Ascension Altar is one of the most notable new features in Grim Dawn – Fangs of Asterkarn. This mechanic lets you significantly boost the quality and quantity of loot drops for the current session in exchange for rare crafting materials and tougher enemies. This guide covers all the possible offering effects for the Ascension Altar and which crafting materials to use for the results you want.
Where to Find the Ascension Altar in Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn
You’ll find the Ascension Altar in Kurnhold (see map image above), a large Kurn settlement you reach naturally during the main DLC story. The Altar unlocks once your character hits level 50, so you can’t use it before then.
There’s a Jornn Runekeeper NPC nearby who can Ascend your legendary items, granting them permanent bonuses in exchange for materials and plenty of Iron Bits.
How Does the Ascension Altar Work in Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn?
Offering different crafting materials for the Ascension Altar in Grim Dawn changes loot drops or adds unique encounters to the session, while also making monsters stronger in various ways. The altar has two parts: the center and the outer circles.
The center focuses item drops on specific properties, while the outer circles improve your odds in various ways. All crafting materials in the game have their own fixed purpose and can only be used in the appropriate spots.
You can offer anywhere from 1 to 6 materials (including the center), in any combination (including up to five of the same piece) based on what you need. You can also offer just a single center or outer piece for a minor bonus, so you don’t need to fill every slot for the altar to work.
Don’t forget to hit the “Offer” button below rather than simply closing the altar screen. The altar will react with a rune symbol, confirming your offering is active, and loot drops are now altered for the session.
Remember that the effects of the Ascension Altar only last for the current game session. They expire the moment you return to the main menu, and the sacrificed materials are gone for good. With that in mind, only use the Altar if you plan to stick with that character for some time without switching them.
The effects remain active no matter which Grim Dawn region or DLC you explore, so after the offer, feel free to roam anywhere—from the base game to Ashes of Malmouth, Forgotten Gods, or Fangs of Asterkarn areas.
All Ascension Altar Offer Bonuses and Effects in Fangs of Asterkarn
|
Crafting Material |
Altar Position |
Bonus Per Piece |
Monster Gains Per Piece |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Aether Crystal |
Outer Circles |
+20% XP Gain |
+25% To All Damage +20% HP |
|
Aether Shard |
Outer Circles |
+25% Reputation Gain |
+25% To All Damage +20% HP |
|
Ashes of Awakening |
Outer Circles |
Soul Fragments And Soul Echoes Can Drop Each piece increases chance by 20%, up to 100% |
+35% To All damage +70% HP |
|
Aspect of Beronath |
Outer Circles |
Bonus Spoils In Roguelike Dungeons Each piece increases chance by 33%, up to 133% |
+55% HP +4% Offensive Ability +4% Defensive Ability |
|
Bloodhound Totem |
Outer Circles |
Tempest Totems Can Appear Each piece increases chance by 33%, up to 134% |
+55% To All Damage To Minions +140% HP To Minions |
|
Celestial Essence |
Outer Circles |
The Dread Can Appear With A 50% Chance Each piece increases chance by 50%, up to 250% |
+30% To All Damage To Minions +140% HP To Minions +20 Offensive Ability To Minions +20 Defensive Ability To Minions |
|
Celestial Lotus |
Outer Circles |
+40% Chance Of Double Rare Drops |
+30% To All Damage To Bosses +15% Increased Sunder To Bosses |
|
Dynamite |
Outer Circles |
+30% Iron Bits Drops |
+25% To All Damage +20% HP |
|
Frozen Aster |
Outer Circles |
Loot Chests Can Become Voidmarked Each piece increases chance by 33%, up to 133% |
+30% To All Damage +55% HP |
|
Skeleton Key |
Outer Circles |
Resplendent Troves Can Appear Each piece increases chance by 33%, up to 134% |
+55% HP +3% Offensive Ability |
|
Soul Echo |
Outer Circles |
10% Faster Nemesis Spawns |
+30% To All Damage +3% Offensive Ability +3% Defensive Ability |
|
Soul Fragment |
Outer Circles |
+40% Chance Of Monster Gear Drops |
+30% To All Damage +55% HP |
|
Aetherial Missive |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Lightning Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Lightning Damage +100% HP |
|
Aetherial Mutagen |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Acid And Poison Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Acid Damage +100% HP |
|
Ancient Heart |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Physical Items |
+30% To All Damage +12% Physical Damage +100% HP |
|
Blood of Ch’thon |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Chaos Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Chaos Damage +100% HP |
|
Chthonic Seal |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Bleed Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Bleed Damage +100% HP |
|
Eldritch Essence |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Fire Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Fire Damage +100% HP |
|
Manticore Eye |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Pet Items |
+30% To All Damage +100% HP |
|
Royal Jelly |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Pierce Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Pierce Damage +100% HP |
|
Tainted Brain |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Aether Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Aether Damage +100% HP |
|
Ugdenbloom |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Vitality Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Vitality Damage +100% HP |
|
Wendigo Spirit |
Center Circle |
Additional Chance Of Cold Items |
+30% To All Damage +30% Cold Damage +100% HP |
Watch out for redundant effects in some scenarios. For instance, a 133% chance for Voidmarked chests isn’t any better than stopping at 100% and adding another effect instead. Also, make sure you can handle tougher enemies when offering multiple materials at once.
Grim Dawn
- Released
-
February 25, 2016
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Language
- Developer(s)
-
Crate Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
-
Crate Entertainment
