The best Elden Ring items to grab early on

By Tyler Colp, Sean Martin
last updated

Unlock major features by picking up these vital items.

Elden Ring character Blaidd close-up
(Image credit: Tyler C. / FromSoftware)

Looking for the best Elden Ring items to start your journey? The Lands Between is a complex place, especially if this is your first FromSoftware game. It's filled with weapons, armour, dungeons, and a whole host of mechanics you'll have to master in order to beat the game. 

But it's pretty easy to miss vital items early on, and if you do, you'll be at a severe disadvantage. The Spirit Calling Bell (opens in new tab) is the perfect example, but there others that you need to apply Ashes of War (opens in new tab) to your weapons, tweak your outfits, or even just to craft vital consumables and status removers.

In this Elden Ring (opens in new tab) items guide, I'll walk you through some of the best early game items to grab in Limgrave to make the most of the game's features. There are also a couple of really good talismans you should probably try to get if you can.

(Image credit: From Software)

Crafting Tools

Elden Ring is littered with useful items like throwing darts and fire bombs that you can craft yourself with one particular item. Grab the Crafting Tools (300 runes) from the merchant in the Church of Elleh and you'll be able to craft everything straight from your start menu. It's just north of the tutorial building. 

(Image credit: From Software)

Whetstone Knife

The Whetstone Knife allows you to put abilities, or Ashes of War, on your weapons and shields through a menu option on Sites of Grace. To find it, you need to go to the Gatefront Ruins, located near the Gatefront Site of Grace in Limgrave. The stairs down to the item are in the ruins patrolled by soldiers, so be careful. 

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Iron Whetblade

You can find this special whetblade in Stormveil Castle behind an Imp Statue that requires a Stonesword Key to unlock. The room is just off to the side of the hall where you find the Grafted Scion and the limbs hanging from the ceiling. Once you claim it from the armory, it'll let you add the Heavy, Keen, or Quality affinities to your weapons when applying Ashes of War. There's also a pretty great dagger in there called Misericorde. 

(Image credit: From Software)

Spirit Calling Bell

The Spirit Calling Bell lets you call in AI allies to tackle large enemy encampments and to split a bosses attention while you get hits in. You don't have to summon Spirit Ashes, but they're a nice tool to have if any fight gets tough. Early in the game, after meeting Melina at a Site of Grace and earning Torrent, you can head back to the Church of Elleh at night to find Renna, the witch. If she's not there and you have the hub area unlocked, Roundtable Hold, head there, talk to Twin Maiden Husks, and purchase it for 100 runes.

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Tailoring Tools

Fashion Souls is back in Elden Ring. With the Tailoring Tools, you can change the look of some of the armor in the game by removing capes or hoods on them via any Site of Grace. Pick up the Tailoring Tools after fighting the Demi-Human Chief boss in the Coastal Cave in western Limgrave. 

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Flask of Wondrous Physick

Elden Ring starts you off with two types of healing potions, but you can grab a third, customizable one: the Flask of Wondrous Physick. In order to find this item you need to venture out to the Third Church of Marika, which is located in eastern Limgrave. If you have the Gatefront Site of Grace, take the road far east to find the church. You can buy an item from the merchant at the Church of Elleh that gives you the same, somewhat useless directions. Once you have it, you'll be able to pick up items to change what it does when you drink it. 

(Image credit: Tyler C. / FromSoftware)

Duelist Finger

If you want to duel someone by having them summon you into their Elden Ring world for PvP, you need the Duelist Finger (unlimited uses). Head to the Warmaster's Shack in north Limgrave (it's east of the Stormhill Site of Grace) and travel north toward the big building. For early game players (late game players might not have an invader here for other reasons), there will be a fairly tough NPC invader between you and the dead body this item is found on. You can sprint past the invader to pick up the item or grab it after the kill. 

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Arsenal Charm

There are a few Elden Ring talismans that are well worth grabbing in the early game, and one of the best, comes from the NPC Nepheli. You can find her in Stormveil Castle where she'll ask to help you fight Godrick. After the battle, she'll appear in the Roundtable Hold near Gideon's library and give you this talisman. Like Havel's Ring from Dark Souls, it boosts equip load in the early game, letting you wear heavier armor while retaining a faster roll.

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Green Turtle Talisman

Another great early game item is the Green Turtle Talisman. Like the extremely good Chloranthy Ring from Dark Souls, this talisman boosts stamina recovery, allowing to attack and dodge more often, which is very useful with bosses. You can find this talisman in East Limgrave in Summonwater Village. Defeat the Tibia Mariner and you'll find an Imp Statue blocking a door leading down into a cellar. Unlock it with a Stonesword Key, and head down to get the talisman from a chest.

Image (opens in new tab)

📃 Elden Ring guide
⚔ Elden Ring bosses
🗺 Elden Ring dungeons
🏃‍♀️ Elden Ring Ranni quest
🧩 Elden Ring map fragments
🤝 Elden Ring co-op

Tyler Colp
Associate Editor

Tyler has covered games, games culture, and hardware for over a decade before joining PC Gamer as Associate Editor. He's done in-depth reporting on communities and games as well as criticism for sites like Polygon, Wired, and Waypoint. He's interested in the weird and the fascinating when it comes to games, spending time probing for stories and talking to the people involved. Tyler loves sinking into games like Final Fantasy 14, Overwatch, and Dark Souls to see what makes them tick and pluck out the parts worth talking about. His goal is to talk about games the way they are: broken, beautiful, and bizarre.

See comments