Elden Ring Deathroot guide: Where to find Deathroot and what it's for
Beastly goodness
The Elden Ring Deathroot item is a rare find you can use to get even rarer boons, though getting Deathroot isn't always easy. The herbaceous manifestation of death only drops from certain catacombs bosses and the Tibia Mariner in each of its forms.
It’ll take some time to find them all, but you’ll unlock a unique range of Incantations for your trouble. Even if you’re not keen on using Faith-based spells, it’s worth giving all the Deathroot away. The final spell you unlock is powerful and has a low Faith requirement.
Where do you find Deathroot in Elden Ring?
Deathroot is a rare item only dropped by those trapped in death, or so D the Hunter tells you in Roundtable Hold. A few bosses and locations fit that description.
One is the Tibia Mariner, who shows up in three locations.
- Summonwater Village in northern Limgrave (northwest of the Third Church of Marika)
- Liurna of the Lakes (just to the southwest of the Divine Tower bridge)
- Wyndham (west of the Second Church of Marika, north of the Grand Lift of Dectus)
The chest in the Black Knife Assassin room in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave also drops Deathroot, and you’ll find one in a chest behind the Cemetery Shade in the Black Knife Catacombs as well.
The Red Wolf of the Champion in Mt Gelmir also drops Deathroot, in the Hero's Grave dungeon.
What is Deathroot for in Elden Ring?
Deathroot is a type of currency you’ll trade the Beast Clergyman Gurranq in exchange for special Bestial Incantations, among a few other things.
The first Deathroot you give over gets you the a seal that boosts Bestial Incantation power and an eyeball that lets you know when you’re near a Deathroot (which you don’t really need).
After that, here’s what you’ll get with each successive Deathroot:
- Bestial Sling Incantation (throws rocks)
- Bestial Vitality Incantation (regenerates health)
- Beast’s Roar Ash of War
- Beast Claw (beast variant of Dragonclaw)
- Stone of Gurranq
- Beast Claw Greathammer
- Gurranq's Beast Claw)
The fifth time you give Gurranq a Deathroot, he’ll turn hostile, and you’ll have to fight him. He’ll return to normal after the battle and give you the Beast Claw Incantation. If you attack Gurranq at any other point, he'll remain hostile until you receive an absolution from the altar at the Church of Vows in Liurnia.
How do you get to the Bestial Sanctum in Elden Ring?
The Bestial Sanctum is in northern Caelid, and it's nearly impossible to reach early on. The easiest way to travel there is via teleporter in eastern Limgrave, in the pond north of the Third Church of Marika (shown below).
You'll appear directly behind a tough field boss, but it doesn't see you. Ignore it unless you want a big challenge, open the door, and head inside.
If you're after sorcery instead of incantations, check out our picks for the best spells in Elden Ring and a good staff or two to help.