What To Do With All My Dragon Hearts in Elden Ring
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So you’ve been bravely facing down fearsome dragons in the Lands Between and have a collection of Dragon Hearts burning a hole in your inventory. What exactly can you do with these potent relics of draconic power? The short answer: trade them for powerful Dragon Communion Incantations. These are not just any spells; they unleash the very essence of dragon magic, allowing you to wield devastating breath attacks, summon terrifying roars, and even manipulate the elements with draconic force.
Where to Use Your Dragon Hearts
The path to unlocking these potent Incantations leads to two specific locations:
- Church of Dragon Communion: Located on a small island off the western beach of Limgrave, this is the first and likely earliest accessible location. Access it by traveling through the Dissenter’s Path tunnel along the coastline.
- Cathedral of Dragon Communion: Situated in southern Caelid, this cathedral offers a more robust selection of incantations, some of which are more advanced.
At either of these locations, you’ll find a specific altar where you can interact and trade your Dragon Hearts for the Incantations on offer. Each Incantation costs a set number of Dragon Hearts and some can become available only after defeating specific dragons.
Why Dragon Hearts Are Valuable
Dragon Hearts are the key to unlocking unique magical abilities in Elden Ring. While you’ll earn plenty of Runes to level up, these hearts offer access to a specific type of magic unavailable elsewhere. They aren’t consumed, meaning you can use them multiple times to obtain various Incantations. This makes hunting down dragons a worthwhile endeavor, as it directly translates to more potent magical powers.
The Dragon Communion Incantations can dramatically change your gameplay style, adding a variety of ranged and area-of-effect attacks. For faith-based builds especially, they are indispensable, providing potent offense and utility. Whether you want to breathe fire, summon frost, or unleash rot, Dragon Hearts are your ticket to doing so.
Dragon Heart Considerations
- Variety: There are a variety of dragon types, each offering access to unique incantations. For example, defeating Agheel unlocks Agheel’s Flame, while Borealis unlocks Borealis’s Mist.
- Number: The Lands Between feature 23 obtainable Dragon Hearts, although only 20 are required to purchase every Dragon Communion spell available.
- Carry Over: Rest assured, Dragon Hearts carry over into New Game Plus. So, if you have any left at the end of your playthrough, they’ll still be available in your inventory.
- Eye Alteration: Acquiring four Dragon Communion Incantations will grant you Dragon Eyes, which change your character’s appearance.
Choosing the Best Dragon Communion Incantations
Selecting the “best” incantation is highly subjective, dependent on your build and playstyle. However, some stand out as powerful and versatile options:
- Placidusax’s Ruin: A very powerful late-game incantation that dishes out massive damage, it’s a highly sought-after choice for dragon magic enthusiasts.
- Ekzykes’s Decay: This incantation inflicts Scarlet Rot, a debilitating status effect, making it a solid strategic option.
- Borealis’s Mist: A powerful frost-based breath attack that deals heavy damage and frostbite.
- Dragonfire: The base fire breath incantation; useful early and provides a foundation for more advanced fire attacks.
- Agheel’s Flame: A fire breath with wide sweep and is quite effective in crowded battles.
- Greyoll’s Roar: This incantation unleashes a powerful roar that staggers and damages opponents.
- Theodorix’s Magma: This incantation creates magma pools that deal fire damage over time.
Experimentation is key; what works for one player might not be ideal for another. Don’t be afraid to try them all!
Frequently Asked Questions About Dragon Hearts
1. How Many Dragon Hearts Can I Have?
You can obtain a total of 23 Dragon Hearts in a single playthrough, though you’ll only need 20 to purchase all the available incantations.
2. Do Dragon Hearts Carry Over into NG+?
Yes, any unused Dragon Hearts will carry over into your New Game Plus playthrough.
3. How Do I Get Dragon Eyes?
You will gain Dragon Eyes by purchasing four Dragon Communion Incantations using your Dragon Hearts at the Church or Cathedral of Dragon Communion.
4. Can I Get Dragon Eyes and Keep My Normal Eyes?
No, obtaining Dragon Eyes will override your normal appearance. The effect can be removed by visiting a certain NPC in the late game, but you will permanently lose your dragon eyes, so if you like them, consider saving a back up of the game.
5. Can I Get More Dragon Hearts After Beating All the Dragons?
No, there are a limited number of dragons in the game and thus a limited number of Dragon Hearts.
6. Is the Church or Cathedral of Dragon Communion Better?
Both locations offer access to the same base set of Incantations but the Cathedral in Caelid also includes spells unlocked after you defeat some specific Dragons. So while you can start at the Church in Limgrave, you will eventually want to explore the Cathedral for its expanded options.
7. Which Dragon Communion Incantation Is the Best?
There’s no single best one, as it depends on your build and playstyle. However, Placidusax’s Ruin, Ekzykes’s Decay, and Borealis’s Mist are generally considered very powerful.
8. How Do I Get Rotten Breath?
You can get the Rotten Breath incantation by turning in one Dragon Heart at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid.
9. What Level Should I Be to Use Dragon Communion Incantations?
Dragon Communion incantations require a Faith stat to use effectively so you may need to invest in this stat before attempting to use them.
10. Where Can I Find Borealis, the Freezing Fog Dragon?
Borealis is a world boss found in the Mountaintops of the Giants region.
11. Can Dragon Hearts Be Used for Anything Else?
No, Dragon Hearts are solely for trading for Dragon Communion Incantations. They have no other uses or crafting components.
12. Does Dragon Magic Scale With My Faith Stat?
Yes, the effectiveness of Dragon Communion Incantations scales primarily with your Faith stat, making them very potent for faith-based builds.
13. Are Dragon Hearts Consumed When Used?
No, Dragon Hearts are not consumed. Once obtained, you can use them multiple times to purchase various Incantations.
14. What Happens if I Don’t Use All My Dragon Hearts?
Any unused hearts remain in your inventory, and you can use them in the next playthrough or after respeccing.
15. Do My Bloodshot Eyes Affect Dragon Eyes?
Yes, the bloodshot eyes effect will override both your normal eye cosmetics and the Draconic eyes effect. If you then remove the eye alterations you cannot get your Draconic eyes back.