It is a lot of fun to use spells in Elden Ring. Whether you want to focus on intelligence and use sorceries or level up your faith for incantations, there are a lot of spells to choose from. In fact, it is possible to easily defeat almost every boss in the game using them, including Malenia.
The two most important things you need to cast spells are either a staff or a sacred seal as your equipped weapon, along with the spell you want to use equipped in your memory slot. The number of spells you equip is determined by the number of memory slots you have and is done at a site of grace.
With a plethora of different ways to play Elden Ring and the absence of an easy to understand tutorial, it can be hard to know how to cast the different spells. In this article, we will look at how you can use spells in Elden Ring, along with some of the places you can find the best ones.
What Are Spells In Elden Ring?
As you play the game, it won’t be unusual for you to find spells along the way. In fact, if you start the game as one of the magic user classes (Astrologer, Prophet, Prisoner, or Confessor) you will start with some spells.
Compared to traditional weapons the beauty of spells is that there are both offensive and defensive options. It is entirely possible to cast spells with fire magic one moment and then use a defensive barrier the next.
If you want to know if you have any spells in your inventory, you simply need to look in the Sorceries/Incantations tab in the inventory screen.
What Kinds of Spells Exist In Elden Ring?
There are several different categories of spells. For sorceries, the most common that you will find are glintstone sorceries. These include Glintstone Pebble, Terra Magica, and Comet.
The other types of sorceries you can find are:
Aberrant Sorceries
Carian Sorceries
Claymen Sorceries
Cold Sorceries
Death Sorceries
Full Moon Sorceries
Gravity Sorceries
Loretta’s Sorceries
Magma Sorceries
Night Sorceries
Primeval Sorceries
While two-finger incantations are the most commonly encountered incantations, These are all spells that either heal or buff your character, including Great Heal, Lord’s Heal, and Cure Poison.
The other types of incantations you can find are:
Beast Incantations
Dragon Communion Incantations
Dragon Cult Incantations
Erdtree Incantations
Fire Giant Incantations
Fire Monk Incantations
Frenzied Flame Incantations
Godskin Apostle Incantations
Golden Order Incantations
Servants Of Rot Incantations
How To Use “Memorize Spell”
If you have some spells that you would like to try using, you need to equip them. Unlike weapons, items, or armor, you can only do this while resting at a site of grace. You need to select “Memorize Spell” to bring up the menu where you can equip spells.
This screen will show you which spells you have available, the number of memory slots you have, and the total amount of FP your character has. To equip the spell, you need to select the memory slot you want filled, followed by the spell you want to equip.
If the spell has a red X in the top right-hand corner, it means that you lack the correct stats to cast the spell. For example, Triple Rings of Light needs 23 levels of intelligence and 23 levels of faith.
It’s also worth noting that some spells will take up more than one memory slot. Powerful spells like Comet Azur will take up 3 slots, so if you want to have a few spells equipped, look out for ways to increase your memory stones.
Where To Collect Memory Stones
Unlike previous Souls games, the way you increase your spells is a little different. In Elden Ring, all classes in the game start with two memory slots (spell slots). If you want to make a strong magic user build, you will need more spell slots, though, and you are going to have to either pick up the Moon of Nokstella talisman, which increases the slots by two.
Or you will need to collect Memory Stones which will increase your memory slots by one each. There are a total of eight Memory Stones in the game:
You can buy a memory stone from Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold.
One can be found in a chest at the top of Oridys’s Rise in Weeping Peninsula.
One can be found in a chest on the top floor of the Converted Tower in western Liurnia of the Lakes.
One is a reward for defeating Red Wolf of Radagon at Raya Lucaria Academy.
One can be found in a chest at the top floor of Testu’s Rise in northern Liurnia of the Lakes.
One can be found in a chest on the top floor of Seluvis’s Rise in the Three Sisters sub-region.
A memory stone is a reward for defeating Demi-Human Queen Maggie in Hermit Village in Mt. Gelmir
One is found in a chest at the top floor of Lenne’s Rise in eastern Caelid.
How To Cast Incantations And Sorceries
After you’ve equipped the spells you want to cast, the next thing you’ll need is a casting tool to use them with. All Sorceries need a staff. These included the Carian Regal Scepter, Glintstone Staff, and Meteorite Staff, but there are a total of 16 to use in the game.
To cast incantations, you need to equip a sacred seal. There are a lot fewer seals in the game, but they include the Finger Seal, Clawmark Seal, and Dragon Communion Seal. There are a total of nine Sacred Seals in the game.
Note: Check each casting tool’s description, as some will give bonuses based on the spell type being used. The Prince of Death Staff gives a bonus to death spells like ancient Death Rancor or Explosive Ghostflame.
The basic Finger Seal can be bought from the Twin Maiden Husks in Roundtable, while the basic Astrologer’s Staff can be bought from the Nomadic Merchant in Liurnia of the Lakes.
When you’ve found the perfect staff or sacred seal, equip it to your left hand or right hand slot and use the usual attack button to cast spells. Some spells can be charged, or the attack button can be held down to make the spell have a longer duration.
What To Be Aware Of When You Cast Spells
When you cast your first spell in Elden Ring, you need to be aware of a couple of things because it is a little different from regular weapons. The first thing you need to watch out for is the casting speed of a lot of the high-power spells, they can feel like a long time in a fight. Full moon is a great spell, but it makes you a sitting duck.
Secondly, some enemies are very resistant to magic damage, so while you are memorizing spells, try to have some variety in the damage output type. Equipping just Magma spells might be fun until you come across fire resistant foes.
Finally, be aware that some of your spells in Elden Ring will damage you. The cold mist from Night Maiden’s Mist will slowly drain your health if you are in its area of effect.
Why Aren’t The Magic Spells working?
If you have successfully equipped a spell and have pressed the attack button in combat only to find that nothing happened, there can be a few reasons why you can’t cast spells.
You have Staffs equipped when you need sacred seals and vice versa. Casting spells is fun and you might have a mix of incantations and sorceries equipped but you need to make sure that the right tool is selected for the spell. The bright side is that they are normally quite light so you can have one in each hand if you must.
You don’t meet the stat requirement for the spell. Every spell has requirements that you must meet to cast them. For basic sorceries and incantations you will usually need your intelligence or faith levelled to between 10 and 15. Some of the stronger spells need over 60 to cast (you can always respec your stats).
You don’t have enough FP. If you have dumped all your points into intelligence or faith and still can’t cast your spell it probably means that you don’t have FP available. If this is the case you will either need to increase your mind, use an FP boosting Flask of Wondrous Physick, or an FP boosting Talisman. (It’s worth being conscious of the various soft caps that stats have rather than dumping points).
Where To Find Spells In Elden Ring
There are so many spells to find throughout the game. It is well worth checking every dungeon you find and killing every boss you see in order to pick them up. But if you aren’t feeling keen on going out and looking for spells there are several places you can buy them.
The earliest shop you might come across is Sorceress Sellen at the Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave. She sells several Glintstone Sorceries including glintstone pebble.
Miriel at the Church of Vows sells both Sorceries and Incantations. You can give him spell books that you come across to unlock the ability to buy other spells, including the powerful Great Glintstone Shard.
Preceptor Seluvis at Seluvis’ Rise sells Sorceries.
Gowry at Gowry’s Shack in Caelid sells Sorceries.
Thops in the Church of Irith in Liurnia will sell Sorceries
Dragon incantations can be bought from inside the Church of Dragon Communion with dragon hearts.
Corhyn at the Roundtable Hold. He will later move so watch out for him.
Gurranq Beast Clergyman will give beast Incantations when given deathroot.
D, Hunter of the Dead sells Golden Order Incantations in the Roundtable Hold
Top Recommended Sorceries
There are loads of different Sorceries to find in Elden Ring, but unfortunately they are not all worth occupying your memory slots. In no particular order, here are the top 10 in the game:
Founding Rain of Stars – Found inside a chest within Heretical Rise, in Mountaintops of the Giants. There is an invisible bridge to get to it so bring rainbow stones.
Ranni’s Dark Moon – Found in a chest at the top of Chelona’s Rise. You unlock the seal by doing Ranni’s Quest.
Comet Azur – Found on Azur’s body in the Hermit Village in Mt. Gelmir. It is sitting near the cliffs in the northeast next to a site of grace.
Stars of Ruin – Found on Master Lusat’s body in the Sellia Hideaway, Caelid. You can only get access while doing the Sorceress Sellen questline.
Adula’s Moonblade – Dropped by the Glintstone Dragon Adula located at the Cathedral of Manus Celes. You need to do Ranni’s quest to get to the area.
Loretta’s Greatbow – Dropped by Royal Knight Loretta upon defeat in Caria Manor.
Meteorite of Astel – Dropped by Astel, Stars of Darkness, in the Yelough Anix Tunnel in the Consecrated Snowfield.
Night Maiden’s Mist – Can be purchased from Gowry for 5,000 Runes after completing his quest line in Caelid.
Rock Sling – Found in a chest in an underground cellar just north of the Street of Sages Ruins.
Rykard’s Rancor – Obtained from Rykard’s Remembrance by handing it over to Enia at the Roundtable hold.
Top Recommended Incantations
Like Sorceries there are tonnes of Incantations to choose from. In no particular order, here are the top 10:
Frozen Lightning Spear – Dropped by Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella.
Rotten Breath – Purchased for 1 dragon heart at the Dragon Communion Altar at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid
Swarm of Flies – Found on a corpse along the east wall directly north from the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace,Mohgwyn Palace.
Fortissax’s Lightning Spear – Obtained from Litch Dragon Fortissax’s Remembrance by handing it over to Enia at the Roundtable hold. You need to do Fia’s Quest to get it.
Black Flame – This incantation is unlocked for purchase after giving a Godskin Prayerbook to Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows. The Godskin Prayerbook is in Stormveil Castle near the Liftside Chamber site of grace behind an Imp Statue room.
Aspects of the Crucible: Tail – Dropped by the Crucible Knight boss in Stormhill Evergaol.
Golden Vow – Found in the Corpse-Stench Shack, in Mt Gelmir.
Flame, Cleanse Me – Found on a corpse at the Fire Monk camp, southeast of the Church of Vows in Liurnia of the Lakes.
Poison Mist – Dropped by a Teardrop Scarab in a forested area southeast of the Castle Morne Rampart site of grace in Weeping Peninsula. North of the Poison Lake.
Beast Claw – Reward from Beast Clergyman Gurranq, at the Bestial Sanctum after giving him the fifth Deathroot.
Final Thoughts
Spells are a lot of fun in Elden Ring and can open up a lot of game play opportunities, regardless of whether you are using incantations or sorceries. Just be conscious of the correct stats and make sure you have equipped a suitable casting tool and you will be able to cast spells in no time.
Dane started off gaming at the tender age of 3 with the first Atari console. His favorite video game genres are turn-based RPGs (can I get a shout out for Tactics Ogre?) and fighting games. Read more...
