What is a Rune Arc in Elden Ring?

Gain an advantage over hard-to-kill enemies while tapping into the power of Great Runes within Elden Ring via the Rune Arc item.

The FromSoftware game Elden Ring contains a number of tools and items to enhance your character’s power levels as you progress. Beginning players who find a Rune Arc within the open-world ARPG can use the item to boost health or remove negative effects. But the consumable item’s true purpose within Elden Ring is to activate a Great Rune, which can be dropped by various bosses throughout the game. 

What does the Rune Arc do?

A Rune Arc is a shard of the shattered Elden Ring that is a consumable item that activates a Great Rune. Upon defeating a boss, players will find themselves in possession of a Great Rune. To defeat Elden Ring, and fight against the final boss, players will have to acquire each of the Great Runes scattered throughout the lands. 

Without a Rune Arc, players won’t be able to activate the effects of a Great Rune. Prior to defeating a boss, players should still acquire and pick up Rune Arcs when they can. Consuming the Elden Ring item provides health recovery, removes negative effects, and can even get thrown at an enemy to apply damage. 

Where can I find a Rune Arc in Elden Ring?

Rune Arcs are scattered throughout the lands between in Elden Ring. Players can purchase Rune Arcs in Liurmia of the Lakes from the Nomadic Merchant or at the Roundtable Hold via Enia. Both purchases will cost a player 4,000 Runes. 

Exploring is a cheaper way to acquire a Rune Arc in Elden Ring. They can be found as a rare drop from rats, on decaying bodies within catacombs, under stairs, within a chest, and even as a drop upon taking out enemies.