How to Get Dragon Form in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Dragon form is a staple of the Dark Souls games, available across the entire trilogy. However, in the years since, FromSoftware games haven’t had access to it, from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to the base game Elden Ring. However, in Shadow of the Erdtree, you can be a dragon again, and in a new twist on the classic mechanic, there are actually two dragon forms available. Here’s how to get both.

How to Get Both Dragon Forms in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

The first dragon form you’re likely to encounter is held by Ancient Dragon-Man, who you find on the way to the Dragon Pit mini-dungeon. The second is held by the Dragon Communion Priestess, the NPC standing at the Great Altar of Dragon Communion. We’ll start with hers, as getting your hands on it makes getting Ancient Dragon-Man’s form take you a bit further afield.

How to Get Dragon Form from the Priestess Heart in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

The dragon form you get from the Dragon Communion Priestess is definitely the harder of the two to acquire. First, you need to make it through the Dragon Pit, past both invader and boss Ancient Dragon-Man, and then speak to the Priestess herself. From there, follow these steps:

• Speak to the Priestess.
• Select Devour draconic essence when prompted.

• Go to the top of the Jagged Peak and defeat Bayle, the Dread, in an epic dragon-on-Tarnished boss fight.
• Return to the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion to find the Dragon Priestess dead and both her heart and the Flowerstone Gavel weapon in her place.

Defeating Bayle, the Dread is very much its own thing, requiring lots of Scadutree Fragment upgrades, an almost equal amount of skill, and plenty of patience. For your trouble, you get a dragon form that enhances Dragon Communion spells and abilities, but if you don’t like the look of the female dragon, there is another you can get.

How to Get Dragon Form from the Rock Heart in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

To get the Rock Heart, you need to not only have access to the Jagged Peak, Mountainside Site of Grace, but also have interacted with the Domain of Dragons painting in the depths of the Shadow Keep.

Reaching the Domain of Dragons painting is similar to finding the coffin that leads to the path to the Abyssal Forest. The short version is:

• Go to the eastern rampart of the Shadow Keep with the vulgar militia and flaming boats just beyond the Golden Hippopotamus arena. Look for the corpse there near a ladder.

• Go down the ladder, around the corner to the left, past the waterfall, and down the longer ladder.
• Interact with the Domain of Dragons painting in the room at the bottom.

You must interact with the painting to spawn the ghost NPC that gives the Rock Heart.

How to Solve the Domain of Dragons Painting Puzzle in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

To get the Rock Heart, you need to go to the location shown in the Domain of Dragons painting. Said location is just west of the Jagged Peak, Mountainside Site of Grace.

From the Grace, head west to the spiritspring leading up, but rather than taking it higher into the peak, turn to the west and land on the higher of the two rocky bridges west of the spring. Travel to the end of the bridge and turn around. When the storm clears, you should see the image in the painting, and if you hop down one level, you should also see the ghostly NPC in his chair.

Going up to try and speak to the NPC or simply walking through him will cause him to disappear, leaving the Rock Heart behind.

How to Assume Dragon Form in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Taking dragon form in Elden Ring works like in the Souls games. Put simply, you must be wearing no armor at all. If your character is effectively naked, you can use either the Rock Stone or Priestess Heart to assume their forms.

Note that your weapons, Talismans, and equipped consumables will not affect your ability to take dragon form. The only thing that matters is your clothes. And dragon form does grant a modicum of damage negation, about as much as wearing a full set of light cloth armor. You won’t, of course, have any poise to speak of, but your Dragon Communion abilities will be enhanced. You’ll also look pretty badass if dragons are your thing.

And with that, you know how to assume both dragon forms in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. It’s kind of a niche choice considering all the awesome armor available in the DLC, but if Dragon Incantations are your jam, or you’re going for a dragon-specific build, there are a few better options.

For more on Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree and the game more generally, check out our guides hub, including a piece on how to get Needle Night Leda’s gear.