The best Elden Ring items to grab early on

pcgamer.com:

Elden Ring locks some important features behind hidden items. For example: You can't craft items in your menu until you purchase the Crafting Tools from an NPC early in the game. Many of these items are hard to miss if you like to explore, but it's possible to completely miss them. If you don't have access to them by the time you're deep into the game, certain encounters and bosses could be very difficult to manage.

Many of these tools will be your first introduction to a whole feature of the game, like Ashes of War, so make sure to read what they do when you pick them up. They aren't mandatory to finish  the game, but they will be endlessly helpful as you get deeper into the Lands Between.

Crafting Tools

Elden Ring is littered with useful items like throwing darts and fire bombs that you can craft yourself with one particular item. Grab the Crafting Tools (300 runes) from the merchant in the Church of Elleh and you'll be able to craft everything straight from your start menu. It's just north of the tutorial building. 

Whetstone Knife

The Whetstone Knife allows you to put abilities, or Ashes of War, on your weapons and shields through a menu option on Sites of Grace. To find it, you need to go to the Gatefront Ruins, located near the Gatefront Site of Grace in Limgrave. The stairs down to the item are in the ruins patrolled by soldiers, so be careful. 

Spirit Calling Bell

The Spirit Calling Bell lets you call in AI allies to tackle large enemy encampments and to split a bosses attention while you get hits in. You don't have to summon Spirit Ashes, but they're a nice tool to have if any fight gets tough. Early in the game, after meeting Melina at a Site of Grace and earning Torrent, you can head back to the Church of