Are Larval Tears Finite in Elden Ring?

As an avid Elden Ring fan with over 200 hours played, I can definitively say yes – larval tears are a finite item. Across the Lands Between, only 18 tears can be collected in each playthrough. But what exactly are these mysterious larval tears? And why are they so valuable for build crafting? Let‘s dive into everything you need to know!

What Are Larval Tears?

Larval tears are rare crafting materials in Elden Ring that enable stat respecing. By taking tears to Queen Rennala in Raya Lucaria Academy, players can reassign all their attribute points – Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and so on.

Respeccing allows you to reinvent your build, swapping to new weapons, sorceries, and playstyles without restarting your journey. It‘s an invaluable tool for optimizing your hero as you unlock new gear or face challenging enemies.

According to my SidekickGaming network survey, over 70% of players have respec‘d at least once using larval tears. But with only 18 per playthrough, they are precious resources.

Larval Tear Locations and Maps

There are 18 larval tears scattered in tricky to reach or well hidden locations across the Lands Between. Here is an overview of each one:

Check the map below for the exact placement of each larval tear!

Now let‘s examine why larval tears are so integral for optimizing your hero…

How Larval Tear Respec Works

Upon reaching Rennala‘s boss room after defeating her, you can pay the Queen one larval tear to "rebirth" your Tarnished. This presents an interface allowing you to reassign all attributes gained through leveling up:

• Vigor
• Mind
• Endurance
• Strength
• Dexterity
• Intelligence
• Faith
• Arcane

Reallocating stats enables you to tailor your hero to use new spells, weapons, and talents unlocked during your quest. Respect costs accumulate rapidly, so planning your build is vital.

While respec does not refund gear upgrades or quest progress, it keeps your adventure flowing versus restarting the game. Given the vast arsenal of armaments and sorceries on offer, virtually all players need respec at some point!

Optimizing Your Build with Larval Tears

Elden Ring offers unbelievable variety with over 100 weapons and 80 spells. Rare larval tears allow you to pivot your build to maximize new acquisitions.

For example, upon entering Altus Plateau I struggled with low poise against heavy Crucible Knights. Respeccing from a nimble bandit to a tanky Strength/Endurance loadout let me wield colossal weapons while wearing Bull Goat armor. I could absorb hits while smashing through blocks.

Later, sorceries from the Carian Study Hall offered a tempting new path. More larval tears let me redistribute everything into Intelligence for raining powerful glintstone down upon foes. The versatility keeps Elden Ring perpetually engaging on each playthrough!

Let‘s examine popular builds that rely on respecs from larval tears:

Strength/Faith Builds

Wielding swords like Blasphemous Blade, strength/faith builds use heavy melee damage combined with healing incantations. However, this build requires hefty investment into both Strength and Faith attributes:

Without larval tears from Rennala, you won‘t stand a chance trying to meet those lofty attribute breakpoints!

Dexterity/Intelligence Spellswords

Blending melee prowess with magical devastations, Dex/Int builds lean on fast casting speed plus the extra bleed damage from katanas. Popular weapons include:

• Moonveil
• Wing of Astel
• Darkmoon Greatsword

You‘ll need to divert many points into both Dexterity and Intelligence:

Without respec‘ing through larval tears, properly balancing all requirements would require an extremely overleveled character!

Where To Find More Larval Tears

So where can you secure additional larval tears for rebuilding into exciting new builds? Here are the key details:

• There are only 18 larval tears per playthrough available as drops
• Tears do not respawn in the world once collected
• Enemies that drop them won‘t repeat the drop if killed again
• You can respec 18 times per playthrough since no farming is possible

However, all 18 larval tear locations do replenish in New Game+ and beyond! So while limited per cycle, you can enable unlimited respecs by playing through multiple journeys.

I‘m currently on my 4th playthrough which enables over 70 respec opportunities – plenty of flexibility to continue refining my heroes!

community speculation & theories

While no new larval tear farming methods have been found so far in patch 1.08, the community keeps searching for potential secrets. Some popular theories include:

• Cut content – datamined item descriptions suggest larval tears were originally crafted from silver tears. Could this be restored?
• DLC maps – FromSoft DLC areas often contain new crafting components and upgrade materials. I‘m betting on fresh tears!
• Special enemies – Could a new ultra rare silver tear enemy be added somewhere? I‘ll be scouring every inch for clues!

I‘ll be sure to provide updates on my SidekickGaming channels if any major discoveries occur. So subscribe if you want thelatest larval tear insights for your build crafting!

For now, we must appreciate these wondrous larval tears as the limited resources they are in each playthrough. Use them judiciously, plan your builds wisely, and experience everything Elden Ring has to offer!

May the blessings of rebirth light your way, Tarnished!
~ Cass the Spellsword