't that easy, how to do it.  I've gone through there a number of times with hosts who are probably new to the game and missed it, otherwise I'm sure they would have worked it out.

3.  Sublime Bone Dust is now in chests in new locations and guarded by Syan Knights.

4.  The Bastille Key is now obtainable in a chest before The Lost Sinner, and it's no longer necessary to defeat the gargoyles to get it.

5.  The Pursuer now lives up to his name, or at least in The Bastille.  He now has dark magic attacks and drops Twinkling Titanite on death.

6.  DLC Keys are no longer added to the inventory when starting the game.  They are scattered throughout the game for you to find.

The Dragon Talon to access The Crown of the Sunken King is now found behind the locked door in the Pit in Majula.  To get The Forgotten Key to the door you need to kill the giants in the cave below The Black Gulch.

The Heavy Iron Key to access The Crown of the Iron King is now in the Salamander Pit in the Forest of Fallen Giants.  It is on the same corps as the Rebel's Greatshield.

The Frozen Flower to access the crown if the Ivory King is on a body soon after the first bonfire at Drangleic castle.

7.  There is a new shortcut in No Man's Wharf which since there's no bonfire in the level, makes it much easier to traverse on subsequent visits if needed.  You still need to get to Carhillion which is almost all of the way through the level, but once activated cuts out most of the level.

8.  Many NPC's have been moved.  For example Lucatiel has had a couple of her meeting places changed.  Gavlan has been moved to the first shortcut at No Man's wharf.

9.  There is now a reason to light all torches in every place in the game and the Undead Crypt is now a place to be feared.  I'll leave it to you to discover what happens.  Mostly, it's optional, but at Aldia's keep it is a necessity to get Aldia's Key.  Watch out for lots of mimicry.

10.  Speaking of mimic...most of them have been moved and are in more dangerous, and sometimes confined places making them hard to fight.  You can still use Lloyd's talismans to put them to sleep....that is if you detect them first.

11.  There are a LOT more NPC invaders now.   One who makes several appearances in several places, is The Forlorn.  On defeating him each time his gear can be purchased from Straid.

The last part of The Black Gulch is now more dangerous as two red invaders appear there and they can both appear at once.  If the poison wasn't enough...  The hidden bonfire is also blocked by a statue requiring a Fragrant Branch of Yore making it hard to run there quickly if invaded.  

The entrance to the Iron Keep has two new red invaders.  One of those is Armourer Dennis who also appears at the third bonfire at The Forest of Fallen Giants.  He has some intimidating spells for some players so beware.

More to come...

12.  In No Man's Wharf there is a hollow bearing a torch.  He's barricaded behind some crates near the beginning.   If you let him out he will be your personal torch bearer providing light which is helpful even if you light up all the sconces.  Enemies won't attack him but it's easy to kill him when fighting as he sticks fairly close to you.

13.  Butterflies are scattered all around Drangleic in not so obvious places.  Use a ranged weapon to kill them and they drop herbs and healing items.

14.  Wearing the King's Ring will stop the statues in the castle from activating.  This includes the Syan Knight statues and I assume the Royal Soldiers.

15.  There are invisible hollows that can only be seen when using a torch which reveals their shadows.  They drop Smooth and Silky Stones and possibly other items.  I haven't found them all as I tend to forget to look.

16.  There are more than enough Fragrant Branches Of Yore to release all the petrified enemies so you can go back to them later if you don't have one at any time.   At least a couple of bonfires are behind statues and items like Estus Flask Shards as well.

17.  The Eye of the Priestess from Eleum Loyce will also reveal the ghost enemies in the Shaded Woods.

18.  Lighting all the sconces in The Gutter will spawn a red phantom called The Gutter Denizen.  She appears at the bottom where you exit to go to Black Gulch.  She drops the Black Witch Set and the head piece has Curse Immunity.

19.  A few armour sets which were only available via grinding or in NG+ cycles, and a LOT of luck are now to be found in NG in chests or guaranteed drops.  For example the visible Aurous Set and the above mentioned Black Witch Set.

20.  A couple of Mimic chests have been moved around in NG+ and I got caught by one so you still have to be vigilant when opening chests even if you think you know where they are.

21.  Vengarl's body is now behind a petrified Lion Warrior in the area where you meet Tark.  previously there was a Golden Lion there.

22.  Spiders are afraid of fire.  Now you can run around the whole level with a torch, even on the webs leading to Freja, and inside the boss arena itself so the small spiders around her leave you alone, making it easier to kill them.  They will not attack you.