Roundrock Guide: When to Throw, When to Craft – Elden Ring DLC

What Is Roundrock?

Roundrock is a hybrid item in Shadow of the Erdtree — it functions both as a consumable tool (a throwable item) and as a crafting material.

Mechanics / Effects

• When thrown, Roundrock deals Strike-type damage.
• It is not a durable weapon — more of a ranged “throwable” option.
• Because it is also a crafting component, players often balance between using it or saving it.

Stack / Limits

• You can carry up to 999 Roundrocks in inventory.
• It even sells for a small amount of runes if you don’t need it, and when you’re tuning up a build that needs steady power, you can always buy elden ring runes cheap from U4GM to smooth out the progression.

Flavor / Lore Notes

• The description calls it a “round piece of rock shaped by the water's current.”
• It notes that it “breaks easily” due to internal cracks.

So in sum: it's a “cheap, plentiful throwable” with modest damage, but its true value often comes from its role in crafting.

Where to Find / Farm Roundrock

Because Roundrock is relatively common and needed in bulk, having good farming or gathering routes is vital.

Spawn / Harvest Locations

Roundrocks are found along rivers in the Realm of Shadow.  
Two specific known spots are:

• Ellac River Cave
• Rivermouth Cave

These caves or surrounding riverbanks tend to have multiple harvestable nodes.

Farming Strategy & Tips

From community guides and player reports:

• Use Ellac River Cave as a prime farming loop: many Roundrocks spawn there.
• Because the item is stackable and there is no heavy cost to carry, sweep the area thoroughly.
• Teleport back (or use a site of grace) and repeat the loop.
• While enemies are present, they are generally slow in those caves — you can often ride Torrent and gather without being intercepted.
• Don't accidentally take paths that lead away from the farming loop (e.g., running deeper into progression zones) — stay in the area designed for gathering.

A good routine is: enter Ellac River Cave from a convenient grace, follow the route that keeps you hugging riverbanks or cavern walls, pick up every Roundrock deposit you see, then return and repeat.

Because the cost (time) to run the loop is moderate, you can accumulate dozens or even hundreds in a short period if you are efficient.

For players who prefer efficiency, mastering these farming loops is a great way to stockpile Roundrocks early without relying on traders. However, if you'd rather focus on progression or crafting experiments, you can always look for the best place to buy Elden Ring items online — it's a quick alternative to endless cave runs. Just be sure to compare prices and check for safe, verified sellers before making any purchases.

Uses & Decision: When to Throw vs When to Save

Because Roundrock has dual roles, you must decide how to best allocate your stock depending on your character, build, and playstyle.

Use as Throwables

Pros:

• Provides ranged strike damage without consuming weapon durability.
• Can help in softening up enemies before engaging or finishing off weakened foes.
• Useful in PvP for pressure, zoning, or interrupting moves.

Cons:

• Damage is moderate — it won't replace your primary weapon.
• It is consumable: every throw depletes your stock.
• In fights where every resource counts, you might regret having thrown too many.

Thus, use them in situations where ranged damage gives tactical advantage (e.g., pulling enemies, interrupting spells, or dealing finishing damage), but be judicious in boss fights where conserving resources is important.

Use for Crafting: Hefty Rock Pot

One of the main crafting usages of Roundrock is to create Hefty Rock Pots.  
The Hefty Rock Pot is a destructive item whose damage scales with Strength, making it especially attractive for Strength-based or hybrid builds.

Thus, if your build leans into Strength, investing many Roundrocks into crafting pots may yield more return (in terms of damage) than simply throwing them singly.

In practice:

• Early in your adventuring, you may lean more toward using Roundrocks to handle weaker enemies or chipping damage.
• As you accumulate a large reserve, start reserving more for crafting.
• Once you rely on Hefty Rock Pots as part of your build, you'll want a buffer stock of Roundrocks so you're never caught empty.

A good rule of thumb: keep enough Roundrocks to reliably throw in emergencies (say a few dozen), but funnel most into pot crafting if your build benefits.

Practical Tips & Common Pitfalls

1. Map Awareness  
   Mark or remember the cave entrances (Ellac, Rivermouth). It saves time when you want to return for farming.
2. Avoid Over-Use in Early Zones  
   In early Shadow regions, you might be tempted to throw Roundrocks liberally. But doing so may leave your crafting reserves depleted later.
3. Use in Crowd Control Moments  
   If multiple enemies cluster, throwing Roundrocks can stagger or interrupt weaker foes, giving you breathing room.
4. Watch for “Breakage” Warnings  
   Because the lore says they break easily, be aware that not every throw may land optimally — aim carefully, especially against agile foes.
5. Balance with Other Consumables  
   Treat Roundrock as part of a toolkit rather than a singular solution.
6. Adapt by Build  
   If your build doesn't emphasize Strength, it might be better to use Roundrocks directly rather than sink them all into crafting pots that don't scale well for you.

Conclusions & Best Practices

• Roundrock is a flexible consumable / crafting material — neither purely offensive nor purely resource.
• Its key strengths lie in being cheap, throwable, and stackable, plus being vital for crafting Hefty Rock Pots that scale with Strength.
• Best farming spot: Ellac River Cave (plus Rivermouth Cave) along river nodes in the Realm of Shadow.
• For optimal use: maintain a modest “throwable buffer,” but channel bulk into crafting if your build supports it.
• Use thoughtfully in combat for chip damage, interruption, or crowd control, but don't overuse in resource-critical fights.

If you follow these guidelines, you'll maximize both your survivability and DPS potential with Roundrock in Shadow of the Erdtree. Over time, you'll find a balance between throwing, saving, and crafting that suits your playstyle.

In this article I introduced Roundrock in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree — what it is, how it works (throwable Strike damage + crafting material), where to find it (river caves, especially Ellac River Cave and Rivermouth Cave), how to farm it efficiently, and how to decide whether to use it as a projectile or invest it into crafting Hefty Rock Pots. I also shared practical tips, pitfalls, and how your build should influence your decisions.