U4GM - 12-Item Guide: All Elden Ring Key Items and Their Functions
Elden Ring is filled with mysterious and powerful items that are essential to progression, exploration, and uncovering the game's rich lore. Among them, key items stand out as pivotal elements that unlock new areas, activate bosses, complete questlines, or provide significant gameplay advantages. Whether you’re playing through the game solo or enhancing your experience with Elden Ring Nightreign Boosting, understanding key items can make or break your journey through the Lands Between.
Having completed multiple playthroughs—some with the aid of co-op partners and others with an eye toward optimized progress using options to buy Elden Ring items—I’ve compiled a personal and practical guide to 12 of the most important key items in the game.
1. Great Runes
Great Runes are dropped by major demigod bosses like Godrick, Radahn, and Morgott. Once restored at Divine Towers, these can be activated using Rune Arcs and provide massive stat boosts. In my first playthrough, I underestimated their value until late game—don’t make the same mistake.
2. Rune Arcs
While technically a consumable, Rune Arcs are essential to activate Great Runes. I farm these regularly and also grabbed a few through Elden Ring Nightreign Boosting co-op battles to maintain constant boosts throughout tough boss fights.
3. Academy Glintstone Key
Without this, you can’t enter Raya Lucaria Academy, one of the main legacy dungeons. The first key is guarded by a dragon near the academy, while a second hidden key is useful for multiplayer access. This item was a gatekeeper to some of the most magical and rewarding content in the game for me.
4. Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left & Right)
These two halves unlock the Grand Lift of Rold’s secret path, leading to the Consecrated Snowfield and Miquella’s Haligtree. The right half was particularly challenging to find in Castle Sol, but it was worth the effort to access some of the game’s best loot.
5. Rold Medallion
Given after defeating Morgott, this item grants access to the Mountaintops of the Giants. The transition to this snowy, high-level zone felt like entering a new game altogether. Having this medallion is mandatory for reaching the late-game story content.
6. Dectus Medallion (Left & Right)
These halves combine to activate the Grand Lift of Dectus, offering a shortcut to Altus Plateau. Finding both parts early helped me skip some of the game's more brutal mountain passes, streamlining progression on a second playthrough.
7. Pureblood Knight’s Medal
This is a quest reward from White-Faced Varre and teleports you directly to Mohgwyn Palace—a secret area full of powerful enemies and great rune farming spots. I used this shortcut to level up rapidly, especially when working through buy Elden Ring items routes and optimizing builds.
8. Shabriri Grapes
Key to Hyetta’s questline, these eerie items reveal the dark secrets of the Frenzied Flame ending. Collecting all of them added incredible narrative depth to my fourth run, especially after exploring more of Leyndell’s hidden lore.
9. Sewer-Gaol Key
Unlocks the door in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds beneath Leyndell, leading to the Frenzied Flame ending. If you're aiming for multiple endings, this is a must-have. I found it tucked away after a lengthy exploration session involving several deadly invasions.
10. Tonic of Forgetfulness
Given by Rya or Patches (depending on your path), this item can influence the outcome of several NPC questlines. It’s a niche key item, but one that’s deeply tied to character agency. I once used it to save an NPC from despair, which gave the ending more emotional weight.
11. Stormhawk King
An item needed to complete Nepheli Loux’s storyline. It’s located in the Chapel of Anticipation, which is only accessible via a portal later in the game. Finding this was satisfying not only for the quest reward but for the storytelling closure it provided.
12. Unalloyed Gold Needle
Essential for Millicent’s quest and for resisting Scarlet Rot. Once upgraded, it can also be used to reverse the Frenzied Flame ending if you change your mind. On my third run, this item helped me reclaim a major NPC ally and avoid an unwanted ending path.
Key items in Elden Ring aren’t just collectibles—they’re central to how the game’s sprawling, nonlinear world unfolds. Whether you’re exploring organically or leveraging Elden Ring Nightreign Boosting to fast-track challenging zones, understanding and using these items smartly enhances your experience.
From my own perspective as someone who enjoys testing different builds and occasionally choosing to buy Elden Ring items to round out late-game sets, these 12 key items provided a foundation for exploration, experimentation, and immersion. Use them wisely, and you’ll unlock the deepest layers of what Elden Ring has to offer.
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