Elden Ring Talismans: A Comprehensive Guide to Power Up Your Tarnished

Introduction

Beyond mighty weapons and gleaming armor, the path to becoming Elden Lord in *Elden Ring* is paved with strategic decisions and meticulous build crafting. A crucial, often overlooked, element in this endeavor is the use of Talismans. These seemingly small trinkets can drastically alter your Tarnished’s abilities, turning the tide of battle and allowing you to overcome challenges that would otherwise be insurmountable.

What exactly are Talismans? They are equipable items that grant passive buffs and effects to your character. Found scattered throughout the vast Lands Between, each Talisman offers a unique benefit, ranging from increased attack power to improved resistance against elemental damage. These items are equipped in dedicated Talisman slots, the number of which increases as you progress through the game, giving you more room to customize your build.

Why are Talismans so important? Because they represent a significant opportunity to fine-tune your character and compensate for weaknesses. Are you struggling to survive against bosses with devastating attacks? Equip a Talisman that boosts your physical defense. Do you want to maximize your damage output? There’s a Talisman for that too. They are the key to creating a build that perfectly suits your playstyle and allows you to conquer even the most formidable foes.

This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of *Elden Ring talismans*, categorized by their effects, their locations within the game, and their optimal use cases. This will help you to maximize your build potential and ascend to become Elden Lord.

Talismans by Category

Let’s break down the Talismans of *Elden Ring* by the type of benefit they provide, highlighting some key examples.

Offensive Talismans: Unleashing the Fury

These Talismans are all about boosting your offensive capabilities, allowing you to deal more damage and dispatch enemies with greater efficiency.

Increase Attack Power

The Claw Talisman significantly enhances jump attack damage. This is a must-have for builds that rely heavily on leaping attacks, allowing you to stagger enemies more easily and deal substantial burst damage. To acquire this Talisman, you’ll need to venture into Stormveil Castle, a daunting location but rewarding for those who seek power. Starting from the Rampart Tower site of grace, traverse the rooftops and carefully make your way downward. The Talisman can be found on a corpse within a small, isolated tower structure.

The Godfrey Icon is another incredibly useful offensive Talisman. This item empowers charged spells and skills, making it ideal for Sorcery and Incantation builds that focus on unleashing powerful, drawn-out attacks. This Talisman is found as a reward for defeating Godefroy the Grafted, an optional boss residing within the Golden Lineage Evergaol in Altus Plateau.

Boost Critical Hits

For those who enjoy the thrill of backstabs and ripostes, the Dagger Talisman is essential. This Talisman significantly boosts the damage dealt by critical hits. It’s found in Volcano Manor. To get this, join Volcano Manor and complete the Tanith’s first assassination request. After that, go to the Warmaster’s Shack and talk to Bernahl, and complete his assassination request. Return to Bernahl at the Warmaster’s Shack to receive the Dagger Talisman as a reward.

Improve Weapon Arts and Skills

The Shard of Alexander further enhances the potency of weapon skills, making it incredibly powerful for builds that heavily utilize Ashes of War. To obtain this, you must complete Alexander’s questline, a multi-stage journey that spans several regions of the Lands Between. At the end of his questline, defeat Alexander to obtain the Shard of Alexander.

Defensive Talismans: Fortifying Your Defenses

These Talismans prioritize your survival, providing increased health, stamina, and other defensive benefits to help you withstand the onslaught of enemies.

Increase HP

The Crimson Amber Medallion, along with its upgraded versions (+1 and +2), increases your maximum HP. This Talisman is beneficial for virtually any build, especially during the early game when resources and levels are scarce. The base version can be purchased from the Nomadic Merchant near the Coastal Cave Site of Grace in West Limgrave. The upgraded versions are found in later areas, rewarding diligent exploration.

The Blessed Dew Talisman provides slow HP regeneration over time. While the regeneration rate is relatively small, it can be surprisingly useful for sustaining yourself between battles and conserving healing flasks. It’s found in the Royal Capital Leyndell, guarded by a challenging enemy.

Increase Stamina

The Green Turtle Talisman speeds up stamina recovery. Stamina is crucial for dodging, blocking, and attacking, making this Talisman essential for melee-focused builds that require frequent action. It’s located in the Summonwater Village, hidden within an underground cellar that requires a Stonesword Key to access.

Increase Equip Load

The Erdtree’s Favor, along with its upgraded versions (+1 and +2), increases your maximum equip load, HP, and stamina. This is a top-tier Talisman for those who want to wear heavier armor and wield larger weapons without suffering from the dreaded fat roll. The base version is found in the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave, requiring two Stonesword Keys to access.

Increase Poise

The Bull-Goat’s Talisman drastically increases your poise, making it much harder for enemies to stagger you. This is incredibly useful for builds that prioritize aggressive trading of blows, allowing you to withstand hits and continue your attacks. It’s awarded for completing Patches’ Volcano Manor quest line.

Reduce Elemental Damage Taken

Marika’s Soreseal is a double-edged sword. It greatly boosts your Mind, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane stats, but at the cost of increased damage taken. It’s found in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree. Players will need to complete the puzzle to unlock it.

Utility Talismans: Enhancing Your Journey

These Talismans offer a variety of quality-of-life improvements, helping you to farm resources, discover items, and navigate the world more effectively.

Increase Rune Acquisition

The Gold Scarab Talisman increases the amount of Runes you earn from defeating enemies. This is invaluable for leveling up faster and acquiring more Smithing Stones. It’s found in the Abandoned Cave in Caelid, a challenging area filled with poison and tough enemies.

Increase Item Discovery

The Silver Scarab Talisman boosts your item discovery stat, increasing the chance of enemies dropping rare items. This is essential for farming specific gear and materials. It is also found in the Abandoned Cave in Caelid.

Reduce Fall Damage

Crepus’s Vial completely eliminates fall damage. This is incredibly useful for navigating treacherous areas with platforming challenges. It’s obtained by completing the assassination contracts for Volcano Manor.

Conceal Player Presence

Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger restores FP upon performing critical hits. This is very useful for stealth builds to increase FP for more weapon skills. You get this by defeating the Black Knife Assassin in the Black Knife Catacombs.

Stat-Boosting Talismans

Increase Strength, Dex, Intelligence, Faith, Arcane

Radagon’s Soreseal increases several stats, but at the cost of defense. It is located in Fort Faroth in Caelid. Be cautious when using it.

Talisman Combinations and Build Synergies

The real power of Talismans comes from combining them strategically to create synergistic builds. Here are a few examples:

Melee DPS Build: Equip the Green Turtle Talisman for faster stamina recovery, Erdtree’s Favor for increased equip load and HP, the Claw Talisman for enhanced jump attack damage, and the Godfrey Icon for empowered charged attacks. This combination allows for aggressive, high-damage melee combat.

Sorcery Build: Combine Radagon Icon for faster casting, Marika’s Soreseal for the boosted stats, and Cerulean Amber Medallion for increased FP.

Faith Build: Combine Sacred Scorpion Charm to increase holy damage, Radagon’s Soreseal to increase key stats, and Erdtree’s Favor for well-roundedness.

Talisman Limitations and Considerations

Despite their power, Talismans are not without limitations. You only have a limited number of Talisman slots, forcing you to make tough choices about which buffs to prioritize. Some Talismans can have downsides, such as reducing your defenses in exchange for stat boosts. It’s also worth noting that stacking too many of the same type of buff may yield diminishing returns, so experiment to find the optimal balance.

Finding Talismans: Uncovering Hidden Treasures

Exploring the Lands Between is key to discovering the wide array of Talismans.

Explore Thoroughly

Leave no stone unturned in your exploration. Hidden areas, secret passages, and optional dungeons often hold valuable Talismans.

Complete Quests

Many Talismans are awarded for completing NPC quests. Pay attention to the dialogue and follow their instructions to reap the rewards.

Defeat Bosses

Some bosses, both mandatory and optional, drop powerful Talismans upon defeat.

Check Hidden Areas and Illusory Walls

Many Talismans are hidden behind illusory walls or in tricky-to-reach locations. Be observant and experiment with your surroundings.

Use the Interactive Map

The Elden Ring interactive map is your friend! Refer to this resource to pinpoint the exact locations of Talismans and other items.

Conclusion

Talismans represent a crucial aspect of character customization and build optimization in *Elden Ring*. They offer a wide range of buffs and effects that can dramatically alter your combat capabilities and overall effectiveness. Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for your playstyle. *Elden Ring’s talismans* offer a deep and rewarding layer of customization, allowing players to tailor their Tarnished to their desired playstyle. So go forth, Tarnished, and claim the Elden Throne!