Weapons in Lords of the Fallen are the most important piece of gear players can get their hands on. A significant part of the game is a DPS check, and if you don’t have a sufficiently powerful weapon to deal damage, even regular enemies can easily swarm and overwhelm you.
Knowing how to upgrade your weapons to give them a damage boost is going to be imperative if players hope to get through some of the harder sections of the game later on. However, the game doesn’t make it easy to do so, as players will have to perform a very specific series of actions to even unlock the ability. Here is how it is done.
How To Unlock The Blacksmith To Upgrade Weapons
Upgrading weapons requires unlocking the services of the Blacksmith, Gerlinde, in Lords of the Fallen. This NPC is found at the tail end of the early game, and there are a few things that need to happen before you can find her.
- Unlock Skyrest, the main hub area of the game, where all the friendly NPCs gather for you to interact with. You will need to defeat Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal, to unlock this area.
- Reach the Pilgrim’s Perch Bellroom and unlock the elevator. You’ll need to solve the Pilgrim’s Perch Puzzle to get here. You’ll know you’re at the right location when you see a stuck elevator directly in front of the Vestige.
- Take the elevator down, and you’ll hear a distinct clinking. This is the blacksmith using the anvil. Jump down towards the prison, and you’ll find a Pureblade Crusader and three dogs. Defeat all of them and pick up the Prison Key from the Crusader’s dead body.
- Talk to Gerlinde and exhaust her dialogue, and you’ll be prompted to use the Prison Key you just picked up. Use it to free Gerlinde.
- Fast travel back to Skyrest and head to the chamber directly left of the Vestige. Gerlinde has set up shop here and is offering her services to upgrade your weapons.
And that’s it! You’ve successfully recruited Gerlinde and can use her services any time you want.