Item Collection#

The Lands Between in Elden Ring are scattered with hundreds of key items - talismans, Golden Seeds, Sacred Tears, Crystal Tears, Cookbooks, Bell Bearings, and more. This chapter organizes what each category of collectible does and how to approach acquiring them; the values and locations of damage-negation talismans have been re-verified, correcting multiple errors circulating in older versions.

Talisman Recommendations#

Talismans act like passive skills equipped on your character, and you can wear up to four at once (slots expand gradually through main-story progress). This section first gives the fully verified values for damage-negation talismans, then explains the mechanics of the others.

Physical Damage Negation: the Dragoncrest Series#

The Dragoncrest series is the core choice for physical damage negation; the values and true locations of all four tiers are listed below. Note that damage-negation talismans are reduced to roughly one-fifth of their effect in PvP, so PvE numbers cannot be applied directly to PvP builds.

Errata for older versions: A common older claim was that “Dragoncrest Shield +1 is in the Four Belfries” or “the Greatshield version is in the Haligtree secret area or the capital’s sewers” - none of these are correct. The real location of Dragoncrest Shield Talisman +1 is the Sainted Hero’s Grave on the Altus Plateau; the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman is always in the chest of the large northeastern building in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, and has nothing to do with the capital’s sewers.

Non-Physical Damage Negation: the Pearldrake Series#

The Pearldrake Talisman raises damage negation against non-physical attributes (magic, fire, lightning, holy, etc.), complementing the physical negation of the Dragoncrest series. The values of all three tiers:

As for locations: the base version is in Caelid; the +2 is always in the Consecrated Snowfield. Once you get a higher tier, simply replace the lower one - the two do not stack.

Two Universal Rules for Damage-Negation Talismans#

• PvP reduction: In invasions and duels, all damage-negation talismans deliver roughly one-fifth of their single-player values. PvP builds should not over-stack negation talismans - it is better to save those slots for offensive and utility picks.
• Same type does not stack: When you wear talismans covering the same negation type, only one takes effect - wearing the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman alongside a Dragoncrest Shield Talisman is pointless. However, the Dragoncrest series (physical) and the Pearldrake series (non-physical) cover different damage types, so they can coexist and complement each other.

Offensive and Utility Talismans (Mechanics Overview)#

The following talismans are described by mechanism and acquisition route; for exact values, refer to the in-game item menu:

• Green Turtle Talisman: Speeds up stamina recovery, one of the most cost-effective general talismans early on, suitable for any roll-dependent build.
• Warrior Jar Shard (Alexander’s Shard): Boosts skill damage, obtained by finishing Iron Fist Alexander’s questline; use the Rotten Jar Shard as a stopgap until then.
• Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: Raises attack power with successive hits, ideal for dual-wielding fast weapons; comes from Millicent’s questline.
• Millicent’s Prosthesis: Also boosts successive-attack damage while adding Dexterity; the endgame reward of Millicent’s questline, and a core of the combo build alongside the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia.
• Lord of Blood’s Exultation: Raises your attack power when blood loss happens nearby, the core talisman of bleed builds; the White Mask is a weaker option in the same direction.
• Scorpion Charm series (Fire, Magic, Lightning, Holy): Raises damage of the matching attribute at the cost of taking more damage - high risk, high reward.
• Magic Scorpion Charm and Graven-School Talisman: Raise magic damage, core picks for caster progression; pair with the Radagon Icon to speed up casting.
• Godfrey Icon: Boosts the damage payoff of charged attacks, ideal for charged-skill builds.
• Erdtree’s Favor: Raises max HP, stamina, and max equip load all at once - an all-around talisman with triple benefits.
• Arsenal Charm: Also provides the HP/stamina/equip-load triple bonus, with higher-tier follow-up versions found in later regions.
• Silver Scarab: Raises item discovery on enemies - wear it before farming gear; Gold Scarab: raises Rune acquisition - wear it while grinding levels.
• Blue-Feathered Branch Sword: Greatly raises damage negation once your HP drops below the danger line, a low-HP survival talisman.

Golden Seeds#

Golden Seeds grow under small Erdtree sprouts; handing them to your Flask at a Site of Grace adds uses to the Flask of Crimson Tears (flask count and the number of sips per use are two separate upgrade lines). Collection tips:

• In the early game, focus on the small Erdtree sprouts in Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula; raising flask count early significantly eases the punishing first hours.
• Liurnia and Caelid have the most seeds; pick them up along the main path as you progress - no detours needed.
• In late-game regions (the capital, the Mountaintops of the Giants, the Consecrated Snowfield), seeds often hide in forks of mandatory routes and deep in side paths, easy to miss.
• Some seeds come from hidden bosses and questlines; full collection requires actively exploring side areas.

Sacred Tears#

Sacred Tears rest in flask statues at churches across the world; picking one up raises the amount restored per flask use. Collection tips:

• Every major region has at least one or two churches holding a Sacred Tear; you can grab the first one at the Church of Elleh in Limgrave right at the start.
• The Church of Marika series lines the main road from Limgrave to the Altus Plateau - collect most of them in passing.
• The late-game churches sit in the Mountaintops of the Giants and the Consecrated Snowfield, and the prayer hall of the Haligtree hides the last one.
• Alternate upgrades between the crimson and blue flask restoration until both can cover an entire boss fight.

Crystal Tears#

The Flask of Wondrous Physick lets you mix two Crystal Tears at a Site of Grace into one set of buffs that applies to your next fight. Mechanics:

• Tears are picked up at minor Erdtree sprouts and similar spots; their effects do not conflict, so combine them freely.
• Buffs usually last until you rest or they are reset - re-mix right before a boss fight.
• Common combos: casters pick magic-boosting tears paired with FP recovery; melee picks stamina recovery paired with poise damage; burst builds use the tear that grants short-term cost-free FP, then unload high-power sorceries for maximum burst.
• Unlike the regular flask, the Wondrous Physick needs no use allocation - one sip consumes it, so save it for boss fights and key encounters for the best value.

Cookbooks#

Cookbooks unlock crafting recipes and take effect immediately upon pickup. The main series:

• Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook: Recipes for basic combat items like throwing knives and armaments grease, spread across merchants and exploration points all over the map.
• Missionary’s Cookbook: Recipes for consumables tied to rings of light and holy attributes.
• Elder’s Cookbook: Recipes for lightning-based throwing items, mostly in the Altus Plateau and the Mountaintops of the Giants.
• Hermit’s Cookbook: Magic-buff recipes, concentrated in Liurnia.
• Tarnished’s Cookbook: Fire-buff recipes, obtainable in the earliest regions.
• Assassin’s Cookbook: Recipes for stealth, poison, and paralysis items.
• Armorer’s Cookbook: Defense-buff recipes.

There is no need to collect every cookbook - just grab the ones tied to your current build.

Bell Bearings#

Hand Bell Bearings to the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold to unlock unlimited purchase stocks of the matching items:

• Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing: Unlocks unlimited purchase of every tier of Smithing Stones, mostly dropped by mine bosses across the map.
• Mausoleum Soldier’s Bell Bearing: Unlocks unlimited purchase of Somber Smithing Stones, also from mine-type underground areas.
• Glovewort Picker’s Bell Bearing: Unlocks purchase of Grave Glovewort and Ghost Glovewort, essential for upgrading Spirit Ashes.
• Merchant’s Bell Bearing: Dropped by killing the matching nomadic merchant; the Twin Maiden Husks then sell their entire stock. Before doing so, make sure you no longer need that merchant’s shop.

Obtaining the matching Bell Bearings is the prerequisite for mid-to-late gear and ash upgrades; when clearing mine-type underground areas, always confirm you did not miss the boss drop.

Important Key Items#

• Dectus Medallion (Left and Right): Collect both halves to activate the Grand Lift of Dectus, a direct route to the Altus Plateau; the left half hides in Fort Haight, the right in Fort Faroth.
• Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left and Right): Activates the hidden route at the Grand Lift of Rold to the Consecrated Snowfield; the left half is in Castle Sol, the right in the First Church of Marika.
• Pureblood Knight’s Medal: The key item that teleports you into Mohgwyn Palace, obtained through Varré’s questline.
• Larval Tear: Grants a free rebirth (respec) with Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon; each rebirth consumes one.
• Memory Stone: Adds spell memory slots, a key item for caster builds.
• Deathroot: Trade it to Gurranq, the priest of the Bestial Sanctum, for rewards; repeated turn-ins trigger later events of that questline.
• Stonesword Key: A consumable that breaks the seal on imp statues’ fog gates, leading to hidden chests and shortcuts - areas like the Sainted Hero’s Grave require them.

FAQ#

Recommended Collection Order#

1. Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula: Gather the early Sacred Tears and Golden Seeds, grab the Green Turtle Talisman, and shore up your early-game safety net first.
2. Liurnia: Collect the Memory Stone and magic-oriented talismans; caster builds take shape here.
3. Altus Plateau: The main story expands your talisman slots here, where four-slot builds begin; pick up the Dragoncrest Shield Talisman +1 in the Sainted Hero’s Grave along the way.
4. Caelid: Casters round out Meteorite Staff-related gear, melee rounds out negation talismans; while exploring Dragonbarrow, push into the Bestial Sanctum for the Dragoncrest Shield Talisman.
5. The capital and late-game regions: Finish off legendary weapons and top-tier negation talismans (including the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree) to cap out your build for the final boss.