Elden Ring: Why You Shouldn't Kill Blackguard Big Boggart

FromSoftware's "Elden Ring" is already one of the biggest games of 2022, and millions of new players are picking up a game from the Japanese developer for the first time. For those new to designer Hidetaka Miyazaki's signature style, honed in games like "Bloodborne" and the "Dark Souls" series," the gameplay in "Elden Ring" can be a bit daunting. Combat is notoriously difficult until you get the hang of each enemy's particular fighting style. Worse, the games don't offer much in the way of explanation. Hopefully, guides like these will help optimize your experience. 

One of the game's subtle mechanics is how it allows the players to consolidate the merchant system. Merchants are scattered throughout the Lands Between. If you kill them, they'll drop a unique Bell Bearing, which can be looted and taken to the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable hold. This will update the Husks' inventory to include the slain merchant's wares. Saving time is a great reason why you should kill most of the game's merchants. However, there are exceptions: merchants involved with quests, like Blackguard Big Boggart.

The player first meets Blackguard Big Boggart while doing Rya's quest. She's the scout whose necklace has been stolen. Rya points the player toward the thief, Boggart. When the player meets Boggart, they have the option to kill the thief and recover the necklace, or to purchase it for 1000 runes.

Runes are a valuable commodity, but here's why it's worth spending them and keeping Boggart alive a little while longer.

For starters, Blackguard Big Boggart is a merchant. One of his items for sale is the Boiled Prawn, a consumable that temporarily boosts the player's damage absorption, reducing physical damage by 15% for 60 seconds. Boiled Prawns are particularly handy before the game's boss fights. You'll actually need to buy and eat some from him in order to befriend him and advance his questline.

That brings us to the second reason: killing Boggart too early will eliminate his quest. After purchasing Prawns from him, this will make Boggart your ally. He'll also be available as a summons during the Magma Wyrm Makar boss battle.

There's one more wrinkle. If you want to complete Blackguard Big Boggart's quest line, it has to be finished before you defeat the God-Devouring Serpent at Volcano Manor. This means you'll need to speak to Rya, retrieve her necklace, eat Boggart's Prawns, and visit him at his new location all before you set foot inside Volcano Manor.

On the other hand, if killed, Blackguard Big Boggart does drop two valuable items, in addition to his Blackguard Bell Bearing and 1000 runes: the Blackguard's Iron Mask, and the Iron Ball. But if you want Boiled Prawns, or later Boiled Crabs, best to wait until after his quest is finished to finish him off. 

Before you find Blackguard Big Boggart, first you'll need to find Rya. Look for Rya in the Liurnia of the Lakes region, near the Laskyar Ruins Site of Grace. Rya is closest to the Liurnia of the Lakes Bird's Eye Telescope. She can be found in a small hexagonal chapel-type building. She's calling out to passersby, so she should be easy to locate. 

After speaking with Rya and obtaining her necklace quest, she'll direct you to Blackguard Big Boggart. Head for the Boilprawn Shack Site of Grace. If you haven't discovered it yet, it's a short distance northwest through the swamp. Boggart sits outside the shack, next to a big kettle of boiling prawns (via Neon Slice). 

After you purchase the necklace from Boggart and eat one of his Prawns, he will eventually move to the outer moat near the Capital Rampart Site of Grace in the Leyndell Royal District. The closest fast-travel point is the Hermit Merchant's Shack. Boggart can be found a short distance to the southeast. There, Boggart will sell Boiled Crabs. These are even better than the Prawns, negating 20% of physical damage for 60 seconds.