ARGH I feel like I developed my character retardedly and now I don't know what to do... ADVICE NEEDED!

This is my current build:
VIT 23
ATT:14
END: 14
STR: 26
DEX:27
RES:14
INT:12
FAI:8
So I started playing the game not really understanding the leveling and weapon scaling system. I want to be more of a faster weapons user but sunk all of my beginning levels into str. i've decided recently that I want to level my Iaito, so I've just started sinking all my souls into DEX... I'm just all over the place so I'm at SL55 but still not very powerful. the last major boss I beat was Quellag, and I don't feel like I'm powerful enough to really go on without leveling and grading equipment, but I think I'm too high LVLed to get summoned a lot for Quellag to grind. Should I just start over?

55? I have been summoned at 50 at the spider lady. You can still try it out. Then consider remaking your character.

There are still weapons you can focus on with stats like that. Like weapons with high DEX scaling that have a high STR prerequisite. The Murakumo for example. Your STR is only a couple of points above that prereq and with your DEX stat you'd be on your way to doing some nice damage with it. Regardless of what you decide to do you should pump some points in END. With that small amount of stamina you're probably going to be getting stun locked a lot.

Correction: You're actually 2 points below the STR prereq for the Murakumo. If you pumped 2 more points into STR and then started focusing on your DEX and END you'd have a nice Murakumo build. It's not a bad weapon at all. I really like it in fact. It's not the fast weapon that the katanas are, but it has other strengths.

Unless you're trying to specifically make a high VIT or high END build it's a good rule of thumb to try to keep your VIT and END around the same levels. At least into the 20's. I usually try to end with around 25 - 28 with both. Then after I have all my other stats where I want them I dump what's left into VIT and END to SL120

And I also agree with AC here. You're right in the right SL range to grind on Quelaag summons if you so desire. In my experience it's somewhere between 50's and maybe 65ish. That's when I've seen the most action for Quelaag summons.

Ooh a chance to proselytize......You're well on your way to a pretty decent Scythe build as they scale great with dex and ok with strength. Like the Murakumo it's slow but satisfying. If I haven't caught you on another thread.....Welcome to the Forums

Black Knight and Silver Knight weapons also generally require a relatively high stat prereq in both STR and DEX as well. Although I'm not a huge fan of either, a lot of people are.

Also, are you planning to cap your character for any reason, such as the 120 mark for PvP? If not then there's other ways to get souls to level up if you feel you're too weak. Alternatively, sometimes just a change in philosophy can help you past the next place.

You could also slap some points into INT and FTH and use the Great Sword of Artorias. I've never tried it myself but it seems decent and it's prereq's kind of require that your stats be all over the place.

If your dead set on using katanas the Washing Pole has a moderately high STR prereq and scales the same with STR and DEX. It's also, according to a lot of players, the best katana.

The Server has a highish STR prereq and decent DEX scaling too. Although that's another one I've never really tried.

Your stats would fit the Dragon Slayer Spear pretty perfectly also. It has one of the longest, if not the longest, reach of any weapon in the game.

If this is your first character, it's traditional to make a big ol' mess of it stat wise (not that you have yet). Test all the different weapons/spells/gear you like, and then make a focused build capped at level 120 later. You can and should also keep your overleveled/spread out first character around once you beat the game the first time, as you can continue to test out equipment with it. You can also continue to level up in covenants such as Forest Hunter where you will still find plenty of PvP.

thanks guys! i was feeling a little discouraged this morning, but i'm going to go grind some **** out and hit the dark trail again!

Yeah that's not nearly the 'I took resistance to 50, hlep!' build I was expecting. You should be fine

You're actually more powerful than most characters at that stage at the game, it's just the next step is quite the jump, all the grinding in the world wont make much difference.

simply put, it's there's nothing wrong with the character, for a melee with some pyro mixed in as a build it's going very well. The thing that needs to be developed is your playing, you need to improve as you're getting onto the harder parts of the game.

"The real [Dark] Souls starts here"