If you need help in combat in Elden Ring, you can summon Spirits. They’ll fight on your side and help you vanquish enemies faster.
Unfortunately, summoning Spirits may not always work. Let’s see what you can do if this option is not available.
Why can’t I summon spirits in Elden Ring?
There are three main reasons why you can’t summon spirits in Elden Ring:
- You don’t have the Spirit Calling Bell
- You don’t have enough FP to cover the summon cost
- You’re in an area where you can’t summon Spirits
Let’s break down the requirements for summoning Spirits and explore what you can do to meet them.
What are the requirements to summon spirits in Elden Ring?
To summon Spirits, you need the Spirit Calling Bell. If you don’t have it, you can’t call Spirits to help you in combat. To get your hands on the Spirit Calling Bell, go back to the Church of Elleh after meeting Melina.
Near the ruins, you’ll find a witch that will gift you the Spirit Calling Bell. The witch spawns there only at night.
You can only call one Spirit at a time. If you’re using multiplayer mode, you can’t summon Spirits.
Make sure you have enough FP to summon the Spirit you want. Each Spirit requires a certain amount of FP to summon.
The stronger the Spirit you want to summon, the more FP you’ll need. Sometimes, you’ll need to use your HP to summon certain Spirits.
Keep in mind that you can’t summon Spirits everywhere. You can only do that in certain areas such as enemy encampments, before bosses and powerful enemies, and so on.
Icons indicating you can summon Spirits
When you are able to summon Spirits, you’ll see a glowing icon on the left side of the screen. When a purple indicator shows up above your weapon skill, this indicates you can summon spirits.
If there’s no purple icon, this means you can’t summon spirits.
Do you need an item to summon spirits in Elden Ring?
Yes, in Elden Ring, you typically need an item known as a Spirit Calling Bell to summon spirits. The Spirit Calling Bell acts as a catalyst for calling spirits. If you don’t have it, you can’t summon spirits to help you in combat.
It’s as simple as that.
Did this quick guide answer your question? Let me know in the comments below.
⇒ By the way, if you can’t summon allies, see What to do if you can’t summon allies in Elden Ring.
⇒ Hungry for more Elden Ring stories? Check out our Elden Ring hub.
Note: This guide was updated in June 2023.