Elden Ring Patches Quest: How to Complete Patches Questline

Patches is a beloved fan-favourite of not just Elden Ring, but the entire Soulsborne genre. During your Playthrough of Elden Ring, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the elusive Volcano Manor, of which Patches is a member, seemingly out of character for this nomadic Tarnished.

Patches has been included in almost every Soulsborne release since Demon Souls, so it was no surprise to anyone when he appeared in Elden Ring, appearing to be up to his old tricks again. For a full run-down of Patches’ questline and where to find him during each part of his quest, read on.

• Patches’ quests run alongside the Volcano Manor questline, to follow this as well and compete both, read our guide on the Volcano Manor Quest.

Elden Ring Patches Locations

Murkwater Cave, Limgrave

Patches will first be located at the end of the Murkwater Cave, past a few low-level bandits. Once you venture to the right tunnel inside the cave, you’ll stumble upon a fog gate leading to an empty room containing only a chest, ripe for the picking. If you decide to help yourself Patches will confront you about your thieving ways and start a fight. During this fight, once Patches gets to half-health he will beg for mercy and you’ll have the option to kill him or let him go.

If you choose to kill him the rest of his questline will end here, and you’ll receive his Bell-Bearing to hand into the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold. If you’d rather spare him and continue his chaotic storyline, he will become a merchant and sell a multitude of items including Margit’s Shackle, a useful tool you can use during his boss fight at Stormveil Castle.

Once spared, feel free to leave his cave or, if you learnt nothing from the first attempt you can rest at a Site of Grace and try to loot his chest again. In doing so, Patches will transport you to a location in Limgrave situated between two Runebears, meaning you’ll most likely have to run past them to avoid a mauling.

• For more tips on how to beat Margit as well as using his shackle, read our guide on the Margit Boss Fight in Elden Ring.

Scenic Isle Site of Grace, Liurnia of the Lakes

The Scenic Isle Site of Grace is amidst the swamps surrounding the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Here, Patches will reveal two vital pieces of information which will provide ways to travel to Volcano Manor without scaling Mt. Gelmir first.

He will mention a girl named Rya that needs help nearby. Rya is northwest of Laskyar Ruins, near the Scenic Isle Site of Grace. Once you talk to her and follow her request, she will meet you again by the Grand Lift of Dectus where she will present you with an invitation that transports you to Volcano Manor.

Patches also mentions gossip about the Abductor Virgins, how they used to hold the power of transportation and how there is a rumour that one such Virgin is located at the bottom of the Raya Lucaria Academy with the ability to transport the player to the base of the Erdtree.

If you wish to follow this rumour and let the Abductor Virgin trap you inside it with its grab attack, it will in fact transport you, not to the base of the Erdtree, but to the dungeons of Volcano Manor where you’ll have to fight two of them in a boss fight to escape. Both pathways are viable options for getting to Volcano Manor.

• To get through the Academy of Raya Lucaria and defeat the boss there, read our guide on How to Beat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.

Mt. Gelmir

If you chose to take the long route to Volcano Manor, scaling around Mt. Gelmir rather than trusting your life in Patches’ hands, he can be found later, northwest of the first Mt. Gelmir Site of Grace. There will be a path of rainbow stones glittering on the ground near you and if you choose to investigate the stones, a cutscene will trigger in which Patches kicks you over the cliff-edge, in true Patches fashion.

Although we doubt helpfulness is what Patches had in mind here, the place where you are kicked to, does provide a quicker pathway to Volcano Manor.

Volcano Manor

Patches will set up camp inside the entrance of Volcano Manor. Once it becomes clear that you have the favour of Tanith, Patches will perk up and welcome you into the fold, as he too is a member of this unlikely family. Once you’ve triggered the assassination quest from Tanith, Patches will present you with the ‘Letter to Patches’ item and ask you to assassinate his target for him (the Great Horned Tragoth near the Ruin-Strewn Precipice). In doing so, he will reward you with the Magma Whip Candlestick, an ornate candlestick belonging to the Whip weapon category that has the Sea of Magma flame skill attached to it.

• To upgrade your new Magma Whip Candlestick, you’ll need Somber Smithing Stones. To gain access to all levels of Somber Smithing Stones read our Elden Ring Bell Bearings Guide, which will expand the Twin Maiden Husks’ inventory.

Shaded Castle, Northern Altus Plateau

If the Volcano Manor quests and the Rykard boss fight have been completed, Patches will move to the Shaded Castle in the upper ramparts where he seems to be suffering from a wound. He’s located just outside the boss room where he will give you the Dancer's Castanets and ask that you return them to Tanith in the hopes of restoring some of her memory back. (You can accept these from him regardless of if you’ve killed Tanith in your playthrough or not). In a surprisingly touching moment from Patches, we get a glimpse of him caring for someone other than himself before he then disappears from this spot.

Murkwater Cave Part 2

With this ambiguous ending, plyers weren’t certain if this was the last we’d see of Patches in Elden Ring. Luckily, with the 1.04 patch, FromSoftware extended Patches’ questline and had him respawn at the Murkwater Cave after his disappearance from the Shaded Castle.

Good news for players wanting to access his inventory, or for fans of Patches in general as he will then give you the iconic ‘Patches' Crouch’ gesture. Simply loot his chest again to force him to appear, whittle him to half-health and he will stop and recognise you. You may have to rest at a Site of Grace and speak to him again to gain the gesture.

• Now you’ve befriended an iconic character, how about another? Read our Iron Fist Alexander Questline guide to locate and befriend this friendly warrior jar.