FMG files contain all strings in the game, localized per language. They can be edited using Yabber, including modifying existing entries and adding new ones. Sometimes the ids in the file are arbitrary, and sometimes they have to match the ids of params (e.g. item ids), so they are a useful way to find out which param rows correspond to which items.

See Modding Tools Database for game unpacking tools. It is necessary to unpack the full game to view/edit FMG files. See also the Glossary for how the game classifies different item types.

Below is a quick overview for which files contain what. If you can't find what you need here, your best chance is probably unpacking all of them and searching inside.

Dark Souls I

In DS1, all messages are in subdirectories of msg, like msg\ENGLISH. All item names and descriptions are in item.msgbnd.dcx, plus things like spell names, area title names, and NPC/enemy names. Most everything else is in menu.msgbnd.dcx, which can be unpacked with Yabber.

In PTDE, FMG file names are in Japanese:

Archive File Name Description
item NPC名 NPC names
item アイテムうんちく Goods long descriptions
item アイテム名 Goods names
item アイテム説明 Goods short descriptions
item アクセサリうんちく Accessory long descriptions
item アクセサリ名 Accessory names
item アクセサリ説明 Accessory short descriptions
item 武器うんちく Weapon long descriptions
item 武器名 Weapon names
item 防具うんちく Armor long descriptions
item 防具名 Armor names
item 魔法うんちく Magic long descriptions
item 魔法名 Magic names
item 魔法説明 Magic short descriptions
item 地名 Area names
menu メニューその他 Short menu text, including starting classes
menu イベントテキスト In-game prompts and NPC menu text
menu 会話 NPC dialogue
menu 血文字 Soapstone guidance messages

In Remastered, most names are in English and fairly self-explanatory. The main non-obvious files are

Archive File Name Description
menu Blood_writing_ Soapstone guidance messages
menu Conversation_ NPC dialogue
menu Event_ In-game prompts and NPC menu text
menu Menu_others Short menu text, including starting classes

Dark Souls II

In DS2, all messages are in subdirectories of menu\text, like menu\text\english. Dialogue is in the talk subdirectory, like menu\text\english\talk, per map. These are also self-explanatory.

Names above boss health bars are found in menu\text\english\talk\charaname.fmg.

Dark Souls III and Sekiro

In later games, all messages are in subdirectories of msg, like msg\engus. Like DS1 they are contained in bnds, with FMG names are in Japanese. In DS3 current patch, these are in item_dlc2.msgbnd.dcx and menu_dlc2.msgbnd.dcx, even if you don't have DLC installed. The FMG names themselves have _dlc1 and _dlc2 variants, for items/NPCs/etc. in the DLCs. The notable names are as follows:

Archive File Name Description
item NPC名 NPC names
item アイテムうんちく Goods long descriptions
item アイテム名 Goods names
item アイテム説明 Goods short descriptions
item アクセサリうんちく Accessory long descriptions
item アクセサリ名 Accessory names
item アクセサリ説明 Accessory short descriptions
item 武器うんちく Weapon long descriptions
item 武器名 Weapon names
item 防具うんちく Armor long descriptions
item 防具名 Armor names
item 魔法うんちく Magic long descriptions
item 魔法名 Magic names
item 魔法説明 Magic short descriptions
item 地名 Area names
menu FDP_メニューテキスト Short message text, including starting class names
menu FDP_一行ヘルプ Short description text, including starting class descriptions
menu イベントテキスト In-game prompts and NPC menu text
menu 会話 NPC dialogue
menu 血文字 Soapstone guidance messages