A recurring character in every Souls game, the Unbreakable, Untethered Hyena Patches is also in Elden Ring, though can be easily missed if you’re not looking for him.
Unlike other games though, it seems as though Patches introduction in Elden Ring is entirely free of you being kicked down a hole or fed to some giant mob
You can actually get Patches very early on in Elden Ring and his questline is failable, so make sure to read up on how to acquire everyone’s favorite Frienemy for more trusty shenanigans.
Patches can be found in the Murkwater Cave, which is just north of Agheel Lake. Basically hug the wall on the left once you break off into the stream, and the cave entrance should be just past the undead enemies.
Once you enter the cave, you’ll find a Site of Lost Grace. After topping off your health you’ll want to have a torch for how dark it is- Highwaymen will attack you, and if you accidentally spring the bell trap be prepared for a tough fight.
After you clear the Highwaymen, you’ll want to head to a tunnel on the right. There’ll be a chest with clothes inside it for you to loot. Once you loot it, Patches will come at you for stealing his stuff, and will become a full-on boss fight.
This is the hard part if you’ve already made progress in the game- don’t kill Patches. At around 25% health, he’ll start to cower and stop fighting, asking you to forgive him for attacking you. Accept his apology like the naive fool you are and he’ll become friendly for you.
Once you kill Godrick, Patches will move to the Scenic Isle in Liurna of the Lakes. You’ll be able to buy items from him here, including an extra cookbook and you can even get information out of him, such as information about the Iron Virgin in Raya Lucaria.
That’s pretty much all you need to know about meeting Patches in Elden Ring. The hardest part is basically not killing him during his boss fight, especially if you missed him early game and are now god-killing in terms of power.