Summary
Catalysts are weapons inDark Souls 3that allow the Ashen One tounleash powerful spellsthat can obliterate common enemies and bosses alike. There are all kinds of sorceries, pyromancies, and miracles, all with their lore that adds to one’s knowledge of the deep and sinister world one must travel through. Given how immense the build variety in this game is, it’s easy to see why some people may want to tinker around with investing points in other skills that make their magic stronger and let them play the game in a unique way.
For unleashing the miracles that take the longest to cast, it is recommended to use a Talisman over aSacred Chime.Talismansare a class of armament that differentiates from its sister class, Sacred Chimes, by usually having the weapon skill Unfaltering Prayer. This devout chant allows the player to poise through attacks while casting with hyper armor granted by a divine source. Accordingly, they scale the best with the Faith stat in most cases, though there are a couple of exceptions. There aren’t many, however, numbering only 6. Each is capable of differing feats, though some are drastically more useful than others.
Updated on July 01, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:There are many catalysts players can use to strengthen their magic in Dark Souls 3. The system of casting spells in this game was overhauled significantly, making it more involved for spellcasters who actually have to maintain a regular supply of mana and use things like Talismans to cast magic. They are great for miracles that help heal players and cast lightning magic. A wealth of talismans can be acquired in the game, but not all of them are as powerful as others. Still, that shouldn’t take away from their effectiveness in the slightest, and players serious about casting miracles will make every talisman count, even if the best ones of the bunch are what they should ideally focus on.
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This lock of hair is a Talisman created from the remains of the Fair Lady, the sister of chaos witch Quelaag fromDark Souls. As the sisters are very much linked to the origins of all chaos fire, this is a casting tool that can call forth both miracles and pyromancies.
The White Hair Talisman is found in the Smouldering Lake behindan illusory wall. Although it has great versatility, its poor scaling means that it is not very good at anything. Furthermore, its weapon skill is Combustion instead of Unfaltering Prayer, which means that it isn’t even capable of poising through attacks while casting.
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Obtained from looting a corpse near Irina of Carim’s cell in the Undead Settlement, this Talisman is rather lackluster and, therefore, should not be backtracked to acquire if missed, even for a miracle build. It has the Unfaltering Prayer skill that is renowned in its weapon class, though has minuscule poise and health.
With only 30 points in this hidden stat, it can be interrupted by even lighter, single-handed weapons likeStraight SwordsorCurved Swords. It has the best scaling of its weapon class, but if it cannot guarantee a cast, it doesn’t usually equate to good usage in most cases, especially since most Sacred Chimes perform better when it comes to damage output; therefore, players should use one of those instead of the Saint’s Talisman if high damage is what one seeks.
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This casting tool can be bought from the Shrine Handmaid in Firelink Shrine for 3,000 souls, though only after one gives her the Paladin’s Ashes. It possesses a very odd scaling pattern, which makes it more effective than its kind at lower levels (below 45 Faith), though its Spell Buff curve levels out, making it not optimal for high-level builds.
In addition, it has decent damage scaling and poise health, making it one of the best choices for an early and mid-game catalyst if one seeks to invoke the words of the gods. Afterward, however, it would be best to swap it out for another, but players who don’t mind a challenge and are fairly adept when it comes to using magic inDark Souls 3can potentially carry this talisman with them all the way to the end, even if the struggle is a largely unnecessary one that is better left avoided for most players.
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As the generic name implies, this is the most common kind of Talisman there is. It is given to the Herald class as a starting weapon, and it is one that can see a caster through much of the game. This one is essentially the inverse of the Canvas Talisman, as it has even scaling. This lets the Talisman perform only moderately well at lower levels while becoming much more potent after 45 Faith is achieved.
Regular poise health grants this tool sufficient hyper armor to shrug off most of the more common enemy attacks. Paired with the other solid weapons of the Herald class, it can allow one to slay many tough foes and bosses. Players who are serious about pursuing a Faith build should make it a point to start as the Herald, letting them get a leg up over their enemies with a powerful talisman that can potentially last players till the very end if they aren’t very picky about min-maxing their skills.
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The Sunlight Talisman’s description reads that it is “the Knight of Sunlight’s personal talisman,” likely referring toSolaire of Astora, the most renowned sunlight-related knight inthe entireDark Soulfranchise. The talisman itself is even colored, much like the incandescent warrior’s armor. It can be found to the left of the ladder leading to the Old Wolf altar in Farron’s poisonous swamp.
Despite its moderate scaling, its true strength as a miracle casting tool comes from its enormous poise health of 120. That’s twice (or more) than that of any other Talisman in the game. Almost nothing can sunder one’s resolve if Unfaltering Prayer is activated with the Sunlight Talisman. Even with the most modest of armor, the caster can tank through attacks by weapons such as the always impressive Ultra Greatswords orthe devastating Greataxes.
This interesting catalyst can only be acquired by completing Sirris of the Sunless Realms' questline or by killing her. Although it is rather mediocre, though not awful, at casting regular miracles, it excels greatly when casting dark miracles such as Dorhys' Gnawing and Lifehunt Scythe.
It scales with the user’s Intelligence as well as Faith to add great bonuses to the Spell Buff stat, which in turn fuels the power of Dark-based damage. Since it requires some Intelligence to use, the Sunless Talisman could be the ideal catalyst for many who wish to embody The Abyss. The power this talisman harbors makes it clear why players need to complete a special questline to obtain it, with enemies helpless at the hands of an Ashen One who isn’t afraid to dabble in Dark Magic from time to time.
