Act 3 Campaign Secrets Guide

Many hidden encounters can be located on Path of Exile 2's Act 3 world map through icons that appear after you explore the zone. The symbols with a + symbol represent important encounters that give permanent character buffs.

The markers without + symbols point out some of the other loot locations and special encounters — but not all of them. This guide details the marked and unmarked secrets that give loot such as Gold, Uncut Gems, crafting Currency and gear.

Checkpoints also appear near many of the hidden encounters, which is a good way to spot them. Look around Checkpoints for anything unusual looking and use the reference images and descriptions in this guide to aid in your search.

Rootdredge: Uncut Skill Gem

Rootdredge is a Unique Boss in the Sadswept Marsh — a necromantic Treant that summons zombies and hurls enchanted corpses at you. Defeating this boss grants a Level 9 Uncut Skill Gem in Normal and random loot in Cruel.

The Hanging Tree: Random Ring

Nearby is also the Hanging Tree, which features one of the least threatening ambushes of all time. When you disturb a nearby corpse some of zombies slowly shamble out of waters. Ensure your controller or mouse and keyboard are plugged in and you'll be able to defeat them easily — I believe in you. For your efforts you can claim a random Ring from the corpse.

Orok Campsite: Lesser Jeweller's Orb

In the more vegetated area of the Sandswept Marsh is the Orok Campsite. This location features a pair unique Rare Monsters named Ranbu the Pale Shaman and Garkam, Ranbu's Maul. Garkam's slow attacks are easy to dodge but be cautious of Poison ground left behind by Ranbu's attacks. Pay attention to the rare monster modifiers, which is always a good idea with these unique Rare Monster fights.

Silverfist: +2 Passives and Likely Death

Silverfist is a massive and fast Unique Boss that does not mess around. Find yourself not paying attention in the ruins they claim as their territory and this monstrous Quadrillo can quickly flatten you like a pancake. Hardcore permadeath warning!

Most of Silverfist's lethality is in the overhead slam with the ruin's pillar. If you don't have a large amount of physical mitigation and life this is a one-shot attack. It is an incredible opportunity to practice your dodge rolling skill though — wait to the last moment and time those rolls to the side carefully.

Defeat Silverfist and you are rewarded with +2 Passive / Weapon Swap Skill Points in both Normal and Cruel Difficulties!

In the Troubled Camp inside of the Jungle Ruins zone is an NPC named Gwendolyn Albright, with several chests nearby. Most chests contain random loot but one of these contains a guaranteed pair of Rare Gloves.

Gwendolyn Albright is one of the game's hidden vendors — shopkeepers who sell better-than-normal gear. Gwendolyn sells Armour that are always at least Magic or Rare, with their item level based on the zone (level 34 in Normal and level 58 in Cruel).

Her wares reset each time you level up, so if you are struggling to find some movement speed boots or a good body armor / helmet / pair of gloves then visit Gwendolyn each time you gain a new level. This is a fantastic tool for gearing up. It's especially helpful in the final push into endgame in Cruel difficulty where the level 58 gear she sells can be good enough to beat the campaign and get started on endgame maps.

In Act 3's Jungle Ruins a side quest for the NPC Servi sees you explore area for a missing member of their community. Once you locate the Jungle Grave you must summon Servi to reveal the missing person's unfortunate fate. Upon doing so you are rewarded with your choice of Rare Belts from Servi for your efforts. In Normal difficulty your options are an unidentified Rare Linen Belt or Rawhide Belt. In Cruel difficulty your options are instead a Rare Mail Belt or Double Belt.

While not exactly a hidden encounter, The Jungle Grave is a non-dangerous and straightforward optional quest to get some important gear — and that's what this guide is all about. Good Belts can give you much-needed Life, Resistances, Charm slots and flask effectiveness scaling.

Near the Waypoint in the Jungle Ruins is the entrance to The Venom Crypts. This zone is a snake-filled crypt with many Sarcophagi with randomized loot, though be wary that some contain snake-filled corpses that attack when you draw near. The area marked on the minimap (but not on the world map) as The Priesthood Crypt contains Magic Monsters and several Sarcophagi with random loot.

The amount of Sarcophagi along with a high density of Magic and Rare monsters make this a decent early Act 3 farming location. Clear it to obtain loot and check Gwendolyn's wares again each time you level up to improve your gear as needed.

The Larva Hollow is the source of at least some of the insect problem in the Infested Barrens. It is an unmarked hidden area: a sunken nest of the unique Rare Monster The Brood Queen and her many, many Larva.

Step inside and be swarmed by the Larva — easily dealt with by using an area of effect skill. Further in the hollow the Brood Queen awaits, buried underground. Whilst the Larva Hollow is an interesting encounter it only rewards random loot from the monsters you kill within.

In the Troubled Camp in the Infested Barrens there are several chests and the NPC Sebastian Carroway. One of the chests contains a guaranteed pair of Rare Boots. Any opportunity to get faster Movement Speed Boots must be taken advantage of as one of the most important stats in any build. So ensure you check these boots.

Sebastian Carroway is much like Gwendolyn in the Jungle Ruins — a hidden NPC Vendor that sells better-than-normal gear. Sebastian specifically sells weapons, including ranged and melee (but not spell caster weapons like Wands, see the Apex of Filth later in this guide). Getting a high damage weapon for any attack build is a tremendous boon, so check to see what he has in stock. Just like Gwendolyn, he resets his wares every time you level up. The weapons in his shop are based on the zone level: 35 in Normal and 59 in Cruel Difficulty.

Toxic Bloom: A Magic Amulet

In the Chimeral Wetlands zone an are a filled with poisonous flowers is home to a unique Rare Monster named the Noxious Behemoth. In both Normal and Cruel Difficulty the Noxious Behemoth drops a guaranteed Magic Amulet for all party members when defeated.

Amulets are quite rare drops during the campaign, making this a good opportunity to get an upgrade. Identify your Magic Amulet and if it has the potential to be an upgrade over your current Amulet (or if it simply has Life, Attributes, Damage or Resistance on it) then use a Regal Orb on it to turn it into a Rare.

The Ravaged Camp: Random Loot and Guaranteed Armour

Unlike the campsites of Gwendolyn Albright and Sebastian Carroway this campsite has not survived the dangers of Act 3's Chimeral Wetlands. The Ravaged Camp features several chests with randomized loot and a guaranteed Rare Armour for each player in the party in both Normal and Cruel difficulties.

Jiquani's Machinarium Unmarked Treasure Vaults

Inside Jiquani's Machinarium are treasure vaults that must be opened by powering the door with one of the Small Soul Cores scattered about the zone. Once the door is powered, loot the Gold and Chests, which have random loot inside. These vaults are not marked on the map and while you can farm them by resetting the zone they are time-consuming to open.

Jiquani's Sanctum: Corruption Altar

Tucked away behind the entrance in Jiquani's Sanctum is a device called Paquate's Mechanism. This is a Corruption Altar, which allows you to Corrupt an item. This works the same as using a Vaal Orb on an item, which modify items unpredictably in positive or potentially negative ways. The possible upsides of corruption can be very powerful though, so it is worth using this device in a few potential ways:

• Corrupt a good, but not irreplaceable, rare piece of gear. This has a chance to give an additional socket or add a modifier to the item. Otherwise, it may reroll some of the affixes on the item, which can be good or bad depending on what you end up with!
• Corrupt a 3-socket Skill Gem you are using for a potential 4th socket. Other possibilities are -1 sockets, increased quality or the Gem gaining or losing a level. If the corruption fails you must replace the gem. Thankfully, low-level skill gems are easy to replace and Lesser Jeweller's Orb are cheap on the Currency Exchange.

You can use the Corruption Altar once in each Difficulty.

Narag's Hut: Rare Weapon

In the Matlan Waterways, you can raid Narag's Hut and fight the unique Rare Monster Narag of the Vile Word. The entrance to Narag's Hut is roughly halfway through the zone and down a jungle path with skulls hanging from an arch (and a checkpoint).

Narag casts fire spells, including a meteor with a long cast time. When you defeat her each member of the party is rewarded with a Rare Weapon and some random loot.

The Gentle Crone and Her Cauldron: Secret Vendor and Quality Flasks

In the Apex of Filth search for a Blue Mushroom, Green Mushroom, and a Red Mushroom. Further in the Zone, The Gentle Crone resides with her cauldron. Place the mushrooms into Cauldron obtain a reward of quality Life and Mana flasks. This works in both Normal and Cruel difficulty, with the latter giving a quality Ultimate Life Flask and Ultimate Mana Flask. Quality boosts the recovery amount of these flasks, so this is a helpful event in Cruel.

Much more important, however, is the fact that The Gentle Crone is the final secret NPC vendor in Act 3. She sells Jewellery and Spellcaster gear of higher quality. Getting good Jewellery is difficult, making this a powerful vendor for gearing up. The biggest drawback is the time it takes to reach the Crone. In Normal Difficulty, her wares are item level 41. In Cruel Difficulty, they are item level 61. Item level 61 Jewellery can easily be endgame viable.

In Aggorat, there are the quarters of notable historical figures such as:

• Viper Napautzi, the Fang of the Vaal
• Uromoti, the Architect of Expansion
• Azcapa, Architect of the Guild

In each of these quarters there are Golden Idols, piles of Gold and Magic or Rare chests with random loot. To locate these quarters look for checkpoints with doorways near them.