In the unforgiving world of Elden Ring, a single misallocated stat point can make the difference between a triumphant boss kill and a frustrating "You Died" screen. Whether you started as a Vagabond but realized your heart belongs to sorcery, or you need to pivot your build to survive the brutal difficulty of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, the Larval Tear is your most precious resource.

This guide breaks down every known location for these elusive items in both the Lands Between and the Realm of Shadow, ensuring you never feel stuck with a build that no longer serves you.

The Mechanics of Rebirth and Respecing

Before hunting down these silver cores, you must know how to use them. The ability to "Respec"—or reallocate your level-up points—is not available from the start of the game.

Unlocking the Grand Library

To reset your stats, you must defeat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, the main boss of the Academy of Raya Lucaria in Liurnia of the Lakes. After her defeat, she becomes a non-hostile NPC located in the Raya Lucaria Grand Library.

By speaking to her and selecting the "Rebirth" option, you can consume one Larval Tear to reset your character to its base starting class stats. From there, you can re-distribute every level you have earned. It is important to note that you cannot lower your level below your starting point, nor can you change your starting class's base attributes.

Is the Resource Finite?

In the base game of Elden Ring, there are exactly 18 Larval Tears per playthrough. In the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, additional tears are available. Because the supply is limited, you should plan your new build carefully before committing. However, upon starting a New Game Plus (NG+), all locations reset, allowing you to collect the full amount again.

Every Larval Tear Location in the Lands Between

The base game's 18 tears are scattered across various regions. Many are hidden behind "mimic" enemies—weak-looking foes that transform into high-threat monsters when attacked.

Limgrave: The Early Game Reset

There is only one Larval Tear in the starting region, designed to help players who realized they picked the wrong direction within their first 10 hours.

  • Agheel Lake South Mimic: Travel to the Agheel Lake South Site of Grace. Head slightly east to find a lone, sword-wielding wandering noble standing on a ledge. Upon being struck, this noble transforms into a Lesser Runebear. Defeat the bear to claim the tear.

Liurnia of the Lakes: The Motherlode

As the home of the Academy, Liurnia is rich with respec resources.

  • Village of the Albinaurics: This is the easiest tear to find. In the dark, swamp-bottomed village in the southwest of Liurnia, head past the site of grace to the graveyard area. The tear is sitting on a corpse near the stone coffins.
  • The Boileprawn Shack Mimic: Northwest of the Boilprawn Shack (where Blackguard Big Boggart resides), you will find several giant crayfish. One of these is patrolling near a gazebo. Attacking the patrolling crayfish causes it to transform into a Grafted Scion. Victory yields a tear.
  • Pidia, Carian Servant: After clearing Caria Manor and defeating Royal Knight Loretta, you can drop down the cliffs from the Three Sisters sub-area onto a balcony. Pidia sells one Larval Tear for 3,000 Runes.
  • Resurrection Painting Reward: First, visit the Artist's Shack in eastern Liurnia to examine the "Resurrection" painting. Then, go to the graveyard behind Caria Manor (accessible after Loretta). A ghost sitting in a chair will appear; touch him, and he will drop a Larval Tear along with scholar robes.

Caelid: The Rotting Mimic

  • Caelid Highway South: South of the Caelid Highway South Site of Grace, there is a collection of stone coffins. A wandering noble kneeling there will transform into a massive, flaming Great Sword-wielding Troll when attacked. Kill the troll for the tear.

Altus Plateau and Mt. Gelmir

  • Unnamed Ruins (Altus): Southeast of Windmill Village, look for a lone noble cowering in a corner of some unnamed ruins. He transforms into a Lion Guardian.
  • Road of Iniquity (Mt. Gelmir): East of the Road of Iniquity Site of Grace, near a ruined camp with several fires, a charred corpse enemy will transform into a Wormface. This is a dangerous fight due to the Deathblight buildup, so keep your distance.

The Eternal Cities: Nokron and Nokstella

The underground regions contain the highest concentration of Larval Tears, as they are the source of the "Silver Tears" from which these items are derived.

  • Nokron Entrance: Inside a stone building southeast of the first Nokron Site of Grace.
  • Nokron Gazebo: On a corpse in the middle of a gazebo. Warning: several Silver Tears will drop from the ceiling to ambush you.
  • The Mimic Tear Boss: Defeating the Mimic Tear boss (who copies your exact loadout and stats) grants two Larval Tears at once. Pro-tip: enter the arena naked to make the boss spawn with no gear, then equip your weapons for an easy win.
  • Night's Sacred Ground: Dropped by a Giant Silver Sphere (the "Indiana Jones" boulders) in the final area of Nokron.
  • Nokstella Boulders: There are three Giant Silver Spheres in Nokstella, Eternal City. One is on the bridge, one is hanging from a ceiling in the first building after the bridge, and one is in the building at the top of the stairs. Each drops a Larval Tear upon its first "death."

Consecrated Snowfield

  • The Hidden Runebear: In the blizzard-heavy western half of the Giant's Mountaintops, look for a group of three nobles standing in the snow southeast of the Inner Consecrated Snowfield Site of Grace. One is half-buried. Attacking him reveals a powerful Lesser Runebear that drops the final base-game tear.

Finding Larval Tears in Shadow of the Erdtree

In the Realm of Shadow, FromSoftware changed the acquisition method. Instead of fighting mimics, players must hunt for Spirit Larval Tears. These appear as glowing items on the ground, but with a catch: they only appear at night.

These are found within circles of glowing blue gravestones. If you arrive at these locations during the day, the gravestones will be dark and the item will be missing.

Gravesite Plain Locations

  • Scorched Ruins: Just southeast of the Scorched Ruins. Look for the blue glow in the cemetery area.
  • Prospect Town: On a small hill southeast of the main Prospect Town ruins.
  • Church of the Crusade: Located in the plains south of the church where you fight Fire Knight Queelign.

Scadu Altus and Beyond

  • Abandoned Ailing Village: South of the village and east of the Great Bridge, North Site of Grace.
  • Rabbath’s Rise: Head west from the rise toward the wooded area to find the stone circle.
  • Suppression Pillar: Found in the plateau area northeast of the Suppression Pillar.
  • Ancient Ruins of Rauh: One is found on the cliffs above the Fog Rift Catacombs, and another is located northwest of the Ravine North Site of Grace.

Strategic Tips for Using Your Larval Tears

With a limited supply of about 27 tears across the entire game and DLC, you cannot afford to respec on a whim. Here is how we recommend managing your resources:

Test Your Weapons First

Before you commit 60 points into Intelligence for a new sorcery build, test the weapon’s moveset. Even if you don't meet the stat requirements, you can swing the weapon to see if the speed and range suit your playstyle. A high-damage build is useless if you hate the weapon's "feel."

The "Soft Cap" Rule

When respecing, remember the diminishing returns on stats:

  • Vigor: 40 is the first soft cap, 60 is the second. Never go above 60.
  • Mind: 38 is often enough to fully refill with one Cerulean Flask.
  • Damage Stats (STR/DEX/INT/FAI): Generally, 80 is the final cap for specialized builds.

Avoid the "Boc" Tragedy

There is a specific NPC questline involving Boc the Seamster. At one point, he expresses a desire to be reborn as a human because he feels ugly. If you give him a Larval Tear, he will visit Rennala and undergo rebirth. However, because he does not possess a "Great Rune of the Unborn" (which only the player benefits from via Rennala), the rebirth is flawed. Boc will transform into a silent human and die shortly after. To save him, do not give him the tear; instead, use the "You're Beautiful" Prattling Pate in front of him.

Recommended Build Transitions

If you are struggling with specific sections of the game, these transitions are often the most effective uses of a Larval Tear:

  1. Transition to "Bleed" (Arcane): If you are stuck on Malenia or high-HP DLC bosses, shifting to a Dexterity/Arcane build using weapons like Rivers of Blood or the Bloodfiend's Arm can trivialize many encounters.
  2. Transition to "Tank" (Strength/Vigor): If you find yourself getting one-shot in the Shadow of the Erdtree, respecing to high Vigor (60) and enough Strength to use a Greatshield (like the Fingerprint Stone Shield) will significantly increase your survivability.
  3. The "Quality" Trap: Early in the game, many players try to level Strength and Dexterity equally. This usually results in mediocre damage. It is often better to use a Larval Tear to specialize in one or the other and use "Heavy" or "Keen" infusions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Larval Tears can I get in one playthrough? In the base game, there are 18. In the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, there are approximately 9 Spirit Larval Tears. This gives you roughly 27 opportunities to change your build per journey.

Can I farm Larval Tears? No. Once a mimic enemy is killed or a merchant's stock is exhausted, they do not respawn or restock. You must progress to New Game Plus to find more.

Does it cost runes to respec? No, the cost is strictly one Larval Tear per session. Rennala does not charge Runes for the service.

Can I change my appearance without a Larval Tear? Yes. You can change your physical appearance (name, hair, face, body type) at the dressing table in Fia’s room at the Roundtable Hold or by talking to Rennala and choosing "Cosmetic Rebirth." This does not cost a Larval Tear.

Summary

The Larval Tear is the ultimate safety net in Elden Ring. Whether you are hunting the disguised Runebear in Limgrave or scouring the blue-lit graveyards of the Realm of Shadow, these items empower you to evolve your character as the challenges become more complex. Remember to secure the Nokron tears as early as possible after defeating Radahn, as they provide the most substantial "bank" of respecs for the mid-to-late game. Choose your attributes wisely, and remember: being "unborn" is just another chance to become a more effective Elden Lord.