Elden Ring: Should You Commit Merchant Genocide for Profit?
Is it worth killing all the merchants in Elden Ring? In short, no. While the immediate reward of Bell Bearings, which allow you to purchase their wares at the Roundtable Hold, seems compelling, the convenience doesn’t outweigh the potential drawbacks. You lose access to unique questlines tied to specific merchants, miss out on discovering new locations hinted at by their dialogue, and ultimately, the time saved by consolidating their inventory isn’t significant compared to the overall length of the game. Moreover, it fundamentally alters the spirit of Elden Ring, turning a challenging but rewarding exploration experience into a ruthless grab for early-game advantages with a long-term cost.
The Allure of the Bell Bearings
The temptation is understandable. Early in Elden Ring, runes are scarce, and the quality of gear available from merchants is significantly better than what you typically find in the open world. Slaying a merchant grants you a Bell Bearing, which can then be given to the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold. This allows you to purchase that merchant’s entire inventory from a single location. This seems like a fantastic deal: consolidate shopping, save travel time, and get access to valuable items like Smithing Stones early on.
The Immediate Benefits: A Closer Look
- Early-Game Power Spike: Access to upgraded weapons and armor early on can dramatically impact your ability to tackle challenging areas and bosses.
- Convenience Factor: Eliminating the need to fast travel across the map to different merchants for specific items saves time.
- Acquisition of Essential Tools: Merchants often sell crucial items like Cookbooks (for crafting), Torches, and specific types of Bolts and Arrows.
The Hidden Costs: What You Don’t See
- Missed Questlines: Several merchants are tied to unique questlines that offer significant rewards, including powerful weapons, armor sets, and spells.
- Lost Dialogue and Lore: Merchants often provide valuable insights into the world of Elden Ring, offering clues to hidden locations, boss weaknesses, and the overall narrative.
- Reduced World Immersion: Removing these characters from the world diminishes the sense of discovery and interconnectedness that Elden Ring excels at.
- Moral Implications: While Elden Ring allows for morally grey choices, wholesale slaughter of defenseless NPCs can impact your personal enjoyment of the game and the Tarnished character you control. You’re trading some runes and an item for the character’s life.
- Potential for Future Content: While unlikely, there’s always a chance that future DLC or updates could introduce new content that utilizes existing merchants. Killing them closes off that possibility entirely.
Alternatives to Merchant Murder
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to acquire runes and powerful gear in Elden Ring without resorting to killing merchants.
- Exploration: The Lands Between are filled with hidden dungeons, caves, and catacombs that offer significant rune rewards and valuable items.
- Farming: Certain enemy locations provide excellent rune farming opportunities, especially in the early game.
- Co-op: Summoning other players for assistance in boss fights provides a consistent source of runes.
- Quest Completion: Completing NPC questlines often rewards you with runes, weapons, and armor.
Ultimately, while the idea of killing all the merchants for convenience sounds good, it’s short-sighted in practice. Elden Ring is a game about discovery, exploration, and overcoming challenges through perseverance, not through exploiting early-game advantages at the expense of the game’s world. It’s also a testament to the learning potential of games, something discussed at length by the Games Learning Society.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I revive dead merchants in Elden Ring?
No, once a merchant is killed in Elden Ring, they are permanently dead and cannot be revived through any means, including absolution at the Church of Vows.
2. Does killing merchants affect my ending?
Killing merchants does not directly affect which ending you receive in Elden Ring. Endings are determined by completing specific questlines and making certain choices throughout the game.
3. Are there any merchants I should definitely not kill?
Yes. Miriel, Pastor of Vows (also known as the Turtle Pope) is invaluable for learning spells and offering absolution. Merchants involved in extensive questlines, like Rya or Diallos, should also be spared.
4. What happens if I accidentally hit a merchant?
If you accidentally attack a merchant, they will become hostile. You can seek absolution at the Church of Vows using Celestial Dew to reset their disposition.
5. Where is the Church of Vows located?
The Church of Vows is located in Liurnia of the Lakes, accessible by using a Stonesword Key on a statue near the Eastern Tableland site of grace.
6. How do I get Celestial Dew?
Celestial Dew can be purchased from certain merchants (ironically, before you kill them), found in specific locations throughout the world, or dropped by certain enemies.
7. Is there a limit to how many Bell Bearings I can give to the Twin Maiden Husks?
No, there is no limit to the number of Bell Bearings you can give to the Twin Maiden Husks.
8. Does killing merchants affect NPC interactions later in the game?
Indirectly, yes. If a merchant is involved in another NPC’s questline, killing the merchant will prevent you from progressing that questline, potentially affecting your interactions with that other NPC.
9. Can I get all the items merchants sell through other means?
Some items sold by merchants can be found elsewhere in the world, but many are exclusive to specific merchants.
10. What is the best way to farm runes early in the game?
One popular early-game rune farming spot is the Gatefront Ruins in Limgrave. Stealthily dispatching the soldiers in the camp provides a decent amount of runes for the early game. Another reliable spot for rune farming is killing sleeping dragons, which rewards tens of thousands of runes.
11. Are all merchants defenseless?
Most merchants are defenseless, but some, like Nomadic Merchant Kalé, have voiced lines indicating they are aware of the dangers of their profession and might be more capable than they appear. But regardless, most are not fighters.
12. Does killing merchants affect my “world tendency” (like in Demon’s Souls)?
No, Elden Ring does not have a world tendency system like Demon’s Souls. Killing merchants only affects their availability and the progress of any related questlines.
13. Is it possible to complete all questlines in a single playthrough?
Yes, it is possible to complete almost all questlines in a single playthrough, but it requires careful planning and avoiding certain choices that can lock you out of specific questlines.
14. Where can I find a comprehensive guide to all NPC questlines?
Numerous online resources, including wikis and video guides, provide detailed walkthroughs of all NPC questlines in Elden Ring.
15. Can the GamesLearningSociety.org help me understand the learning curve in Elden Ring?
Absolutely! Understanding the game mechanics in Elden Ring is a learning process. GamesLearningSociety.org explores how video games can provide valuable educational experiences. The trial and error inherent in Elden Ring is itself a learning loop.