How to upgrade summons in Elden Ring

Elden Ring allows you to summon spirits for boss fights and in selected locations around the game’s open world. These spirits can be upgraded to strengthen them, similarly to how you level up your attributes and weapons, but the game doesn’t explicitly tell you how to do so. Our guide will walk you through how to upgrade summons in Elden Ring.

Other Elden Ring Guides
Elden Ring Area Order
How To Get To Nokron
Limgrave Boss List
What Does Faith Do?
How To Use Spells
What Are The Best Talismans For Mages?
How Many Talismans Are In Elden Ring And How To Unlock Them

Upgrading Spirit Summons

Spirit Ashes can be acquired throughout Elden Ring by defeating bosses, finding them in chests, and more. These Ashes are what you use to summon spirits in the game, and you can eventually upgrade them. Unlike weapon upgrades that are available from the beginning of the game, you can only upgrade summons after progressing NPC Roderika’s questline and getting her to the Roundtable Hold.

Once at the Roundtable Hold, you’ll need to use Runes and Grave Glovewort or Ghost Glovewort items to upgrade your summons. We’ve put together a detailed guide on how to complete Roderika’s questline below and unlock the ability to upgrade spirit summons.

Starting Roderika’s Quest

Roderika can first be found at Stormhill Shack on the path towards Stormveil Castle. To reach it, simply head north from The First Step Site Of Grace towards some ruins overrun by soldiers and the Gatefront Site Of Grace, and then continue north from there through the valley filled with soldiers and a giant.

When you emerge from the valley (You don’t need to defeat the enemies if you feel they’re too strong, you can just ride through the valley on Torrent), take a right and follow the path towards the Shack, grabbing the Golden Seed along the way. If a group of wolves try to attack you, you’re heading in the right direction.

Roderika can be found inside the shack sitting on the floor. Speak with her to begin her questline. She’ll give you the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes and the Sitting Sideways gesture, and she’ll ask you to deliver a message.

Finding The Chrysalids’ Memento In Stormveil Castle

To continue her quest and get Roderika to move to the Roundtable Hold, you’ll need to venture into Stormveil Castle after defeating Margit, The Fell Omen and collect the Chrysalids’ Memento item. To do this, progress into the castle until you reach the Rampart Tower Site Of Grace.

From there, head out onto the ramparts of Stormveil Castle and follow them along – taking out the hawks on you way – until you reach a set of descending stairs. Follow them down onto the roof of a building, and then head inside the building’s tower and take a right to emerge on another roof with a ladder, which you can descend.

On the path below will be a soldier and a knight. Take them out, and from the bottom of the ladder take a right and follow the path into a building. Continue through the building until you emerge on a balcony. To your left will be an open-air room with two dogs, a hanging giant, and a pile of bodies, with the Chrysalids’ Memento at the top.

Jump down, defeat the dogs, and pick up the item. Once you have it, fast-travel back to Stormhill Shack and speak with Roderika to give her the memento. Keep speaking with her, and she’ll decide to move to the Roundtable Hold, where she can be found standing in front of the fireplace.

Roderika At The Roundtable Hold

Speak with her to receive a Golden Seed, and she’ll eventually mention that she’s searching for her purpose. After this, you’ll need to jump back and forth between Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg to progress her storyline:

Speak with Master Hewg and select the ‘About Roderika’ option, go back to Roderika and speak with her, and then head back to Master Hewg and select the ‘About Roderika’ option again until he agrees to mentor her. Once you’ve done that, rest at the Roundtable Hold’s Site Of Grace, and Roderika will have moved from the fireplace to opposite Master Hewg, unlocking her Spirit Tuning ability.

Now, anytime you want to upgrade your summons, you simply need to speak with Roderika and provide her with the required Runes and Grave Glovewort or Ghost Glovewort, which you can find in Catacombs, Hero Graves, and underground cities like Nokron – we’ve got a guide that explains how to get to Nokron.

That’s it! Now you know how to upgrade your summons in Elden Ring, which will help you take on the game’s terrifying and challenging bosses.