Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow
Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow is a long-range unique crossbow found behind a Stonesword Key seal in Roundtable Hold. It offers precise ranged utility without attribute scaling, and its accompanying Black-Key Bolts provide a limited Scarlet Rot ammunition option.
Key Takeaways
Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow is a named crossbow defined more by its Roundtable Hold acquisition and Black-Key Bolt association than by a separate weapon skill system.
Roundtable Hold acquisition
The crossbow is found in a Stonesword Key-sealed room in Roundtable Hold, making access to the area its main availability condition.
Bolt-based ranged weapon
It uses bolts rather than arrows and follows the standard crossbow firing cycle: fire, then reload before the next shot. It does not use a bow-style draw or charge mechanic.
Fixed weapon configuration
Its weapon skill is Kick, and crossbows such as this one do not use the normal Ash of War and affinity customization available to many infusable melee weapons.
Black-Key Bolt association
The weapon is associated with Black-Key Bolts, but those bolts are ammunition rather than an exclusive upgrade or alternate weapon form.
Regular reinforcement path
Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow follows the standard upgrade path for ordinary weapons, reaching its final reinforcement through regular Smithing Stones rather than Somber Smithing Stones.
Straightforward but limited role
Its ranged utility suits players who want a compact, fixed crossbow for occasional attacks or pulls, while the reload cycle and lack of charge attacks limit sustained ranged pressure compared with more specialized ranged options.
Overview
Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow is a unique base-game crossbow in Elden Ring, valued primarily for its assassin-themed identity and access to bolt-based ranged attacks.
Unlike bows, this weapon uses the crossbow rules: it fires bolts without the standard bow draw sequence. Its role is therefore a compact ranged option for players who want deliberate shots without committing to a conventional bow setup.
The crossbow is associated with Crepus, one of the Roundtable Hold's confessors, and is found within that hub through an imp-sealed area. This places it early in the game's broader progression rather than behind a late-game boss or DLC route.
Its main distinction from ordinary crossbows is its named, character-linked design and relationship to Black-Key Bolts. It remains a specialized ranged sidearm rather than a replacement for a bow, greatbow, or a crossbow selected for a different scaling or skill profile.
Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow is consequently most relevant to characters who want a thematic assassination tool, a portable ranged option, or access to crossbow ammunition while exploring the base game. Its overview does not imply a universal damage advantage over other ranged weapons.
Statistics
Elden Ring publishes no 0–100 stat bars, so this page lists the verified requirements, scaling and handling figures instead. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- CategoryCrossbows
- Damage TypePierce
- Primary ScalingDex D
- Weight3.5
- Str Req8
- Dex Req9
- How to ObtainTied to Rogier's questline, Raya Lucaria area
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar crossbows
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow | 8 | 9 | 3.5 | Dex D |
| Crepus's Crossbow | 8 | 9 | 3.5 | Dex D |
| Light Crossbow | 8 | 7 | 4 | No scaling |
| Repeating Crossbow | 8 | 15 | 4.5 | Dex D |
| Pulley Crossbow | 8 | 15 | 5 | Dex D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Access to Roundtable Hold.
- Two Stonesword Keys.
- 01At Roundtable Hold, use two Stonesword Keys on the Imp Seal fog wall in the lower area, then enter the unlocked room and open the chest inside to collect Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow. The chest contains the weapon as a guaranteed pickup; it is not a vendor purchase, enemy drop, quest reward, or boss reward.
Availability
Requires Two Stonesword Keys to open the relevant imp-sealed fog wall
Not sold by a vendor; no DLC, NG+, difficulty, or separate mode requirement is associated with its availability.
Mechanics and Handling
Single-Bolt Firing and Reloading
Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow fires one loaded bolt at a time rather than using a drawn or charged shot. Each attack is followed by the crossbow's normal reload cycle, so it rewards deliberate timing more than sustained ranged pressure. Aiming improves placement, while quick-firing is useful when creating space but is less forgiving because every missed shot costs a reload window.
Black-Key Bolt Interaction
Its defining interaction is with Black-Key Bolts. Those bolts can pierce shields, allowing the weapon to threaten shielded targets without relying solely on positional attacks. The shield-piercing property belongs to the ammunition, so the effect depends on having Black-Key Bolts equipped and available; ordinary bolts do not provide the same special behavior.
Fixed Skill and Combat Role
The crossbow carries Kick, a close-range utility skill that strikes an opponent with the weapon and is particularly useful against guarding enemies. It has no charge attack, multishot pattern, weapon-specific status buildup, or conditional damage mode to manage. Its practical niche is therefore controlled single-target harassment and shield pressure, not area damage or rapid projectile output.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Provides a ready ranged option with bolt ammunition, allowing the user to pressure or pull targets without maintaining a bow-style draw.
- Its Kick skill can pressure guarding enemies at close range, giving the weapon a limited defensive option when an opponent closes the distance.
Weaknesses
- Bolt consumption makes sustained use dependent on carrying or obtaining suitable ammunition; special bolts are separate ammunition rather than an inherent weapon effect.
- The crossbow's reload cycle and lack of a charged shot reduce its flexibility for rapid follow-up attacks compared with bows, making missed shots costly.
Best uses
- Pulling individual enemies from a group before committing to melee combat.
- Making occasional ranged attacks against exposed targets when the build does not otherwise use a bow.
- Pressuring shielded enemies at close range with Kick before returning to a safer distance.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Role and projectile behavior | Upgrade/skill distinction | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow | Uses Black-Key Bolts; fixed weapon with its own upgrade path and Kick skill. | Silent ranged attacks for cautious PvE play and opening shots. | — |
| Pulley Crossbow | Uses standard bolts and offers a different damage-delivery pattern from Crepus's crossbow. | Repeated projectile bursts when stealth is not the priority. | — |
| Arbalest | Uses standard bolts and retains the conventional crossbow handling role. | Players prioritizing single-shot impact over Crepus's silent-fire property. | — |
| Full Moon Crossbow | Uses standard bolts and follows a different specialization from Crepus's physical, stealth-focused role. | Intelligence-oriented ranged support rather than quiet physical attacks. | — |
Lore and Design
The item description identifies Crepus’s Black-Key Crossbow as a weapon wielded by Crepus, one of the Tarnished associated with the Roundtable Hold. Its blackened limbs and sleep-linked ammunition give it a distinct identity among the Hold’s armaments, connecting the crossbow to Crepus’s specialized role without establishing any broader relationship beyond the text’s explicit attribution.
Trivia
- The crossbow is named for Crepus, one of the assassins associated with the Roundtable Hold. Its item description identifies it as a weapon made specifically for him rather than a standard crossbow bearing a later owner’s name.
- Its description also records a built-in device intended to conceal the sound of its shots, tying the weapon’s design to the assassins’ emphasis on stealth.