How to stop certain enemies from attacking you in ‘Elden Ring’

Elden Ring’s bestiary is crammed with weird and wonderful creatures, almost all of which are out for your blood. But one enemy type that seems particularly common is the humble dog. These come in a whole bunch of flavors: regular dog, rotten dog, giant bipedal dog, ghost dog, skeleton dog, zombie dog, cat-dog, wolf, giant magic wolf, and probably more dogs I haven’t yet encountered.

Worse, these creatures present a threat to even a sturdy, well-leveled adventurer, as they often appear in packs. Get surrounded by a pack of angry dogs and they can stun-lock you into an early grave as you feebly try to roll or jump away. But there’s an item that stops them from attacking you at all and it’s available very right from the game’s opening moments.

This is the “Beast-Repellent Torch,” which is described in-game as:

A torch which burns oil infused with a special incense. The aroma pacifies wild beasts. Torches such as these were used to keep unwelcome beasts away from treasure troves hidden in caves.

It does the job. When wielded, no beast-type enemies will attack you. This includes all dogs, bears, and rats. Exceptions are the giant bears and birds, who remain murderously unimpressed with your presence on their turf.

Even better, it’s not very hard to get. The item can be purchased for a relatively cheap 1,200 runes from the shopkeeper at the Isolated Merchant’s Shack in Caelid. This requires a trip out of Limgrave, though some nimble riding on Torrent will mean you won’t actually have to fight anything (also don’t arrive at the shack at night for… reasons). Here’s the exact location:

Fortunately, the stat requirements to wield it are easily achievable by starting characters at 12 Str and 8 Dex. As a bonus, it’s actually a decent weapon (C scaling with strength) and can be upgraded and infused with Ashes of War. Plus, the fact that it makes all beasts non-aggressive makes it relatively easy to farm them for runes should you need a quick level-up.

The “Beast-Repellent Torch” isn’t something you’ll want to use all the time, though there are caves almost entirely populated by dogs/wolves and this completely trivializes them.

Even with this extremely useful torch clutched in your sweaty hand, the Lands Between won’t be an easy ride for the Tarnish, but this item just gives you the edge you need to survive.