Not if they are avoidable... Otherwise a game like dark souls is the most unbalanced game ever.

I knew these threads were coming. Why you ask.............Because from everything I read before release I knew that you could easily make overpowered almost god like characters. Between the shouts and perks that you can upgrade even more. Plus now I have played a little and have seen the skill upgrades on some of the jewelry and potions. Best to play on a high difficulty I say.