The Trial of Sekhemas is a Rogue-like mode in Path of Exile 2 that challenges players to ascend to a new subclass. Upon completion (or failure), no progress is carried over to future attempts. To access the trial, you must collect Djinn Barya.
Comprehensive Guide to Conquering the Trial of Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2
Once inside, your character gains an additional life bar, called honor. This bar absorbs damage that would otherwise be dealt to your character’s normal health. Honor does not regenerate normally and is lost when it reaches zero, resulting in failure. You can reduce damage to honor by up to 75%, depending on the trial’s modifiers.
Relics
Before entering the trial, you can manage relics. These provide valuable bonuses during the challenge and can be essential for success. Relics may grant additional honor, movement speed, or other helpful buffs. It’s also possible that they can recover honor or grant boons (beneficial effects).
The Trial Map
As you progress through the trial, you’ll choose which path to take. The map, revealed at the end of each room, shows how the rooms are connected by yellow lines, and gives information about the next two rooms. The names of rooms provide key insights, so use this information wisely to plan your route.
Here are the different types of rooms you’ll encounter:
- Escape Trial: Crystals are scattered around the room, and you must interact with all of them. Each interaction reveals the direction to the next closest crystal. A countdown timer is ticking down, and each crystal you interact with adds time. (No combat required)
- Gauntlet Trial: This room is filled with traps and locked doors. You must find levers to open the passages and reach the end. (No combat required)
- Hourglass Trial: Survive until the end of a countdown. Killing rare monsters speeds up the timer, but the main focus is avoiding damage. Running in circles is a viable strategy. (No combat required)
- Ritual Trial: Skeletons are summoning minions from portals. Killing the summoners stops the summoning, and eliminating all the summoners completes the room. (Combat required)
- Chalice Trial: Defeat all the rare monsters in the room, usually two or three, plus possible minions. (Combat required)
Rewards and Key Locations
As you progress through the trial, you will encounter the following:
- Key: Some rooms reward you with a key, which is used to open chests or special rooms.
- Water Fountain: These provide water, the trial’s currency. Some may impose afflictions for a greater reward or offer boons for a higher cost.
- Shrine: Spend water to recover lost honor. Some shrines may cure afflictions or provide boons, but often at the cost of new afflictions.
- Merchant: You can exchange water for boons, honor recovery, and other benefits.
- Coffert: This allows you to use a key to unlock an early reward.
Afflictions
Certain rooms can impose afflictions on your character. These can severely hinder your progress and, in some cases, make the trial nearly impossible. Afflictions are displayed on the map in purple, making them easy to spot. Be cautious when choosing rooms, as afflictions can have drastic effects.
The most harmful afflictions include:
- Movement reduction
- Randomly changing maps
- Not knowing map information
Trial Mechanics
Your main objective in the Trial of Sekhemas is to minimize damage to your honor while accumulating water and keys. Water is primarily obtained from fountains and some mobs. It’s crucial for purchasing benefits, recovering honor, and buying relics for future runs.
Keys are used to open chests, and their rarity determines the type of chest you can open:
- Bronze: White chests
- Silver: Yellow chests
- Gold: Unique chests
While melee builds can now complete this trial, they will still face significant challenges, especially when fighting the trial boss. However, all enemies in the trial, including the boss, have slow attacks that are easy to dodge.
Main Concerns
The biggest challenge in the Trial of Sekhemas is dealing with afflictions, as some can make the trial nearly impossible. Be strategic when choosing which afflictions to accept. Afflictions that counter your build should be avoided, but the most dangerous ones include:
- Movement reduction
- Random map changes
- Lack of map information
Conclusion
The Trial of Sekhemas is one of the toughest challenges in Path of Exile 2. With careful planning, the right relics, and smart decision-making, you can overcome it. Good luck, and may your honor hold strong!
Last Updated on December 18, 2024
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