8 Things You Can Easily Miss When Starting Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a big, mysterious game that trusts players to make their own way. Of course, this can lead to some players missing some important elements – even the tutorial. Whether you’re an experienced player or someone trying out their first FromSoft game, there are some key items and events in the game. Elden RingThe opening area is easy to miss. We’ve rounded up eight specific tasks you’ll want to check off your list for the first 10 hours or so. Elden Ringboth large and small.

The good news is, even if you somehow missed any of these items or events, there’s nothing stopping you from coming back. Elden RingLimgrave’s starting area, to poke around.

Buy a crafting set

If you haven’t explored Elleh Church north of where you started Elden Ring, you will miss a merchant named Kalé. He’s remarkable when you get to that area; He dresses like Santa Claus. Kalé mentions Crafting Kit when you first meet him, but he doesn’t really force you. However, he probably should because the item is essential: It’s the only way you can craft items in Elden Ring. This kit costs a total of 50 runes.

Kalé also sells Cookbooks, which are collections of recipes for crafting items. He has some, and there are others you’ll find around Elden Ring world, whether from other merchants or on enemy bodies.

Get a torch

While you visit Elleh Cathedral, buy a torch from Kalé. There are a few really Dark caves and areas to explore Elden Ring, and they will be very painful if you do not have torches. Of course, you will be able to play the game without using the flashlight, but would you like to? Sure is not! Also, your torch can be used as a weapon.

Later in the game, the player can find a lantern attached to the body, which is beautiful and has the same function as a torch. It’s great because you can use it without having to hold it with one hand, be it holding a weapon or a shield.

Talk to Melina

Image: FromSoftware / Bandai Namco via Polygon

Melina is a character you will meet after visiting and resting at three different locations of grace in Elden Ring. If for some reason you only visit two of them over and over again, find the third one! Grace locations are useful as they are checkpoints and fast-moving locations, plus meeting Melina will turn them into places where you can level up. Most players’ third site of grace seems to be at the Gate Ruins, but Melina will spawn on any of your third sites in Elden Ringopen world. Once you meet Melina, you’ll be able to give her runes at these sites to gain more powers.

When you first meet her, Melina will also give you a special whistle that can be used to summon your ghost horse. The horse, named Torrent, makes it easier to move, allows for high-speed horseback battles, and opens up access to new areas where only Torrents can jump high enough to reach. You’ll also just want to keep Melina by your side and keep chatting with her – she’s needed to reach the Organization of the Round Table, where merchants and NPCs can help you.

Pick up Whetstone Knife

When you’re near the place of grace at the Front Gate Ruins, be sure to pick up the Whetstone Knife. There was a camp full of guards and wolves in front of that site; You’ll need to clear it up to be able to explore it and find a small, dark staircase that leads to an underground tunnel with a treasure chest inside. The Whetstone Knife is there, as is a specific item that can only be used with the help of that knife, known as the Ash of War.

(Also, a note: These guardians can be quite tough and there’s a big guy with a particularly hard spear. Our advice is to hit them one by one using the feature. If a guard sees you, they’ll notify the others, and you certainly don’t want a pack of these – and wolves – to fight you at the same time.)

Whetstone Knife allows players to attach Ashes of War to their weapons, giving them extra special powers. The one you get along with the Whetstone Knife is called the Storm Stomp. You can use it on melee weapons to “launch a transient storm”, according to its description.

You will find more War ashes around the world of Elden Ring, and now that you have the Whetstone Knife, you can attach them to weapons and find the special attacks and powerups you like best. The Ashes of War menu will be available at Sites of Grace once the player finds the Whetstone Knife.

Picking up Renna’s Calling Bells

After you meet Melina, head back to Elleh Church (the area you talked to Kalé, also known as Santa Claus) and meet Renna, a blue ghostly woman in a giant witch’s hat . She will have an item called the Summoning Bell to give you. This is really useful. With it, you can summon spirits – like a spirit jellyfish – to help you in battle.

Renna will give you the Lonely Wolf spirit to start with. To use the summon, you only need to equip the Lone Wolf spirit (you cannot equip the bell). When you are in the game’s extremely difficult areas, you will have the ability to summon these ghostly helpers.

Throughout the game you will find more souls to summon. All ends, even in the dungeon.

Find magic physics pot

You’ll find this special item at Marika Church, above, east of Limgrave. It will be on the ground near a statue. So what does this do? It becomes an item you can consume and you can determine its effect by adding different crystal tears to it.

However, it can only be used once per rest, and know that crystal tears are earned by killing Erdtree Avatars, which is quite hard! Thankfully, that’s just one way to earn these; They are also available worldwide. The effects vary depending on the crystal tears you use in your personal recipe, and they can be quite powerful, with options like various stat boosts and health boosts.

Meet and fallback to untethered patches

When you encounter Patches in the Murkwater Cave (along the Murkwater River), he will attack you for opening one of his chests. However, you should not kill him. Takes some damage, but does not deal the final blow. Once his health is low enough, he will surrender – at which point you can either kill him or leave him alive. If you let him live, he will open a shop at the cave and become a merchant. In particular, he has an item (Margit’s Shackle) that can help you against Margit, The Fell Omen. If you kill him, you will get an item from him that will later lead to you being able to enter his shop. There’s also an option here to follow the Patches quest line, which is activated by opening another chest that takes you to a different area.

Looking for Rodericka

Rodericka is in the Stormhill Shack, and she has a few things to hand over. One is the Sideways sitting pose, and the other is the infamous jellyfish spirit. She then moved to the Round Table Foundation. After a short quest line, which has a few variations, you’ll introduce her to the blacksmith in the area and she’ll be able to upgrade your soul summoning. More powerful allies!