Elden Ring: How to Find Patches and Complete His Questline
Whether you want to face him in battle, browse his shop for Elden Ring Items, or simply enjoy his familiar brand of treachery, this guide will walk you through how to find Patches, what you can earn, and how his questline unfolds.
Initial Encounter
Your first run-in with Patches happens early in the game at Murkwater Cave, a hidden dungeon located in Limgrave, just north of the Agheel Lake. After navigating the traps and bandits inside the cave, you'll stumble into a boss fog wall. To your surprise, this "boss" turns out to be Patches himself.
Patches will attack you, but once his health drops below 50%, he'll surrender mid-battle. You then have two options: kill him for Elden Ring Runes and gear or spare him. If you show mercy, he'll formally introduce himself, apologize, and set up shop inside Murkwater Cave.
Choosing to let him live allows access to his inventory of Elden Ring Items, including unique goods like the Margit's Shackle, a tool that can briefly stun Margit the Fell Omen during that boss fight. This makes Patches not just an entertaining character, but also a strategic asset for early-game players.
Traveling Merchant
Patches doesn't stay in one place for long. As you progress through the Lands Between, so does he, relocating his shop multiple times. Here's a breakdown of his movement throughout the game:
Liurnia of the Lakes: After reaching this region, Patches moves to the Scenic Isle Site of Grace, southwest of the Academy. He resumes his merchant duties and offers the same wares, plus a few region-specific items.
Mt. Gelmir: Once you've accessed the Altus Plateau, Patches travels to Mt. Gelmir, west of the First Mt. Gelmir Campsite Site of Grace. True to form, he pulls a signature trick by kicking you off a cliff if you approach too casually. It's a callback to his betrayals in previous games.
Volcano Manor: If you join Volcano Manor, Patches appears in the entrance hall, providing commentary and potentially offering more items. He's not fightable here due to combat restrictions in the Manor.
The Shaded Castle: After defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, Patches moves to the bridge outside the Shaded Castle. He stands near the path leading to Elemer of the Briar.
Final Encounter
Following Elemer's defeat, Patches returns to where it all started, Murkwater Cave. When you revisit the cave, Patches appears again as a boss, seemingly having forgotten your prior truce. However, after a few seconds into the fight, he recognizes you and stops attacking. Once again, you can spare him, and in return, he grants you the Patches Crouch Gesture.
After reloading the area, Patches resumes his role as a merchant inside Murkwater Cave, offering his final shop inventory. If you've followed his story from start to finish, this brings his journey full circle.
Combat and Rewards
If at any point you choose to kill Patches rather than forgive him, he will drop the following upon death:
800 Elden Ring Runes
Spear +7
Leather Armor
Leather Gloves
Leather Boots
Patches' Bell Bearing
You can bring the Bell Bearing to the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold, unlocking his shop inventory permanently, so you won't miss out on his Elden Ring Items even if you end his story prematurely.
Other Notes About Patches
Summon Option: Patches can technically be summoned to assist during the Starscourge Radahn boss fight. However, true to his character, he immediately leaves the battlefield, offering no real help at all.
Missable Progress: If you defeat Rykard before interacting with Patches at Volcano Manor, or neglect his quest steps, he may disappear. In this case, you can find his Bell Bearing and remaining personal items near the rock bridge in Mt. Gelmir, close to where he kicked you off.
Non-Combat Zones: While he can usually be fought, Volcano Manor disables combat, meaning your interactions there are limited to conversation and purchases.
Why Bother With Patches
Aside from his humor and classic FromSoftware legacy, Patches offers some worthwhile goods, especially in the early and mid-game phases. His Elden Ring Items include rare consumables, gear, and quest-related tools like Margit's Shackle. Plus, sparing him multiple times unlocks gestures and brings a unique flavor to your journey across the Lands Between.
If you're looking to optimize your Elden Ring Runes usage or simply want to experience one of the franchise's most iconic recurring characters, following Patches' questline is well worth your time.
Whether you befriend him or end him, Patches the Untethered remains one of Elden Ring's most memorable figures. Trickster, merchant, coward, and occasional ally, his role may be small, but his impact is unmistakably classic.