So, I’ve been diving deep into this whole “Shadow of the Erdtree” thing, you know, the new DLC for Elden Ring. Lots of folks were wondering if your Scadutree levels carry over to New Game Plus. Well, I put that to the test, and let me tell you, it was a journey.
First off, I had to get to the end of the game. I mean, I’d already beaten the Elden Beast before, but I loaded up that save just to be sure. Watched those final cutscenes, you know, the whole shebang.
Now, my main concern was my character’s level. I was sitting pretty at level 445. Yeah, I might’ve over-leveled a bit, whoops. Anyway, I was worried that starting a New Game Plus might reset everything, including those Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes I’d been collecting. Those things boost your stats in the DLC, and I didn’t want to lose them.
I did a bit of digging online, and opinions were mixed. Some folks said everything resets, others said you keep your stuff. Even saw someone mention that Somber Smithing Stones are super important, which, yeah, they are. But that’s not what I was worried about at the moment.
Then I stumbled upon this one comment saying the first NG+ cycle isn’t that much harder than the first playthrough, so I figured, why not? I took the plunge and started a New Game Plus.
And guess what? My Scadutree levels were still there! All those Fragments and Ashes, safe and sound. It was a huge relief, let me tell you. But here’s the kicker, and I found this out the hard way: the enemies in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, they scale up in New Game Plus, too. So, even though my Scadutree blessings were giving me a boost, those enemies were hitting way harder than before. It wasn’t a walk in the park, that’s for sure.
I also tried something else. I started a completely fresh character, just to see what that was like. And yeah, as expected, no Scadutree levels there. You start from scratch, just like in the base game.
So, here’s the bottom line:
- Your Scadutree levels DO carry over to New Game Plus.
- But, the enemies in the DLC get tougher in New Game Plus.
- Starting a new character means starting fresh with no Scadutree levels.
Honestly, it’s kind of cool that FromSoftware set it up this way. It means you can keep progressing your character through multiple playthroughs, but it also keeps things challenging. Just be prepared for a tougher fight if you jump into the DLC on New Game Plus!
Hope this clears things up for you guys. It was a bit of a grind testing all this out, but hey, someone had to do it, right? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some scaled-up DLC bosses to go deal with. Wish me luck!
