Do You Have to Activate Godrick’s Rune in Elden Ring?
The short answer is no, you don’t have to activate Godrick’s Great Rune in Elden Ring. However, by forgoing its activation, you’re missing out on a significant stat boost that can dramatically improve your character’s power, especially in the early to mid-game. The benefits it provides are so substantial that most players consider activating it a priority. While not mandatory for progressing the main storyline, refusing to activate it severely limits your potential.
Understanding Great Runes in Elden Ring
Great Runes are powerful items dropped by the Shardbearers, the main bosses of Elden Ring’s Legacy Dungeons. These Runes represent fragments of the Elden Ring itself, and they hold immense power. Godrick’s Great Rune, obtained after defeating Godrick the Grafted in Stormveil Castle, is one of the first you’ll encounter.
The process of utilizing a Great Rune is two-fold:
- Obtaining the Great Rune: Defeat the corresponding Shardbearer boss.
- Activating the Great Rune: Restoring its power at a specific Divine Tower.
Why Activating Godrick’s Great Rune is Highly Recommended
Godrick’s Great Rune provides a flat +5 increase to all attributes (Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane) when equipped. This is equivalent to leveling up five times in each stat, granting a substantial boost to your HP, FP, Stamina, damage output, spellcasting ability, and item discovery.
Consider these benefits:
- Increased Survivability: The +5 to Vigor significantly boosts your HP, making you more resistant to enemy attacks.
- Improved Stamina: The +5 to Endurance increases your Stamina, allowing you to perform more actions like dodging, attacking, and blocking.
- Enhanced Damage Output: The +5 to Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane scales your weapon damage and spellcasting ability, allowing you to defeat enemies more quickly.
- Easier Equipment Requirements: The attribute boost can allow you to wield weapons or cast spells that previously required higher stats.
In essence, activating Godrick’s Great Rune allows you to become significantly stronger without investing additional levels, making it an incredibly efficient way to enhance your character’s power.
The Process of Activating and Equipping Godrick’s Great Rune
Reaching Divine Tower of Limgrave
To activate Godrick’s Great Rune, you must travel to the Divine Tower of Limgrave. This tower is located to the east of Stormveil Castle and can be accessed by following a path that leads out of the castle grounds. Be prepared to face some enemies along the way.
Restoring the Rune’s Power
Once you reach the top of the Divine Tower of Limgrave, you’ll find a Two Fingers monument. Interact with it to restore the power of Godrick’s Great Rune. This action unlocks the Rune’s potential.
Equipping the Great Rune
After activating the Rune, you need to equip it at a Site of Grace. You’ll find the option to equip Great Runes in the Site of Grace menu. However, simply equipping the Rune isn’t enough.
Using a Rune Arc
To actually gain the benefits of Godrick’s Great Rune, you must consume a Rune Arc. This consumable item activates the Rune’s effect. The effect lasts until you die. Rune Arcs are relatively rare items, so use them strategically, especially before tackling difficult bosses or challenging areas. You can obtain Rune Arcs by:
- Defeating bosses in multiplayer: Successfully assisting another player in defeating a boss will reward you with a Rune Arc.
- Purchasing them from merchants: Some merchants throughout the Lands Between sell Rune Arcs, though they are usually expensive.
- Finding them as loot: Rune Arcs can be found in chests, on corpses, and as enemy drops, though the drop rate is generally low.
Alternatives to Godrick’s Great Rune
While Godrick’s Great Rune is excellent, other Great Runes become available later in the game. These runes offer different benefits that might be more suitable for specific builds or playstyles. For example:
- Rykard’s Great Rune: Restores HP upon defeating enemies, providing excellent sustain.
- Radahn’s Great Rune: Increases HP, FP, and Stamina, offering a well-rounded boost.
- Morgott’s Great Rune: Greatly increases HP.
- Mohg’s Great Rune: Grants a blessing of blood to phantoms, useful for multiplayer.
- Malenia’s Great Rune: Allows you to regain HP upon attacking immediately after taking damage, but is considered risky to use.
Choosing the right Great Rune depends on your build and playstyle. Experimenting with different runes is encouraged to find the one that best suits your needs.
The Drawbacks of Not Activating Godrick’s Great Rune
The main drawback of not activating Godrick’s Great Rune is missing out on the significant stat boost it provides. In the early to mid-game, this boost can be transformative, making challenging areas and bosses much easier to overcome.
Furthermore, delaying the activation of Godrick’s Great Rune means you won’t be able to experience its benefits when you might need them most. While other Great Runes become available later, Godrick’s is accessible relatively early in the game and can provide a much-needed advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQ 1: Can I activate Godrick’s Great Rune later if I choose not to now?
Yes, you can activate Godrick’s Great Rune at any point in the game as long as you haven’t started New Game Plus. Once you have access to the Divine Tower of Limgrave, you can travel there to restore its power.
FAQ 2: Do I lose Godrick’s Great Rune if I die?
No, you don’t lose the Great Rune itself if you die. You only lose the active effect gained from using a Rune Arc. After death, you need to consume another Rune Arc to reactivate the Rune’s effects.
FAQ 3: Is there a cost to activating a Great Rune?
The only cost is traveling to the corresponding Divine Tower. Activating the Rune at the tower doesn’t require any resources. However, using the Rune’s effect requires consuming a Rune Arc.
FAQ 4: Can I activate multiple Great Runes at once?
No, you can only equip and benefit from one Great Rune at a time. You can switch between different Great Runes at any Site of Grace.
FAQ 5: Is Godrick’s Great Rune the best Great Rune in the game?
Not necessarily. Godrick’s Great Rune is excellent for its well-rounded stat boost, but other Great Runes offer specialized benefits that might be more suitable for specific builds or playstyles. Consider Rykard’s Great Rune for sustain or Radahn’s for increased HP, FP, and Stamina.
FAQ 6: How often can I use a Rune Arc?
You can use Rune Arcs as often as you have them available. However, the effect only lasts until you die.
FAQ 7: Is there a way to farm Rune Arcs?
Yes, the most reliable way to farm Rune Arcs is by successfully assisting other players in defeating bosses in multiplayer. You can also find them as rare loot or purchase them from certain merchants.
FAQ 8: What happens if I defeat Godrick in co-op, will both players get the Great Rune?
Yes, both players will receive Godrick’s Great Rune if they participate in the boss fight and defeat Godrick together.
FAQ 9: Does the level of my character affect the benefits of Godrick’s Great Rune?
No, the benefits of Godrick’s Great Rune are fixed. It always provides a +5 to all attributes, regardless of your character’s level.
FAQ 10: Can I reverse the activation of a Great Rune?
No, once you activate a Great Rune at its corresponding Divine Tower, you cannot reverse the process. However, this doesn’t prevent you from using other Great Runes later.
FAQ 11: Does the difficulty of the game affect the effectiveness of Godrick’s Great Rune?
The effectiveness of Godrick’s Great Rune remains consistent regardless of the game’s difficulty. The stat boosts are always the same.
FAQ 12: Are there any quests related to activating Godrick’s Great Rune?
No, there are no specific quests directly tied to activating Godrick’s Great Rune. It’s a self-contained process.
FAQ 13: Is it worth using a Rune Arc just for exploring?
Using a Rune Arc for exploration depends on your playstyle and resource availability. If you’re struggling to survive in a particular area, the stat boost from Godrick’s Great Rune can be helpful. However, consider saving Rune Arcs for challenging boss fights if you’re running low.
FAQ 14: Does activating Godrick’s Great Rune affect the ending of the game?
No, activating Godrick’s Great Rune does not influence the available endings in Elden Ring. The endings are determined by other factors, such as completing specific questlines and making certain choices.
FAQ 15: Are Great Runes shared between characters on the same account?
No, Great Runes are not shared between characters. Each character must obtain and activate their own Great Runes individually.
Ultimately, while not strictly necessary, activating Godrick’s Great Rune offers a significant advantage that is highly recommended for most players. The increased stats provide a valuable edge, especially during the early and mid-game, making your journey through the Lands Between considerably easier.