Network Play

The Beckoning Bell, which allows players to become hosts for Co-operators and Adversaries alike.

See also: Online Play Items and Online Mechanics.

Network Play is a Gameplay Mechanic Bloodborne.

Network Interactions

Network Play, or online gameplay, allows players to experience Bloodborne together. There are two (2) aspects of Network Play; cooperative play and adversarial play.

Messengers play a big part in online gameplay. Players are able to leave hints and messages for one another, in the form of Notes. When a player dies, a grave marker will appear in other worlds, showing the last few seconds of that players life.

Co-Operative Play

Co-Operative play, more commonly referred to as co-op, allows players to summon other players, in order to help with area bosses. It is initiated via two items; the Beckoning Bell and the Small Resonant Bell. A player that uses the Beckoning Bell will be considered the host, while the Small Resonant Bell is used to be summoned to another players world.

• Co-op is limited to a maximum level range matching system, roughly 30-40 levels difference.
• One (1) Insight is consumed after using the Beckoning Bell, regardless of whether a match is found. It is best to ring the Small Resonant Bell first, then have the host use the Beckoning Bell.
• Players may use an 8-digit shared password, in order to ensure a specific player is summoned.
  • The password feature bypasses the level range, and as such, any players using the same password, i.e. a level 4 and a level 300, are able to co-op.
• The summoned players stats will be reduced, if their level is higher than the player that summoned.
• The summoned player cannot open doors that requires a key or key item (doors and leavers that don't need a key item for progress can be opened as usual) or loot items aside from mob drops, which are shared.
• The co-op ends when a boss is defeated, by changing areas, or if either player dies or uses a Silencing Blank.
• Summoning cannot be done in a "cleared" area, meaning once the area boss is defeated, the player will no longer be able to summon in that area.

Note: Save data can be backed up to the cloud before starting co-op, then reloaded to restore the lost insight if an unexpected death occurs (or after multiple boss attempts). This requires some extra effort, but can limit Insight loss to just 1.

Chalice Co-Operation

To co-op in a Chalice Dungeon both players must have unlocked the same chalice. Use the Chalice search to find an open dungeon or use the glyph to create the same chalice as a friend. Once inside, the Beckoning Bell or Small Resonant Bell can be used to summon another player. Note that it may be required to move to another room in order to use a bell.

In combination with a set password, it is possible to be summoned at any layer of a Dungeon, so long as the Dungeon is open and shared.

The Makeshift Altar allows one to connect to other players' Chalice Dungeons after obtaining the Short Ritual Root Chalice. Once a dungeon is found a Chalice is placed on the altar and becomes permanently accessible until removed.

• Acts like a matchmaking service
• Can be used to join a friends' dungeon with the use of a password
• Does not consume Materials

Adversarial Play

Adversarial play, more commonly referred to as PvP (Player versus Player), is a competitive aspect between players in Bloodborne, in which players can invade other players

• PvP is initiated with the Sinister Resonant Bell (which can be bought for 1 Insight from the upper Bath Messengers in the Hunter's Dream), it allows players to invade another players (the hosts) world.
• PvP can also be initiated with the Small Resonant Bell and Beckoning Bell, if the players are in opposing covenants, such as the opposing Executioners, and Vilebloods (Radiance Oath Rune, and Corruption Oath Rune) or if a Blood-Addled Hunter summons a Hunter of Hunters (player who has equipped the Hunter Oath Rune) ^{This only happens when the host has killed an innocent human, such as Sister Adella, and thus became a Blood-Addled Hunter. Players will not become Blood-Addled if they only kill hostile NPCs like Djura, and the Afflicted Beggar, etc.} 
• PvP invasions are possible in areas with a Bell-ringing Woman. Note that a Bell-ringing Woman will be spawned when a player has used the Beckoning Bell and summoned another player, or if the player rings the Sinister Resonant Bell. She is always present in Nightmare Frontier, and Nightmare of Mensis, making both those areas PvP hot-spots; but she may be killed at any time, in any area (she tends to be in somewhat hidden places). She will come back upon ringing the Sinister Resonant Bell, or the Beckoning Bell, and will leave again upon the players death. She will leave permanently upon slaying the areas final boss.
• Two adversaries may be in the hosts world at once, this may happen when a host beckons two hunters that conflict with the hosts covenant (two Vilebloods, or two Executioners), two Hunter of Hunters, or a conflicting covenant member, and a Hunter of Hunters, but in any of those scenarios only the host may be attacked, unless the host is not a Blood-Addled Hunter, in which case, the Hunter of Hunters will help the host. This is because a Hunter of Hunters will only become an adversary after being beckoned if the host is a Blood-addled hunter (see bullet 2 of "Adversarial Play"), and will not be able to attack an adversary of the host even if the other adversary is blood-addled. In the event that the host is invaded by a Sinister Bell-ringer, and the host beckons a member of their conflicting covenant, or if the host is a Blood-Addled Hunter, and beckons a Hunter of Hunters, all players will be able to attack each other, in a free-for-all.
• The PvP session ends when the host dies, the adversary player of players die, or if the host enters a boss area.
• Killing the Bell-ringing Woman will not banish an invader, even during the invasion process.
• Adversaries may not attack the Hosts NPCs, nor may he or she speak with them.

Certain Chalice Dungeons exist solely for Adversarial Play; See Sinister Hintertomb Root Chalice, Sinister Lower Loran Root Chalice and Sinister Isz Root Chalice.

Short Ritual Root Chalice

The Short Ritual Root Chalice is used at the Makeshift Altar and offers the ability to quick-search for a random co-op or PvP Dungeon.

It can be obtained by defeating the Pthumerian Elder, in the Lower Hintertomb (Layer 3). It may also be purchased from the Bath Messengers for 10 insight.

Notes

• The following are useful resources to help players find quick matches online:
  • Bloodborne LFG is an online matchmaking site for Bloodborne.
  • Bloodborne Bingo is a helpful tool for bingo games and challenge runs for Bloodborne.