On December 4th, Elden Ring Nightreign released a DLC called Forsaken Hollows, bringing a wealth of new content including new items and characters.
This update also includes some quality-of-life improvements. Let's take a look at how to unlock the new Nightfarers.
New Nightfarers
After defeating Tricephalos Expedition, speak with Iron Menial in Round Hold to begin the questline. Completing the quest will unlock two new characters.
Scholar
Scholar is a Nightfarer focused on items, consumables, and statuses. His passive ability provides a higher item stack limit and allows him to gain enhanced effects by upgrading item types; for example, Lightning Pots can attack twice, and Fire Pots can leave a pool of fire that deals continuous damage.
His Ultimate Art leans towards support; he can have enemies absorb the damage he receives and heal allies linked to him.
Undertaker
Undertaker is a very elegant, high-damage DSP. Her primary attribute is Arcane, and her preferred weapon is Thrusting Swords, but later in the game, her attributes lean towards Strength and Faith, and she is recommended to use Hammers.
When other Nightfarers use Ultimate Art or an enemy launches a specific attack, she can use her own Ultimate Art for a free dash attack, primarily providing powerful buffs to speed and stamina.
Other Instant Unlock Content
New Vessels
Two new universal Vessels can be unlocked for all Nightfarers at the collector's sign board, and four exclusive Vessels can be unlocked for each of the two new characters.
New Expedition Objective
The new DLC will immediately unlock a new expedition called Balancers, which includes a new Nightlord boss, Weapon Bequeathed Harmonia. This boss consists of multiple enemies.
Shifting Earth
Shifting Earth is a completely new, standalone map. Its layout, points of interest, and bosses are all unique, offering a completely new exploration experience. If you're only aiming for a speedrun and rewards, you can postpone challenging it, as its difficulty is high and the boss mechanics are unfamiliar. You can use Elden Ring Nightreign Boosting to improve your strength before returning to explore.
Rewards For Defeating Balancers
Weapon Bequeathed Harmonia (Balancers) relic is extremely powerful. It increases all melee attack power and skill attack power, and provides continuous FP recovery. It's essential for any character reliant on Ashes of War.
Defeating Balancers unlocks the final boss, the final expedition against Dreglord. You also gain access to Dawn Skin and Night Skin for two new Nightfarers (not free, requires trading).
You can unlock and learn new exclusive relics for Scholar and Undertaker in Small Jar Bazaar. Additionally, using new characters on expeditions will grant their memories, which can be used to unlock more relics.
Rewards For Defeating Dreglord
Defeating Dreglord unlocks Boss relic, Knight of Dregs. Its effect is that the status ailment gauge slowly increases attack power, and attacks inflict Scarlet Rot after taking damage. If an enemy triggers Scarlet Rot, it will provide continuous HP regeneration.
Unlock new tradable Stat Shifting Relics on the collector's board. These standard relics allow you to change any Nightstalker's primary attribute.
You can convert a Scholar to a spellcasting-oriented build that increases Mind and decreases Vigor, or a melee-oriented build that increases Endurance and Dexterity and decreases Intelligence and Arcane. Alternatively, you can convert Undertaker to a balanced orange build that increases Dexterity but decreases Vitality and Faith.
Additionally, two skins will be unlocked:
- Hellowfinger Heysel (from Dark Souls 3)
- Oswald of Carim (from Dark Souls 1)
New Night Bosses
This DLC adds new Night One and Night Two bosses to the two new expeditions, such as Demon Princes, Artorius, Dancing Lion, and Mohg (full two phases). The new bosses are as follows:
- Ancestral Follower Warriors
- Cuckoo Knights
- Curseblade
- Death Knight
- Demon from Below
- Demon in Pain
- Demon Prince
- Divine Beast Dancing Lion
- Divine Beast Warrior
- Knight Artorias
- Lord of Blood
- Nomads
- Sundered Tricephalos
New Invasion Events And Rewards
Gladius Invasion
Three red circles appear on the map, and players will continuously lose health. You must defeat the one-headed sundered Gladius boss within each circle to end this event. The reward is a powerful buff such as Successive Attack Stamina Regeneration.
Caligo Invasion
After dealing map-wide frost damage, you must find and attack the sleeping Caligo Invasion to end this event. The reward is a short-term invisibility and invulnerability effect triggered when near death.
Patch Content
Patch 1.03 includes quality of life optimizations, new passive skills, and enhancements to existing passive skills and Relic Effects.
The new Relic Effect allows Caster Nightfarers to change the spells on their starting armament. This is a significant buff for Revenants. Some relic effects that were originally exclusive to Deep of Night mode are now available in the Standard Relics pool.
This DLC does not add any new weapons from Shadow of the Erdtree. The only new weapons are the starting weapons for the two new characters. However, the game director mentioned in an interview that there are plans to add new equipment and weapons in the future, hinting at a possible major update.
