Ready to unlock your true potential in Path of Exile 2? Ascending to your Ascendancy class is the key to unleashing powerful new skills and passive bonuses that can transform your gameplay. But beware: the path to Ascendancy is a challenging journey through deadly Trials, starting with the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2, where every decision and every hit to your unique Honour bar matters. Master these Trials, earn your Ascendancy points, and elevate your character to legendary status across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
If you’re blazing through Path of Exile 2 and not completing any side quests, it’s easy to miss the initial ascendancy quest. Here’s how to ascend in Path of Exile 2, plus how to get more Ascendancy points.
How to ascend in Path of Exile 2
To ascend in Path of Exile 2, you must first reach Act 2 and defeat the optional boss Balbala, the Traitor, in the Traitor’s Passage to obtain a Trial Token. This unlocks the Trial of the Sekhemas, a challenging trial where you face multiple rooms with different tasks in a roguelike “Slay the Spire” style map. Successfully completing this trial grants your first Ascendancy points. Later, you can also complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 to earn additional points. Each trial has multiple difficulty levels, with higher difficulties rewarding more Ascendancy points, up to a maximum of eight. Ascending allows you to choose and level up one of the two Ascendancy subclasses available for your character class, enhancing your build for endgame content.
To ascend to your Ascendancy class in Path of Exile 2, you’ll need to complete the Trial of the Sehkemasin Act 2, which is unlocked after defeating Balbala, The Traitor in Traitor’s Passage in Act 2. Make sure to pick up the Balbala’s Barya coin as it’s your key to entering the trial.
To complete the Trial of the Sehkemas, you’ll need to progress through seven challenges and a boss in the final room.
Some challenges will have their own conditions that’ll either hinder your character with a penalty or add debuffs to make the trial even harder. Additionally, you’ll have a life total that spreads across the entire gauntlet called honour, which is shown at the bottom of your screen. With every hit you take during the trial, your honour will decrease. Once it reaches zero, you’ll fail the trial and need to start all over again, so be mindful of it!
Once you complete the Trial of the Sehkemas, interact with the Altar of Ascendancies to choose your Ascendancy class and receive two Ascendancy points.
How to get more Ascendancy points in Path of Exile 2
To get more Ascendancy points in Path of Exile 2, you need to complete specific Trials of Ascendancy found throughout the campaign. Start by unlocking your Ascendancy Class in Act 2 by completing the Trial of the Sekhemas using Balbala’s Barya, which grants your first two Ascendancy points. Then, progress to Act 3 and complete the Trial of Chaos to earn two more points. To obtain the remaining points (up to a total of eight), you must complete higher difficulty versions of these trials, accessible by using upgraded quest items like Djinn Baryas and Inscribed Ultimatums dropped by bosses or monsters in higher-level areas. Each completed trial difficulty awards additional Ascendancy points, allowing you to fully specialize your character’s subclass and enhance your build.
There are a total of four pairs of Ascendancy points for a total of eight. Having already received the first two from the Trial of the Sehkemas, you can earn six more.
To get your second pair of Ascendancy points in Path of Exile 2, you must complete floor two of the Trial of the Sekhemas or complete the Trials of Chaos at the Temple of Chaos in Act 3. To reach the second floor of the Trial of the Sekhemas, you’ll need to find a Djinn Barya coin, a variant of the Balbala’s coin, that has at least two floors.
The Trials of Chaos is unlocked after defeating Xyclucian, the Chimera in the Chimeral Wetlands in Act 3. Make sure to grab the chimeral inscribed ultimatum dropped by the boss as that is your key to the trial.
The Trials of Chaos functions similarly to the Trial of the Sehkemas in that it is a gauntlet of challenges you must complete, but rather than choosing between rooms to enter, you must choose a negative modifier that’ll persist throughout each subsequent room. After you’ve completed the three challenges and defeated the boss, you’ll receive your rewards and two Ascendancy points.
To get the third and fourth pair of Ascendancy points, you’ll need to find Djinn Barya coins and Inscribed Ultimatum coins with a specific number of floors and trials on them. These coins are variants of the trial keys and can be found as random drops from enemies. However, these coins are level-gated, so you won’t be able to find coins with the proper amount of trials until you’re well into cruel difficulty. Coins will now tell you if you’re able to earn Ascendancy points with them, so make sure to read their tooltips!
The third pair of Ascendancy points can be earned by completing floor three of the Trial of the Sekhemas or completing 10 trials in the Trials of Chaos. To do so, you’ll need to find a Djinn Barya coin with three trials or an Inscribed Ultimatum coin with 10 trials respectively.
The fourth and final pair of Ascendancy points can be earned by completing floor four of the Trial of the Sekhemas or completing the secret challenge behind the locked door in the Trials of Chaos. You’ll need a Djinn Barya coin with four trials or defeat the hidden boss in the Trials of Chaos.
Can you change Ascendancy classes in Path of Exile 2?
In Path of Exile 2, you can change your Ascendancy class, but it requires specific steps and conditions. To do so, you must first unallocate all your Ascendancy Passive Points and then complete an Ascension Trial at least at the highest difficulty you have previously completed. After finishing the trial, you can interact with the Altar of Ascendancy and select the option to change your Ascendancy class. However, you can only choose from the Ascendancies available to your character’s original base class, as changing the base class itself is not possible. This system allows players to respec their Ascendancy and experiment with different builds, adding flexibility to character progression.
Unfortunately, no, you cannot change your Ascendancy class after you’ve chosen one in Path of Exile 2. Make sure you’re confident in your Ascendancy class before you choose as it will be permanent. Luckily, it doesn’t take too long to ascend again, and playing through Path of Exile 2 with multiple characters is all in the spirit of the game!
What are the key strategies to unlock all Ascendancy points quickly in PoE 2
Key Strategies to Unlock All Ascendancy Points Quickly in Path of Exile 2
To efficiently unlock all 8 Ascendancy points in Path of Exile 2, follow these key strategies based on the Trials system and progression through Acts:
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Start Early with the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2:
Unlock your Ascendancy class and gain the first two Ascendancy points by completing the Trial of the Sekhemas using the Djinn Barya dropped by Balbala in Traitor’s Passage. This early unlock provides a significant power boost for your build. -
Proceed to the Trial of Chaos in Act 3:
After Act 2, obtain the Inscribed Ultimatum dropped by Xyclucian the Chimera in the Chimeral Wetlands to access the Trial of Chaos. Completing this trial grants Ascendancy points 3 and 4. This trial is more challenging but rewards you with additional points needed to refine your build. -
Farm Higher-Level Trials for Remaining Points:
To acquire points 5 through 8, replay the Trials at higher difficulties using higher-level Djinn Baryas (60+ level) or Inscribed Ultimatums (60+ to 75+ level). The Trial of Sekhemas with a Level 60+ Djinn Barya or the Trial of Chaos with a Level 65+ Inscribed Ultimatum can unlock points 5 and 6. Completing the highest difficulty trials and defeating final bosses unlocks points 7 and 8. -
Optimize Trial Attempts:
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Use the easier Trial of the Sekhemas early to gain initial points quickly.
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Overlevel and improve gear before attempting harder trials, especially the Trial of Chaos, which is considered significantly more difficult.
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Take advantage of retries on difficulty 1 trials without losing your key items (Djinn Barya or Inscribed Ultimatum) to practice and improve.
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Honor Bar and Life Management in Trials:
In the Trial of the Sekhemas, manage your Honour bar carefully as it acts like a health bar, and losing all Honour means failure. Some advanced tactics include using life tap support gems to manipulate Honor regeneration before boss fights, allowing more sustainable runs.
By following this progression route-starting with the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2, moving to the Trial of Chaos in Act 3, and then farming higher-level trials-you can efficiently unlock all 8 Ascendancy points and maximize your character’s power early in the game.
What is the fastest way to complete Trials of Sekhemas and Chaos in PoE 2
Fastest Way to Complete Trials of Sekhemas and Chaos in Path of Exile 2
Trial of the Sekhemas
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Overlevel the Trial: Aim to be about 10 levels above the trial’s base level to significantly reduce difficulty and mitigate random damage spikes.
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Prioritize Movement Speed: Equip boots with at least 20-30% movement speed and acquire movement speed boons inside the trial to dodge traps and enemies more effectively.
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Manage Honour Bar Carefully: Honour acts as your health; avoid damage to Honour by dodging attacks and traps. Use shrines to restore Honour and pick boons that increase Honour resistance.
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Focus on Boss Mechanics: For bosses like Rattlecage and Zarokh, increase elemental resistances (e.g., fire resistance for Rattlecage) and use crowd control effects to reduce incoming damage. For Zarokh, prepare for the time freeze phase by collecting orbs quickly to avoid instant death.
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Ignore Loot and Kill Priority Targets: Don’t waste time on every enemy; kill rares and summoners first to reduce waves and speed up the trial. Ignore normal mobs unless they block your path or threaten Honour.
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Use Relics and Boons Wisely: Invest Sacred Water in boons that boost damage, movement, and Honour resistance. Avoid afflictions that reduce movement speed or increase enemy speed.
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Take Your Time: There is no time limit, so prioritize survival over speed. Being cautious reduces the risk of failure and allows steady progress.
Trial of Chaos
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Reach Higher Levels Before Attempting: The Trial of Chaos is more difficult and recommended for level 65+ characters with strong gear.
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Complete All 10 Rounds Efficiently: Focus on killing key enemies and disrupting rituals quickly to progress through rounds. Prioritize killing enemies that summon additional mobs or cause complications.
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Use Endgame Gear and Build Optimization: Maximize damage output and survivability before entering. High DPS helps shorten fights and reduce incoming damage.
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Farm or Trade for High-Level Inscribed Ultimatums: Higher-level keys increase the trial difficulty but also grant more Ascendancy points faster.
General Tips
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Practice and Retry: Both trials can be attempted multiple times. Use easier-level keys to practice mechanics and optimize your route before attempting higher-level runs.
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Skip Non-Essential Content: Focus solely on completing the trial objectives and bosses rather than exploring or looting to save time.
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Use Charms for Immunities: Slow immunity and poison immunity charms can mitigate dangerous afflictions during the Trial of Sekhemas, especially against poison damage in the third boss fight.
By combining overleveling, movement speed optimization, careful Honour management, and focusing on priority targets and bosses, you can complete the Trials of Sekhemas and Chaos quickly and efficiently, unlocking Ascendancy points with minimal frustration.
