What happens if you kill or save Patches in Elden Ring?

Patches is a recurring character in FromSoftware’s games, with his first notable appearance being in 2009's Demon's Souls, and now even appearing the developer's recent titles, including Elden Ring. Rather than being a morally ambiguous character, however, Patches is an optional boss fight in Elden Ring. Players will encounter him in Limgrave, specifically Murkwater Cave.

The boss fight with Patches is rather straightforward. However, he isn’t without his tricks. The character puts up a good fight with aggressive jabs of his spear. He even spits out a red cloud that players should avoid.

When Patches is left with about a third of his health (40%), he’ll surrender and beg for mercy. With his sketchy past, players may feel inclined to kill him right on the spot. Unfortunately, it’s better to keep him alive.

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Patches is best kept alive until later in Elden Ring

Should you spare Patches, he will seemingly turn over a new leaf. He’ll offer some help to the player by opening up a shop. Much of what he sells are consumables, most notably Margit’s Shackle and a Stonesword Key. Other items include:

• Ballista Bolt
• Fan Daggers
• Festering Bloody Finger
• Furlcalling Finger Remedy
• Glass Shard
• Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot
• Grace Mimic
• Great Arrow
• Horse Crest Wooden Shield
• Margit’s Shackle
• Missionary’s Cookbook (2)
• Parrying Dagger
• Sacrificial Twig
• Stonesword Key

Aside from access to a useful shop, accepting Patches' surrender also opens up a quest later in the game.

After he leaves Scenic Isle, players will once again encounter Patches in Volcano Manor. By joining the covenant there, Patches will give you a quest to assassinate Great Horned Tragoth. When this is done, Great Horned Tragoth will drop the Bull-Goat set that offers amazing poise stats.

If players decide to kill Patches, no one will blame them. Patches has been causing trouble for players in many of FromSoftware’s games, including Elden Ring. However, his death is easier to overcome if players have no intentions of using the Bull-Goat set.

When killed, Patches will drop his Bell Bearing. This can be given to the Twin Maiden Husks after reaching the Roundtable Hold. In return, every item Patches’ would have sold himself will now be available in the Twin Maiden Husks’ store.

Players will also receive a set of Leather Armor and a Spear +7, which is great to have early on in Elden Ring.