Elden Ring takes the traditional Souls gameplay and drags it into the modern age. It adds an expansive open-world map, more variety in combat, and even a spectral steed that you can use to get around. But while the game offers up a few twists on the style you know and love, many of the series' staples remain.
When starting out, you'll get to pick your class. After doing so, you'll be given 10 bonus items called Keepsakes to choose from. Each of these grants a different kind of advantage, some of which can prove extremely useful in the early hours of a play through.
To help you choose which Keepsakes are the best, we've detailed each alongside some recommendations. These are based on our own experience with the game, and include tips on which Keepsake to choose if you're a beginner to the series.
Keepsakes List
There are 10 options to choose from when selecting a Keepsake. These range from keys, to health buffing items and boosts for the Sacred Flask. Here's what you need to know:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Crimson Amber Medallion | Increases Max HP |
| Lands Between Rune | Use to gain many Runes |
| Golden Seed | Reinforces Sacred Flask |
| Fanged Imp Ashes | Ashes of small diminutive golems (Summon) |
| Cracked Pot | A container for thrown items |
| Stonesword Key | Two Stonesword Keys |
| Bewitching Branch | Five branches imbued with beguiling power |
| Boiled Prawn | Five meats. Used to boost physical damage negation |
| Shabriri's Woe | Attracts enemies' aggression |
| None | No keepsake |
- Prepare Yourself: How Long Does It Take To Beat Elden Ring?
click to enlargeBest Keepsake - Which One to Pick
Which Keepsake you choose is based on personal preference. Beginners will want to go with either the Crimson Amber Medallion, which boosts max health early on, or the Stonesword Keys, which grant access to locked doors and the loot found within. Golden Seed will give you an extra use of your Sacred Flask from the start of the game, which is a huge boost that could mean the difference between failure and victory where bosses are concerned.
Those choosing a Ranged build and its associated weapons may wish to choose the Fanged Imp Ashes. This will give you some assistance in battle via a summon. The Imp will attack enemies for you, allowing you to chip away from afar. Those who want an extra challenge should choose the 'None' option. Paired with the Wretch class, this choice will allow for maximum difficulty early on.
That's all you need to know about which Keepsake to choose at the start of Elden Ring. For more help with the game, be sure to check out our Elden Ring Bosses Ranked Guide. Once you're done there, give our Final Elden Ring Preview a read.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Elden Ring and Guides page.