Elden Ring: Baldachin's Blessing, Explained

You might have noticed that Elden Ring is a humongous game unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks. Players can spend hours just walking - or double jumping- around trying to explore every nook and cranny of The Lands Between.

This game's freedom to explore is one of its major selling points, and oh boy, are the fans taking advantage of their free will. In a very unexpected turn of events, players can choose to hug a random lady found in the Roundtable Hold. As wholesome as this interaction might be, it comes with a cost, as the hugging lady will give players a permanent HP debuff. Worry not, as this guide includes everything you need to know about the hugging lady in Elden Ring and how to get rid of the HP debuff.

Updated December 14, 2023, by Sean Murray: Everyone could use a hug sometime, but hugs shouldn't keep you from five percent of your overall health. That's why we've updated this guide to have improved formatting and more breakout tips so you know how to get rid of the Baldachin's Blessing debuff. We've also given this guide more links to other helpful Elden Ring topics.

What Happens When You Hug Fia In Elden Ring

The first thing you need to know is that hugging Fia (that's the name of the hugging lady in Elden Ring) doesn't give you a debuff. In fact, what gives you the debuff is carrying (in your inventory) the item she gives you after sharing an embrace.

This item is a single-use consumable called Baldachin's Blessing that gives you a 15-second boost in Poise when you use it. But, as stated before, it also gives you a five percent max HP debuff while held in your inventory.

What Is Baldachin's Blessing

How To Get Baldachin's Blessing

To get to the area where Fia is, you will first need to find Melina at a Shrine of Grace, as she is the one who will take you to Roundtable Hold, an area only accessible via fast travel. Below you'll find our very own video guide that showcases how to get to Roundtable Hold.

Once there, you'll find a wide assortment of NPCs, including, of course, Fia the Deathbed Companion. Talk to her, and she will offer to hold you briefly, so she can feel the warmth of a champion. If you let her hold you, you will receive the Baldachin's Blessing item in your inventory.

Keep in mind that you can only have one Baldachin's Blessing at a time in your inventory. You can hug Fia again if you like.

The second time you hug Fia, you can choose to "talk in secret" with her or leave. If you choose the first option, you'll learn a bit more about her backstory.

Is Getting Baldachin's Blessing Worth it?

While having a five percent health debuff sucks in a game as challenging as Elden Ring, the other effect Baldachin's Blessing grants you makes it worth it.

The item's effect is a buff in your Poise stat. In Elden Ring, Poise is a base stat that determines how many enemy attacks from an enemy you can withstand before collapsing and being left stunned. The higher the stat, the more enemy attacks you can withstand.

As you can see, increasing your Poise means your attacks won't be interrupted as easily as you won't be staggered or knocked back with each swing.

Other alternatives to increase your Poise can be found on head, chest, arm, and leg gear.

However, this buff is only temporary, so you might want to save it for more challenging bosses, like the Draconic Tree Sentinel or the Crucible Knight, or for bosses that are above your armor or level range.

If you're interested in this item, keep in mind the following considerations:

• You can only have one Baldachin's Blessing in your inventory, but you can hug Fia again to get another one after using it.
• You won't be able to store the Baldachin's Blessing.
• You can use Baldachin's Blessing during multiplayer mode.
• Using this item costs 10 FP.
• Only hug Fia whenever you're ready to engage in a boss fight, otherwise you'll be walking around with a pesky debuff for no reason.

How To Get Rid Of The HP Debuff

As with many things in Elden Ring, the game doesn't exactly tell you what to do to get rid of the HP debuff, so naturally, many players panic when they first see the red square debuff with a down arrow on the upper left side of their screens.

If you're one of those players who decided to hug Fia, there is no need to worry too much. Getting rid of Baldachin's Blessing's HP debuff is as easy as getting the item itself.

To get rid of the debuff, you need to consume the Baldachin's Blessing item to get it out of your inventory, and the debuff will just go away.