In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Prayer Beads serve as vital upgrade items that enhance your survivability by increasing your character’s maximum Vitality (health) and Posture (balance). Collecting and utilizing these beads is critical for navigating the game’s punishing combat system successfully.

How to Earn Prayer Beads
1. Defeat Mini-Bosses and Bosses: Prayer Beads are awarded for taking down specific mini-bosses and major bosses scattered throughout the game. Engaging and conquering these formidable foes is key to earning these collectibles.

2. Environmental Exploration: In addition to combat, players can find some Prayer Beads hidden within the game world. These are typically located in treasure chests or tucked away in secret areas, encouraging thorough exploration and attention to detail.

3. Total Count: There are a total of 40 Prayer Beads available in the game. These beads can be collected in sets of four to form a Prayer Necklace, which is crucial for upgrading your character.

4. Playthrough Consideration: To obtain all Prayer Beads in a single playthrough, players should look to pursue the “Purification” ending and explore extensively. This is important as some beads may become inaccessible due to story progression or the disappearance of bosses after they are defeated.

How to Use Prayer Beads
1. Collecting Beads: Once you gather four Prayer Beads, you need to visit any Sculptor’s Idol, which are the game’s checkpoints.

2. Enhancing Attributes: At the Sculptor’s Idol, select the option “Enhance Physical Attributes” to convert your collected beads into a Prayer Necklace. Each necklace you create increases your maximum Vitality and Posture.

3. Stat Boosts: Each Prayer Necklace you gain provides a 25% increase to your maximum health and posture based on their base values. You can create up to 10 Prayer Necklaces using all 40 beads, boosting your maximum Vitality and Posture by a possible total of 250% (or 3.5 times your initial values).

Summary
– Prayer Beads are crucial for long-term survival and success within Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
– The core process involves collecting 4 beads → using them at a Sculptor’s Idol → receiving a Prayer Necklace → and thereby boosting Vitality and Posture by 25%.
– Aim for all 40 beads for optimal survivability and an enhanced gameplay experience.

This system not only emphasizes the importance of exploration and overcoming repetitive challenges but also plays a fundamental role in mastering the intricate combat mechanics that Sekiro requires from its players. Collecting Prayer Beads thus becomes a rewarding journey that actively contributes to a player’s growth and resilience within the game.