Elden Ring is arguably FromSoftware's most complex game to date, in part thanks to the sheer number of viable builds that players can pursue. One new mechanic in Elden Ring that lets players avoid dealing damage entirely and play the Support role instead is Spirit Ashes.
Elden Ring gives players a ton of healing and buffing spells, and because these Incantations work on Spirit Summon allies, it's actually possible to beat the entire game without dealing a single point of damage directly. It's an incredible challenge, but it's not impossible – check out content creators like Iron Pineapple for proof that Elden Ring can be beaten by a pacifist.
Recommended Stat Allocation for Pacifist Priest Builds
Because this is a build intended to take players to the end of Elden Ring, and not intended for PvP or NG+, it's difficult to recommend stats for a Level 150 build as a Pacifist Priest's goal is simply to beat the game. With that in mind, Pacifist Priests should invest points in a few important stats over others.
In order of importance, put stats into Faith, Mind, Vigor, and Dexterity. Faith is your most important stat as it directly influences your healing prowess. Mind and Vigor should be given a point or two every few levels to keep up with the difficulty curve of the game. Dexterity is mostly unimportant, but putting a point or two in it along the way can increase your casting speed a little bit. Arcane, Endurance, and Intelligence have almost no use in this type of build, though having a high Endurance can help a fragile Priest shrug off blows that would otherwise spell doom.
Seals, Talismans, and Armor for A Pacifist Priest
As a Pacifist, you should use Seals and Talismans that increase your ability to support Spirit Ashes. The best Seal in Elden Ring for this build is the Erdtree Seal, as it has higher scaling and less Weight than the standard Finger Seal, but it's found pretty late into the game at Volcano Manor. Until then, the Finger Seal will get the job done just fine.
Talismans that are important to this build are the Faithful's Canvas Talisman, the Two Fingers Heirloom, the Old Lord's Talisman, and the Radagon Icon. The Faithul's Canvas Talisman and the Two Fingers Heirloom raise Faith and increase Incantation strength. The Old Lord's Talisman makes all spells last longer, including heal-over-time spells, and the Radagon Icon increases spellcasting speed. One to consider using is the Crepus's Vial, which elimates all sound the player makes and allows for stealthy navigation through areas where allies can't be summoned.
Though a good Pacifist Priest stays out of the midst of combat most of the time, there are some Armor pieces that can increase the healing done with this build. The Deathbed Dress slowly recovers ally HP in the nearby area, which also affects Spirit Summons. The Royal Remains set gives you passive heal-over-time at low HP, but it weighs a lot. There are a selection of helms that increase Faith, like the Ruler's Mask or the Haligtree Helm, but these are found relatively late into the game.
Incantations: What To Use, What To Avoid
A central part of this build is Incantations. Using the right healing Incantations at the right time can mean the difference between getting an ENEMY FELLED or a YOU DIED screen. Spirit Ashes aren't as affected by direct healing spells as players are, so try using heal-over-time spells and other means of protecting them from death.
The best Incantations for this build tend to be heal-over-time spells like Blessing's Boon, which affects Spirit Summons more than a regular instant healing Incantation. Avoid spells that take a long time to cast, like Lord's Heal, and opt instead for quick-cast buffing Incantations like the Fortification spells and Lord's Aid, which heals a variety of ailments all at once.
Best Spirit Ashes For A Pacifist Priest
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The keystone to this build, the thing that makes any of it possible, is the Spirit Summon system. A true Pacifist Priest can't fight Evergaol bosses as they don't allow summons, but just about every other major enemy in Elden Ring lets you bring in help. There are some that are patently better than others for this type of build, though.
- Early Game: Demi-Humans, who use Blunt damage and are great at distracting, or the Godrick Soldiers, who have both ranged and melee attacks to kite enemies
- Mid-Game: Dolores the Sleeping Arrow, who can put enemies to sleep, or the Greatshield Soldiers, who can tank most bosses while poking from behind a shield.
- Late Game: Lhutel the Headless, who can Deathblight enemies and avoid attacks easily, or the Dung Eater Puppet, who is as tanky as he is fearsome in a melee.
In the early game when you have little access to truly powerful Incantations, using the Demi-Humans or the Godrick Soldiers Ashes grants multiple allies to manage so that if one dies you still have another to fight for you. Dolores the Sleeping Arrow is great for crowd controlling enemies, and the Greatshield Soldiers make up for their lack of damage with nigh-impenetrable defenses. At the end of the game, Lhutel the Headless is a fantastic choice for her ability to teleport and deal Deathblight damage. The Dung Eater Puppet is arguably the most powerful Spirit Ash in the game, aside from Black Knife Tiche who can only be acquired in an evergaol fight, and the Mimic Tear who would be useless with a no-damage build.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.