Elden Ring

[Yakumo]

As i wanted to fully explore the game and do all the dungeons and optional areas i didnt need to rune farm. i was well above meta level at the end of the game (150 is roughly where they tell you to stop for pvp) Sometimes towards the end of the game when your sat on 200'000 ruins and need 20,000 more to get a level i sometimes went out of my way to kill a few enemy's to get the level before a boss fog wall but this was rare.

I was level 158 before rune farming and having an awfuly hard time. I am playing offline mind you, so no help.
My character sucks at doing magic as well. I planned to build a strong closerange attacking character but now I think that wasn't the best idea. I need to read up on how to get my character to use magic. It's also why I've now rune farmed up to level 168. Or is it more than that now? Anyway, once I get magic going I hope to have a right hard ass character.

[Finsbury Girl]

Magic is not quite OP but I'm managing to solo everything so far with my mage (just did Morgott and level 105). Between spells Moonveil and Darkmoon Greatsword I've got all I need. Not sure how I will go against Malenia or even Commander Whatshisname though I think this character I will keep levelling whereas my first playthrough I stopped at 150.

[briareos_kerensky]

I need to read up on how to get my character to use magic.

There are two main magic "schools" in ER. The first are sorceries, probably the one you want to aim for; the second are incantations, which tend to be more about healing, though they still have a good offensive component.
Then these two schools are divided in subtypes: for example there are gravity sorceries or dragon incantations; these sub-types don't really change which stat you build up, but some equipment can boost some subtypes.

If you want to go for sorceries, you need INT (intelligence); for incantations, FTH (faith). Some spells might also require a bit of ARC (arcane). Every time you cast a spell you consume FPs (blue bar), so you'll need some points in MND (mind) as well.

You need to equip a staff (sorceries) or a sacred seal (incantations) in either hand to cast spells. At a Site of Grace, you need to memorise spells (there's a menu for that); all classes start with two slots and you can get up to 10 slots if you find all Memory Stones scattered around the world. You can further bump it to 12 with the correct talisman.

You cycle through spells with the up button, and casting is done just like a normal attack (R1/L1, depending on equipped hand). You'll have to learn the windup time, maximum range, how well spells track a target (if at all), and similar stuff. Spells cannot be aimed like a bow, with an on-screen crosshair, but a general rule is that spell will hit where your head is...you'll have to get used to it.

Also, if you are playing offline fearing invasions: don't. Unless you use specific items you won't be invaded and you'll never even see signs to summon human helpers.
In short, play online and praise the dog.

[Yakumo]

Some excellent advice there! Thanks, briareos_kerensky. This is why some games should contain manuals.
I think my character is easily buff enough now so I'll concentrate on INT, FTH and MND. I have some good staffs in the inventory too so I'll experiment with those.

[briareos_kerensky]

Some excellent advice there! Thanks, briareos_kerensky. This is why some games should contain manuals.
I think my character is easily buff enough now so I'll concentrate on INT, FTH and MND. I have some good staffs in the inventory too so I'll experiment with those.

You can easily respec your character, the boss in Raya Lucaria Academy does that if you have a Larval Tear (kidney-looking thing, which are relatively common).

[Yakumo]

Yeah, I know that but I want to stay a buff over the top power house . I'll just do a few hours on the easy rune farm to build up magic while listening to a few albums.

[Brad]

Yeah, I know that but I want to stay a buff over the top power house . I'll just do a few hours on the easy rune farm to build up magic while listening to a few albums.

I think I'm like you with Souls type games; I'm always thinking ah, I need to increase X and upgrade weapon Y to beat this boss/area and that's half the fun. And then 6 months later you see some bloke on youtube who has chosen the paraplegic as his starting character, threw all his weapons away, covers himself in poison and deliberately gets diseased and proceeds to beat the game in an hour.

[Yakumo]

I think I'm like you with Souls type games; I'm always thinking ah, I need to increase X and upgrade weapon Y to beat this boss/area and that's half the fun. And then 6 months later you see some bloke on youtube who has chosen the paraplegic as his starting character, threw all his weapons away, covers himself in poison and deliberately gets diseased and proceeds to beat the game in an hour.

Lol, absolutely!

[Lebowski]

If you want a boss killing magic build try Comet Azur, this fires out a massive death beam of magic that obliterates everything in its path.

i used it with
Lunar Glint stone staff (Sorcerys cost more but do more damage)
Graven-Mass Talisman (Greatly raises potency of Sorceries)
Azures glint-stone crown (Greatly raises potency of Azur sorceries)

in your physic use
Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear (Temporarily boosts Magic Damage).
Cerulean Hidden Tear (FP is not consumed by any actions that normally consume FP for 15 seconds)


you can also cast terror magicus on the ground (35% magic buff)

This all stacks to boosts one of the the most powerfull spell in the game to insane levels.

[Golgo]

Feeling quite burnt out with this. Been scouring all over - Caelid, Liurnia, various underground areas, etc, - 90 hours in and now ploughing through Leyndell. There's just so much of the game...can't fault the generosity of content, notwithstanding the frequent recycling of creatures/bosses/catacomb layouts, but I'm definitely one for preferring for the tighter adventures of Soulsborne yore. The highly allusive side-quests of those games are made worse here by the spread-out nature of things. Most the time I don't know I'm even on a quest, and there are some truly opaque twists and turns that almost beggar belief, e.g. the

->Open Spoiler<-

'where the hell has Blaidd got to now' issue throughout the Ranni questline

At the moment I'm not sure I can continue as I'm not really enjoying it.

[Yakumo]

Feeling quite burnt out with this. Been scouring all over - Caelid, Liurnia, various underground areas, etc, - 90 hours in and now ploughing through Leyndell. There's just so much of the game...can't fault the generosity of content, notwithstanding the frequent recycling of creatures/bosses/catacomb layouts, but I'm definitely one for preferring for the tighter adventures of Soulsborne yore. The highly allusive side-quests of those games are made worse here by the spread-out nature of things. Most the time I don't know I'm even on a quest, and there are some truly opaque twists and turns that almost beggar belief, e.g. the

->Open Spoiler<-

'where the hell has Blaidd got to now' issue throughout the Ranni questline

At the moment I'm not sure I can continue as I'm not really enjoying it.

It's worth finishing. I put over 160 hours in to it. It was a massive adventure for sure and at times it did seem like a total waste of time but something always came around and when it didn't I had a sneeky peak at some guides to help with the progression.

[QualityChimp]

Started this last night and I'm really enjoying it, so far.
Obviously, I'm dying loads, but I'm following a guide to get OP pretty early.
I don't care what anyone thinks, I'm not scared to cheese it to stack the odds back in my favour!

Couple of questions - I'm following a guide to get some smithing stones, which I can apply to a weapon. The guide suggests grabbing The Serpent Hunter as it has flat stats, meaning anyone can use it.

However, I've seen another guide ranking the weapons and I like the look of the Rivers of Blood.
Can I apply those smithing stones to that sword or are you unable to improve it?

Also I have about 3 different flasks, but don't know how they work.
I either drink it instead of sprinting after reviving or it doesn't give me more health.

Currently level 9 and haven't levelled anything up yet.
Frustrating, but rewarding to cheese the Night's Cavalry off the bridge, sucker.

[briareos_kerensky]

You get the Rivers Of Blood late in the game, and requires quite the investment in Arcane, a stat used primarly by spellcasters.
The Serpent Hunter is a spear you get from a boss around halfway through the game, and there are better weapons...it's very useful against one boss, though.

If you are going for a physical build, the Bloodhound Fang can be obtained relatively early, has low stats for a curved greatswords but it'll easily carry you for 90% of the game.

All weapons can be improved, depending on the type you either need normal or somber smithing stones. You'll be able to purchase smithing stones if get the correct item, but the final stones to max out a weapon are limited in a single playthrough, IIRC 4.

The flasks: red for health, blue for FPs (used to cast spells, use special techniques). Both share charges, and you can reassisn them at a Site Of Grace. Most probably you'll just need red flasks, unless you are running an intensive spellcaster build.
The third flask is used to get temporary boosts and must be created at a Site Of Grace.

https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Flask+of+Wondrous+Physick

[QualityChimp]

Brilliant, thanks [MENTION=7539]briareos_kerensky[/MENTION]!

Funnily enough, I was watching a video for The Bloodhound Fang:

->Open Spoiler<-

I think you're probably right, though, that's probably a better shout and will carry my through.
I think I'm up to 3 somber smithing stones already, so can I apply those to it, once I've got some more stones?

[QualityChimp]

Brilliant, thanks @briareos_kerensky!

Funnily enough, I was watching a video for The Bloodhound Fang:

->Open Spoiler<-

I think you're probably right, though, that's probably a better shout and will carry my through.
I think I'm up to 3 somber smithing stones already, so can I apply those to it, once I've got some more stones?

The Black Knight's Halberd took me through the whole of Dark Souls!

I reckon I've been using the blue flask, rather than the red health flask, cheers!

Like I say, it's my first night playing it.