Can You Continue Patches’ Quest After Killing Rykard in Elden Ring? A Comprehensive Guide
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The short answer is: it depends. While prematurely defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, can disrupt many storylines within Volcano Manor, it doesn’t completely lock you out of all of Patches‘ content. However, your ability to continue Patches’ questline hinges heavily on how far you progressed it before facing Rykard. If you haven’t triggered certain key events, you may miss out on crucial steps and rewards. Let’s dive into the specifics.
The Impact of Rykard’s Defeat on Patches
Killing Rykard triggers a significant change in Volcano Manor. Most of the NPCs, including those involved in the assassination contracts, depart. This departure has a direct impact on questlines associated with the Manor, most notably Tanith‘s, and can indirectly affect Patches‘.
However, Patches is a slippery character, known for his adaptability. Unlike some other NPCs, he doesn’t simply disappear from the game world. Instead, he relocates. This relocation is key to understanding how you can still salvage his questline.
Scenarios Where You Can Still Continue Patches’ Quest
- Completed Patches’ Assassination Request: If you have already completed at least one of Patches‘ assassination requests given at the Manor, before fighting Rykard, you should be fine. You can generally find him at his next location and be able to move the story forward.
- Triggered Patches’ Encounter in Shaded Castle: After you kill Rykard, Patches typically moves to the Shaded Castle. Locating him there, on the bridge leading to the Elemer of the Briar boss fight, is crucial. If you’ve never encountered him there before defeating Rykard, it’s still possible he’ll appear, but it’s less certain. This becomes the next trigger point in his quest. If he is not there, proceed to his possible final location.
- Giving Tanith the Dancer’s Castanets: After you kill Rykard the manor is deserted, but you can still find Tanith obsessively eating Rykard‘s corpse. By giving Tanith the Dancer’s Castanets, which you get after finishing Jar Bairn‘s questline, Patches will move to his next location.
The Questline’s Progression Post-Rykard
Even if Volcano Manor is deserted, you can still advance Patches‘ questline by following these steps:
- Shaded Castle: Search the bridge leading to the Elemer of the Briar boss fight. Patches will be squatting on the bridge. He will sell some items.
- Murkwater Cave: After the Shaded Castle, Patches returns to Murkwater Cave, his original location near the beginning of the game. This is where you can usually find him for the final stages of his quest. The rewards are worth completing his quest, especially the armor set later in the game.
- Continue the questline. Once you find him there, continue with his quest line as described above.
Missing Out on Key Rewards
If you defeat Rykard too early, particularly before engaging with the Volcano Manor assassination quests, you’ll miss out on rewards tied to those quests. This includes unique weapons, armor sets, and spells associated with the various targets. However, the core Patches questline rewards, such as his crouch gesture and eventually access to Great Horned Tragoth‘s armor, can still be obtained.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about Patches‘ questline and its interaction with Rykard‘s defeat:
1. Can I start Patches’ questline after killing Rykard?
Generally, no. The initial trigger points for Patches‘ questline usually involve his earlier appearances in Murkwater Cave or the Shaded Castle. If you skip these and defeat Rykard, these earlier encounters might be missed, making it difficult to properly initiate the quest.
2. Does killing Rykard end Patches’ quest entirely?
No, but it changes the trajectory. As long as you’ve encountered Patches at least once (ideally at Murkwater cave), you can find him later at Shaded Castle or Murkwater Cave, allowing you to continue part of his storyline.
3. What happens to Patches if I kill Rykard before doing any Volcano Manor quests?
Patches will likely relocate to the Shaded Castle (if you haven’t met him there already) after Rykard‘s defeat, assuming you’ve met him previously in Murkwater Cave. If you skip his earlier encounters, he may not appear, effectively sidelining his quest.
4. Where can I find Patches after killing Rykard?
After Rykard, look for Patches at the bridge leading to Elemer of the Briar in the Shaded Castle, or in Murkwater Cave, his original location.
5. What rewards do I miss if I kill Rykard too early?
You’ll miss out on the rewards associated with the Volcano Manor assassination contracts, such as unique weapons and armor. You can also miss some dialogues and interactions with Patches within the Manor itself.
6. Is the Great Horned Tragoth armor still obtainable if I kill Rykard early?
Yes, the Great Horned Tragoth armor set can still be obtained. This is one of the best armor sets in the game.
7. Does Patches move from Shaded Castle even if I don’t talk to him?
Yes. Even if you do not talk to him, he will eventually leave the Shaded Castle for you to find him elsewhere.
8. Can I complete Tanith’s questline after killing Rykard?
No, killing Rykard will effectively lock you out of Tanith’s questline. She will remain in the Manor, eating the Lord of Blasphemy’s corpse.
9. If I am unable to find Patches in the shaded castle, is the quest over?
No, his final location can be in Murkwater Cave, his original spot at the beginning of the game. He will have moved there eventually from the Shaded Castle.
10. Does completing Ranni’s questline affect Patches’ quest?
No, Ranni‘s questline doesn’t directly affect Patches‘ quest. The two are entirely separate. However, some decisions within Ranni‘s quest could potentially lock you out of other endings, but not Patches’ questline itself.
11. Is Patches questline worth it?
Yes. Completing Patches‘ questline is worth it for the armor set and his crouch gesture.
12. How to get patches to move after Shaded Castle?
You must give Tanith the Dancer’s Castanets, which can be found in Jar Bairn‘s location after the quest is complete. You can find this at Jarburg.
13. Is there a time limit on Patches’ quest?
There’s no specific in-game time limit for completing Patches‘ questline. However, certain major events, such as defeating Rykard, can alter the quest’s progression or lock you out of certain parts of it.
14. What does it mean for Tanith to eat Rykard?
The popular theory suggests that Tanith is trying to become Rykard‘s new vessel, hoping for his eventual reincarnation in a stronger form. This aligns with her earlier dialogue about Rykard‘s eternal return.
15. Does Patches betray you?
Yes. Patches is known for his trickery. Expect him to kick you off cliffs and trap you in teleporters.
Ultimately, navigating Patches‘ questline after defeating Rykard requires careful attention to detail and a bit of luck. While you might miss some rewards and alter the sequence of events, his quest isn’t entirely off-limits. Keep an eye on his potential locations, and you might just find him lurking where you least expect.
Understanding the complexities of questlines, character motivations, and world design is a key aspect of appreciating the depth of Elden Ring. These elements are also heavily researched by the Games Learning Society and other academic organizations that study the impact of games on learning and development. For more information on this topic, you can visit GamesLearningSociety.org.