Elden Ring Nightreign Relics and Relic Rites: Your Complete Guide

You’ve conquered the Lands Between, mastered every boss pattern, and collected every Talisman the original Elden Ring had to offer. Now Nightreign’s throwing a curveball with its Elden Ring Nightreign Relics and Relic Rites system – and trust me, it’s way more than just Talismans with a fresh coat of paint.

Think of Relics as your new best friends. These permanent passive items are the secret sauce that’ll turn your Nightfarer from zero to hero during those brutal three-day expeditions. But here’s the twist – you can’t just slap them on wherever you want.

What Makes Relics Different From Your Old Talismans

Relics function like souped-up Talismans, but with a color-coding system that’ll make you think twice about your loadout. Each Relic comes with up to three random effects, and the game’s not shy about making you work for the good stuff.

The Relic system breaks down into three categories that you’ll want to master:

Common Relics are your bread and butter – random effects in four color variations. Red (Burning Scene), Yellow (Luminous Scene), Blue (Drizzly Scene), and Green (Tranquil Scene) each serve different purposes in your build.

Nightfarer-Specific Relics are the real prize. These come from completing Remembrance Quests and give character-specific bonuses that can completely change how you play.

Night Lord Relics drop from first-time boss defeats and pack fixed effects. No RNG here – just pure, predictable power.

The Quality Tier System That Actually Matters

Here’s where things get spicy. Elden Ring Nightreign Relics and Relic Rites uses a three-tier quality system that determines your power ceiling:

• Delicate Relics: One passive bonus (decent starter gear)
• Polished Relics: Two passive bonuses (solid mid-game options)
• Grand Relics: Three passive bonuses (the endgame flex you’re hunting for)

The quality tiers directly impact how much punch your build packs. Grand Relics aren’t just nice-to-have – they’re game-changers.

Relic Rites: The Equipment System You Need to Understand

Relic Rites work through Vessels – think of them as specialized containers with color-coded slots. Your starting Vessel is an Urn with three slots, and here’s the kicker: you can only place Relics in matching color slots.

Each Nightfarer starts with unique color combinations:

Character	Slot Configuration
Wylder	Red, Red, Blue
Guardian	Red, Yellow, Yellow
Executor	Red, Yellow, Yellow
Recluse	Blue, Blue, Green
Ironeye	Yellow, Green, Green
Raider	Red, Green, Green
Duchess	Red, Blue, Blue
Revenant	Blue, Blue, Yellow

This isn’t just flavor – it’s strategic planning. Your character choice locks you into specific Relic types unless you grab additional Vessels from the Small Jar Bazaar.

How to Actually Get the Good Stuff

Expeditions are your main source of Relics. The longer you survive those three-day cycles, the better your loot gets. Day 3 rewards got buffed in recent patches, so pushing through pays off.

Defeating Night Lords for the first time nets you unique Relics with fixed effects. Beat Tricephalos? You’re walking away with fire damage bonuses. Conquer the Fissure in the Fog expedition? Hello, frostbite effects.

Small Jar Bazaar shopping lets you buy Scenic Flatstones for 600 Murk each. These transform into random Relics – it’s gambling, but recent patches improved the odds for high-quality drops.

Pro Tips That’ll Change Your Game

Color coordination is everything. Don’t just grab the first powerful Relic you see – make sure it fits your Vessel’s slots. Planning ahead saves headaches later.

Stat diversification beats min-maxing. Characters with low base health benefit more from Vigor-boosting Relics than pumping already-high Strength stats. Soft caps make secondary stats more valuable than you’d think.

Weapon passive stacking is hidden gold. Keep multiple weapons in your inventory even if you’re not using them – their passive bonuses work regardless of what’s equipped.

What’s Coming Next

FromSoftware’s roadmap includes enhanced Night Lord fights starting late June 2025, plus two-player co-op functionality later this year. The Q4 2025 DLC expansion promises new characters and bosses – which likely means fresh Relic types and Vessel configurations.

Elden Ring Nightreign Relics and Relic Rites represent FromSoftware’s most sophisticated progression system yet. Master the color-coding, plan your Vessel configurations, and those three-day expeditions will start feeling less like survival horror and more like the power fantasy you signed up for.

Ready to optimize your build? The Nightreign community is constantly sharing new strategies and discoveries. Jump in – your perfect Relic combination is waiting.

Also Read: Elden Ring Nightreign Items & Progression Systems