Elden Ring’s earliest region, Limgrave, is full of places to explore and items to collect. The Deathtouched Catacombs is a small dungeon that serves as an introduction to the catacombs players encounter throughout the world of Elden Ring. So, this guide explains exactly how to beat it.
Where is the Deathtouched Catacombs in Elden Ring?
In Elden Ring, the Deathtouched Catacombs are located in Northern Limgrave, southeast of the coliseum on the map. From the road leading out of the woods by the Warmaster’s Shack, follow the cliff round to the north—if you see a spirit mourning the state of the world, you’ve come to the right place.
The Deathtouched Catacombs are difficult to see in the daytime, but easier to see at night. As long as you stay by the cliff edge, you’ll make it to the catacombs quickly. Open the door and head inside to start grave robbing.
How to clear the Deathtouched Catacombs
Rest at the Site of Grace at the entrance before heading in, as this mini-dungeon will test your early-game mettle. Head down and turn left to enter a room that’ll be quiet until you enter. There are Skeleton Swordsmen and Archers down here—not durable combatants, but they can come back to life after you kill them. Make sure to hit them while they’re on the ground to kill them for good. Thankfully, most weapons have a vertical slicing attack which can clip them.
Weapons buffed with a golden aura, like the Sacred Blade Ash of War, can kill Skeletons without them reviving. If you’re struggling, it’s a good idea to augment a weapon of your choice with this Ash of War before entering these tombs, as undead are naturally weak to Holy damage.
Look for glowing plants around the floor, as well as items on bodies. The plants are Grave Glovewort (1), an important item to start leveling up your Spirit Ashes. Head to the next room, where you’ll find yourself on a platform above the ground. There are several more Skeletons in here—some of which are equipped with bows—so don’t be afraid to back up into a previous room if you get overwhelmed. Take out the ones at the top first before dealing with the few that spawn downstairs.
Before you follow the path, look under the ridge for a small opening. This leads to a pseudo-secret area essential to clearing the dungeon. Follow it to the next big room, where a few Skeletons are ready to ambush you when you get halfway through the room. Loot the flower and then head left to get to a small ledge above a big room. Here, you can loot the Uchigatana, a powerful Katana that scales well into the endgame for Dexterity builds, from of a corpse—as well as another Glovewart by the edge of the overhang.
Head back through the small opening and follow the original path to get a Bloodrose, an item used for a lot of recipes involving Bleeding. Follow the path to the right to enter the big room from earlier, but from the lower level—we’re now beneath the body that held the Uchigatana.
Defeat the few Skeletons that spawn and head into the small room near the end of the dungeon. Loot the purple flower—a Grave Violet, used for Rancor Pots—and then pull the lever. Be careful as you head back, as a new group of Skeletons spawns in after you pull the lever, and they have the height advantage. You can’t pick them off until they spawn, so keep your wits about you, as they’ll have the numbers advantage. Feel free to sprint past them or deal with them slowly to ensure you don’t get overwhelmed.
To end the dungeon, head back to the Site of Grace and take a rest before heading to the double black doors, which now hang open. This is where the boss lies: the Black Knife Assassin. She’s injured, but be careful—she heals with every hit she deals to you. Play it safe and hit her after dodging her attacks or use ranged attacks. Her injured state means her health pool is quite low—a few select Sorceries or big hits will make quick work of her.
Your reward is the Assassin’s Crimson Dagger, an interesting Talisman that heals you whenever you perform a Critical Attack, like a Backstab or Guard Break. Before you leave the dungeon through the white teleportation point, loot the chest at the back of the room for its Deathroot, a quest item you can give to the Beast Clergyman that’s exceptionally useful for Strength/Faith builds.
