KEY POINTS

  • There's a giant dragon in Caelid that drops Runes and a Dragon Heart
  • The dragon does not fight back
  • A weapon that inflicts bleed damage is required for this encounter

There are tons of ways to farm for Runes in “Elden Ring,” but there’s one in particular that’s great for a one-off run and can net players more than just a few levels early in the game.

Field bosses that ambush players or roam The Lands Between tend to give thousands of Runes when they’re defeated. However, there is a monster in the open world that, without putting up an actual fight, drops up to 50,000 Runes when killed.

The monster in question is a giant, immobile gray dragon that appears to be stuck in the ground. At first, players may mistake this dragon as just a part of the scenery, but straying too close will cause it to roar and summon a number of smaller dragons nearby.

Thankfully, players won’t have to do any fighting at all.

To get to the dragon, head to the Third Church of Marika and find the teleportal leading to the Bestial Sanctum at northern Caelid. This portal is found behind some shrubs to the north of the church.

There is a large, immobile dragon in front of Fort Faroth in Caelid
There is a large, immobile dragon in front of Fort Faroth in Caelid Elden Ring

Then, follow the road south leading to the bridge guarded by a dragon. Tag the Site of Grace nearby, and then ride Torrent past the dragon. Head toward the wizard’s tower to the left for another Site of Grace and an optional Memory Stone. Run to the back of the tower and jump up the Spiritspring back to the cliff.

At this point, players should be able to see a fort in the distance. Run past the Minor Erdtree and head for the fort. The gray dragon should be in sight by now. Tag the fort’s Site of Grace, and then prepare to kill the dragon.

There should be a small ditch near the left side of the dragon’s stomach. Hide here, mount Torrent, and then use any weapon that can inflict Blood Loss like the Uchigatana or Bloodhound’s Fang.

The dragon has an absurd amount of health, but Blood Loss procs will deal about 13,000 damage to it. Hit the monster enough times – six Blood Loss procs should suffice – then retreat to the Site of Grace once all the loot is collected.

There’s no need to worry about the other dragons here. Just make sure to immediately run back to the fort once the big dragon dies.

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