Waystones are an important resource in Path of Exile 2‘s endgame. Once you’ve completed the main quest and officially entered the endgame content, you’ll unlock a new mechanic called the Atlas of Worlds – or, more colloquially, mapping. This is a unique game mode in which you’ll travel around the map from node to node, defeating enemies to reclaim each area from corruption. However, to unlock new, higher-level maps and continue making your way through the endgame quest “Cataclysm’s Wake,” you’ll need to use unique items called Waystones.
To put it briefly, Waystones drives you forward in the endgame, so you’ll need to learn how to locate, upgrade, and use them efficiently. Soon, you’ll also discover that many Waystones have special effects that change the conditions of the levels they access. For instance, they can make enemies harder to defeat or increase the likelihood of uncommon loot drops.
How to Get Waystones in Path of Exile 2
In the Path of Exile 2 universe, Waystones can be found as sporadic drops from opponents. It’s probably the most popular way to locate Waystones. They are completely random drops, much like practically everything else in the game, and there is no real way to ensure that you will receive a Waystone from a specific combat. Unlike Spirit Gems, Waystones do not have a well-established meta for farming. Naturally, they are only found in high-level and endgame places, so to improve your chances, stay in those areas.
Further Waystone drops on a map are more likely to occur when you use a high-tier Waystone to open it, therefore the more mapping you do, the more map nodes you can unlock. You’ll be more likely to uncover more Waystones while clearing it if you try cashing in a high-value one with many modifiers to unlock a new node if you’re low on them. Additionally, you can upgrade them by following the instructions below if you don’t even have any high-tier Waystones to use.
You can always purchase a Waystone from Doryani if you’re having problems locating one naturally. Waystones are constantly accessible in Doryani’s store. He sells you a single Tier 1 Waystone at the start of the endgame for 5,000 gold.
Note: As you start to clear more of the Atlas, you’ll see higher-tier, more costly options. The Waystones in Doryani’s shop scale with your level.
However, keep in mind that the Waystones that Doryani provides are almost always of lower quality than those that you obtain from enemy drops and typically lack modifications. Before removing them, you should probably upgrade them.
How to Upgrade Waystones with a Reforging Bench
In Path of Exile 2, you may essentially upgrade your Waystones in two ways: by adding additional modifiers with Orbs or Distilled Emotions, and by raising their tiers with a Reforging Bench. First, we will examine the Reforging Bench method. You’ve probably begun using the Reforging Bench in Path of Exile 2 by the time you reach the endgame. You can create a higher-tier variant of the same item by combining three of them at this crafting station. The Reforging Bench can also be used to enhance your Waystones, but you’ve most likely used it to upgrade your armor and weapons thus far.
The Reforging Bench’s output is always going to be one level above the Waystones you use. Note that utilizing Orbs will only add additional modifications; this is the only method to raise a Waystone’s tier.
How to Add Modifiers to Waystones with Orbs and Distilled Emotions
Another common loot improvement technique for Path of Exile 2 is Orbs, which you can use to enhance your Waystones. Orbs can be used to instantly upgrade an item to the next tier or apply a random modifier, making them a type of shortcut to the Reforging Bench. Although Orbs don’t affect the tier for Waystones, they can still be utilized to provide additional modifications. Simply apply them as you would usually to your Waystones to add new conditions.
Similarly, Distilled Emotions can also be used to add new modifiers to your Waystones, though one of those modifiers will always be Delirium. Distilled Emotions have predictable effects on Waystone modifiers, as shown in the table below, each of which will have a different effect on your Waystones.
| Distilled Emotion | Waystone Modifiers |
|---|---|
| Distilled Despair | 20% Delirious30% increase to Simulacrum Splinter drops |
| Distilled Disgust | 18% Delirious30% increase to Precursor Tablet drops |
| Distilled Envy | 15% Delirious30% increase to Waystone drops |
| Distilled Fear | 22% DeliriousRare monsters may have extra modifiers |
| Distilled Greed | 10% Delirious8% item rarity increase |
| Distilled Guilt | 9% Delirious8% increase to monster pack size |
| Distilled Ire | 7% Delirious20% increase in Magic monster spawns |
| Distilled Isolation | 50% Delirious |
| Distilled Paranoia | 12% Delirious15% increase in Rare monster spawns |
| Distilled Suffering | 25% DeliriousUnique monsters will have extra modifiers |
You can use all of that to your advantage by making your Waystones as beneficial and high-tier as you can. Gaining knowledge about when and how to use them is crucial to advancing through Path of Exile 2’s endgame.
