Equipping incantations in Elden Ring is an essential part of playing a Faith-based or hybrid build. Whether you’re focusing on healing, buffing, or smiting your enemies with holy or fire damage, incantations open up a wide range of gameplay options. However, many new players are confused when trying to use them for the first time. Simply having the spell in your inventory isn’t enough you need the right tools, stats, and equipment to make everything work. This guide explains clearly and thoroughly how to equip incantations in Elden Ring and how to use them effectively.
What Are Incantations?
Overview of Incantations
Incantations are a type of magic in Elden Ring primarily tied to the Faith stat. They include a wide range of effects, such as healing, buffs, fire spells, lightning strikes, and even dragon powers. Unlike sorceries, which require Intelligence and a staff, incantations are cast using Sacred Seals and scale with Faith.
Faith Requirement
Each incantation has a minimum Faith requirement. If you don’t meet this requirement, you won’t be able to use the incantation, even if it’s equipped. You can view the required stats by inspecting the incantation in your inventory.
Steps to Equip Incantations
Step 1: Get a Sacred Seal
Before you can use any incantations, you need a Sacred Seal. This item functions like a weapon and is used to cast incantations. Several seals are available in the game:
- Finger Seal: The most basic seal, purchasable from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold.
- Erdtree Seal: Found later in the game and offers high scaling with pure Faith builds.
- Dragon Communion Seal: Ideal for dragon incantations.
Equip the seal in either your main hand or off-hand weapon slot like any other weapon.
Step 2: Find and Memorize Incantations
Next, you need to obtain incantations. These can be found in chests, rewarded from quests, dropped by enemies, or purchased from certain NPCs like Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows.
Once you have an incantation, you must memorize it at a Site of Grace:
- Rest at a Site of Grace.
- Select the option Memorize Spell.
- You will see a list of incantations in your inventory.
- Choose the ones you want to equip, depending on your available memory slots.
You gain more memory slots by finding and equipping Memory Stones, usually found in towers or obtained as rewards.
Step 3: Equip the Sacred Seal
Now that your incantations are memorized, equip a Sacred Seal to actually cast them:
- Open your inventory.
- Navigate to your weapon slots.
- Equip the Sacred Seal in one of your weapon hands.
With the seal equipped and incantations memorized, you’re almost ready to cast.
Step 4: Cast Your Incantation
Use the incantation like a regular weapon skill:
- Press the corresponding button to cast (usually R1 or L1 depending on hand).
- Use the D-pad to scroll through your memorized incantations if you have multiple equipped.
Make sure you have enough FP (blue bar) to use your selected incantation. The FP cost is shown in the spell description.
Tips for Using Incantations
Manage FP and Stamina
Incantations require FP to cast, and some of them also consume stamina. Use Cerulean Flasks to restore FP during combat, and invest in Mind to increase your maximum FP pool. You can adjust your flask distribution at a Site of Grace.
Upgrade Your Seal
Just like weapons, Sacred Seals can be upgraded using Smithing Stones. This boosts the amount of damage or healing your incantations do, depending on the spell type. Visit a blacksmith to enhance your seal regularly as you progress.
Use the Right Seal for Your Build
Different Sacred Seals have unique bonuses:
- Erdtree Seal: Best for pure Faith builds.
- Dragon Communion Seal: Enhances dragon incantations.
- Godslayer’s Seal: Increases effectiveness of Godslayer incantations.
Choose a seal that complements the kind of incantations you want to use most often.
How to Unlock More Incantations
Buying from NPCs
Several NPCs in the game sell incantations:
- Brother Corhyn: Found early in Roundtable Hold.
- Miriel, Pastor of Vows: Located at the Church of Vows, sells a variety of incantations and sorceries.
- Gowry: Offers unique spells tied to Millicent’s questline.
Turning in Prayerbooks
You can unlock new incantations by finding and turning in Prayerbooks:
- Locate a prayerbook in the world (e.g., Fire Monk’s Prayerbook, Dragon Cult Prayerbook).
- Give the book to Corhyn or Miriel to unlock new incantations in their shops.
Be careful some prayerbooks unlock powerful or forbidden spells, and offering them can lead to moral choices depending on your playstyle.
Recommended Incantations for Beginners
Useful Early Game Spells
- Heal: Basic healing spell for yourself and allies.
- Cure Poison: Useful in poison-infested areas.
- Flame Sling: A simple and effective fireball spell.
- Blessing of the Erdtree: A powerful late-game heal over time.
Start with low-FP cost spells to get used to the casting system. As your Faith stat increases, you can equip and use more advanced incantations.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trying to cast without equipping a Sacred Seal.
- Not meeting the minimum Faith requirement for a spell.
- Forgetting to memorize incantations at a Site of Grace.
- Running out of FP mid-fight due to poor flask management.
- Using the wrong seal for the type of incantation equipped.
Double-check your gear and stats if your incantations aren’t working. Most casting issues stem from setup errors rather than game bugs.
Scaling and Stat Investment
Focus on Faith
Faith directly affects the power of your incantations. Invest in Faith if you want your spells to hit harder or heal more. Certain incantations may also scale with Arcane or have unique mechanics, but most rely on high Faith for optimal performance.
Mind and Endurance
Mind increases your FP, allowing for more frequent casting. Endurance boosts your stamina, letting you roll, block, and cast without interruption. These stats are important secondary investments for casters who want to survive longer fights.
Equipping incantations in Elden Ring involves several simple but essential steps: obtaining a Sacred Seal, memorizing spells at a Site of Grace, meeting the Faith requirement, and managing your FP. Once you’ve set up your character correctly, incantations offer a versatile and powerful way to approach combat, support, and exploration. Whether you’re smiting enemies with holy fire or healing your party before a boss fight, understanding how to equip and use incantations effectively will greatly enhance your journey through the Lands Between.