Complete PoE 2 Trials of Ascendancy for Ascendancy Classes and Unique Rewards

Trials of Ascendancy Guide

Completing the Trials of Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2 allows you to choose an Ascendancy Class and unlock additional Ascendancy Passives. These Trials are scattered throughout the campaign, and you can decide when to access your Ascendancy Class and its associated Passive skill points.

Ascendancies are powerful, build-defining subclasses that provide access to an additional passive tree where you can allocate Ascendancy Passives. In Path of Exile 2, your build is shaped by the combination of your Character Class and Ascendancy Class.

Each of the 12 classes (6 available in early access) offers a choice of 3 Ascendancies (2 available during early access).

How to Ascend

There are 3 Trials of Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2, and you can unlock your Ascendancy Class by completing a trial of your choice.

To ascend, you must:

1. Locate a quest item key.
2. Travel to the Trial's entrance.
3. Complete the trial by overcoming its challenges and defeating the final boss.

Your first completion of any Trial of Ascendancy unlocks your Ascendancy Class and rewards you with 2 Ascendancy passive points.

Trials of Ascendancy:

• Act 2: Trial of the Sekhemas
• Act 3: Trial of Chaos
• Act 4: Unknown (Currently not available in Early Access)

How to Unlock ALL Ascendancy Passives

Here’s a summary of how to acquire all 8 Ascendancy Passive Points in Path of Exile 2:

• Passive Points 1 and 2: Unlock Ascendancy by completing The Trial of the Sekhemas via the quest involving Balbala's Barya in Act 2.
• Passive Points 3 and 4: Complete The Trial of Chaos via the quest using the Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum in Act 3.
• Passive Points 5 and 6: Complete one of the following:
  • The Trial of the Sekhemas with a Level 60+ Djinn Barya that has “Number of Trials: 3” (3 floors), OR
  • The Trial of Chaos with a Level 75+ Inscribed Ultimatum that has “Number of Trials: 10” (10 rounds).
• Passive Points 7 and 8: Complete one of the following:
  • The Trial of the Sekhemas with a Level 75+ Djinn Barya, which has “Number of Trials: 4” (4 floors), and defeat the Pinnacle Boss Fight, OR
  • Defeat the Pinnacle Boss behind the locked doors in The Trial of Chaos with a Level 75+ Inscribed Ultimatum that has “Number of Trials: 10” (10 rounds) and requires all three fragments: Cowardly Fate, Deadly Fate, and Victorious Fate.

Key Drops:

• Level 60+ Djinn Barya can randomly drop at the end of Act 3 Cruel (Act 6) or in any endgame Waystone (Tier 1+) Maps and similar activities.
• Level 75+ Djinn Barya and Level 75+ Inscribed Ultimatums are randomized drops found in endgame Waystone (Tier 8+) Maps and other high-level activities. You can also trade with other players for these endgame Trial keys.

Skipping Act 2 Trial of the Sekhemas

It is possible to skip the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2 and instead obtain your first 2 Ascendancy points in Act 3 by completing the Trial of Chaos. However, this leaves you without an Ascendancy Class for an entire Act, which is not recommended.

Trial of the Sekhemas

The Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2 is a roguelike dungeon filled with a series of challenge rooms and bosses. Each room presents a unique obstacle that you must overcome, including:

• Navigating traps.
• Surviving waves of enemies.
• Completing time-based challenges.

Rooms also include opportunities to improve your survival chances:

• Boons to grant temporary benefits.
• Opportunities to heal your character.
• Keys to unlock treasure troves at the end of the trial.

Your primary goal is to reach the final boss, defeat it, and claim your Ascendancy Class or Ascendancy Passive unlocks. However, the Trial of the Sekhemas, like all Trials, also holds the potential for long-term loot and access to endgame content.

A spinning fire trap in the "Gauntlet" type room highlights the deadly mechanics players must navigate.

How Honour Works

In the Trial of the Sekhemas, your character gains a unique additional health bar called Honour. Honour is based on your combined total Life and Energy Shield, but it functions as a separate resource. Whenever you take damage to your Life or Energy Shield, you also take damage to your Honour. Losing all of your Honour results in failing the Trial. You can fail either by dying normally or by completely depleting your Honour, which removes you from the Trial.

Honour is distinct because it cannot be restored through normal means, such as Life flasks, regeneration, or life leech. Instead, Honour can only be replenished through special Artifacts, Boons, or Shrines found as room rewards. This mechanic reinforces the roguelike nature of the Trial—taking damage carries significant risk, and recovering Honour is a challenge.

If your Honour runs low, avoid unnecessary risks. Sometimes, it’s wiser to pass up tempting treasures or challenges to focus on survival and ensure you can progress further.

The good news is that the Trial of the Sekhemas is carefully designed:

• Monsters feature slower, well-telegraphed attacks, giving you time to react.
• Traps are avoidable, provided you play carefully and master their mechanics.

To succeed, monitor your Honour level and evaluate the risks of each room. Plan carefully to maintain your Honour intact and survive the Trial.

Should You Ascend in Act 2?

The Trial of the Sekhemas becomes accessible earlier in the campaign, making it the most efficient choice for unlocking your Ascendancy Class and gaining your first 2 passive points as soon as possible. Delaying until later trials in Act 3 or Act 4 leaves you without the significant power boost an Ascendancy provides, which can greatly impact your progression.

While personal preference is a perfectly valid reason to delay, the only practical reason to avoid ascending in Act 2 is if you fear the Trial of the Sekhemas. For example, if your build is underperforming, it might still be worth attempting the trial later in Act 2. Gaining a few more levels and improving your gear will make the trial significantly easier and improve your chances of success.

Where is the Trial of the Sekhemas?

During the quest The Trail of Corruption, you’ll find yourself exploring Traitor's Passage, a zone filled with interconnected caves. Inside, you’ll come across a sealed door covered with warding glyphs. Behind this door is a prisoned Djinn who can grant you access to the Trial of the Sekhemas—for a price.

If you’re struggling to locate the sealed door, look for a pillar of stone containing relevant lore about the imprisonment. This pillar may also appear on your minimap. Once you find the sealed door, you’ll need to claim a key to unlock it.

The Ancient Seal Mechanics and Encounter

The imprisoned Djinn is Balbala, the Traitor, who resides within the Ancient Seal. To release them and gain their assistance in locating the Trial of the Sekhemas, you must first defeat them in combat. Balbala is a rogue-like, ethereal boss with high mobility and tricky mechanics.

Tips for Defeating Balbala, the Traitor

• Chaos Damage: Balbala deals significant Chaos Damage through poison. Improving your Chaos Resistance early in the game can make their attacks far easier to handle.
• Cold Damage Weakness: Balbala is resistant to Fire Damage but vulnerable to Cold Damage. Use Cold skills to your advantage, especially to freeze or slow Balbala’s movements.
• Mobility: Balbala’s speed makes landing slow, heavy attacks (like slams or grenades) difficult. Use these attacks only when Balbala is stunned, frozen, or otherwise immobilized.
• Poison Gas Mechanic: Balbala will vanish and flood the room with poisonous gas. To stop this, locate Balbala hiding in plain sight and interrupt the mechanic.

Once you defeat Balbala, you’ll receive the Quest Item Balbala’s Barya, a special coin that acts as the key to access the Trial of the Sekhemas.

With the coin in hand, you can travel to the Trial’s location via the Desert Map in town.

Note: World map layouts and positions can change, so the exact location of your Trial of the Sekhemas may vary.

How Relics Work

Before your first attempt at the Trial of the Sekhemas, Balbala grants you a Relic. Relics are special gear pieces that exclusively apply their buffs while you are within the Trial. These items provide general benefits, such as increased health (which also boosts your Honour), as well as Trial-specific buffs like methods to recover Honour or gain additional Sacred Water.

Crafting Relics

Relics can be crafted in the same way as regular gear. For example, if you have a spare Orb of Augmentation, you can use it to add another affix to a single-affix Magic Relic. Keep in mind that Relic affixes are random, so the buffs you roll may differ.

Relic Altar

Once you’re satisfied with your Relic, you can place it in the Relic Altar, where it remains permanently to empower you during the Trial. You can remove, replace, or rearrange Relics anytime before starting your next attempt.

While Relics may not have a major impact on your first run, they are an essential tool for future attempts, particularly when aiming to gain additional Ascendancy passives. You can obtain more Relics from Merchant encounters and as drops within the Trial of the Sekhemas itself.

Endgame Optimization

In the long run, you’ll want to acquire top-tier Relics to maximize your success when farming the Trial of the Sekhemas for endgame rewards.

Example: Using an Orb of Augmentation on the first Relic Balbala grants you. Affixes are random, so your results may vary!

Navigating the Map

The map is your primary tool for navigating the Trial of the Sekhemas. After each room, you use the map to choose your next destination. To complete the Trial, you must travel from the left-most room to the right-most room and defeat the final boss. In higher-level difficulties, the Trial expands with additional floors, featuring more rooms and bosses.

The map provides essential information about the challenges, rewards, and dangers within the Trial. Carefully reading and planning your path is critical to success.

Map Details and Key Information

1. Room Type: Describes the challenge you’ll face, such as traps or waves of monsters.
2. Reward Type: Highlights the rewards available, including treasure keys, Honour-restoring wells, or Boons.
3. Afflictions: Rooms with a purple highlight contain an Affliction—a Trial-specific debuff—that will affect you upon entry.
4. Next Set of Rooms: You can see the next column of rooms ahead, allowing you to plan your path strategically.
5. Connections Between Rooms: Not all rooms are interconnected. You must choose rooms that connect to your desired route.

Dynamic Map Effects

Be aware that Afflictions, Boons, and Relic effects can change how the map functions:

• Afflictions: Some may hide the next column of rooms or obscure room types, making planning ahead more difficult.
• Boons/Relics: Some can reveal additional rooms or paths, providing more opportunities for rewards and improving your overall chances of success.

Navigating the map effectively is vital for surviving the Trial and maximizing both your loot and progress.

Room Challenges and Rewards

The Room Types in the Trial of the Sekhemas determine the challenges you’ll face. Understanding these room types will help you develop a strategy and avoid rooms that don’t align with your build or current state. Planning ahead to reduce risks is crucial, especially when your Honour is low.

The Reward Types are equally important, as they can save your run or greatly enhance the rewards at the end of the Trial. For example, a well-timed Boon or Honour recovery shrine could ensure your survival, while Treasure Keys significantly increase your final loot.

Room Challenge Types

• Gauntlet: A room filled with traps and some monsters. Your goal is to simply reach the exit. You don’t need to kill monsters, but doing so can make it easier to focus on navigating traps safely.
• Chalice Ritual: Defeat all Rare Monsters in the area to fill the chalice and complete the challenge.
• Hourglass Trial: Survive waves of monsters until the timer runs out. Killing monsters is not required but makes survival much easier.
• Escape Trial: Locate and disable all Death Crystals before the timer expires. Crystals fire waves of energy that point to their next target. Any remaining Crystals will damage you when time runs out. Monsters and treasure chests will attempt to distract you.

Room Reward Types

• Treasure Keys: Provides Bronze, Silver, or Gold keys for additional valuable rewards at the end of the Trial. Keys are destroyed if you fail the Trial.
• Sacred Water: Large or small fountains that grant Sacred Water, a special currency usable only during your current Trial run.
• Merchant: Spend your Sacred Water to purchase:
  • Boons: Assist you in your current run.
  • Relics: Provide benefits for future runs (must be placed in the Relic Altar before the next run).
• Shrine to Restore Honour: Pay a small amount of Sacred Water to recover a portion of your lost Honour.
• Boon Shrine: A shrine that restores some lost Honour and grants a random Boon. These shrines are powerful tools to improve your odds of success.
• Pledge to Kohai: Trade-offs that involve Boons and Afflictions:
• Choose a specified Boon at the cost of an Affliction.
  • Remove a random Boon and Affliction.
  • Gain a random Boon and Affliction pair.
  • Pledges can drastically alter the course of your run, so choose wisely.

Bossfights in Trial of the Sekhemas

At the end of each floor in the Trial of the Sekhemas, you’ll face a boss that must be defeated to either complete the Trial or progress to the next floor. These encounters are significant challenges, so plan carefully to increase your odds of success: enter with high Honour, beneficial Boons, and avoid dangerous Afflictions.

FLOOR 1 - Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker

Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker is the floor 1 boss, a hulking magma elemental that deals significant Fire Damage and uses abilities to deny areas in the arena. Rattlecage’s attacks are large and slow, but devastating if they connect.

Tips for Defeating Rattlecage:

• Fire Resistance: Rattlecage’s primary damage type is Fire. Equip gear with Fire Resistance or use Fire Charms to gain temporary resistance buffs when taking Fire Damage.
• Elemental Damage: Rattlecage is resistant to Fire and Lightning, but vulnerable to Cold Damage. Prioritize Cold skills to take advantage of this weakness.
• Physical Damage: Rattlecage’s high Armour reduces the effectiveness of Physical Damage. Use Armour Break skills to bypass this defense.
• Crowd Control Effects: Rattlecage’s large size and slow wind-up animations make it susceptible to crowd control effects like Stun, Freeze, Electrocute, and Chill. Its vulnerability to Cold makes applying Freeze particularly effective.
• Large and Easy to Hit: Rattlecage’s size makes it an ideal target for overlapping Area of Effect (AoE) skills. For example, skills like Grenades paired with Multiple Projectiles can deal significant damage by “shotgunning” the target.
• Fire Rain Mechanic:
• At low life, Rattlecage uses a slam attack that triggers a Fire Rain—a barrage of fire droplets falling randomly across the arena. This ability lasts for approximately a minute but will eventually end. This phase is the most dangerous part of the fight.
  • Option 1: Play defensively, focus on dodging, and wait for the Fire Rain to stop.
  • Option 2: Play aggressively to finish the fight quickly, mitigating the risk of being overwhelmed by Fire Rain and other area-denial mechanics.

Final Loot and Rewards: Time-Lost Jewels

At the end of the Trial of the Sekhemas, in addition to any loot acquired during your run and from the final boss, you’ll enter the final vault. Here, you can claim your Ascendancy Class or Ascendancy passive points if you haven’t already done so at this difficulty level.

Inside the reward room, you can use your Treasure Keys to open chests of increasing value: Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Each key opens one chest only, so maximizing your rewards requires not just collecting more keys, but prioritizing higher-quality keys (Silver and Gold).

Each chest has a name that hints at the type of loot it contains:

• Mysterious: Unknown (Speculated to contain randomized loot of any type).
• Armour: Primarily Armour gear, with a chance for Currency and Gold.
• Weapons: Primarily Weapons, along with Currency and Gold.
• Royal: Contains Jewels, with a chance to drop exclusive Time-Lost Jewels.
• Hoarders: Contains Currency and Gold.
• Gloves, Helmets, Boots, etc.: Contains gear of the specified type.
• Relics: Contains Relics for future Trial runs.

Time-Lost Jewels

The Time-Lost Jewel is the exclusive reward type for the Trial of the Sekhemas. While regular Jewels can drop anywhere in the game, Time-Lost Jewels are unique to this Trial.

Time-Lost Jewels interact with your Passive Skill Tree by providing bonuses within a radius around the jewel socket. For example:

• Amplifying Minor Passives: Increasing the effect of minor passives in their radius.
• Extra Modifiers: Adding additional effects to nodes, such as increased curse effect or other enhancements.

Like regular Jewels, Time-Lost Jewels can be crafted to further customize their effects, offering powerful bonuses that can be tailored to enhance almost any build.

Example: A Time-Lost Jewel showing its radius and modified nodes on the Passive Skill Tree.

Spend Sacred Water to Gain More Treasure Keys or Relics

If you have Sacred Water remaining at the end of the Trial of the Sekhemas, you have two primary options:

1. Purchase Relics from Balbala. Speak to her first to see which Relics are for sale. If any provide upgrades to your collection, consider purchasing them.
2. Convert Sacred Water to Treasure Keys using the Keth Forge in the final reward room. Treasure Keys can be used to unlock additional reward chests, increasing your overall loot.

Important: Always speak to Balbala and check her Relic offerings first. Once you interact with the Keth Forge, all of your remaining Sacred Water will be converted into Treasure Keys, leaving nothing to spend on Relics.

Trial of the Sekhemas Endgame

An endgame version of the Trial of the Sekhemas has been revealed, offering new challenges and rewards. This version serves multiple purposes:

• Grants the final 2 Ascendancy Passive Points.
• Provides a unique endgame challenge and boss fight.
• Offers exclusive endgame rewards, likely including a source for farming Time-Lost Jewels and other powerful loot.

Further details about the endgame Trial will be added as new information becomes available. Pin this post to stay notified about future updates!

Trial of Chaos

In Act 3, while exploring the Vaal Jungle, you can discover the Temple of Chaos, home to the Trial of Chaos. To gain access, you must obtain a key from The Trialmaster. In this trial, you must overcome a series of consecutive challenges and defeat a randomized boss to reach the end. Successful completion will unlock your Ascendancy, grant Ascendancy Passive Points, and allow you to claim additional rewards.

Where is the Trial of Chaos?

The entrance to the Trial of Chaos is found in Act 3, within the Chimeral Wetlands. To locate it:

• Follow the outer edge of the zone.
• Look for a narrow passage leading to stone stairs that mark the entrance.

Unlocking the Trial: Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum

To access the Trial of Chaos for the first time, you must obtain the Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum. This key is dropped by the unique boss, Xyclucian, the Chimera.

Tips for Defeating Xyclucian, the Chimera

Xyclucian is a formidable boss with fast and deadly mechanics:

• Mobility: Xyclucian frequently dashes around the arena. Use quick skills or movement abilities to keep up.
• Chaos Damage: Many of Xyclucian’s attacks deal Chaos Damage. Improving your Chaos Resistance will significantly reduce incoming damage.
• Summons: Xyclucian can summon minions that distract and overwhelm you. Prioritize clearing them while avoiding the boss's main attacks.
• Area Denial: Watch out for lingering effects on the ground, as standing in them can deal heavy damage over time.

Once you defeat Xyclucian, you’ll receive the Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum. This item allows you to attempt the Trial of Chaos as many times as needed until you succeed.

Xyclucian, the Chimera Boss Fight Tips

Xyclucian, the Chimera, is a multi-faceted boss with three heads that deal different types of elemental damage and a tail that inflicts Chaos Damage. Additionally, the boss uses Physical Damage slams. This variety of attacks requires a well-rounded defense to survive the encounter.

Key Tips for Defeating Xyclucian:

1. Focus on Fire and Cold Resistance:
   • The Cold Damage breath attack and the Fire Damage flying-breath attack are the most dangerous abilities to avoid. Prioritize boosting your Fire Resistance and Cold Resistance to mitigate their impact.
2. Monitor Xyclucian’s Flight Phases:
   • Throughout the fight, Xyclucian will fly into the air and land on stone pillars around the arena.
   • You can attack and destroy these pillars to cause Xyclucian to fall into the rubble, temporarily stunning the boss and creating an opening to deal significant damage.
3. Extend Your Damage Window:
   • Use the downtime after destroying the pillar to apply Stagger Stun or other Ailments like Freeze. These effects will extend the period of vulnerability, giving you more time to deal safe damage.
4. Play Defensively:
   • Be patient during the encounter. Let Xyclucian land on the pillars naturally before committing to damage.
   • Focus on avoiding breath attacks and Physical Damage slams until a safe opportunity arises.

Tribulations Within the Trial of Chaos

The Trial of Chaos is a combat-focused challenge that introduces a unique layer of decision-making through Tribulations. In each new Chamber, you are forced to select 1 of 3 Tribulations—negative modifiers that persist for the remainder of the run.

Tribulations can:

• Introduce hazards to the encounters.
• Weaken your character, reducing your survivability.
• Empower your enemies, making them harder to defeat.

With every successful room you clear, another Tribulation is added to your Trial, increasing the difficulty and risk.

The key to surviving the Trial of Chaos is to carefully choose the Tribulations you believe you can manage. Be mindful of combinations that synergize negatively—certain effects can compound in dangerous ways, potentially leading to your defeat.

Choosing "Shocking Turrets" adds small totems that periodically fire a grid of Lightning Damage bolts, creating an additional hazard that can quickly overwhelm an unprepared player.

Final Loot and Rewards: Vaal Orbs and Soul Cores

At the end of the Trial of Chaos, in addition to claiming your Ascendancy Class or Ascendancy Passive Points (if you haven’t already done so), you also collect your Tribulation rewards. Each time you select a Tribulation, a corresponding reward—such as gear or currency—is added to your final winnings. Successfully completing the Trial allows you to claim all accumulated rewards.

Vaal Orbs: Risk and Reward

One of the most significant rewards from the Trial of Chaos is the Vaal Orb, a powerful crafting currency tied to the theme of risk and reward.

• The Vaal Orb allows you to corrupt an item, modifying it unpredictably.
• Corruption can yield incredible results, such as:
  • Adding unique enhancements or modifiers.
  • Creating additional sockets on gear.
• However, corruption also comes with risk:
  • It can reduce or ruin an item’s usability.
  • A corrupted item is locked from further modification, making it the final step in its crafting process—either perfecting it into something legendary or rendering it unusable.

Example: A Vaal Orb reward in the Trial of Chaos, alongside two Corrupted items—one enhanced with a life enchantment and another gaining an extra socket.

Soul Cores: Exclusive Rewards of the Trial of Chaos

Another significant reward from the Trial of Chaos is Soul Cores, a reward type unique to this trial. Soul Cores are socketable items similar to Runes, but they come with more specific and potentially powerful effects that can drastically enhance your build.

For example:

• The Soul Core of Topotante grants Elemental Penetration to weapons, providing a significant damage increase for builds focused on Elemental Damage.

These powerful bonuses make Soul Cores a highly sought-after reward, especially for players looking to optimize their damage output or fine-tune specific aspects of their character builds.

Endgame Trial of Chaos

An endgame version of the Trial of Chaos has been revealed, offering a unique challenge for advanced players. This version serves multiple purposes:

• Grants the final 2 Ascendancy Passive Points.
• Provides a unique endgame challenge and boss encounter.
• Offers exclusive rewards, likely including Vaal Orbs and Soul Cores.

Both Vaal Orbs and Soul Cores are anticipated to become highly sought-after items for endgame crafting and gear optimization, making the endgame Trial of Chaos a valuable activity for dedicated players.

Further details about the endgame Trial and its mechanics will be added as more information becomes available. Pin this post to stay notified of future updates!

Unknown Trial

It has been revealed that there will be a third Trial of Ascendancy in Act 4, but details about it remain scarce. Currently, the third Trial is not implemented in the game, and little is known about its mechanics or challenges.

Since Early Access currently includes only Acts 1, 2, and 3, it is expected that this third Trial will be introduced alongside Act 4 at a later stage during Early Access.

Further information will be added here as it becomes available. Stay tuned for updates!

Summary

• Getting Your Ascendancy: You can unlock your Ascendancy by completing either Act 2's Trial of the Sekhemas or Act 3's Trial of Chaos. However, completing it in Act 2 grants access to your Ascendancy earlier in the campaign.
• If You're Struggling: If the Trial proves too difficult, you can delay and come back later after gaining a few levels and upgrading your gear to improve your chances.
• Gaining More Ascendancy Passives: To earn additional Ascendancy Passive Points beyond the first two, you must complete higher-level versions of any Trial using keys. These keys drop randomly as you progress and level up. If you haven’t obtained one yet, it’s likely because you aren’t at a high enough level for the next difficulty’s key to drop.
• Each Trial Has Unique Rewards:
  • The Trial of the Sekhemas offers Time-Lost Jewels, exclusive socketable items that modify passives within their radius.
  • The Trial of Chaos provides Vaal Orbs for powerful and risky item corruption, as well as Soul Cores, socketable items with specific and potent effects.

These exclusive rewards are highly valuable and can be extremely useful for any build, making each Trial well worth completing.