To say that being Tarnished in Elden Ring is an ordeal is an understatement; it's a curse. All those NPCs look down on them but still order them around and as a cruel joke, their instructions and directions are cryptic and hazy. But that doesn't matter as players always adjust and as the persevering Tarnished they are, they've discovered some ways to make things easier – even cutting corners at some point.
It just so happens that Elden Ring is chock-full of hidden mechanics obscured either through the meager tutorials or deliberately concealed so the developers can have their chuckle. Such is the signature of Soulsborne games. In any case, players keep learning something new in Elden Ring and some of them are like discovering secret superpowers.
Updated May 13, 2022 by Sid Natividad: It has been out for a while now but there are still plenty more secrets to discover in Elden Ring. It's only one of the best things to do in Elden Ring. The whole game is like uncharted waters and players are the voyagers, mapping out the treasures. These treasures are the lesser-known things to do in the game.
Thankfully, players are not about to run out of things to do in Elden Ring. Even now, some relatively fresh activities are still being discovered. So it's only fair to cover them and include them in the list of things to do in this mammoth title. Some of these might even warrant or enhance additional playthroughs, which is always welcome in a game like Elden Ring.
15 Erasing Other Player's Buffs In PvP
This action is mostly for Intelligence-based builds or characters — as if they weren't powerful enough already. They can become even more deadly or annoying in PvP thanks to a high-Intelligence Incantation named Law of Regression. It's a quest-related spell that requires 37 Intelligence and can uncover Radagon's biggest secret.
Players will be pleased to know that it has other uses. If cast near other players whose buffs are active, the spell will erase those buffs. It can even cancel a Lightning Spear mid-flight. It's thus highly useful against some builds in PvP. If not PvP, then it can also dispel some illusory walls and barriers.
14 Using Waterfowl Dance To Skip Areas
The Hand of Malenia might be one of the most disappointing katanas in the face of behemoths like Rivers of Blood or Moonveil, but it has other practical uses. Its skill, Waterfowl Dance, isn't just for flashy points or killing soft enemies in one cast.
Some resourceful players are using it in order to skip some areas or obstacles. Since Waterfowl Dance propels the players forward regardless of the footing, it can then be used to make some impossible jumps. Ledges or platforms that are too far for a running jump can be trivialized with the Waterfowl Dance. Those pipes in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds? They can be skipped with the Waterfowl Dance.
13 Getting To Crumbling Farum Azula Early
Despite the numerous patches and updates (Update 1.07 at the time of writing), some glitches and exploits are still present that reward speedrunners and NG+ players alike. Any player can reach the Crumbling Farum Azula as soon as they start the game using an exploit called "Wrong Warp." Here's how to do it:
- Go to the Four Belfries on the western banks of Liurnia of the Lakes.
- Grab the Imbued Sword Key in the top-most Belfy/tower on the hill (it's inside a chest).
- Head to one of the Belfries with the words "Crumbling Lands" written nearby (the first tower).
- This will take players to a teaser area in Crumbling Farum Azula.
- Head back to the Roundtable Hold and force-close the game while it's loading.
- Open the game again and load it up. It should load into the playable main area in the Crumbling Farum Azula.
This might or might not get patched out in the future.
12 Very Hard Mode Talismans
As if the game wasn't hard enough already, players can add even more challenges to their challenge runs. Apart from running around naked as a level one wretch, some talismans increase the damage taken by anyone who wears it. It's called Daedicar's Woe.
Players can obtain this talisman by the end of Rya's questline in Volcano Manor. Combined with something like Scorpion Charms and Scarseals, this will plummet the player's defense values deep below negative where even a slight scrape might kill them.
11 Using Torrent To Dodge
Torrent is a gift that keeps on giving in Elden Ring. Apart from being a reliable companion and a good means of travel in the Lands Between, he's also an invincible evasion god. That is assuming the players time these invulnerability frames (I-frames) right. These I-frames occur when mounting or dismounting Torrent.
There's a split second or a second of invulnerability whenever players dismount or mount Torrent. It can even be more generous than the typical medium roll. This is tremendously useful in fights against the Fire Giant or some stompy dragons in the late-game areas if players can get the timing right.
10 Skipping Margit The Fell Omen
It's easy to get to Margit, especially if players keep Seabiscuit-ing with Torrent past the guards and the gates. So it's not uncommon for players to stumble upon the cranky geriatric boss too early or too underleveled. At times, Margit even seems like the first brick wall, and in an open-world game no less!
Except he isn't. Margit can be skipped. Players can even proceed through to Liurnia of the Lakes without going through Stormveil Castle. All they have to do is keep running straight from Stormhill Shack instead of turning left where the road diverges. There's always time for Margit later – 20 or 50 levels later; now that's a spanking the old man won't forget!
9 Taking Advantage Of Weather Effects
The beauty in Elden Ring's open-world compared to others is that the weather isn't just a visual effect. It has its functions, especially for players who use fire or lightning incantations, attacks, or spells. As it turns out, effects like rain can enhance or reduce the damage depending on the damage type.
Fire damage, of course, will be reduced under the effects of rain or water. Meanwhile, lightning damage will be increased in the presence of said weather effects or water. It's not much though (around 10% give or take), but it can be useful when it comes to open-world boss fights.
8 Jumping & Crouching To Evade Attacks
Elden Ring's hitboxes put its predecessor Souls games to shame because they're stunningly precise. There are little to no noticeable invisible hitboxes here. This leads to some creative and resourceful shenanigans as rolling or backstepping isn't the only way to dodge attacks.
Players can also jump through or away from some attacks, which is useful as a countermeasure for area ground damage or shockwave slams. Meanwhile, players can duck or crouch against a boss with wide, sweeping lateral attacks and they won't get hit depending on the weapon's size or trajectory. It does take a while to get used to this but it makes the fights a lot easier.
7 Going Back To The Starting Area
New Game players were meant to die in the game's starting area after having just picked and created their characters. It's pointless to grit through that freaky first boss. If players are itching to get their revenge, however, they can do so by inserting an Imbued Stone Key in the Precipice of Anticipation tower in the Four Belfries, located on the western edge of Liurnia of the Lakes.
This lets them go back to the starting area to dish out some well-deserved cold revenge against an enemy that's now on the same level as fodder minions. Beyond that, there's not much to do in that opening area apart from ticking some exploration boxes; it's actually the island to the west of Stormveil Castle.
6 Controlling Torrent Mid-air
Torrent is one of the best blessings to the open-world genre in a video game. In hindsight, he's actually as innovative as Link's climbing and gliding skills in Breath of the Wild. Because Torrent also doubles as a platforming tool once players have gotten used to his double jump.
Players can utilize this double jump to change Torrent's direction and elevation even during falling (as long as the fall is from the first jump). This lets players correct jumping errors with Torrent or even discover some secret areas or platforms. At the very least, players can mitigate fall damage by activating the second jump before landing.
5 Scaring Off Animal Enemies
Animal enemies, meaning wolves, ants, beef jerky dogs, pesky hawks, or those hell-spawned T-rex dogs are some of the most troublesome enemies in the game, particularly if they come in packs. Thankfully, players don't have to suffer through those petting zoo rejects; the Beast-Repellent Torch can keep them away.
All players have to do is wield the torch and animal enemies will run away all frightened witless. Players can even bully and chase them with the torch if they want. The torch is available from the Isolated Merchant in Dragonbarrow, Caelid. Also a fair warning and as a lesson learned the hard way: it doesn't work against those giant rune bears.
4 Power-Stancing Dual Weapons
Dual wielding is back and is as viable as ever. Elden Ring is nearly on the same level as Dark Souls 2 when it comes to dual-wielding versatility. Because power-stancing works like a charm in the game. This is a game mechanic that allows for special combo attacks if players dual wield weapons of the same type.
Two katanas or two greatswords, for example, will produce some fast and powerful combos with more than the usual hits if players press the L1/LB button (or the PC keyboard equivalent). Sadly, it doesn't work if weapons are of a different type or class (pressing L1/LB will only result in a left-hand weapon swing).
3 Finding Mines Quickly
Mine trips are almost mandatory in Elden Ring once players start hitting mid-game or late-game because Smithing Stones can become exceedingly rare. Luckily for the players, the Elden Ring's map rewards those who can read maps. Look for the dark spots with an orange glow on the map, these are mines.
Players will also notice that these orange spots are typically located right beside hills or mountains since they're mines. They contain a generous serving of Somber Smithing Stones and regular Smithing Stones. For better compass visibility, players can also place green markers on these mines.
2 Finding Maps Easily
Nevertheless, what if the map is obscure because players haven't found the actual map item yet? Well, have no fear, Tarnished because Elden Ring also throws players a bone when it comes to finding maps. All players have to do to find them quickly is to look for the pillar with a candle icon on the obscured map.
These are always where maps are located and surprisingly, these pillars are easily accessible. They're always situated along the road, though players might have to look thoroughly as the item's glow can get washed out by the white pillars.
1 Finding Golden Seeds & Sacred Tears Effortlessly
As for locating Golden Seeds to upgrade the Flask, a map isn't exactly needed. Just know that all Golden Seeds are found lying at the bottom of Illusory Trees or those small, scrawny golden trees. They don't appear clearly on the uncovered map, sadly, but they're easy to spot from a distance or on the horizon.
What does appear on maps are churches or structures that look like one (usually rectangular with a tower or comes with a circular dome). Sacred Tears only appear in churches, usually at the base of the church's altar or statue. Basically, players will find salvation in churches, even in Elden Ring but, on the upside, one of those churches has a Turtle Pope, or was that just a weird dog?
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Windows.