While Elden Ring Nightreign has eight Nightfarer classes to choose from, you’ll only have six available at the start after completing the tutorial. This page contains information on how to unlock the Duchess.
Where to Get the Old Pocketwatch
The first step to unlocking the Duchess is finding the Old Pocketwatch, one of the game’s many equipable Relics. It is a unique relic that always bestows the same bonuses, but getting it to appear can take some time.
The most reliable method is to clear the game’s first expedition and defeat the first boss, Gladius, Beast of Night. You can try to take him by selecting the Tricephalos Expedition (which is the only expedition available at the start of the game).
Beating the three-headed dog unlocks the rest of the expeditions, and you’ll also get the Old Pocketwatch as one of your rewards.
If Gladius is too hard for you at first, don’t worry: the Old Pocketwatch can also be a random reward for any failed attempt at the expedition. Either way, just keep trying. You’ll eventually get the pocketwatch as a drop, or you’ll pull off the win.
Give the Pocketwatch to the Priestess
If you have a keen eye, you may have noticed already that the robed Priestess looks like a pretty familiar figure, and this is not a coincidence.
With the Old Pocketwatch in hand, we can unlock the Priestess to unlock a new conversation topic. Talk to the hooded figure hanging out by the expedition table in Roundtable Hold. When prompted, select “Show her the old pocketwatch“.
She’ll remove her hood and reveal herself as the Duchess, and from that point on, she’ll be playable.
She’ll also appear in various spots of the Roundtable Hold in her new look, but can also still appear as the Priestess too!
Playing as the Duchess
Let’s do a quick breakdown of what you can expect from this class. The Duchess is like your typical RPG rogue, and as such, her passive ability gives her an extended dodge. The double hop means you can move out of harm’s way easier than other classes.
As for active abilities, the pocketwatch lets her repeat the last two seconds of damage to an enemy. Whenever they take a big hit from a riposte or an ultimate, you can rewind that moment, showing a ghost of what just happened, making them take half that damage again. And speaking of ultimates, the Duchess can temporarily make the party invisible. This means enemies and bosses can’t target anyone, and you can even slip by tougher encounters on the map if you’re not quite ready. Of course, that stealth goes away once you start attacking.
