Full Moon Crossbow
Full Moon Crossbow is a unique academy crossbow hidden on Raya Lucaria's rooftops. It deals physical and magic damage through bolts, has no conventional attribute scaling, and is especially suited to magic bolts and Intelligence-themed ranged utility.
Key Takeaways
Split-damage crossbow
The Full Moon Crossbow deals both physical and magic damage, giving it a different damage profile from ordinary physical crossbows.
Intelligence requirement
It requires Intelligence investment in addition to its physical attribute requirements, so it is aimed at characters willing to support its magic damage component.
Fixed crossbow handling
Its ranged attacks use crossbow firing behavior rather than a bow-style draw mechanic, making bolt selection and firing rhythm central to its use.
Damage-type limitation
Its split damage is useful when both components connect efficiently, but enemies resistant to physical or magic damage can reduce part of its output.
Standard reinforcement
The weapon follows the regular reinforcement path, allowing improvement with Smithing Stones rather than the Somber upgrade system.
Ranged comparison
Compared with a conventional physical crossbow, the Full Moon Crossbow trades a simpler damage profile for built-in magic damage and an Intelligence requirement.
Overview
The Full Moon Crossbow is a unique crossbow in Elden Ring associated with Raya Lucaria Academy. It stands apart from ordinary crossbows through its magical theme and Intelligence requirement, making it a specialised ranged option rather than a straightforward physical sidearm.
It uses bolts and the crossbow moveset, but its identity is tied to magic-infused ranged damage and its Somber reinforcement path. The weapon is most relevant to characters who want ranged support without switching to a staff or committing to a conventional bow setup. Its fixed design also distinguishes it from ordinary crossbows that offer more conventional progression and customisation.
The Full Moon Crossbow is found during exploration of Raya Lucaria Academy in the base game. It is a named weapon rather than a general-purpose crossbow variant, and its main appeal is the combination of crossbow handling with an Intelligence-oriented requirement and magical presentation.
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/Magic
- Primary ScalingNo scaling
- Weight8
- SkillNo Skill
- Str Req13
- Dex Req8
- How to ObtainLoot, Raya Lucaria
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar crossbows
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Moon Crossbow | 13 | 8 | 8 | No scaling |
| Heavy Crossbow | 13 | 8 | 8.5 | No scaling |
| Arbalest | 11 | 8 | 7 | No scaling |
| Spread Crossbow | 10 | 10 | 6.5 | Dex D |
| Crossbow | 9 | 8 | 5.5 | No scaling |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Access to Leyndell, Royal Capital. No DLC, vendor, quest, boss, or NG+ requirement is needed.
- 01Travel to Leyndell, Royal Capital, and reach the tower near the Fortified Manor by crossing the surrounding rooftops. Open the chest at the tower’s upper level to obtain the Full Moon Crossbow; it is a fixed pickup, not a vendor purchase, enemy drop, quest reward, or boss reward.
Mechanics and Handling
The Full Moon Crossbow uses the standard crossbow firing pattern: each attack releases one equipped bolt, followed by a reload animation before another shot can be made. It has no bow-style draw or charge stage, so its handling is governed by positioning, ammunition selection, and the time needed to ready the next shot rather than by holding the attack button.
Bolt Selection and Damage Profile
Its magic-infused attack profile gives it a distinct role among ordinary crossbows, but the ammunition still matters. Bolts are consumed individually, and specialized bolt types can change the practical result of a shot; they should not be treated as interchangeable. The weapon does not create unlimited ammunition, and its ranged pressure is therefore tied to the player's available bolt supply.
Kick and Close-Range Handling
The Full Moon Crossbow uses the Kick weapon skill. Kick is a short-range defensive utility attack that can pressure an enemy guarding with a shield, but it is not a replacement for sustained ranged fire. Because crossbows offer limited close-range flexibility while reloading, the skill is most useful when an opponent reaches the firing position or relies on blocking.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its split physical-and-magic attack profile gives bolt attacks a second damage type, which can help when an enemy’s physical defense is more favorable than its magic defense.
- As a crossbow, it provides ranged chip and enemy-pulling utility without requiring a bow-style draw or charge sequence.
- Its Intelligence requirement makes it a practical supplementary ranged option for some Intelligence-focused characters that do not want to rely exclusively on sorceries.
Weaknesses
- Split damage is checked against two defenses, so it is not automatically superior to a specialized physical crossbow or a single-damage-type ranged option.
- Crossbow ammunition must be supplied separately, and ordinary bolts do not provide the same magical specialization as suitable magic-damage ammunition.
- Its ranged role is limited by crossbow handling and ammunition management rather than the sustained spell variety available to a dedicated caster.
Best uses
- Use it for ranged pulls, finishing attacks, and occasional pressure while preserving spell slots or FP.
- Consider it for an Intelligence-oriented character that wants weapon-based ranged damage without replacing its primary sorcery setup.
- Choose another ranged weapon when consistent physical damage, broader ammunition utility, or sustained spell-based range is more important than the Full Moon Crossbow’s split damage profile.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class / role | Ammunition and handling | Build distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Moon Crossbow | Uses bolts; standard crossbow firing pattern | Best considered for builds that can meet its Intelligence-oriented requirements and want a distinctive DLC crossbow option | — |
| Pulley Crossbow | Uses bolts; fires a rapid multi-bolt sequence | More generally suited to repeated ranged pressure without the Full Moon Crossbow's Intelligence focus | — |
| Arbalest | Uses bolts; emphasizes powerful individual shots | A practical alternative for straightforward physical ranged damage and heavier crossbow handling | — |
| Hand Ballista | Uses greatbolts rather than ordinary bolts; slower, heavier handling | Better for players seeking siege-like projectile impact rather than a conventional crossbow | — |
Lore and Design
The Full Moon Crossbow’s item text identifies it as a crossbow fashioned from a large circular blade, with an engraving associated with the full moon. It also notes that the weapon can fire bolts imbued with magic, establishing its distinctive visual theme and ammunition compatibility without giving it a separate canonical story role.
Beyond that description, no documented character, faction, development history, or official real-world inspiration is established here. Its significance is therefore primarily visual and mechanical: it presents a moon-themed alternative within Elden Ring’s crossbow class rather than a lore-critical artifact.