Patches now has a full quest line for Elden Ring players to complete after the game’s massive 1.04 update.
Elden Ring patch 1.03 expanded the quest lines of Nepheli Loux and Kenneth Haight. Patch 1.04 did something similar, adding some new content in the form of a full story for Patches the Untethered.
While it isn’t an especially large addition, it does allow players to enjoy Patches’ service as a merchant through the end of the game. It also gives them the opportunity to gain some of the gestures that previously could only be found in Elden Ring’s early game.
Patches can be met several times throughout the game, but several of those meetings are optional. Patches’ quests in Elden Ring can be completed in just a few steps.
At present, it’s unclear if these quests are completed. Originally, it seemed as though Patches died a relatively heroic death in Elden Ring, but the 1.04 patch added an extra bit of content that allows him to remain a regular merchant for the player. This ultimately doesn’t come with an amazing reward, but it’s easy enough to complete that there’s no reason for players not to tackle this.
Meet Patches in the Murkwater Cave
Players can find Patches early in the game in Murkwater Cave. This is located in the river that runs north from Lake Agheel in Limgrave. After a battle with a handful of enemies, Patches can be found as a boss after opening a chest. Reducing Patches below half health leads to him calling an end to the fight. The player can kill him here and end Patches’ Elden Ring quest prematurely, so pull your punches if you want to continue dealing with Patches.
There are two extra gestures that can be found optionally from here. If the player aggros Patches by hitting him repeatedly, he offers the player the chance to end the fight with the Extreme Repentance gesture. There is also the Calm Down gesture. After the boss fight, a new chest will appear in Patches’ boss room. Open the chest to be teleported to a new area, return to Patches, then receive the gesture.
Go to Volcano Manor, meet Tanith
There are three optional encounters with Patches after the initial meeting. None of these need to be done in order to advance Patches’ quest line in Elden Ring.
First, he can be found in Liurnia of the Lakes in a campsite near the Scenic Isle Site of Grace. From there, the player can have a vintage encounter with Patches on the Altus Plateau west of the First Mt. Gelmir Campsite Site of Grace. Follow a series of Rainbow Stones to a cliff’s edge to get booted down into the middle of a pack of basilisks. Finally, Patches appears as a useless summon in the Starscourge Radahn boss fight. He will finger-cut himself out of the fight after being summoned in, dealing zero damage to the boss.
Patches will appear in Volcano Manor after meeting Tanith. Speak to her, reload the area by resting at a Site of Grace, and Patches will appear crouched near the entrance. He will once again serve as a merchant, now with an expanded inventory.
Assassinate people for Volcano Manor
The player receives letters in the dining hall full of NPCs, ordering them to assassinate people. The first target is Old Knight Istvan who is found via invasion sign in northern Limgrave. After killing him, speak with Patches to get roped into the assassination of Great Horned Tragoth. Tragoth’s invasion sign is found in the Magma Wyrm Makar boss arena.
Defeat Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
The player can reach Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy by either completing more Volcano Manor assassination requests or just blasting through the hidden areas of Volcano Manor. Either way, defeating Rykard will advance the quests of all members of Volcano Manor. It can also get you the Blasphemous Blade, one of the strongest weapons in Elden Ring.
Find Patches in the Shaded Castle
Immediately before reaching the boss arena of Elemer of the Briar, there’s a hallway full of statues. Defeat Elemer and return to this hallway to find Patches, who is seemingly dying. Speak to him and receive the Dancer’s Castanets key item. Reload the area and Patches will be gone, though he isn’t dead.
The Dancer’s Castanets can be given to Tanith, who moves to Rykard’s boss arena after defeating him. Though she seems to refuse the item and doesn’t do anything, they will be removed from the player’s inventory after speaking with her. It’s possible there’s more to Tanith’s quest that will be patched in later, but this is the end for her at this time.
Top tips for new Dark Souls players after Elden Ring
Return to Murkwater Cave
Though it seems that Patches died in the Shaded Castle, he actually goes back to Murkwater Cave. His fog gate will be restored and the player can go through the same story beats as in the initial encounter. The only difference is that the first blow that lands from the player will have Patches admit defeat.
This rewards the player with the Patches’ Crouch gesture and reestablishes him as a merchant in his original location. If the player missed out on the Extreme Repentance gesture, they can receive it here by starting a fight with Patches and letting him land some hits. Instead of using the gesture, just use the “return to entrance” teleporter. Patches will forgive the player after returning.
At present, this is the end of Patches’ quest line. It’s possible more could be added for him in future updates.
In Elden Ring, Patches gives the player three exclusive gestures and offers access to the powerful Bull-Goat Armor set.
Gestures aren’t a particularly big deal in Elden Ring as there isn’t any achievement attached to them and they don’t progress any part of the game. The main reward is instead the Bull-Goat Armor set that is received after killing Great Horned Tragoth. This armor has the highest poise in all of Elden Ring and can be paired with a spear and greatshield to leisurely poke anything to death.
If the player defeats Tragoth before Rykard, they can return to Patches and receive the Magma Whip Candlestick weapon. This whip looks cool and is good against large enemies, but has relatively weak scaling. Players will likely find regular whips customized with an Ash of War to be more effective.
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