ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition Spirit Summon: Bell & Glovewort

Figuring out how to summon spirits in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition is the single most impactful early-game decision you can make, because these spectral allies can turn impossible boss fights into manageable encounters. The system hinges on two items: the Spirit Calling Bell and the Spirit Ash itself, and most players miss the bell entirely because it requires a specific interaction with Ranni at the Church of Elleh. This guide walks you through the exact steps to unlock spirit summons, explains how to upgrade them with Glovewort, and covers the FP costs and leveling mechanics that determine which ashes are worth your investment. By the end, you will know precisely how to get the bell, where to find upgrade materials, and how to craft a summon strategy that matches your build.

Understanding the Spirit Summon System in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition

The spirit summon system in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition lets you call spectral allies to fight alongside you in designated areas, and it works differently from cooperative multiplayer because these spirits are AI-controlled and cost FP (Focus Points) to activate. According to the official Bandai Namco page for ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition, spirit summons require the Spirit Calling Bell from Ranni at the Church of Elleh plus the Ash itself, and you can only summon at the golden fog near bosses and in dungeons. This means you cannot call spirits anywhere in the open world, which is a common misconception among new players who expect to use them as a general combat crutch.

The system has three core components that work together, and understanding each one is essential for mastering how to summon spirits effectively: the Spirit Calling Bell (which you must obtain from Renna at the Church of Elleh), the FP cost required to summon each Ash, and the cooldown that prevents re-summoning until the spirit dies or you rest at a Site of Grace. For example, the Lone Wolf Ashes cost 55 FP to deploy, meaning a character with low Mind or no Cerulean Flask charges may be locked out of summoning entirely in the early game—so knowing your FP budget before triggering the bell is just as critical as having the bell equipped in your inventory.

• Spirit Calling Bell: This is the activation tool that allows you to summon any Spirit Ash you own. Without it, the ashes are useless items that clutter your inventory.

• Spirit Ash: Each ash represents a specific ally, from lone wolves to powerful knights, and each has its own FP cost and level. The ash determines what you summon, while the bell determines whether you can summon at all.

• Golden Fog Gates: These are the physical locations where summoning is allowed, typically found outside boss arenas and in certain dungeon rooms. The game marks these areas with a glowing gold mist that is hard to miss once you know what to look for.

The FP cost varies significantly between ashes, which means your Mind stat directly influences which spirits you can realistically use in combat. A basic Wandering Noble ash costs only 10 FP, making it accessible to nearly every build, while powerful options like the Black Knife Tiche ash can cost over 100 FP, requiring substantial investment in Mind or the use of FP-restoring items. This creates a natural progression where early-game players rely on cheap ashes while late-game builds can afford the premium summons.

How to Get the Spirit Calling Bell from Ranni

The Spirit Calling Bell is not sold in a shop or found in a chest; instead, you receive it from Ranni the Witch at the Church of Elleh, but only after you have obtained Torrent, your spectral steed. This sequence trips up many players because the church is one of the first locations you visit, yet Ranni only appears there during a specific window in the early game. The official documentation confirms that the bell is granted by Ranni at the Church of Elleh after you obtain Torrent, or purchased from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold if you miss the encounter.

After you defeat Margit the Fell Omen in Stormveil Castle, return to the Church of Elleh at night. You'll find Renna (not Ranni) waiting by the ruined structure; speak with her and she'll hand over the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes. If you missed this encounter, you can purchase the bell later from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold for 2,000 runes—but only after you've obtained at least one Spirit Ash and progressed past the first major boss. The bell is essential for summoning spirits during combat, so securing it early lets you use the Lone Wolf Ashes or any other Spirit Ash you've collected to draw aggro and survive tougher encounters.

1. Defeat the first major boss: Progress through the opening area until you defeat Margit, the Fell Omen, which unlocks access to Stormveil Castle and the wider world beyond Limgrave.

2. Receive Torrent from Melina: After resting at a Site of Grace, Melina will appear and offer you the Spectral Steed Whistle, which grants you access to Torrent. This is a mandatory story beat that happens very early.

3. Return to the Church of Elleh at night: Fast travel back to the Church of Elleh, but make sure it is nighttime. If it is daytime, rest at the nearby Site of Grace and select "Pass Time" until night falls.

4. Look for Ranni: The witch will appear sitting on the ruined wall near the church entrance. Talk to her, and she will offer you the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes as a gift.

If you somehow miss this encounter, you can purchase the bell from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold for 100 Runes. The Roundtable Hold becomes accessible after you first rest at a Site of Grace outside Limgrave, so this is a reliable backup option. However, the free version from Ranni is strictly better because it also includes the Lone Wolf Ashes, which are a solid early-game summon that can carry you through the first several bosses.

Upgrading Spirit Ashes with Glovewort

Once you have the bell and some ashes, the next question is how to make them stronger, and the answer lies in Glovewort, a crafting material that comes in two varieties: Grave Glovewort and Ghost Glovewort. Each Spirit Ash has a maximum level, and reaching that cap requires specific types and quantities of Glovewort, which you can find scattered throughout the Lands Between or purchase from merchants. The upgrade system mirrors weapon upgrades, but it uses a separate material pool, so you never have to choose between upgrading your sword and upgrading your spirit.

The table below breaks down the upgrade requirements for a standard Spirit Ash, which is essential for any player researching elden ring how to summon spirits effectively. Each tier of upgrade, from +1 to +10, requires a specific quantity of Grave Glovewort, with the final tier demanding a single Great Grave Glovewort found only in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Crucially, the cost in Runes increases exponentially at higher levels, so you should prioritize upgrading a single powerful summon like the Mimic Tear over spreading resources thinly across multiple ashes.

The distinction between Grave and Ghost Glovewort matters because it determines which ashes you can upgrade at any given point in the game. Grave Glovewort upgrades standard ashes like the Lone Wolf and Skeletal Militiamen, while Ghost Glovewort upgrades special ashes like the Mimic Tear and Black Knife Tiche. You cannot substitute one for the other, so planning which ashes to prioritize is essential for efficient resource use.

According to community reports, the Mimic Tear ash is widely considered the best spirit summon in the game because it copies your character's equipment and stats, effectively giving you a second version of yourself in combat. However, upgrading it requires Ghost Glovewort, which means you need to progress deep into the game before it reaches its full potential. For early and mid-game content, the Lone Wolf Ashes and Skeletal Militiamen are excellent choices because they use Grave Glovewort, which is abundant in the first few regions.

Crafting and Using Ashes of War for Spirit Synergy

Grave Glovewort vs. Ghost Glovewort Upgrade Paths

Spirit Ashes upgrade along two distinct tracks: standard ashes use Grave Glovewort, while special ashes require rarer Ghost Glovewort. The Lone Wolf Ashes cap out at +10 using Grave Glovewort, whereas the Mimic Tear requires Ghost Glovewort to reach +10. Each upgrade level increases the spirit's HP, damage, and status effect buildup. Since Ghost Glovewort is finite per playthrough, prioritize upgrading your primary summon first—spreading resources across multiple special ashes will leave you with several under-leveled spirits at endgame.

Torrent's Role in Reaching Spirit Summon Locations Early

Torrent is not just for traversal—he enables early access to Spirit Summon locations that would otherwise require defeating Margit. After obtaining Torrent from Melina at the Gatefront Ruins, ride southeast to the Mistwood Ruins to find the Ancestral Follower's Ashes guarded by a Runebear. With Torrent's double jump, you can bypass the Runebear entirely and grab the Ash without combat. This early summon costs 50 FP and provides ranged magic attacks, giving you a powerful tool for the Margit fight that you would otherwise miss until much later.

While how to summon spirits is the core focus, understanding how to use ashes of war alongside your summons creates powerful synergies that can trivialize difficult encounters. Ashes of War are weapon skills that you can equip to your armaments, and they range from offensive abilities like Lion's Claw to defensive options like Barricade Shield. The key insight is that some ashes of war complement specific spirit summons, allowing you to create a coordinated attack plan.

For example, if you are using the Lone Wolf Ashes, which spawn three wolves that aggressively attack enemies, pairing them with an ash of war that applies bleed buildup like Seppuku or Bloody Slash can cause enemies to hemorrhage while the wolves distract them. Similarly, if you are using a tanky spirit like the Ancestral Follower, which draws enemy aggro, you can equip a high-damage ash of war like Giant Hunt to punish enemies while they are focused on your summon.

The table below compares popular ashes of war and their synergy with common spirit summons, focusing on how each weapon skill's FP cost and poise damage interact with your chosen summon's aggro behavior. For example, pairing the Lions Claw ash (which deals 30 poise damage per hit and costs 12 FP) with the Lhutel the Headless summon—whose teleportation ability draws enemy attention away from you—lets you safely land the full combo without trading hits. Conversely, equipping Bloody Slash (which costs 15 FP and drains 50 HP per use) alongside the Mimic Tear summon can be risky, since the mimic copies your ash and will also sacrifice its own health, potentially dying prematurely in prolonged fights. Understanding these FP-to-damage ratios and aggro dynamics is key to maximizing your spirit summon's uptime, especially in boss encounters where a single mistimed skill can leave you vulnerable.

The Flame of the Redmanes ash of war deserves special attention because it deals massive poise damage, which means it can stagger bosses quickly when combined with a spirit summon that keeps the boss occupied. Community testing suggests that two or three uses of this ash of war can break the stance of most early and mid-game bosses, opening them up for critical hits. This synergy is particularly effective with the Mimic Tear, because your copy will also use the ash of war, effectively doubling the poise damage output.

How to Get Torrent and Maximize Spirit Summon Efficiency

FP Cost Budgeting for Spirit Summons in Boss Fog Walls

Every Spirit Ash carries a fixed FP cost that is deducted the moment you activate the summon at the golden fog wall. For example, the Wandering Noble costs only 10 FP, while the Mimic Tear requires 100 FP—a 10x difference that dictates your flask allocation. A pure caster with 200 FP can summon the Mimic Tear once and still cast Comet Azur, but a melee build with 60 FP must chug a Cerulean Flask mid-fight. Plan your FP pool around the Ash you intend to use before entering the boss arena.

Ashes of War Infusions That Boost Spirit Ash Survivability

Certain Ashes of War infusions indirectly buff your spirit summons by altering your own stats. Applying the Sacred Blade Ash of War adds Holy damage and scales with Faith, freeing you to allocate more points into Mind for additional FP—directly increasing how many times you can summon the Skeletal Militiamen, who self-revive if not finished. Alternatively, the Bloody Slash Ash of War with Occult infusion raises Arcane scaling, which boosts the bleed buildup of your Bloodhound Knight Floh summon. Match your infusion to your summon's damage type for complementary pressure on bosses.

Before you can even think about how to summon spirits, you need Torrent, because the Spirit Calling Bell is only granted after you obtain your spectral steed. Getting Torrent is straightforward: after defeating the first major boss and resting at a Site of Grace, Melina will appear and offer you the Spectral Steed Whistle. This whistle allows you to summon Torrent anywhere in the open world, and it is essential for traversing the massive map of the Lands Between.

Torrent also plays a role in spirit summoning beyond just unlocking the bell, because some Spirit Ashes can be used while riding Torrent, though this is rare and situational. The Lone Wolf Ashes and Skeletal Militiamen can be summoned while mounted, which allows for hit-and-run tactics where you summon your spirits, ride away, and let them engage enemies while you reposition. This is particularly useful in the open world when you encounter groups of enemies that would overwhelm you on foot.

Before summoning, always check your equipment load and the blue glowing gate icon near the boss fog wall—if it’s absent, you’re likely in a dungeon with no summoning pool or you haven’t used a Furlcalling Finger Remedy to reveal cooperative signs. For efficiency, prioritize Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche for boss fights, as their high HP and aggressive AI can tank hits while you cast Comet Azur or heal with Flask of Cerulean Tears. Also, upgrade your spirit using Glovewort found in catacombs, not standard smithing stones, and note that spirits scale with your weapon level, not your character’s rune level, so invest in Smithing Stones early to maximize their damage output.

• Always check for golden fog gates: Before entering a boss arena, look for the glowing gold mist that indicates summoning is allowed. Some boss fights do not allow summons, so do not waste FP trying to call spirits in those encounters.

• Manage your FP carefully: Each summon costs FP, and if you run out, you cannot summon again until you use a Cerulean Flask or rest at a Site of Grace. Carry at least two Cerulean Flasks into boss fights if you plan to summon.

• Upgrade your bell-bearing materials: The Spirit Calling Bell itself does not need upgrading, but the ashes do. Prioritize upgrading one or two ashes rather than spreading Glovewort across many, because a single high-level summon is more effective than several weak ones.

• Use the environment to your advantage: Some summons, like the Mimic Tear, are more effective in enclosed spaces where enemies cannot dodge as easily. Consider the arena layout when choosing which ash to use.

The Mimic Tear is worth special mention because it is the only ash that scales with your character's power, meaning it becomes stronger as you level up and equip better gear. This makes it a long-term investment that pays off throughout the entire game, and it is the reason why most experienced players recommend saving your Ghost Glovewort for this specific ash. For a deeper look at which ashes are worth your resources, check out our comprehensive spirit ashes guide that ranks every summon in the game.

How to Upgrade Weapons for Better Spirit Summon Performance

While spirit summons fight for you, your own damage output still matters, and how to upgrade weapons directly affects how effective your summons are in combat. The reason is simple: many Spirit Ashes, particularly the Mimic Tear, scale with your character's stats and equipment, so a stronger you means a stronger summon. Even with non-scaling ashes, dealing more damage means fights end faster, which reduces the chances of your summon dying before the boss does.

Weapon upgrades in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition require Smithing Stones, which come in regular and somber varieties. Regular weapons use Smithing Stones [1] through [8] to reach +25, while special weapons use Somber Smithing Stones [1] through [10] to reach +10. The table below outlines the upgrade path:

The key takeaway is that weapon upgrades and spirit upgrades use completely separate material pools, so you never have to sacrifice one for the other. This means you can fully upgrade both your weapon and your favorite spirit ash without resource conflicts, which is a significant quality-of-life improvement over other games in the genre. The Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone is a special material that upgrades a weapon to +25 without requiring the lower-tier stones, and it is worth seeking out for your primary weapon. Our ancient dragon smithing stone guide covers where to find these rare materials and how to use them effectively.

When planning your upgrade strategy, consider the scaling of your weapon and how it interacts with your chosen spirit summon. If you are using a Mimic Tear, which copies your equipment, a high-scaling weapon with good stat investment will make your summon significantly stronger. If you are using a fixed ash like the Lone Wolf, your weapon choice matters less for summon performance, but still matters for your own damage output. The best approach is to upgrade both your weapon and your primary spirit ash in parallel, ensuring that neither your personal damage nor your summon's effectiveness falls behind the difficulty curve.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get the Spirit Calling Bell in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition?

After receiving Torrent from Melina, return to the Church of Elleh at night and speak with Ranni the Witch. She will gift you the Spirit Calling Bell along with the Lone Wolf Ashes. If you miss this encounter, purchase the bell from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold for 100 Runes.

Can I summon spirits anywhere in the game?

No, spirit summons only work at designated golden fog gates, which appear near boss arenas and in certain dungeon rooms. You cannot summon spirits in the open world or in most non-boss encounters. Look for the glowing gold mist to know when summoning is allowed.

What is the best Spirit Ash for beginners?

The Lone Wolf Ashes are the best starter summon because they are free, cost only 10 FP, and spawn three wolves that can stagger enemies and draw aggro. They remain useful through mid-game content and only require Grave Glovewort, which is abundant in early regions.

How do I upgrade Spirit Ashes to +10?

To upgrade a Spirit Ash to +10, you need Grave Glovewort [1] through [4], with each level requiring one piece of the corresponding tier. The +10 upgrade specifically requires one Grave Glovewort [4], which you can find in endgame areas or purchase from certain merchants.

Does the Mimic Tear scale with my character?

Yes, the Mimic Tear copies your character's equipment, stats, and equipped items, making it the only Spirit Ash that scales directly with your power. This makes it the strongest summon in the game when you have a well-optimized build, but it requires Ghost Glovewort to upgrade.