Explore Eurogamer designs through the ages Celebrate the different eras of Eurogamer with our theme switcher! Find out more about how we built it
Skip to main content

Elden Ring Gaol Cave walkthrough

The cave is full of rewarding items.

elden ring gaol cave frenzied duelist boss
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

The Gaol Cave in Elden Ring is a location in the west of Caelid.

After making your way through this Elden Ring Cave, battling enemies along the way, you'll have collected a nice handful of loot. However, at the end of the Cave is a boss that's waiting to take you down.

Here's our Elden Ring Gaol Cave walkthrough and how to beat the Cave's Frenzied Duelist boss.

On this page:

Elden Ring Gaol Cave walkthrough

Northeast of Fort Gael and north-west of the ruins of the Caelid waypoint is the entrance to the cave at the edge of the swamp. You will need two Swordstone Keys to open it.

elden ring gaol cave map location
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

Next to the Site of Grace 'Gaol Cave' is a treasure chest with 1x Rune Arc in it. Follow the passage into the cave and give the rat next to the corpse a beating with 1x Golden Rune (2).

Take the passage to the north-east and look for a passage on the right side:

elden ring player facing gaol cave passageway
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

It leads to a dead end, where the ground breaks away from under our feet. We fall and end up in a cell. Leave it and head into the south-western tunnel.

The door behind the enemy on the right can only be opened from the other side, so the path to the southwest remains.

After dropping them, beat up two enemies and continue south. The cells on the side will open shortly.

elden ring gaol cave cell door and enemies
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

Two enemies guard a (still) closed gate on the left, continue through the cave on the right. At the next fork in the path, a mother rat and a normal rat crouch on the left next to the items 1x Golden Rune (4), 2x Turtle Neck Meat and 1x Golden Rune (3).

elden ring player by mist and stairs in goal cave
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

Behind some poison traps on the right is a room with bookshelves, three enemies, a treasure chest in the basement (1x Somber Smithing Stone (5) ), a corpse with 1x Golden Rune (5) and the familiar door.

Open it to unlock a shortcut. At the top we discover the lever to open all the cells in the cave.

elden ring player by lever in gaol cave
Use the lever to open all the doors in Gaol Cave. | Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

Behind most of them are burning, exploding undead (if you don't slay them first through the closed barred doors) and items.

You can get the following items in the entire cave behind all the doors: 5x Old Fang, Pillory Shield, 2x Golden Rune (2), the Wakizashi Dagger, 2x Golden Rune (4), 1x Swordstone Key, 1x Rainbow Stone.

In the room with the rainbow stone, you can chop away some boards in the southwest corner and reach the boss arena after dropping them a few times.

How to beat the Gaol Cave Frenzied Duelist boss in Elden Ring

The Frenzied Duelist's behavior is reminiscent of the Gravekeeper Duelist from the Murkwater Catacombs.

elden ring player vs gaol cave frenzied duelist
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

His combos are pretty good at bridging larger distances. He can catch up to you quickly if you dodge backwards too often. In some cases, he strings five to six punches together.

Fortunately, there are longer pauses between each attack, which can be used for healing, hitting or whatever else is needed.

elden ring player attacking gaol cave frenzied duelist boss
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

In the second phase, he buffs himself with a technique that increases the damage he deals and gives him more attacks for the rest of the fight.

He now exploits the flail's range with spinning attacks (dodging in its direction and interrupting it) and can unleash even longer combos.

However, he is rather slow and easy to read in what he does. There should be no unsolvable problems.

elden ring player collecting Regalia of Eochaid Straight Sword
Image credit: Eurogamer/FromSoftware

Your rewards for defeating the Frenzied Duelist are 6700 Runes, and the Putrid Corpse Ashes.

After the boss fight, you will reach the coast of Limgrave via a passageway and find the Regalia of Eochaid Straight Sword as well as 3x Glowstone on the cliffs.


Need more help? Jump back to our list of Elden Ring bosses or our Elden Ring walkthrough.

Read this next