Here’s how to unlock the ability to level up and the best stats to prioritise
Want to know how to level up in Elden Ring?As you tackle the Lands Between and uncover each majorboss location, you’ll need a healthy dose of runes to get you through.
Unlike some of the otherbest RPGsfrom FromSoftware, you can’t level up from the start inElden Ring. Instead, you’ll need to explore Limgrave until you meet a specific NPC. Luckily, we’re here to explain how to level up, where to find the NPC in question and whichattributesyou should prioritise first for thebest builds. We’ll also provide an area level guide with recommended levels for each major region. With this, you should be all set to tackle a new playthrough ahead of theShadow Of The ErdtreeDLC.
How to level up in Elden Ring
To level up in Elden Ring, you first need totrigger a visit from the NPC Melina. We cover this at the start of ourElden Ring walkthrough, but we’ll also briefly explain it below.
Melina will visit you when you rest at either of two specific Sites of Grace in central Limgrave:
The locations of these two Sites of Grace are marked on the below map:
When you meet Melina, she will offer to become your maiden. To level up in Elden Ring, you mustaccept Melina’s offer. This will also unlock the ability tosummon your horse, Torrent. Fortunately, if you have already met Melina and refused her offer, you can trigger this conversation again by visiting a Site of Grace. That means you won’t get permanently locked out of the ability to level up in Elden Ring.
After you’ve accepted Melina’s offer, you can select theLevel Upoption while resting at anySite of Grace. This allows you to spend Runes, the currency you get for killing enemies, to increase your level and your stats. As your level increases, so will the amount of Runes needed to level up.
The number of Runes needed for each level can get incredibly high towards the end of the game, so take a look at our guide to thebest rune farming locations in Elden Ringto make sure you always have plenty to spend.
Whenever you level up, you’re faced with another choice: which of your 8 stats to increase. Below, we’ll cover which of your stats you should prioritise early on in your adventure.
If you’re not opting for a specificElden Ring build, here’s our recommended order of importance for levelling up your stats:
Enduranceis the most important stat to level up early on, no matter your chosenElden Ring class, because it increases your stamina. Stamina is required forattacking, blocking, dodging, running, and just generally staying alive during fights. It’s by far the thing you need most at the beginning of the game. Endurance also increases yourequip load, so that you can equip some of thebest armor in Elden Ring.
Vigoris next, because it increases yourmaximum health. Doing this can make fights a lot easier, because suddenly you take two hits to die, instead of just one fateful smack.
Dexterity and Strengthare required stats for handling most weapons. They also scale up the damage you deal with those weapons, but the effect is slight enough to be overshadowed by simply upgrading your weapon usingSmithing Stones. I’d recommend setting your eyes on some of thebest weaponsyou can find early on, and increasing your Strength and Dexterity until you reach the requirements.
Intelligence and Faithgovern your power with Sorceries and Incantations, respectively.Spellsare very powerful in Elden Ring - but again, the damage scaling you receive by upgrading these stats is quite slight. Don’t just pump these stats full of points:work towards a spell requirement goal.
Mindimproves your maximumFP, which is your mana. It’s worth putting a few points in your Mind stat over the course of your first few dozen levels, but otherwise you can more or less leave it unless you’re going for a dedicated spellcaster setup.
Arcaneimproves youritem discovery, which is your chance of finding items to loot on corpses. It’s nice, but certainly not worth prioritising unless you happen to find a spell or weapon that requires a certain amount of Arcane knowledge, such as Reduvia - one of ourfavourite early weapons in Elden Ring.
If you’re not happy with your stat choices, you can always respec your character. Check out our guide onhow to respec in Elden Ringfor more information.
Although progression is usually dependant on player ability and experience, the following suggested levels for each region (and by extention eachboss) should help you as you take on the deadly, beautiful world of the Lands Between.
That wraps up our guide on how to level up in Elden Ring. If you want to upgrade your character further, take a look at ourElden Ring Golden SeedsandElden Ring Sacred Tearslocations guides. When you’re ready to test your character, check out ourElden Ring boss locationsguide to find the nearest boss encounter. If you’re unhappy with your build and want to change your stats, take a look at our guide onhow to respec in Elden Ring.
