Upgrade System — Blacksmith Forging, Shards & Relic Slots

There is no XP and no levels in The Relic: First Guardian — so "upgrading" your character works differently than in most soulslikes. Growth comes from four separate systems: forging equipment at the blacksmith, unlocking relic slots with Shards of Awakening, raising potion capacity with Shards of Esser, and buying skills with Relic Energy. This guide explains each one, what is confirmed at launch (August 2026), and what is still being documented.

System 1: Forging Unique Equipment at the Blacksmith

Every weapon and armor piece in the game is unique — there are no duplicate drops. Each item has its own history and stats, and some powerful items carry Drawbacks (for example, losing stamina or gaining a weakness) that you must weigh before equipping them.

Because items are one-of-a-kind, the blacksmith is how you keep a favorite weapon relevant for the whole game:

What you upgrade: individual weapons and armor pieces, not "slots" or a generic weapon class.
What it costs: currencies and materials gathered from the world. One launch review noted that upgrades consume two item types per upgrade level, but exact costs are not yet confirmed and likely vary by item.
Why it matters: since there are no duplicate drops, you cannot farm a "better version" of your weapon. Forging is the only way to push its damage upward.

Unconfirmed at launch: the maximum upgrade level per item, whether forging adds new passives at certain thresholds, and whether materials are shared across all items. These details are still being documented by the community.

System 2: Shards of Awakening — Unlocking Relic Slots

The core of your power is your Relic — the collection of fragments (also called runes or memory fragments) that grant passive effects. More equipped fragments means more power, and relic slots are gated behind exploration:

Shards of Awakening are found through exploration across the world.
Bring them to Elisa — the woman who awakens you at the start of the game — at any camp.
Each Shard unlocks a new Relic slot, letting you equip more fragments.

There are over 70 unique relic fragments in the game, so slot unlocks are a major power source. Because relics are freely swappable, expanding your slots gives you far more build flexibility than any single fragment.

Confirmed: Shards of Awakening + Elisa at camps = new relic slots. Unconfirmed: the starting number of slots, the total number of slots, and exactly how many shards exist per playthrough.

System 3: Shards of Esser — Potion Capacity

Healing is limited and precious, so expanding your potion supply is one of the highest-value upgrades in the game:

You start with 3 health potions.
Shards of Esser are found in temples, sitting on altars — for example, in areas like the Faded Mist Forest.
Each shard increases your health potion capacity, giving you more healing per excursion.

Confirmed: start with 3 potions; Shards of Esser on temple altars raise capacity. Unconfirmed: the total number of shards and the maximum capacity. Practical tip: if you are dying to attrition — running dry on potions before a boss — hunting temple altars is a better investment than grinding for gear. More potions directly translate into more attempts per run.

System 4: Relic Energy — Buying Skills in Weapon Skill Trees

Skills are the other half of your combat power, and they are bought, not learned by leveling:

Relic Energy is earned by defeating Brutals (the game's 70+ boss encounters) and by finding Ancient Relic Blessings in the world.
Spend it in the weapon skill trees — each of the 5 weapon families has its own tree, and there are 12 skill trees total (two per weapon family).
Crucially, skill tree nodes are not just offensive: some nodes increase Health Points or Stamina, and others buff specific Relics.

Why this matters for upgrading: the fastest way to raise your health pool early on is buying HP nodes in a weapon skill tree — not finding gear. Plan your Relic Energy spending around the stats your current build lacks. Unconfirmed: node costs per tree, whether Respec exists, and how much total Relic Energy a playthrough grants.

What Does NOT Exist (Correcting Misinformation)

Several upgrade claims circulating online are not supported by the launch build:

Claim	Reality
"The First Relic has 10 upgrade tiers with a material table"	Unconfirmed — no reliable source describes a 10-tier relic upgrade track. The confirmed systems are forging, shard-based unlocks, and skill purchases.
"Relic tier 10 grants Relic Awakening passives"	Unconfirmed — no such mechanic has been documented in the shipped game.
"Rune Vessels guarded by mini-bosses unlock slots"	Not confirmed — slot unlocks are tied to Shards of Awakening + Elisa at camps.
"Materials convert 3 Common = 1 Ember Dust at blacksmiths"	Unconfirmed — dismantling as a material source has not been verified.
"Daily-reset farming areas"	Unconfirmed — no source confirms daily-reset zones.

Treat any exact material table, tier list, or dismantling recipe without a verified in-game source as speculation until confirmed.

Upgrade Priority for New Players

Based on what is confirmed, this is a sensible early-game order:

Buy HP and stamina nodes in your starting weapon's skill tree — the most direct survivability increase (Relic Energy).
Hunt temple altars for Shards of Esser — more potions smooths every subsequent fight.
Explore for Shards of Awakening and return to Elisa at camps to unlock relic slots — slot count gates your build depth.
Forge your favorite unique weapon at the blacksmith — since items never drop twice, upgrading what you have beats hoping for a replacement.
Swap relics per boss — with slots unlocked, adapting your loadout to each Brutal is the highest-ROI habit in the game.

Common Questions

Q: Can I upgrade my character's level?

A: No — there are no levels or XP. Power comes from relics, relic slots, skills, and forged equipment.

Q: Where is the blacksmith?

A: Blacksmiths are tied to the world's camps. Exact camp locations and blacksmith availability are unconfirmed — expect one at the main hub area early on.

Q: Do upgraded weapons carry into late game?

A: Likely yes — the design intent (unique items, no duplicates) is that your chosen weapon grows with you. The maximum forge level is unconfirmed.

Q: What if I waste materials on the wrong weapon?

A: Because every item is unique, wasted materials hurt. Check the Weapons Guide and Tier List before committing to a forge target.

Q: Is there a respec option?

A: Unconfirmed. Skills are bought with Relic Energy and no official respec mechanic has been announced.

Runes & Relics Guide — The 70+ passive fragments that slots unlock
Weapons Guide — The unique weapons you will be forging
Beginner Guide — First-hours priorities for upgrades
Best Builds Guide — What to spend Relic Energy on per build