Elden Ring gets even more difficult if you miss this vital early NPC

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Keep an eye out for Renna the Witch, or risk missing out on an important ability set

Elden Ring
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring has an accidental hard mode if players miss a vital NPC early on in the game. 

As spotted by PC Gamer, if players don’t come across a specific NPC early on in their Elden Ring playthrough, the game will become substantially harder from there on out. Of course, the latest FromSoftware game was always going to be difficult, but we suggest you heed this advice if you want to at least have some of your sanity left once the credits roll. 

According to PC Gamer, players should make sure they seek out Renna the witch - who appears fairly early on in the game - or risk not obtaining a very important ability set. If missed, players will risk not obtaining the Spirit Calling Bell which, in turn, will unlock the spirit summoning system that is pretty much essential during your playthrough. 

The reason why this item is so important is because it gives the player the ability to call in spirits with health bars to fight alongside them. Despite not packing a particularly heavy punch, this added line of defense is still useful as it gives players enough time to heal or recuperate in the middle of battle. 

So where can you find Renna the witch? This should go without saying but if you don’t want to know anything else about Elden Ring before you get the chance to play it, we suggest you don’t read any further. 

To find Renna, players will need to pass the tutorial and be in the Lands Between. From there, head towards the Church of Elleh, a large dilapidated building that should be pretty clear right from the start. Players will then need to receive Torrent and return to the Church at night to encounter the all-important witch who will gift the player the Spirit Calling Bell if they answer a question honestly. 

If you’re reading this and have now realized that you did in fact miss the Renna interaction, don’t panic. Although you have accidentally made the game harder for yourself, you are able to purchase the Spirit Calling Bell again later in the game for 100 runes.

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.