Runes in Elden Ring work the same way as souls from Dark Souls or blood echoes in Bloodborne. Players earn runes by defeating enemies and must collect them after dying or risk losing them forever. These runes are essential to Elden Ring’s progression system, as they are used for leveling up, upgrading weapons, and buying valuable items.
Players can also earn runes by using specific items called Golden Runes. Later on, users will come across Hero’s Runes and Numen’s Runes, but they function the same way. While it may not seem like much initially, getting a few thousand runes for free can help avoid an unnecessary grind. Some users choose to collect several Golden Runes to use them all at once, but one Elden Ring player managed to reach the end of the game without ever using a single one.
A Redditor named shmegmar shared a picture of the staggering number of Golden Runes in their inventory, and it looks like their collection also includes some Numen’s and Hero’s Runes. According to a user in the comments, consuming these would have earned them 1,170,150 runes, enough to gain several levels in Elden Ring. The item’s description mentions that it can be consumed to gain runes, so it’s surprising to see that shmegmar never used them. They probably had to grind for runes on several occasions while also completing a large portion of Elden Ring’s optional content to level up.
Some users have shared tips and strategies on spending these runes. One player recommended that shmegmar should buy every type of Somber Smithing Stone, an item used to upgrade special weapons, before starting new game plus in Elden Ring. Players can purchase these items at the Roundtable Hold after giving the required Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearings to Twin Maiden Husks.
Players can also drop Golden Runes for a friend to help them level up. One user utilized this method but asked that friend to give them back for a newly created Elden Ring character, allowing them to gain tens of levels instantly.
Judging by the comments, many players use Golden Runes whenever they are close to leveling up or want to upgrade weapons or Spirit Ashes. Additionally, the number of runes required to level up dramatically increases at endgame. One user stated that they need 450,000 runes to level up, and so they have decided to help others defeat Elden Ring’s final boss to help speed things up.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.