One of the most frustrating things as a spellcaster in Elden Ring is not being able to use a Sorcery before the enemy catches up and disrupts the cast. There are a few ways to increase your casting speed in Elden Ring, though, like by increasing Dexterity. You can also equip one of the game's Legendary Talismans: the Radagon Icon.
The Radagon Icon is a go-to Talisman for spellcasting builds in Elden Ring as it gives players the cast-time benefits of having a high Dex stat without spending any points in anything other than Faith or Intellect. It can be acquired before fighting any Shardbearers (including Godrick), though there are a few obstacles in the way – like the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
Updated May 11, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: The Radagon Icon is undoubtedly one of the best casting speed Elden Ring talismans, and is an invaluable source of power for spellcasters and hybrid playstyles alike. However, one important detail was missing from this guide, that it's not necessarily the only way Elden Ring cast speed can be increased. Indeed, by having a high Dexterity stat, similar peaks of cast time reduction can be reached, but be wary of investing too heavily in this stat. Dexterity users should avoid this talisman altogether, but others will find that even a little bit of a quicker cast time can make all the difference between being able to finish a spell before being interrupted or not.
The Radagon Icon Increases Casting Speed For Sorceries and Incantations
A legendary talisman depicting the Elden Lord Radagon. Shortens the casting time of sorceries and incantations.
As the husband of Rennala of Caria, the red-haired Radagon studied sorcery, and as the husband of Queen Marika, he studied incantations. Thus did the hero aspire to be complete.
The Radagon Icon is a Legendary Talisman that makes it faster to cast back-to-back spells. The effect is noticeable but small, ultimately only reducing each cast by a fraction of a second, but in a game that's built around near-perfect precision (like the fraction of a second players get during the dodge roll's invincibility frames), it really does make it easier to finish casting a spell before getting hit.\
The effect is especially noticeable on spells that take a long time to cast, like the Full Moon Sorceries associated with Rennala and Ranni. However, it's worth noting that the Dexterity stat also affects the player's cast time in Elden Ring, but the Radagon Icon Elden Ring players can acquire doesn't necessarily stack with the effects of a high Dex.
It's an issue of diminishing returns, so it's best to either focus on Dexterity or get this talisman for cast time buffs, but not both. The cast time will be slightly faster than either effect on its own, but it's not noticeable, and the Talisman slot could be replaced with one of the best Talismans for spellcasters, like the Graven-Mass Talisman.
The Radagon Icon does not work on things that aren't spells – but it is a way to speed up Incantations, as they are a type of spell that must be equipped and cast just like Sorceries. This might seem obvious, but it's worth keeping in mind that Ashes of War and other abilities that act like spells (like Carian Grandeur or Glintstone Pebble) don't benefit from this cast time reduction of the Radagon icon. Incantations cast with a Seal, and Sorceries cast with a Staff, are the only things that benefit from this Legendary Talisman.
How To Get The Radagon Icon Legendary Talisman
The Radagon Icon is located about two-thirds of the way through the Academy of Raya Lucaria in Liurnia, right after the Red Wolf of Radagon boss room. To get into the Academy, you need to use a Glintstone Key on the seal – one can be found guarded by a dragon northwest of the Academy, as indicated on a map found just outside its locked gates. After getting through the graveyard, riding the lift, and getting through the hordes of Raya Lucarian Sorcerers and Jar people, players will encounter their first Red Wolf of Radagon.
After defeating this boss, touch the Grace, then head towards the courtyard – but don't go too far. At the very mouth of the gate turn right and double back to see a guard rail that overlooks a rooftop below. Jump over the guard rail onto the rooftop and climb the ladder just a short walk forward over the tiles. This leads to the upper area of the boss room - take in the view of Elden Ring's best-looking rafters, then head around to the right side of the balcony to find a chest that contains this Legendary Talisman.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.