Developer FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is finally available! Set in a gorgeously haunting setting, this dark fantasy blends together the backbreaking brutality the studio is known for with the open-world freedom of titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Players are free to explore dungeons, battle bosses, complete side quests, or just roam the countryside on their trusty steed.
Of course, some things still remain the same. For fans of FromSoftware’s other games, an infamous character has once again returned to cause all sorts of mischief. Called Patches, this degenerate is hiding away in one of Elden Ring’s opening areas and is full of surprises. Here’s a guide on where to find Patches and whether you should forgive or kill this NPC.
Where to Find Patches
You can find Patches in the Murkwater Cave just north of the large lake in the center of Limgrave. This cave is accessible by going into the lake with Torrent and then following the stream north to the cave’s entrance on the left. When you arrive, you will be forced off your horse and an A.I. Invader called Bloody Finger Nerjius will spawn in and attack. You need to vanquish this foe, so keep your distance and strike after one of Nerjius’ combo attacks. His weapons deal Bleed damage, which can obliterate your health bar if the Bleed meter fills up. Because of this, it’s critical you don’t let Nerjius get consecutive hits on you.
Try to keep your distance until another A.I. character called Bloody Hunter Yura arrives. He’s actually an ally (I know, I’m surprised he’s not trying to kill me too!) and will assist you during the fight. Yura does a comical amount of damage, so let him pull aggro from Nerjius and strike when his back is turned. Once this foe is killed, you can head into the cave and rest at the Site of Grace inside.
Once you’re inside the cave, you will need to contend with around six to seven bandits. They’re quite weak and can be easily killed. The catch is there are bells attached to small stakes along the ends of the bushes. Hitting one of the trip wires will ring the bell and call all enemies over. You can either avoid this and sneak by them or trigger the bell to funnel the enemies into a single fight.
Regardless of your choice, head right and into the room with a lone chest. Opening it will give you the Cloth Garb and trigger a fight with Patches. Don’t worry, Patches is all bark and no bite. When he drops down to attack, either dash to his right or parry his melee strike for a great damage window. Patches will also spit a poison cloud in front of him, which leaves him open to attacks from behind. You only need to get him down to about half health before he calls off the fight entirely and begs for mercy. How unsurprising…
Kill or Forgive Patches?
You have the choice to either kill or spare this foe. If you chose the former, you just need to smack him a little more and you’ll earn Patches’ Ball Bearing, his leather armor set, and a spear with a +7 upgrade!
This might seem worth it, and honestly, the little bastard deserves it. However, I suggest forgiving him. Doing so will open up Patches as a vendor after a few in-game days have passed. His most noteworthy item is a pricey little shackle that can be used as a tool against Margit, the Fell Omen. It helps stun Margit during the first phase of his boss battle.
Return to the Murkwater Cave after a few days and you can find Patches selling all sorts of goodies in his store. He will also explain that there’s a chest with a very valuable item in it. You will need to buy some items from him and let time pass before Patches offers you that chest, so purchase some items from his store and come back after a couple of days.
Look, we both know it’s a trap, but open it anyway. Upon doing so, you will be gassed and wake up in the middle of a Limgrave forest surrounded by giant, angry bears. You should have enough time to summon Torrent and ride away before the bears attack.
Now make your way back to the cave where Patches is hiding. He will be surprised you’re alive. If you decide to not stab him for trying to kill you twice, you can access him as a vendor once again. While the thought of stabbing Patches does sound satisfying, it’s definitely worth sparing him so that you can purchase items from his shop throughout the rest of the story.
Later Locations
Once you encounter Patches in these locations, he’ll continue to show up throughout Elden Ring — if you know where to look. His store location changes to the foyer of the Volcano Manor after unlocking that zone and entering the building. He can also help you (albeit briefly) as a summonable NPC for the General Radahn boss fight in Caelid.
