‘Elden Ring’ patch 1.03 adds new living jar NPC and night background music in some areas

FromSoftware released the latest major update for “Elden Ring,” officially patch 1.03, that added new NPC elements. It also addresses some known bugs and applies balance changes to the game.

The “Elden Ring” patch 1.03 introduces a new NPC named Jar-Bairn. Details and an image posted on Fextralife indicate the NPC is a living jar with branches for limbs. Players should find Jar-Bairn sitting on some stairs in the northern part of Jarburg, where players can gather crafting materials like Cracked Pot and Ritual Pot.

The developer has also added background music during the night in some open field areas in “Elden Ring” version 1.03. Players should also notice an increase in NPCs they can summon in several situations. NPCs Diallos, Nepheli Loux, Kenneth Haight, and Gatekeeper Gostoc also get new quest phases.

With this update, “Elden Ring” players can now record an icon and NPC name to mark where they appeared on the map. FromSoftware has also increased the patterns of objects that players can use with Mimic’s Veil.

One of the balance changes applied in patch 1.03 will increase the Smithing Stone’s drop rate for some enemies. The material, commonly used to upgrade weapons and shields in “Elden Ring,” will also appear earlier in the game. FromSoftware has also increased the damage on offensive cracked pot items, Spark Aromatic, and Poison Spraymist. The Gravity Well, Collapsing Stars, and Crystal Barrage sorceries will also inflict greater damage after the update.

Before “Elden Ring” patch 1.03, some NPCs summoned during boss battles were not taking damage. Some players also reported they were unable to acquire drops after finishing a boss battle. FromSoftware said these are some issues fixed in the latest update.

The “Elden Ring” version 1.03 went live on all platforms shortly after Bandai Namco announced that the game has sold 18 million copies worldwide, 1 million of them were shipped to Japan alone. “Please look forward to more of ‘ELDEN RING’ as an IP (characters and other intellectual property) in hopes of expanding beyond the realm of games,” FromSoftware said in a press release.