What Does Resting at Site of Grace Do in Elden Ring?

Resting at a Site of Grace in Elden Ring is the equivalent of resting at a bonfire in the Dark Souls series – it serves as a pivotal point for healing, replenishment, and strategic planning within the game’s challenging open world. In short, resting at a Site of Grace will fully restore your HP and FP, replenish your Crimson and Cerulean Flasks, and reset the game world, respawning enemies and certain items. It’s a crucial mechanic for survival and progression in the Lands Between.

The Multifaceted Functionality of Sites of Grace

Sites of Grace are more than just checkpoints; they are central hubs that allow players to:

• Heal: Immediately restores your HP and FP to full. This is essential after a tough battle or exploration.
• Replenish Flasks: Fully refills your Crimson Flasks (for HP) and Cerulean Flasks (for FP), which are crucial for survival and using weapon skills or sorceries.
• Resupply: Some Sites of Grace offer the option to distribute your Flask charges, allowing you to allocate more to HP or FP based on your current build and needs.
• Respawn Point: Designates the Site of Grace as your respawn point after death. This determines where you’ll reappear if you fall in battle.
• Level Up: Spend runes to increase your character’s stats, making you stronger and more resilient. This is only possible after meeting Melina and gaining the ability to convert runes into power.
• Memorize Incantations/Sorceries: Allows you to equip and change the spells you have prepared, essential for mages and faith-based builds.
• Manage the Time of Day: At some Sites of Grace, you can advance time to either morning or night, which can affect enemy spawns and availability of certain quests or items.
• Store Items: Access your storage and deposit items you don’t need to carry, freeing up inventory space.
• Talk to NPCs: Certain NPCs will appear at specific Sites of Grace, offering quests, lore, or valuable items.
• Fast Travel: Once you’ve discovered a Site of Grace, you can fast travel to it from anywhere in the open world, enabling rapid exploration and backtracking.
• Weapon Upgrade: At specific Sites of Grace, sometimes including meeting specific blacksmiths, you can upgrade your weapons to increase their damage output.
• Whetstone Knife Integration: Allows you to use Whetstone Knives to change the Ashes of War applied to your weapons, and their scaling.
• Reset the World: All non-boss enemies and certain items in the surrounding area will respawn, giving you opportunities to farm runes or gather resources.

Why Sites of Grace are Essential

Sites of Grace are critical to the Elden Ring experience for several reasons:

• Survival: The Lands Between are dangerous, and Sites of Grace offer a safe haven to recover and prepare for further challenges.
• Progression: Leveling up, upgrading equipment, and managing your spells are all facilitated by Sites of Grace, driving your character’s growth.
• Exploration: Fast travel allows you to efficiently explore the vast world and revisit areas with new abilities or gear.
• Resource Management: Replenishing flasks and storing items helps you stay prepared for any situation.
• Story Progression: Interacting with NPCs at Sites of Grace can unlock new quests, reveal lore, and advance the game’s narrative.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Sites of Grace

Here are 15 frequently asked questions about Sites of Grace in Elden Ring, along with comprehensive answers to enhance your understanding:

1. Does Resting at a Site of Grace Always Respawn Enemies?

Yes, with very few exceptions. Resting at a Site of Grace will respawn nearly all non-boss enemies in the surrounding area. This mechanic allows you to farm runes, materials, and items from these enemies. This is a core part of the gameplay loop in Elden Ring.

2. What Items Don’t Respawn When Resting at a Site of Grace?

Key items like upgrade materials (Smithing Stones, Somber Smithing Stones), weapons, armor, and key quest items generally do not respawn when resting at a Site of Grace. Items found in chests are also permanent. The primary items that respawn are common crafting materials, consumables, and standard enemy drops.

3. Can I Fast Travel from Anywhere, or Only from Sites of Grace?

You can fast travel from virtually anywhere in the open world once you’ve discovered a Site of Grace. The only exceptions are within certain dungeons, boss arenas, or if you are restricted by specific in-game events.

4. What Happens to Runes if I Die Before Reaching a Site of Grace?

If you die, you’ll drop all your runes at the location of your death. You have one chance to retrieve them. If you die again before reaching your rune pile, those runes will be lost permanently. There are items and spells that can temporarily protect you from rune loss upon death.

5. How Many Sites of Grace are There in Elden Ring?

There are hundreds of Sites of Grace scattered throughout the Lands Between. They are located in various locations, including open fields, dungeons, castles, and caves. The vast number of Sites of Grace encourages exploration and provides ample opportunities for rest and recovery.

6. Do All Sites of Grace Offer the Same Functionality?

Most Sites of Grace offer the core functionality of healing, flask replenishment, and resetting the world. However, some Sites of Grace have additional features, such as NPC interactions, specific upgrade services, or the ability to change the time of day.

7. Can I Move or Change My Designated Respawn Point?

Yes, you can change your designated respawn point by resting at a different Site of Grace. The last Site of Grace you rested at becomes your active respawn point. Some specific locations have fixed respawn points that override this, such as stakes of Marika near boss arenas.

8. What is the Significance of the Guiding Grace (Golden Beams)?

The Guiding Grace, represented by golden beams emanating from certain Sites of Grace, indicates the general direction of your main objective. However, you are free to ignore the Guiding Grace and explore in any direction you choose.

9. Can I Upgrade My Flasks at a Site of Grace?

While you cannot directly upgrade the flasks at a Site of Grace, you can allocate how many charges go to Crimson (HP) or Cerulean (FP) flasks. To increase the total number of flasks you have, you need to find Golden Seeds. To increase the amount of HP or FP each flask restores, you need to find Sacred Tears. These can be found throughout the world and then used at Sites of Grace under the “Flasks” menu option.

10. Is There a Limit to How Many Times I Can Rest at a Site of Grace?

There is no limit to how many times you can rest at a Site of Grace. You can rest as often as you need to heal, replenish your flasks, or reset the game world.

11. What Happens if I’m Attacked While Resting at a Site of Grace?

While the animation for resting at a Site of Grace is occurring, you are invulnerable to damage. However, once the animation is complete and you are navigating the menu, you are vulnerable again. It’s generally a good idea to ensure the area is clear before resting.

12. Can I Use Sites of Grace to Cheese the Game (Exploit Enemy Respawn)?

Yes, to some extent. You can use Sites of Grace to “cheese” the game by repeatedly killing the same enemies for runes or items. This is a common strategy for early-game rune farming, but it can become less efficient as you progress.

13. Do Bosses Respawn When Resting at a Site of Grace?

No, bosses do not respawn when resting at a Site of Grace, unless you’re playing in a new game cycle (New Game Plus). Once a boss is defeated, it is permanently gone from that playthrough.

14. What Are Stakes of Marika, and How Do They Differ From Sites of Grace?

Stakes of Marika are alternative respawn points often located near boss arenas or challenging areas. They offer a closer respawn location than the nearest Site of Grace, but they do not offer the same functionality. Stakes of Marika do not replenish flasks, allow you to level up, or offer fast travel.

15. How Do I Unlock More Sites of Grace?

You unlock Sites of Grace simply by discovering them. Many are located in plain sight, but some are hidden or require exploration to find. The more you explore, the more Sites of Grace you will uncover.

In conclusion, Sites of Grace are an integral part of the Elden Ring experience. They provide a vital respite from the dangers of the Lands Between and serve as hubs for progression, exploration, and resource management. Understanding their functionality is essential for survival and success in this challenging and rewarding game.