Elden Ring: How to Level Up

Runes pile up fast in Limgrave, and for the first hour or so there is nothing you can do with them. Elden Ring: how to level up is a question with a gate in front of it: the option is not unlocked by default. It is handed to you by Melina, and until you accept her offer, "Level Up" does not appear at Sites of Grace at all.

Step 1: meet Melina

Melina appears once you have rested at a few Sites of Grace in Limgrave. For most players this happens around the Gatefront grace on the main road north, after exploring the opening area. If she has not appeared, keep discovering and resting at new graces.

She offers you an accord: she will act as your maiden and turn runes into strength. Accept it. The same conversation also gives you the whistle for Torrent, your spectral steed.

Step 2: level up at any Site of Grace

1. Rest at any Site of Grace.
2. Choose Level Up.
3. Put points into the stats you want and confirm.

You can raise several stats in one visit, as long as you have the runes.

What levelling costs

The rune cost rises with every level. Early levels are cheap; late ones are a serious grind.

Level up from	Approximate cost
1 to 2	~680 runes
50 to 51	~15,000–15,700 runes
100 to 101	~61,500–63,000 runes
712 to 713	~8.9 million runes

The maximum level is 713, which means every one of the eight stats at 99. It takes well over a billion runes in total, so it is not a realistic target for a normal playthrough. Most players finish the game somewhere between level 100 and 150.

What to raise first

Two stats matter before anything else:

• Vigor, your health pool. Almost every "this boss one-shots me" problem is a Vigor problem. Take it to 40 early, and toward 60 later in the game.
• Your damage stat. Strength or Dexterity for most melee weapons, Intelligence for sorceries, Faith for incantations, Arcane for bleed and some unique weapons. Check the weapon's scaling letters in the equipment screen and feed the stat it scales best with.

Endurance is third: it governs stamina and how much armour you can wear before your roll slows down. Mind matters mainly for casters and for Ashes of War that cost FP.

Where returns start to drop

Each stat gives less benefit per point past certain thresholds, often called soft caps.

Stat	Main thresholds
Vigor	40, then 60
Strength, Dexterity (damage)	20, 55, 80
Intelligence, Faith (damage)	20, 50, 80

You do not need to hit these exactly. They are a guide for when to start spreading points elsewhere.

Getting more runes

• Golden Runes are consumables that turn into runes when used. Save them for when you are one level short.
• Golden Scarab, a talisman, increases runes earned from enemies.
• Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot, a consumable, temporarily increases runes earned.
• Revisit areas with many easy enemies and a Site of Grace nearby. Resting respawns them.

Runes are dropped on death, not destroyed

Die and your runes drop where you fell. Get back and pick them up and nothing is lost. Die a second time before reaching them and they are gone for good, so if you are carrying a level's worth, spend them before pushing into somewhere new.

Respeccing your stats

Levels are not permanent. After you defeat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon in the Academy of Raya Lucaria, you can speak to her and choose Rebirth to reallocate all your points. Each rebirth costs a Larval Tear, which is a limited item, so plan your respecs rather than doing them on a whim.

Common mistakes

• Skipping Vigor to deal more damage. Dead players deal no damage.
• Spreading points everywhere. A character with 20 in every stat does nothing well.
• Hoarding runes. Runes carried into a boss fight are runes at risk. Level up before a tough area.

For how long a full playthrough takes, see how long to beat Elden Ring.