What Are Keepsakes and Which One Should You Start With?

 You finally braved it and decided to purchase and play ELDEN RING, and after the arduous choice between a bunch of classes with stats that sound more confusing than the periodic table, you’re faced with yet a new thing that’s very confusing: the Keepsake option. It seems like the game’s character customisation is almost as hard as the game itself. So what is it, what does it mean, and which of the nine should you pick, if any?

What is a keepsake?

It isn't immediately obvious what a keepsake is, as the game doesn't even explain it within the option; keepsakes are an item that you start the game with from a selection of nine: Crimson Amber Medallion, Lands Between Rune, Golden Seed, Fanged Imp Ashes, Cracked Pot, Stonesword Key, Bewitching Branch, Boiled Prawn, and Shabriri's Woe.

Depending on which build you want to go for, some keepsakes are far more worth it whilst others feel useless. We'll start from the top of the list and work our way down on explaining what each keepsake does. Starting with...

Crimson Amber Medallion

A nifty talisman that raises your HP; however, it only gets raised by 27, a pathetically small number that should help you with less than a fraction of a hit.

Lands Between Rune

The Lands Between Rune is a one-time-use consumable item that gives runes, which are the form of XP and currency within ELDEN RING. Although this works as a good early start, you won't be able to use the runes until quite a bit later into the game when you unlock levelling up. The item gives 3,000 runes, equating to about three levels total.

Golden Seed

All this item description says is that it will reinforce your Sacred Flasks, but what does that mean? Well, a flask is an item that you will use to recover HP very early on in the game (as soon as getting defeated by the tutorial boss early on), and having a Golden Seed will start you off with five flasks instead of four. You can, however, get more throughout the game.

Fanged Imp Ashes

The Fanged Imp Ashes item is a summonable group of two imps that will help you in battle. That said, much like other items within the keepsake list, these can only be used in the future after acquiring the Spirit Calling Bell. The Fanged Imp Ashes can also be acquired later in the game by purchasing it for 2,000 runes.

Cracked Pot

Cracked Pots are crafting items that can be used to create throwable items; you can also purchase them via several merchants present throughout the game. Selecting this one will give you three to start with.

Stonesword Key

Much as the name and description suggest, the Stonesword Key works like a key that allows you to enter other areas within the game. Although there is an area that you can enter immediately after finishing the tutorial with these, it's a relatively hard one that I couldn't complete on my new toon equipped with this keepsake. It is also a one-time use, as it says in the description. Later on in the game, you can acquire several Stonesword Keys to make up for the one you missed here. That said, selecting this keepsake will give you two.

Bewitching Branch

An item that consumes FP (the mana-like substance you use to cast spells or use special techniques) to charm the enemy that you are targeting. The range is pretty short, but afterwards, the enemy is charmed until death; this doesn't mean it will follow you around however, as it will merely return to its spot and continue patrolling until the end of time.

Boiled Prawn

The Boiled Prawn is a consumable that raises your physical mitigation temporarily, essentially increasing your resistance to some damage. You only get five of these when selecting it as a keepsake.

Shabriri's Woe

This item constantly attracts enemy attention. If you do not know what this means, it essentially makes enemies become hostile towards you easier, making stealth a more challenging task, essentially making stealth a much more challenging task.

Which one should you go for?

I feel the only true answer is the Golden Seed. Although some players will know when and how to use the consumable items such as the Boiled Prawns, or have a good use for the Stonesword Key, the most beginner-friendly option is the Golden Seed, as it will allow you to have one more recovery throughout any of the battles. Having one more flask can be the difference between life or death against any of the bosses, and although the Crimson Amber Medallion gives HP, it doesn't give enough to justify it.

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That's it for my keepsake guide! Whether you followed it or not, feel free to tell me which one you went for! I personally chose the Golden Seed from the very beginning, as the description of upgrading the "flask" sounded far too tempting to ignore.