Elden Ring Prisoner Build Guide – The Best Prisoner Builds

The Prisoner is a class that starts with high Intelligence and Dexterity. They are decent physical fighters, but truly get a chance to shine when they are able to combine their magical potential together with Dexterity based weapons. Unlike an Astrologer, they are more suited for close combat and for magical builds that benefit from a stat distribution that doesn’t neglect physical stats.

The Prisoner comes in with the following starting stats:

• Rune Level: 9
• Vigor: 11
• Mind: 12
• Endurance: 11
• Strength: 11
• Dexterity: 14
• Intelligence: 14
• Faith: 6
• Arcane: 9

What Builds Work Best For The Prisoner?

Early on, you might not be relying on much of the Prisoner’s magical abilities as you get used to their playstyle. Once you are able to accumulate more spells and equipment, you can start combining their magical prowess while taking advantage of their high Dexterity. This build is an example of that.

Melee Mage (Spellblade) Prisoner Build

The Prisoner will need a Dexterity weapon like their starting Estoc, but any one-handed Dexterity weapon that you have will work. The Prisoner also starts with a Glintstone Staff, but finding the Demi-Human Queen’s Staff will help you deal more damage. If you can’t get to it yet, stick with the best Glintstone Staff you can find.

The most important part of this build is the Scholar’s Armament spell, which you can purchase from Sorceress Sellen for 3,000 runes. You will use Scholar’s Armament to boost the power of your Dexterity weapon to deal increased damage. Remember that your Glintstone Staff also needs to be out before the spell can be cast.

It’s a simple build that is easy to put together and only gets stronger with better equipment. You may want to supplement it with spells to account for other situations. Carian Slicer is a spell that you can bring along that can be effective against bosses or enemies that are difficult to reach with your weapon. You can also use the Glintstone Pebble spell to avoid getting swarmed, or hitting enemies that are out of your reach.

Primary stats to invest in: Intelligence & Vigor

Secondary stats that can help: Dexterity and Mind

You can take this build further by getting the Ash of War Glintblade Phalanx which works well with a Keen weapon upgrade. You can then use Scholar’s Armament and Glintblade Phalanx with L2 for greater damage.

There are other weapons that work well with the Prisoner, such as the Moonveil Katana which uses Intelligence for its damage scaling as well.

Moonveil Katana Prisoner Build

The Moonveil Katana is the centerpiece of this build, and it requires the following stats to wield:

• Strength: 12
• Dexterity: 18
• Intelligence: 23

These stats are not too far off from the Prisoner’s base stats and are easier to allocate stats for than a Samurai.

You will use Transient Moonlight with R2 to stagger enemies and then critically strike them when they are vulnerable. You can also use spells like Glintstone Pebble for enemies at a distance, or even Loretta’s Greatbow for further range and damage. Carian Slicer remains a solid choice, but Carian Greatsword can deal with groups of enemies better.

If you have the Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger, you can regain the FP used from Transient Moonlight when you inflict a critical hit on a staggered enemy. Combined with the Carian Filgreed Crest, which lowers FP consumption, you can keep the Transient Moonlight plus critical hit on staggered enemy combination with barely any FP consumption.

Primary stats to invest in: Intelligence & Vigor

Secondary stats that can help: Dexterity

Late Game Moonveil Build Additions

You can also take this build into the late-game by combining the Moonveil with another Katana to pile on the Blood Loss/Hemorrhage effect. If you manage to get the Cold effect on said Katana, you can inflict the Frostbite element as well for additional damage (apply those effects with the L1 button).

Add on the Magical Scorpion Charm (increases magical attack power but lowers physical damage negation) and the Green Turtle Talisman (restores stamina faster) which can help get more hits and increase the damage dealt.

Instead of using Glintstone Pebble, you can switch it with the more powerful Great Glintstone Shard, which deals more damage. Keep Loretta’s Greatbow, and you can bring along the Terra Magica spell to boost the damage of Loretta’s Greatbow/Great Glintstone Shard when you need to use them.

Conclusion

The Prisoner is a great class to start getting used to magical melee attackers. Their starting stats provide a great way for players to get the spells necessary to enhance their weapons early on while still having powerful magic attacks when a Dexterity weapon isn’t good enough. As you progress through the game, you will get better spells and equipment, giving you the flexibility to adapt your combat style to the situation at hand.

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