Synonamess Botch said
I would humbly suggest that you do everything you possibly can before killing Gwyn. 

I was coming to that conclusion, if only to make sure I have every bonfire kindled up the max. Spent about an hour last night travelling to all the non-warpable bonfires I could think of (including Undead Asylum) to max them out. Probably unnecessary, but it made me feel - safer.

That could include killing every NPC for his stuff if such things don't offend your sensibilities.

The thought had already crossed my mind. 

One question - any thoughts re Dark Sun Gwyndolin? Better to kill him or join his covenant? (Or can you do both?) OK that was three questions.

This could be - no, is definitely going to be - a huge commitment if I go down the DMB covenant path. One, I'll need to add 12 levels to my faith stats to be able to use the miracles at all, which at my level is 1m+ souls. However, that pales into insignificance against the fact that (if I've understood the wiki correctly) in order to earn the Darkmoon Blade miracle, I'd need to kill 10 players in PvP. In the 350+ hours I've spent on this game so far, I'd be surprised if I've killed half that number in PvP. (Is there any way of finding out how many people you've killed in PvP? Does the savegame file record that somehow?)

Then again, nothing ventured etc etc. The worst that can happen is that after spending three months failing to get ten Souvenirs of Reprisal, it'll confirm how sucky I am at PvP and I'll just go and get whupped by slaughter Gwyn anyway. So I guess now I just need to decide whether I do the Catacombs/DS ring route or the 'kill' Gwynevere/get absolution route. Decisions decisions.

Update: I got to the point where I was drifting about rather aimlessly between my four different builds, so - I nuked the lot and reverted to the earliest savegame file I could find of my very first build (ten hours into the game and yet to face the Taurus Demon). Plan is to develop and stick with this build and this build only till the end.

That's if I ever get there - originally I wanted to do loads of jolly co-op, but I've developed a taste for hanging around in the Forest waiting to be invaded. And despite my last line in my post above, I've been winning more fights than I lose, and the other night I even won my first 2v1 gank (I was the 1, just to be clear). This character has had more PvP than probably all my other builds put together. IT'S GREAT.

SB: tried to follow your advice with one of my builds to finish everything before going on to NG+ and - man. Oolacile is hard. Somehow managed to eventually scrape past the Sanctuary Guardian using a crossbow (my melee skills were rubbish) then ran into a brick wall against (heh) the Stone Guardians and gave up. Haven't tried with this build yet - maybe my PvP experience will count in my favour.

Also, this time I've killed Gwyndolin instead of joining him, and the prospect of being invaded by his DMB covenant is a source of constant dread and terror to me. 

SB! Just hovered my cursor over your name, and - I guess you're the wizaard who's been languishing in my 'Wants to be your friend' folder on GfWL. Sorry sorry sorry - couldn't relate the name to any players I had met on-line and couldn't understand why I had got the request. Will rectify asap.

Thanks for the encouragement about the Forest PvP. I have a suspicion I hit a good/lucky patch with my SL46 build and the invaders I attracted cuz once I cranked up to SL55 I started getting pwned (again). So, I went for broke and decided to 'finish the game' for the first time ever. Did most optional stuff (except Oolacile; I wanted to beat the game sometime this decade) - and -

I have just beaten Gwyn.

The final fight with him ended up being the easiest (relatively, anyway)(and not because I learned how to parry; my lousy reflexes rule that option out). After over a dozen attempts using other weapons, I tried a tactic I hadn't seen mentioned anywhere, which was

. You can actually damage him through the pillar, which is slightly cheesy but also completely fair given how much he can whack you through it. 

Having a little lie down now to get ready for all the lording over the Age of Dark that's coming up (trans.: didn't link the fire). But man. Really intense fight.

Yeah, I skipped the DLC with this build. Only been there once and really struggled just with the early part, so I decided to stick with one character and go for 'finishing the game' (although I'm not sure DS is the kind of game you ever really 'finish'). I think I'll keep going with this character to the end of NG+ before starting a new one. I want try an all-out STR build at some point, but I need to set myself a goal or I'll just end up rather aimlessly character-hopping (again).

And yes, nothing is too cheesy for the bosses. For any foe, really. Hidetaka Miyazaki says so. 

P.S. Added you as a friend on GfWL, but given this is the only game I play on-line, I'd be surprised if we meet up. (Pleased, but surprised.) May drop you a line if I get hopelessly stuck in NG+ though.

P.P.S. If you ever invade the world of SnifflyFire03, be gentle with me.