Elden Ring is not an easy game, but one of the things that makes it much more approachable for new players is the ability to come back to difficult content after getting stronger elsewhere in the world. Rune farming methods in Elden Ring vary, but when it comes to the early game, there's one place that's better than any other for racking up Runes.
By progressing D's questline in Elden Ring (the golden-masked NPC in Roundtable Hold who seeks those who live in death) players can be transported across the Lands Between to a location absolutely brimming with high-Rune, low-threat enemies. From about Level 20 to Level 50, Greyoll's Dragonbarrow can be a lucrative source of Runes if you know what to look for.
Head To The Bestial Sanctum In Greyoll's Dragonbarrow
The Bestial Sanctum is a location north of Caelid far to the east of Limgrave, and houses the Beast Clergyman. The Bestial Sanctum is distant, but you don't have to go all the way across the map on foot to reach this location. Exhaust D's dialogue in Roundtable Hold, then head Summonwater Village, a short trip east from the bridge leading out from Stormhill.
You should eventually find ruins and some undead. Look around until the Tibia Mariner boss spawns in the nearby pools – it's not too bad of a fight, but don't underestimate its ability to summon. Once defeated, this boss drops Deathroot. Head back to the Roundtable Hold and give the Deathroot to D, who will then invite you to visit his master, the Beast Clergyman Gurranq, via a teleporter. Head to the red marking on your map and step into this Sending Gate hidden in some bushes.
Avoid The Boss Outside, And Look For The Small, Scattered Casters
Once you've reached the Bestial Sanctum, and have talked Gurranq, turn around and head outside, taking care to avoid the extremely powerful boss sitting on the steps. The easiest way to avoid it is to stealth left or mount Torrent and sprint away as fast as you can. This open area is called Greyoll's Dragonbarrow and is home to a number of scattered, but valuable, enemies. While riding around the area, press the Target Lock button repeatedly to find them more easily.
They are each worth upwards of 1000 Runes each, which at low-to-mid levels is a huge reward for little effort. The easiest way to kill these enemies is via Ranged attacks, like Sorceries and Incantations, or with a long-reaching melee weapon, like the Zweihander. This ensures you keep a good distance from their relatively strong attacks, and with careful kiting and attack timing you'll rack up Runes without taking hardly any damage. If you do come close to death, the Lost Grace is just up the hill.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.