In Elden Ring, magic plays a vital role in combat, strategy, and exploration. While sorceries often steal the spotlight, incantations provide an equally powerful and versatile set of abilities. These holy and elemental spells range from healing and buffs to devastating fire and lightning attacks. However, if you're new to the game or to FromSoftware’s magic systems, figuring out how to equip incantations in Elden Ring can be confusing at first.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about preparing your character to wield the powers of faith, how to cast incantations effectively, and what you’ll need to get started. If you’ve chosen a faith-based build or want to incorporate some divine magic into your arsenal, this is where your journey begins.
Understanding What Incantations Are
Incantations are a type of magic in Elden Ring that draws power from the player's Faith stat. Unlike sorceries, which scale with Intelligence, incantations require you to invest points into Faith to increase their effectiveness. These spells can heal wounds, cure status effects, enhance your attributes, or unleash powerful offensive attacks such as lightning bolts, fireballs, or dragon breath.
There are several schools of incantations, including Dragon Communion, Frenzied Flame, and Erdtree-based blessings. Each category has its own style and benefits, and many are locked behind specific requirements or progression paths in the game. Before you can equip and use these abilities, however, you’ll need the proper gear and setup.
What You Need to Use Incantations
Before you can cast any incantation, you’ll need two critical things: a sacred seal and at least one equipped incantation. Sacred seals act as the casting tools for these spells, similar to how a staff works for sorceries. Without a seal, even the most powerful incantations will be useless.
You can acquire a sacred seal early in the game by choosing a class like the Prophet or Confessor. If you didn't start with a faith-based class, seals can still be purchased or found as loot throughout the Lands Between. One of the earliest available is the Finger Seal, which can be bought from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold.
Once you have a seal, the next step is equipping the incantations themselves. But this can’t be done just anywhere—you’ll need access to a Site of Grace.
How to Equip Incantations at a Site of Grace
Sites of Grace serve many functions in Elden Ring, and one of their most important roles is helping players manage their magic. To equip incantations, you’ll need to rest at any Site of Grace. When you do, a menu will appear offering several options. Among them is the "Memorize Spell" option.
Choosing this brings up a screen that displays your available spell slots and all of the incantations you've acquired so far. If you don’t see any incantations listed, you may need to purchase them from NPCs like Brother Corhyn or find them hidden throughout the world. Make sure you meet the Faith requirements for the spells you’re trying to use—if your stats are too low, you won’t be able to memorize them.
Spell slots are also tied to another system: memory slots. Your character starts with a limited number of these slots, which can be increased by finding Memory Stones. These stones are typically located in towers or awarded after defeating certain bosses.
Once you select the incantations you want to use and place them into available memory slots, exit the menu. Your chosen spells are now ready for use, assuming you have a seal equipped in either your main hand or off-hand.
How to Cast Incantations
With your sacred seal equipped and your incantations memorized, you’re finally ready to cast. Use the trigger button assigned to the hand holding the seal to cast the selected spell. If your seal is in your right hand, press the corresponding trigger button (usually R1 or RT depending on your system). If it’s in your left hand, use the left-side trigger.
Switching between incantations mid-combat is simple. Use the D-pad to cycle through your equipped spells until the desired one appears in your HUD. Keep an eye on your FP bar, as all incantations consume Focus Points. Running out of FP will prevent you from casting anything, so always keep your flasks of Cerulean Tears handy.
Timing and positioning are key when using incantations in battle. Some have a long wind-up time, leaving you vulnerable, while others can be cast quickly for immediate effect. Experiment with different types to find which spells work best with your combat style and enemy encounters.
Where to Find New Incantations
The Lands Between is full of secret merchants, quest-giving NPCs, and ancient ruins hiding powerful incantations. Many of the game’s most potent spells aren’t handed to you—you have to explore, fight, and earn them.
Brother Corhyn at the Roundtable Hold is one of the earliest NPCs who can teach you basic incantations. As you progress, you’ll find others who specialize in specific types of spells. Some incantations can also be unlocked by turning in Prayerbooks to these NPCs, expanding their inventory.
Additionally, major boss fights, legacy dungeons, and dragon encounters often reward you with unique and devastating incantations. The Dragon Communion incantations, for instance, are only accessible after defeating dragons and offering their hearts at specific altars. These spells offer some of the most visually stunning and powerful effects in the game.
Scaling and Stat Requirements
Each incantation has a required minimum level of Faith to be memorized and cast. Some also require Arcane or other stats depending on their school. Make sure your character build aligns with the spell’s demands; otherwise, the spell will remain unavailable.
The damage and effectiveness of your incantations are also influenced by the seal you use and its scaling properties. Some seals are better for healing, while others boost specific damage types like lightning or fire. Investing in Faith not only opens up more spells but also amplifies their damage or healing effects.
Make sure to experiment with different seals as you progress, upgrading them at blacksmiths to keep them viable throughout the game.
Why Incantations Matter
Faith builds in Elden Ring are incredibly flexible. Whether you’re using incantations to support your allies, heal yourself in the middle of battle, or rain down destruction from afar, these spells offer both utility and raw power. Some of the game’s most iconic bosses can be tackled with creative combinations of buffs, debuffs, and elemental incantations.
Understanding how to equip and use these spells is a game-changer, especially for players looking to break away from traditional melee or intelligence-based builds. Faith builds allow you to play Elden Ring your way—aggressively, tactically, or somewhere in between.
Conclusion
Learning how to equip incantations in Elden Ring is essential for any player seeking to harness the power of Faith. With the right sacred seal, properly memorized spells, and enough investment in your stats, you’ll unlock an entire branch of powerful magic that can turn the tide of battle. Whether you’re playing as a Prophet, Confessor, or creating your own hybrid class, incantations are a cornerstone of the Elden Ring experience.
As you continue your journey through the Lands Between, keep exploring, keep experimenting, and remember that some of the game’s most rewarding abilities lie just beyond the next Site of Grace. Check out our Elden Ring Shirts at cuboldgaming.com
