There are few things worse in Elden Ring than dying and losing all of your hard-earned Runes before reaching a Site of Lost Grace. It's especially bad in later areas, where players who can't get back to their death spot can easily lose tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of Runes all at once.
There are a few ways to get around this headache in Elden Ring, the most well-known being Sacrificial Twigs. Sacrificial Twigs are Talismans that prevent players from losing their Runes on death, but they break after only a single use. The Twiggy Cracked Tear, on the other hand, is a re-usable version of the Sacrificial Twig that provides the same effect temporarily.
The Twiggy Cracked Tear Prevents Rune Loss For Three Minutes
The Twiggy Cracked Tear is one of Elden Ring's most useful items, but it requires that players time their use of the Flask of Wondrous Physick just right. While the Sacrificial Twig lasts for an entire life and breaks on death, a Flask of Wondrous Physick with the Twiggy Cracked Tear effect only lasts for three minutes after consumption.
The best time to use the Twiggy Cracked Tear is right before heading into a boss room, as fights rarely go longer than 3 minutes and you can guarantee that your Runes won't be lost if you die. If you are carrying a lot of Runes and haven't found a Site of Lost Grace, the Twiggy Cracked Tear can save a whole lot of heartache, especially in the later game.
Where To Find The Twiggy Cracked Tear
The Twiggy Cracked Tear can be found beneath the Minor Erdtree in the Capital Outskirts. To get to this area you have to get to the Altus Plateau through the Dectus Lift, which requires both halves of the Dectus Medallion, or through a secret cliff path next to the Dectus Lift wrought with bats and harpies. The first half of this medallion is found at Fort Haight, but if you don't want to deal with the enemies at Fort Farroth to get the second half, the other route through the Ravine-Veiled Village is a bit easier and doesn't require any medallions – though it does have enemies that low-level players might struggle with.
Once in Altus make your way east towards the Capital, then head to the very northern side of the moat to find the area's Minor Erdtree. Normally an Erdtree Avatar boss would spawn at the base of this Minor Erdtree and challenge the player, but the Twiggy Cracked Tear (and the second half of the Crimson Crystal Tear) is instead simply found on the ground at the base of it surrounded by non-boss enemies. Pick it up, mix it into your Flask of Wondrous Physick, and weep tears of joy when you realize just how broken this item can be.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.