Backtracking is even easier now that you can teleport between bonfires right from the start.
    Enemies will eventually depopulate in a zone if you kill enough of them, making repeated boss runs easier. You can also bring enemies back with an item if you want later.
    One covenant, Way of Blue, is available after the tutorial and sends you defenders when you're invaded.
    Phantom summons are easier, and Small Soapstone Sign Shades can be temporarily summoned even after defeating an area's boss.
    An NPC will take multiple hits before becoming hostile. So unlike the last game, you won't have to absolve a sin if you accidentally hit an attack button when next to one of them, or if you deliberately attack because you mistake one for an enemy (as the game often toys with you on whether they are friendly or not).
    You can temporarily resurrect any NPC you've killed for a fixed amount of souls.
    You can bypass the four Old Ones if your Soul Memory is over one million at the Shrine of Winter. note
    Soul Vessel items that let you redistribute all your stat points, and thus salvage a botched character build or even try a completely new one without having to start an entire new game.
    The Ring of Life Protection saves your humanity and all souls obtained if you die, but unlike the Ring of Sacrifice in the first game, this ring can indefinitely be repaired (for 3000 souls each time) instead of being lost.
    Human Effigies are far more common than Humanity in the first game, making gradual loss of health from hollowing more manageable (although they don't heal you like Humanity).
    The Ring of Binding limits HP loss from hollowing to 75% of max, instead of 50%.
    Beating a boss as a Phantom or Shade sends you back to your world with fully restored health, spell uses, condition of unbroken equipment, and humanity.
    There is a shrine in a late game area which will restore the player's humanity if they don't have any human effigies in their inventory or too high a sin rating.
    After defeating the Last Giant, Melentia will have infinite Lifegems in stock and they go for a very cheap price.
    Adding magic / fire / etc. damage now only requires a single item, instead of an entire series of unique upgrade materials.
    The player no longer starts New Game+ automatically upon viewing the credits, but is instead dumped back at the Far Fire.
    From New Game+ and onwards, the 6 minute credits can be skipped.
    Scholar of the First Sin's Agape Ring will absorb souls earned in multiplayer as a means of controlling Soul Memory.
    Practically every boss has NPC summon signs now, often two of them. While this does increase the boss's health, having someone to draw their attention away from you is often worth it, especially given this game's prevalence of Duel Bosses compared to the first game's giant monsters.
    Weapon durability is now restored at Bonfires (though broken ones will still need to be repaired).
    Bonfire Ascetics can respawn the boss, allowing you to get all the boss soul weapons in one playthrough.
    Palestones can remove enchantments from weapons without also undoing a chunk of their previous upgrades.
    Divine Blessings are a more common item (though still pretty rare).
    There are many more healing items with the various Charms and Waters, though the animation is too slow to use them in battle.