Elden Ring: All Keepsakes & How To Get Them

Elden Ring starts off the player with various options to best fit their playstyle with its starting classes. Among those options is the ability to pick a starting gift item known as Keepsakes. These different magical items grant unique perks to players, which can give them an edge early on in the game. Therefore, knowing which Elden Ring Keepsake to pick is important if you want to have a smooth start to the game.

Elden Ring: All Keepsakes

You get to pick between ten keepsakes, well, in reality, nine items as the first is no item at all. These items provide various enhancements such as a special ability, passive buff, or something to affect your enemies with.

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However, it is important to note that the item you choose is not the item that you will be stuck with. Most of the keepsakes at the start can be later acquired in the game in the Lands Between. You just simply need to explore or buy them from Merchants. So, if there are multiple items that you would like to have, worry not because you’ll get them later. Regardless, it is still important to choose the right item so let’s delve deep into the specifics of each item. We will also discuss in-game locations for each Keepsake in case you do not choose it as an initial item.

None

Let’s get this option out of the way. Set by default, your first option is to have no Keepsake with you whatsoever. Quite self-explanatory. If you want an extra challenge, then go ahead, but it certainly is not favorable, especially in a soul’s game.

Crimson Amber Medallion

This wearable medallion gives a slight increase to your maximum HP. An extra health boost in a soul’s game is always a blessing, especially at the start. Additionally, it is useful if you want to use a class with a lower Vigor and starting HP. However, if you do not pick this item initially, you can always upgrade your vigor through skill points and even find the medallion later.

Location

You might be wondering, how to get this keepsake? The item can be found later in the game as well. Head over to the Nomadic Merchant at the eastern side of Weeping Peninsula in South Limgrave. It’s near the Castle Morne Rampart Site of Grace, and the merchant will be near a campfire. He will sell you the medallion for 1,500.

Lands Between Rune

Do you prefer having extra currency or XP at the game? Well, you can pick this consumable item that grants you 3000 Runes upon one-time use. A useful tip is to save this item up until you accept Melina’s accord, which allows you to level up. Considering Runes work as XP and currency, you can easily utilize these 3000 runes to level up your character after the accord. Furthermore, if you use the item, make sure to utilize it immediately, as every time you die, you do risk losing the runes.

Location

Unfortunately, this is one of those items which can only be picked at the start of the game as of now. But luckily, there are other items like this that grant players with runes.

Golden Seed

Yet another consumable item that can be utilized at a Site of Grace. This item grants players an extra permanent use of the Sacred Flasks. Initially, you begin with 4 Flask uses, but if you equip this item, you will have 5 with you.

These flasks (Flask of Crimson for HP and Flask of Cerulean Tears for FP) are the key items in Elden Ring that help you midst battle. They can be refilled every time you rest at a Site of Grace and can be used multiple times depending on how much you upgrade it. Because of this, it can be considered for Elden Ring Best Keepsakes category. 

Location

Because Golden Seeds are key items for upgrading your flask, they can be found throughout the open world of Elden Ring. Read our full article on Elden Ring Golden Seeds.

They are always underneath golden Erdtree saplings. Despite their relatively small size, these trees stand out as they emit golden light.

Fanged Imp Ashes

This item is a Spirit Ash that allows you to summon spirits to fight by your side. These ashes are some of the interesting items in the game as they allow the summoning of many NPC creatures like wolves, knights, and mages to fight alongside you. They’re useful in distracting enemies, allowing you to get a breath during battle.

The spirits through this item are of Imps, and the item can be used as many times as you want. The only initial restriction is that you can only use the item after you’ve acquired the Spirit Calling Bell item.

Location

Although this particular summon may only be available during the start as a keepsake, there are plenty of better ashes in the world of Elden Ring. So, it is safe to skip this item when you’ll actually need the summons, and you will most likely have a better one.

Cracked Pot

This item is a crafting material useful for crafting throwable bombs like firebombs. Choosing it as a keepsake will allow you to start off with three of these.

Essentially the pots act as a container. You take these pots and fill them with the materials needed to create a specific bomb. After you use the bomb by throwing it, the pot will mend itself and allow you to put in the materials needed for another or a different type of bomb.

Location

As it is an essential crafting item and useful for combat items, you can find and purchase many more of these cracked pots throughout the game. You can purchase one from the Gatekeeper Gostoc for 200 Runes in the Stormveil Castle Entrance.

Stonesword Key

This one-time-use key item is great for venturers. The Keepsake grants two stone keys that can break Imp Statue Seals and unlock secret areas in the game that may have a worthwhile treasure with powerful weapons and gear. They are also used for rooms in the Roundtable Holds. Of course, these items are optional however can aid you quite a bit with the loot inside.

This definitely makes it a useful keepsake in Elden Ring, as even after the tutorial area, you can access an area through the key.

Location

As mentioned, the Stonesword keys are essential for accessing optional areas. This is why you can find them easily throughout the land. They can either be purchased or found by exploring. You can purchase one for 2000 runes from the Isolated Merchant, very west of the Weeping Peninsula.

Bewitching Branch

These are five consumable branches used for a short-range attack. It releases a pink fog when used, with any enemy submerged in it becoming charmed and seizing to attack you. They won’t die; they will simply put away their weapons and pretend as if you do not exist. Additionally, it can also make them join your side and attack other enemies. Good to get out of some sticky situations.

However, the caveat is that only select enemies are affected by this item, making it only useful right at the start of the game.

It is a consumable item and requires 14 Focus Points to use. Luckily you can craft and get the item later in the game too.

Location

This item can be purchased from the Nomadic Merchant located in the Liurnia of the Lakes, costing you 1600 Runes. Additionally, you can craft the item as well.

Boiled Prawn

This item is prawn meat, and you get 5 of them if you choose it as your Keepsake. Boiled Prawn consumable item boosts your physical damage resistance, making you take less overall damage. Quite a useful item, especially against tougher and higher-level bosses. But of course, it is consumable, so one use only and will run out.

Location

As of yet, there is no other known location to get this item. We will update our guide if we come across Boiled Prawn’s location in Eldern Ring.

Shabriri’s Woe

More of a cursed item than a helpful one, this item constantly draws enemies towards the player in Elden Ring. Considering every enemy already wants to kill you in Elden Ring, not sure why anyone would want to have this item. Regardless, it’s there for the taking.

If you are in co-op mode, the enemies will be more focused on you, which is the only use-case of the item. You can strategize and get enemies towards you while your partner figures something out, but that’s about it for the item.

Location

Again, we’re not sure why any sane player would want this item. But if you’re looking for it, you can find it on a body at the edge of the Frenzied Flames Village.

Elden Ring Best Keepsakes to Choose

Although you can choose any of the Keepsake, there are just a few which stand out more than the others. The selection between them will depend entirely on your priorities and playstyle. Not only that, but these items can also differ depending on whether you are an experienced player or a skilled player. Regardless, these are the best items and their use-cases depending on your experience:

Best Keepsakes for Beginners

As a beginner to FromSoftware’s games, it can take quite some time to transition from the casualty of regular games to the bloodcurdlingly tough enemies the game offers. This is why the following items would be quite helpful as Elden Ring Keepsake items.  

Crimson Amber Medallion

When starting off the game, bosses and enemies can seem quite difficult. Having extra health will allow you to handle that one extra blow which might give you the edge in battle. If not that, then you can also leverage the open world and actually face higher-level enemies, which you might have struggled to defeat without the health boost. This becomes even more useful when you realize you can start upgrading your skills only after you agree to Melina’s accord. The possibilities are endless with this item.

Golden Seed

Having extra health or having extra healing go hand-in-hand with each other. Not only that, but the Golden Seeds help upgrade both the flasks, meaning you can either take a few more hits with extra HP healing or inflict more damage by casting spells with more FP. That does heavily depend on the class that you choose, though. So, depending on your initial stats, this item could be more of use to you.

Best Keepsakes for Experienced players

These are items that may not prove to have any use initially but can be fruitful later on in the game. That’s not to say that beginners cannot choose these items; it’s just that experienced players will be able to handle them more elegantly.

Lands Between Rune

Runes are the currency of the game. For purchasing items or being used as XP to level up, they’re quite useful. However, it is not quite straightforward as when you die, and you risk losing them. You do get the chance to recover them by going back to the place of death, but if you die during that, they’re gone for good. This is exactly why Lands Between Rune item is more useful for experienced players that know how to manage their currency and have gotten accustomed to this traditional mechanic of Soulborne games.

Although you can and certainly should hold off using Lands Between Rune item item until you have accepted Melina’s accord, which finally allows you to level up, you won’t exactly have any use of the item till that point. That’s why if you are a new player, having this item will give you no advantage in the initial stages, making it more suited for an experienced player.

But, once you do get the option to level up, you will be able to use the 3000 runes provided to get the upper hand on the first few bosses you may run into. Certainly, making it a useful item.

Stonesword Key

Yet another rare item that may be useless initially, it will allow the player to unlock areas with great loot. But of course, those areas will not come without any challenges. So, if you aren’t used to the crushing combat of Elden Ring or the Soul style combat, the item can feel useless. Especially considering you can get many of these later in the game when you’ve invested more hours and improved.

But if you are simply looking to explore or run into a challenge with worthy awards, this is a great keepsake to use.

With that, we have all the Elden Ring Best Keepsakes that you can choose. Overall some are useful, some aren’t. Regardless of what you choose, you will have to face the soul-crushing bosses of Elden Ring, and we wish you the best of luck. If you have any questions, comment below.