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All Starting Item Keepsakes in Elden Ring Explained
There are 9 Keepsakes in Elden Ring:
- Crimson Amber Medallion
- Lands Between Rune
- Golden Seed
- Fanged Imp Ashes
- Cracked Pot
- Stonesword Key
- Bewitching Branch
- Boiled Prawn
- Shabiri’s Woe
All 9 starting items can be found throughout The Lands Between, so it’s recommended to choose which one is best for you based on the early hours of the game. The following sections explain what every Keepsake does exactly, and how good they are in the early game.
Crimson Amber Medallion
This Keepsake raises a character’s maximum HP by 6%, essentially meaning you can take another hit before dying. It uses up one Talisman slot, and you will almost certainly find plenty more useful Talismans exploring that you might like better. The Crimson Amber Medallion is a great starting item if you are nervous about the combat. However, it can actually be obtained right from the start if you travel to the Dragon-Burnt Ruins, located at the lake east of the Church of Elleh. There are stronger versions of this Talisman available later on in the game as well.
The Crimson Amber Medallion location in Limgrave.
Lands Between Rune
Golden Runes can be consumed to acquire Runes, which are needed to level up. They are located all over the map, and come with various Rune values. The Lands Between Rune Keepsake is basically the same as these, except it is worth 4000 Runes. This amounts to 2 or 3 levels worth, depending on the level of your starting class. It’s a great way to boost any attribute for early encounters. However, as Golden Runes are so common, and you mainly obtain Runes by killing enemies anyway, it’s not the best Keepsake in Elden Ring to start with.
Golden Seed
The Golden Seed Keepsake reinforces both Crimson and Cerulean Flasks. Basically, this means you get one extra HP or FP (Focus Points) Flask. Having lots of Flasks to heal, or cast spells, is essential for surviving tough combat situations. There are more Golden Seeds to find throughout The Lands Between that can increase your Flask charges even more. Although, the number of Golden Seeds required will increase with each upgrade. The Golden Seed is one of the best Keepsakes in Elden Ring, as it gives players a big advantage right from the start.
Fanged Imp Ashes
Spirit Ashes allow you to summon a spectral ally, or group of allies, to help you in combat. They can attack, heal, and act as a distraction. This starting item is not the best Keepsake however, as the Spirit Calling Bell must be acquired to use the Fanged Imp Ashes. While this can be obtained early on, it’s actually easily missed, and you will also receive a Spirit Ash with the summoning bell.
While the Fanged Imp Ashes are great for distracting enemies, it can still be found later by purchasing it for 2000 Runes from the Isolated Merchant. He is located on the eastern road of the Main Academy Gates Site of Grace in the Liurnia of the Lakes region. You must reach the Grace Site at Raya Lucaria Academy, and then follow the eastern road to access his location
The exact location of the merchant who sells the Fanged Imp Ashes.
Cracked Pot
This Keepsake actually gives you 3 Cracked Pots, which are used for crafting throwing items such as Fire Pots and Sleep Pots. While they are very useful in combat, Cracked Pots are a fairly common item to come across. You also need recipes and other crafting materials to make the throwable items. Cracked Pots can even be purchased with Runes from the very first merchant in the game, at the Church of Elleh.
Stonesword Key
You will receive 2 Stonesword Keys for picking this starting item. Stonesword Keys are used for opening secret doors by inserting them into Imp Gargoyle statues beside veils of grey mist. While it’s highly recommended to explore these areas, when possible, for unique side quests and equipment, Stonesword Keys are not too difficult to find. They can be acquired by looting corpses, as a reward for defeating certain enemies, and available for purchase from some merchants.
Bewitching Branch
The Bewitching Branch Keepsake will give you 5 of the starting item. Each use costs FP and bewitches a foe, turning them into a temporary ally. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work on bosses. It’s a good item to use in a rough combat situation, but isn’t the best Keepsake in Elden Ring, as you can still be killed by other enemies that haven’t been bewitched. The branches are best used after acquiring Fevor’s Cookbook [3], where you can then craft and hold up to 10 of them.
Bewitching Branches Keepsake description.
Boiled Prawn
You will receive 5 Boiled Prawns for picking this starting item. When consumed, Boiled Prawns boost physical damage negation by 15% for 60 seconds. If your physical damage negation is at 34% or above, it will only boost by 10% instead. Boiled Prawns are decent items to use during tough boss battles, or surrounded by many enemies. It’s not a great Keepsake however, as there are other options that will help you even more. You can also boost damage negation by equipping certain Ashes of War, or using spells and incantations.
Shabiri’s Woe
The Shabiri’s Woe Keepsake attracts the attention and aggression of all enemies. This sounds like a terrible starting item, and it is–unless you plan on using your character to help others in co-op. As bosses and other enemies will be distracted by you, your co-op partner will have an easier time landing hits while you take their aggression. You should only use this Keepsake if you plan on using a tank build, like a Vagabond or Warrior, to make sure you don’t die and leave your partner to deal with the enemies. If you do manage to stay alive with the increased aggression, this can be great for a co-op boss fight.
Enemy aggression may seem a counterintuitive thing to go for when choosing a keepsake, almost like a buff. But as it tends to be in soulbornes, you can make due with pretty much anything, even this aggression.
Which is the best Keepsake in Elden Ring?
For a more detailed breakdown of the benefits of each starting item, please see the sections above. In general, however, the best Keepsake in Elden Ring is the Golden Seed. Right from the start, without doing any exploring, you can assign an extra HP or FP Flask to your character. This is better than choosing the Crimson Amber Medallion, for example, as it gives you more health back than that Talisman gives extra health. Magic users can spam more spells and incantations if they choose to add the charge to their FP Flasks instead.
The Golden Seed is the best Keepsake in Elden Ring.
Remember, you must use the Golden Seed by picking “Flasks” at a Site of Grace in order to benefit from this early Keepsake. Choosing between an extra HP or FP Flask is not permanent, and you can change the amount you carry of each at any time by revisiting this “Flasks” menu at any Site of Grace, at no cost.
I hope this guide explaining all the starting items and the best Keepsake in Elden Ring has made your decision easier!
