Should You Wait to Do Volcano Manor in Elden Ring? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of when to tackle Volcano Manor in Elden Ring is a common one, and for good reason. This area, nestled within the fiery depths of Mt. Gelmir, offers a unique questline with tantalizing rewards, but it also presents potential pitfalls. So, should you wait to do Volcano Manor? The answer is a resounding yes, with a few important caveats. While the area itself can be approached at a relatively lower level (around Level 50 is a common recommendation), you absolutely should wait to complete the Volcano Manor questline until you have progressed further into the game and have met certain prerequisites. This strategic delay ensures you maximize your rewards, avoid locking yourself out of crucial content, and experience the Manor’s story and gameplay to its fullest. Let’s delve into the specifics of why waiting is the optimal approach.
The Pitfalls of Rushing Volcano Manor
One of the most significant reasons to hold off on completing the Volcano Manor questline is the potential to lock yourself out of important content. Specifically, killing Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, before completing the assassination requests from Tanith immediately ends the Volcano Manor questline. This means you’ll miss out on valuable rewards and story elements associated with the quests given by Tanith and the other NPCs within the manor. It also prevents you from fully exploring the relationship between the Recusants and their goals.
Missing Out on Questlines
Rushing the boss encounter prematurely can have severe consequences for other NPC questlines, too. As our source indicates, advancing through Volcano Manor without completing the tasks first will lock you out of parts of Rya, Bernahl, and Patches’ quests, some of which provide unique rewards. These NPC questlines often intertwine and can lead to greater character development and unique item unlocks. By carefully managing your progression and holding off on Rykard, you can ensure you don’t lose access to these valuable story threads.
Loot and Rewards
Additionally, delaying the Rykard fight lets you fully explore the area. While killing Rykard grants access to his unique Great Rune and Remembrance, if you do it before completing the questline, you’ll miss unique weapons, armor, spells, and other loot rewarded by the individual assassination quests, and as part of the exploration of the manor area itself. It’s worth noting that you can explore the dungeon area even after you kill Rykard, this allows you to grab all the loot but you will miss out on the quest rewards. The loot gained as a reward from completing the manor quests is some of the more powerful rewards in the game and therefore should not be skipped.
Strategic Timing for Volcano Manor
Given these potential downsides, when is the ideal time to engage with Volcano Manor? The optimal strategy is to progress through the game until you reach Leyndell, Royal Capital. It’s advised to complete as many Volcano Manor quests as possible while holding off from killing the main boss. By completing the Volcano Manor quests and then venturing to Leyndell, you can return to the Volcano targets and claim the last items. This way, you maximize quest rewards and storyline progression while avoiding the issue of premature boss encounters.
Difficulty Considerations
While Volcano Manor is considered relatively easier than the Royal Capital, it’s still crucial to approach it with the appropriate level and build. Level 50 is often suggested as a good baseline level for tackling the area and its initial challenges. However, the area has some strong enemies that are capable of taking low-level players down in one hit. Ultimately, your level needs to be high enough to ensure that you do not struggle to explore the area fully.
Narrative and Roleplay
Finally, while the choices you make within Volcano Manor don’t directly affect the game’s multiple endings, there is still a narrative impact. If your character is aligned with the Two Fingers, you might feel a thematic conflict when engaging with the Manor’s activities. Ultimately, the decision to join is down to roleplaying preference but will not impact the ending of the game.
Conclusion: Delay for the Best Experience
In conclusion, while you can technically reach Volcano Manor relatively early in the game, it’s in your best interest to wait until you have at least entered Leyndell before fully committing to the questline. Delaying the Rykard boss fight, until all other assassination quests are completed, grants access to all the quest rewards, prevents locking yourself out of content and, ultimately allows you to experience the Volcano Manor storyline fully. This strategic timing allows you to make the most of what Volcano Manor offers without sacrificing other important parts of Elden Ring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Volcano Manor and where is it located?
Volcano Manor is a location within Elden Ring, situated in Mt. Gelmir. It’s a hub for Recusants, a group of Tarnished who oppose the Erdtree and the Golden Order, led by Tanith. You’ll find it through exploration in the west of the Altus Plateau region, beyond the Seethewater Terminus site of grace.
2. What are the benefits of joining Volcano Manor?
Joining Volcano Manor grants access to unique assassination quests, providing valuable rewards including weapons, spells, and armor. It also progresses the questlines of multiple NPCs. Finally it is necessary to advance to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy.
3. Does joining Volcano Manor have any negative impacts on my game’s ending?
No, joining Volcano Manor does not affect any of Elden Ring’s multiple endings. However, it does impact some NPC questlines.
4. What happens if I kill Rykard before finishing the Volcano Manor quests?
If you kill Rykard before completing the assassination requests and other quests from Tanith and other NPCs at Volcano Manor, you’ll immediately end the Volcano Manor questline. This causes you to miss out on many items, story, and quest progression related to those quests.
5. What NPC quests can Volcano Manor lock me out of?
Completing the Volcano Manor quests and killing Rykard prematurely can lock you out of parts of Rya, Bernahl, and Patches’ quests.
6. What is the recommended level for tackling Volcano Manor?
While you can technically reach it earlier, it is recommended that you are around level 50 before entering. This level will allow you to explore and complete the early quests without too much difficulty.
7. Can I complete Ranni’s questline alongside Volcano Manor quests?
Yes, you can complete Ranni’s questline concurrently with the Volcano Manor questline, and in fact is suggested to do so.
8. Who is Tanith, and what is her role in Volcano Manor?
Tanith is the proprietress of Volcano Manor and Rykard’s consort. She is the leader of the Recusants and gives the assassination quests to the Tarnished.
9. Why does Volcano Manor hunt Tarnished?
Volcano Manor hunts Tarnished as part of their rebellion against the old Golden Order, seeking to rule the Lands Between with a new power structure.
10. Is there any hidden content or secrets within Volcano Manor?
Yes, Volcano Manor has hidden passages, secret rooms behind illusory walls, and other secrets that can be discovered through thorough exploration. These can lead to additional loot and lore reveals. One such secret wall requires being hit over 50 times to open.
11. What happens to Tanith after killing Rykard?
After killing Rykard, Tanith will express disappointment in his weakness and will prepare to leave the Volcano Manor, beginning her own questline after Rykard.
12. Does arriving with Rya affect the story at the manor?
No, whether you arrive at Volcano Manor with or without Rya has no bearing on the subsequent events and quests within the manor.
13. Why is Tanith eating Rykard?
Tanith is not eating Rykard for sustenance, but she is trying to become his new vessel for his reincarnation.
14. Can I still explore Volcano Manor after killing Rykard?
Yes, you can explore the dungeon area after killing Rykard, however, you can no longer complete the quests.
15. What is the “dark side” of Volcano Manor?
Volcano Manor is tied to a lost heretical religion that worshipped Eiglay. It is a place of torture and death due to the sacrifices that were made as a part of the religion’s rebirth.