Summary
Elden Ringquickly throws players into its massiveopen world with an optional bosswaiting outside the dungeon in which they start their playthrough. While there are some tips on where to go next, there are many things the game won’t tell players.
Exploration is heavily rewarded inElden Ring, with some major mechanics of the game being missable depending on where you look in the earlier sections of the game. There’s a lot players can do in just their first hour into a playthrough to help set their character up for success; here’s what to do first.
Updated June 09, 2025 by Andy Chapman: Elden Ring has firmly established itself as one of the last few years' most beloved and critically acclaimed games. Its massive DLC,Shadow of the Erdtree, returned players to the epic landscapes and challenging boss fights fans have come to love. Meanwhile, with the announcement of the spin-off gameElden Ring Nightreign, the hype around the franchise has once again grown.
This new entry in FromSoftware’s impressive catalog is like nothing the developers have made before and has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated upcoming games. This article has been updated with additional entries to give new players a better understanding of Elden Ring’s early game.
1Get The Crafting Kit
Unlock Crafting Right Away
Upon opening the gate and stepping foot into Limgrave, players will see a destroyed church not far straight ahead. It is recommended players ignore the Tree Sentinel at least for now and run past the boss to reach the Church Of Elleh.
Out front will be a Golden Rune players can use to get enough Runes to purchase the Crafting Kit from Merchant Kale within. Crafting will be a major mechanic throughout the game and can give players all sorts of useful items, including those thatheal Torrent inElden Ring.
2Find Maps
See Details Of The Area To Help Exploration
The map inElden Ringis useless unless players find maps for specific areas that add many more details that can be used. While points of interest such as Sites of Grace will still appear, having the actual map for an area should be the first thing players do when reaching somewhere new.
Even on a blank map, the location of that area’s map will be visible as the only icon on the map, being a small orange rectangle. In Limgrave, the first map can be found in the ruins just north of the Church of Elleh along the main road through the middle.
3Meet Melina & Get Torrent
Unlock Leveling Up & The Mount
In those same ruins on the western side, but before the large gate, will be a Site Of Grace. Rest here to trigger a cutscene where players will meet Melina. Accepting her proposal will have her become your Maiden and let her use Runes to level up the player at any Site Of Grace throughout the game.
Melina will also give players the Spectral Steed Whistle and will let players summon Torrent throughout most of the open world. Players will also be able to fight field bosses on horseback, making them much easier, and giving players a great upper hand if they wish to travel back and face the Tree Sentinel.
4Complete Groveside Cave
The Easiest Boss For Some Early Runes
Along the western cliffs between the Church of Elleh and the ruins to the north will be Groveside Cave, guarded by a few soldiers out front. This cave is fairly short and easy to get through and is a great starter dungeon for players to clear out before traveling further in the game.
The enemies within are on par with the soldiers outside, and the boss at the end of the cave is arguably the easiest one in the game. Clearing this cave and its boss will offer a quick boost in Runes, so players can level up at least once before taking on stronger enemies by progressing to a further region.
5Meet Renna & Get The Spirit Calling Bell
Unlock Spirits To Help In Difficult Places
Travel back to the Church of Elleh at night after your first death and meet Melina. Renna will now be sitting on the northern broken wall of the church and will call out to the player. Should she not be there, rest at the Site Of Grace and she will appear.
Telling Renna you can “call the spectral steed” will have her give the player the Spirit Calling Bell and first Spirit Ash. This bell will let players use FP to summon a Spirit Ash, which is an NPC summon to help players in difficult areas or boss fights. Better Spirit Ashes can be found and all can be upgraded, giving players many options when dealing with thehardest bosses inElden Ring.
6Explore Limgrave Tunnels
Get Early Upgrade Materials
Entering the main lake of Limgrave from the south will let players travel to the northernmost tip of the lake and find Limgrave Tunnels. This is the first Smithing Stone cave players will be able to explore.
Clearing this cave will give players many Smithing Stones that can be used at the blacksmith station in the Church of Elleh toupgrade their weapons and armor inElden Ring. Caves like this one will appear in each region and continuously give players higher-tier Smithing Stones to keep upgrading their weapons to deal more damage.
7Get The Flask Of Wondrous Physick
Get The Customizable Flask
With Torrent, players should travel to the eastern side of Limgrave and find the map for the area. Taking the northern road at the fork will lead players to the Third Church Of Marika, where players can pick up the Flask of Wondrous Physick.
This Flask can be customized by players depending on the Crystal Tears they have, with others being found in Churches throughout the world. Within this church, players can also find a Sacred Tear, which can be used at a Site of Grace to enhance the effectiveness of each charge within their Flask of Crimson Tears and Flask of Cerulean Tears.
8Choose A Weapon
Collect Powerful Weapons That Match The Character Build
While each of the classes inElden Ringhas unique starter weapons, players will soon discover many more options in the game. Upgrading a weapon can take significant time, especially finding all the required Smithing Stones. A powerful weapon will take players through the early game and can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Which weapon a player chooses is dependent on the character build. For instance, the Greatsword can be found close by in Caelid and is an excellent choice for strength builds. For dexterity characters, the Twinblade can be found in the ruins of Agheel Lake, while for blood builds, the Reduvia is equally close.
9Visit Roundtable Hold
Upgrade, Purchase, and Begin Quests
Once players have progressed far enough into the game, Melina will once again appear and offer the Tarnished passage to the Roundtable Hold. New players should make their way to this hub world as soon as possible, as it pushes the story forward, opens up new side quests, and provides items vital for progress.
The Roundtable Hold is a frequently visited locationin Elden Ring. It is where players can upgrade their equipment and spirit ashes, after meeting Roderika, and purchase new items. Several side quests begin in Roundtable Hold, with players meeting different NPCs. Players can also exchange Remembrances for items in this area, after defeating various bosses throughout the game.
10Defeat Flying Dragon Agheel and Complete The Coastal Cave
Elden Ring’s First Dragon Fight
ThroughoutElden Ring, players will face off against numerous Dragon enemies, each posing a significant challenge. However, for new players, one of the toughest in the game is the first encounter with Flying Dragon Agheel. While this Dragon is one of the easiest in the game, its location near the starting area means new players will often encounter Agheel too early and be instantly killed.
However, defeating Agheel is a recommended early-game action. Defeating the Dragon will reward players with many runes and a Dragon Heart. This can be taken to the Church of Dragon Communion, where players can receive their first Dragon Incantation after completing the Coastal Cave.
