How to Level Up Fast in Elden Ring

The main objective in Elden Ring is to level up your character as fast as possible so you can take on the endgame content.

This guide will share tips on how to progress quickly in Elden Ring and reveal the go-to spots for earning redeemable experience points.

How to Level Up Fast in Elden Ring

Video games aim to make players feel like they’ve been transported to another world where they can forget their real-life troubles. Only a few games have been as successful in achieving this goal as Elden Ring. Developed by the famed studio FromSoftware, Elden Ring is set in a vast, fantastical world filled with surprises around every corner.

With so much to offer, it’s no wonder Elden Ring has become one of the most popular FromSoftware titles ever produced.

To excel in Elden Ring, you need to power up your character and prepare yourself to take on opponents with different skills and powers. That’s where runes, also known as experience points, come in.

Runes are the lifeblood of your character in Elden Ring. They are used as currency to upgrade your stats and can also be used to purchase new items and abilities. With enough runes, you can buy enough Strength and Dexterity to beat opponents. You can even use them to summon beasts or open portals to other dimensions.

As you progress through the game, you’ll automatically earn runes as you conquer enemies and complete quests. Your development will most likely be painfully slow if you only depend on this way to earn runes. Elden Ring has numerous locations where you can farm runes and level up fast. In some cases, you don’t have to fight anyone. You just need to know where to look.

Let’s see how you can level up fast in various stages of the game by primarily farming runes.

How to Level Up Fast in Elden Ring for Beginners

If you’re a beginner, you should target farming routes and methods that are convenient, easily accessible, and relatively safe.

The following locations are ideal for gamers looking to gain some quick runes that can be used to level up and improve their combat capabilities.

Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow

If you’re looking for an efficient way to farm runes early in the game, Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow is a great option. You don’t need incredibly powerful weapons to take on the enemies in this area. All you need is the will to kill a lot of foes and steer clear of the bosses in the area because you don’t quite have the strength to fight them yet.

Once there, you’ll come across mobs that are fairly easy to kill. Each kill earns you 1,000 runes. To maximize the number of runes farmed, you might want to execute a surprise attack by stalking the mobs from behind.

To reach Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow, Follow the steps below.

1. Travel to the Third Church of Marika and locate the statue with open arms.
   
2. Behind the statue, you’ll find a road. Follow the road until you come to a small cliff.
   
3. Jump off the right side of the cliff, and you’ll see a portal that will whisk you to your destination.
   

Bestial Sanctum

The Bestial Sanctum is one of the first dungeons players will encounter in Elden Ring. It’s home to a variety of enemies and several powerful bosses. While the dungeon can be challenging, it’s also an excellent source of runes. Players can farm these runes by defeating enemies and breaking open crates and barrels.

The most efficient way to farm runes here is to complete the dungeon’s optional objectives. These usually involve defeating small, robed creatures that move around carrying chains. Killing each of these creatures will earn you around 1,000 runes.

The Bestial Sanctum is a hidden location in Dragonbarrow that can be reached by exploring the northeastern part of the region through Caelid. Alternatively, you can use the teleporter in Easter Limgrave next to the Third Church of Marika. But before boarding the teleporter, you’ll need to seek directions from D, Hunter of the Dead.

Fort Faroth Dragon

In the world of Elden Ring, you want to stay away from dragons because they will almost always want to kill you. But what if the dragon is actually immobile and defenseless? The answer is a boatload of runes!

The Fort Faroth Dragon is a white, imposing mother dragon that surprisingly doesn’t put up a fight when you attack. However, it’s surrounded by an army of its own babies, which are hostile but easy to conquer. Killing the mother dragon instantly earns you 80,000 runes. The baby dragons themselves will net you 3,500 runes each, so you might want to focus on them before shifting your attention to the mother.

To get to Fort Faroth, head over to Caelid, east of Limgrave, and then take the road to Summonwater Village. The dragon can be seen from afar, lying on the ground. You can also use the portal near the Third Church of Marika if you don’t fancy a long trek.

How to Level Up Fast in Elden Ring Mid Game

At this stage of your adventure in Elden Ring, you’re taking on tougher opponents and having to use slightly more powerful weapons. As such, you’ll want to target farming locations that net you significantly more runes.

The following locations will provide you with just that.

Leyndell East Capital Rampart

The city of Leyndell is home to the Draconic Tree Sentinel, a massive and physically intimidating knight known to traverse the city while riding a horse.

If you decide to challenge the knight in single combat, you can only win if you have more Dexterity and Strength. Before announcing your presence, going for a round of farming can net you the runes you need to upgrade your stats and increase your chances of victory.

The city’s East Capital Rampart is also home to several less dangerous monsters that can earn you runes without causing too much damage to your health. But how do you locate them?

Start at the city’s Site of Grace and then turn left. Somewhere down the road, you’ll find enemies in white robes that use trumpets as their primary weapon. Each successful kill earns you 368 runes, but the largest of them all nets 606 runes.

If you venture a bit further, you’ll find a menacing, fire-breathing creature that lunges at you at great speed as soon as it detects your presence. To give yourself a shot at victory, approach the creature from behind and execute a stun attack. The creature’s head is worth 3,332 runes.

With these, you can purchase some much-needed supplies from the local vendors or save them for your fight with the Draconic Tree Sentinel.

Palace Approach Ledge-Road

Another important mid-game location is the Palace Approach Ledge-Road. This area is home to a bird boss that can be disturbed for a rune bonus. Attacking the bird with a bow will net you up to 11,000 runes, making this an ideal spot for rune farming.

Interestingly, the bonus is not preconditioned on defeating the bird. Instead, you earn points every time you land a hit, however low-impact it might be. There’s a Site of Grace in the area, meaning you can repeat the challenge as often as you want.

To visit the location, you must complete the White-Faced Varré quest. The Pureblood knight’s Medal won from the quest will help you initiate a blood swamp that will teleport you to the bird’s vicinity.

How to Level Up Fast in Elden Ring in Late Game Play

This stage of your adventurous journey through Elden Ring is as challenging as it gets. Your enemies are all formidable and possess stats and capabilities that beginners and mid-game players can only dream of. To win your duels and boost your chances of survival, amassing a huge amount of runes is imperative.

There are two locations known for awarding players generous points bonuses. Let’s look at each.

The Windmill Village

The Windmill Village is a small farming community located in Altus Plateau. Due to a powerful spell, the entire village is a dance hall, and villagers are always dancing merrily, oblivious to your presence. The frenzied atmosphere provides the perfect cover for farming runes. Your presence is only noticed after you launch an attack; even then, only those in the immediate vicinity can notice what’s happening.

There are two groups of villagers, and an attack can net you over 3,000 runes in less than a minute. The villagers do not pose much of a threat, but watch out for a pair of rabid dogs roaming the area. Venturing too deep into the village will also put you on a collision path with a Stake of Marika, the local boss.

Mohgwyn Palace

Mohgwyn Palace is considered the primary source of runes during the latter stages of Elden Ring. Once you arrive, you should rest in the region’s Site of Grace. This will put you in close proximity to Albinauric soldiers. With half-decent weapons, you’ll be able to neutralize the soldiers in just a few hits. Each kill earns you 2,000 runes.

The soldiers won’t attack you first because they are all in deep slumber. You’ll need to hit them a few times to get them to respond. This means that with an effective attack strategy, you can conquer the entire battalion without suffering any damage to your health.

Getting to Mohgwyn Palace can be quite a challenge. The easiest way is to complete Varré’s PvP questline. Alternatively, you can try to reach the Consecrated Snowfield, though this is much harder to do.

Whichever way you choose, getting to Mohgwyn Palace will be an adventure in itself. Once you arrive, the Site of Grace will provide you with a reliable source of runes to help you upgrade your characters and weapons.

Amass Runes and Watch as Your Stats Improve

One of the great things about amassing runes in Elden Ring is that it allows you to tailor your play style to a greater degree. If you want to focus on being a powerful melee fighter, you can invest in runes that increase your strength and damage output. If you prefer a more defensive approach, you can choose runes that grant you additional health and resistance.

By collecting runes, you can make yourself more powerful and better equipped to deal with the challenges Elden Ring throws at you. Gaining runes provides a sense of accomplishment and progression as you watch your character grow stronger and more capable over time.

What’s your favorite farming location in Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments section below.