Whether you’re a newcomer to Elden Ring or jumping back in with a fresh character, the early hours can feel like a gauntlet. The Lands Between aren’t forgiving, and you’ll need every edge to survive, explore, and thrive. After several playthroughs and far too many deaths, I’ve compiled a list of 24 essential items—both consumables and gear—that will give you a massive advantage in the first 20 hours of the game. These aren’t just random pickups; they’re practical tools to help you conquer early bosses, survive ambushes, and make smarter build choices.

Let’s dive into the gear, spells, and support items you’ll want to get your hands on early.

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1. Flask of Wondrous Physick

Found at the Third Church of Marika, this customizable flask gives you a serious boost depending on which Crystal Tears you mix into it. It’s free power—don’t skip it.

2. Green Turtle Talisman

This talisman speeds up stamina recovery. Found in Summonwater Village, it’s perfect for early builds relying on dodging and quick combos.

3. Radagon’s Scarseal

Adds strength at the cost of taking more damage. Great if you’re going for a melee-focused build and want to hit harder early.

4. Spirit Calling Bell

Given by Renna at the Church of Elleh, this is your ticket to summoning Spirit Ashes—vital for taking the pressure off in tough fights.

5. Lhutel the Headless (Spirit Ash)

One of the best tanky spirit summons. She can teleport and soak damage while you deal with enemies from a distance.

6. Lone Wolf Ashes

Not as tanky as Lhutel, but great for distraction and DPS. Get them early to deal with mobs and early-game bosses.

7. Meteorite Staff

An insanely good staff for early sorcerers, especially due to its high scaling. It’s in Caelid, but you can get there early if you know the route.

8. Rock Sling

Also in Caelid, this gravity-based sorcery pairs perfectly with the Meteorite Staff. Excellent for breaking poise and dealing heavy damage.

9. Bloodhound’s Fang

A curved greatsword found in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol. Bleed build-up and strong scaling make it one of the most powerful early-game weapons.

10. Claymore

Available in Castle Morne. Versatile, satisfying to use, and works with a lot of builds.

11. Twinblade

A flashy and effective dexterity weapon. Found in a chest at the Dragon-Burnt Ruins in Limgrave.

12. Golden Scarab

This talisman boosts rune acquisition. It’s tricky to get, but it’s worth the effort. Combine it with farming to rack up cheap Elden Ring runes quickly.

13. Lantern

A small thing, but invaluable for exploring dark caves or catacombs without sacrificing a hand for a torch.

14. Cure Poison and Flame Cleanse Me

Both incantations are extremely useful for dealing with poison and rot areas early on. Learn them from Brother Corhyn or other Faith vendors.

15. Flame, Grant Me Strength

A buff that boosts both physical and fire attack power. Found behind Fort Gael—great for boss fights and aggressive builds.

16. Uchigatana

Bleed is powerful in Elden Ring, and this katana gets you there fast. You can grab it if you start as a Samurai or find one in the Deathtouched Catacombs.

17. Raya Lucaria Academy Glintstone Key

Get this to enter the academy and unlock an essential area for story and item progression.

18. Dectus Medallion (Left and Right)

These two halves are required to use the Grand Lift of Dectus. Grabbing them early opens up more options for traversing the world.

19. Saint-Trina’s Sword

Induces sleep—a surprisingly strong status effect. Use it to disable enemies, then follow up for free hits.

20. Marika’s Scarseal

Boosts mind stat for early spellcasters or FP-reliant builds, at the cost of taking extra damage. Worth it for spamming summons or incantations.

21. Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook [3]

Lets you craft fire-based consumables. Super useful against early-game undead or beasts weak to fire.

22. Bolts and Arrows

Stock up. Ranged attacks are incredibly useful for drawing enemies, exploiting weak points, or killing mobs from safety.

23. Rowa Raisins

Simple, cheap healing items for Torrent. Useful in a pinch during exploration or boss fights when Torrent takes hits.

24. Smithing Stones (1) and (2)

Upgrade your weapons as soon as possible. Check Limgrave Tunnels or buy from merchants. Keeping your weapon up to par is more impactful than leveling in the early game.

A Final Word on Gearing Up

If you want to skip the grind and dive straight into a power fantasy, there are plenty of Elden Ring Items for sale across community-trusted vendors. Sites like U4GM are popular for players looking to get cheap Elden Ring runes or specific gear without farming for hours. While purists might prefer earning everything through gameplay, having the right tools can make the first 20 hours much more enjoyable and open up build experimentation early on.