Encounter

An encounter or league mechanic/map mechanic is an instance of content added to an area that offers the user additional challenge (often in the form of additional and more challenging monsters) for a chance at a reward (often items). Some encounter types, like Ritual, are introduced via quests during the campaign; others (like Essence encounters), are found randomly during the campaign and in maps.

Types of Encounters

Breach

Main page: Breach

A Breach is a tear in reality that, when interacted with, expands the tear, allowing the player to see and fight monsters from another plane of existence.

Cleansed maps

Main page: Cleansed map

After a Corrupted Nexus is completed, all surrounding maps with Coalesced Corruption are converted into Cleansed maps. Cleansed maps function similarly to maps with Coalesced Corruption but instead have different monsters, modifiers, and a new boss, Phanos, Last Disciple of Auria. Cleansed enemies can drop Fracturing Orbs.

Coalesced Corruption

Main page: Coalesced Corruption

Monsters slain close together in area with Coalesced Corruption have a chance to merge together to manifest more powerful monsters. Coalesced Corruption is found near a Corrupted Nexus, which contains one of three unique Beyond bosses; defeating the boss will convert Coalesced Corruption into Cleansed Corruption. This mechanic is known as Beyond in Path of Exile 1.

Delirium

Main page: Delirium

Delirium is a state the character enters after walking through a Delirium mirror. Once in this state, Delirium mists begin spreading through the area, causing additional monsters (that do increased damage and take decreased damage) to spawn. The mists will continue to spread as monsters are killed inside the mists, until a certain amount of time has passed with no monsters being slain.

Essence

Main page: Essence (encounter)

The player may come upon monsters frozen in Essences, a crystalized form of corruption. Clicking repeatedly on the monsters will free them, initiating a fight with the monster that will have special modifiers based on the types of essences it contains.

Expedition

Main page: Expedition

The player may come across explorers on an Expedition looking for lost Kalguuran artifacts. The explorer will provide explosives that the player can place to unearth items- along with challenging Runic monsters and additional remnants that increase the challenge and reward.

Map boss

Main page: Map boss

The player may come across certain maps with map bosses which contain harder versions of existing unique bosses found in the campaign. Map bosses drop comparatively higher quantities of and more rewarding items compared to other monsters.

Ritual

Main page: Ritual

Some areas contain Ritual altars, sacrificial sites built to worship The King in the Mists. Interacting with the altar will surround the site in black mist, preventing the player from leaving, resurrect any nearby slain monsters, and summon new monsters to protect the altar. Slaying monsters at the altar grants tribute that the player can use at the altar after completing the encounter to purchase the offered rewards.

Rogue exile

Main page: Rogue exile

The player may encounter hostile exiles in the wild that provide a challenging encounter. They can sometimes have unique items equipped and will benefit from their stats. If defeated, the displayed unique items will drop. Rogue exiles teleport out of the map if they kill you.

Shrine

Main page: Shrine

Shrines, also known as Precursor Artifacts, are pillars that empower nearby monsters with buffs. Slaying the nearby monsters and interacting with the Shrine will impart the Shrine buff onto the player.

Strongbox

Main page: Strongbox

Strongboxes are special chests that can be crafted using currency. After crafting the chest to increase the reward (and challenge), players can interact with it, which will release several waves of monsters. Defeating the monsters will allow the player to to collect the rewards.

Version history

Expand

Version	Changes
0.2.0	Introduced 12 Rogue Exiles - others like you who have been exiled and are openly hostile. Each one has their own skills and personalities, and are much smarter than the average monster. These Exiles use unique items that they will drop if you successfully kill them. Introduced Azmerian Wisps - spirits that can be found throughout both the campaign and the Endgame. As you approach these wisps, they will flee, leading you past monsters. Any monsters it comes into contact with are infused by the spirit, making them more powerful and the spirit more rewarding. Let them get away for too long and they'll dissipate and return to the woods. Extra content, such as Breach, Delirium, Expedition and Ritual, now start spawning further away from The Ziggurat Refuge.
0.1.1c	Minimap Icons for League mechanics now remain visible regardless of how far away you travel from them, making it easier to return to them later.
0.1.1	Added the new Overseer's Precursor Tablet, a currency item which can be placed in completed Towers to add Map Bosses to valid Maps in radius. These tablets drop from Map Bosses, and can roll exclusive modifiers that affect Map Bosses. Map areas have been adjusted to have more distinct specialities for the content they contain. For example, one Map area might have more total number of monsters, while another is more likely to contain additional content such as Strongboxes, Essences or Shrines. Generally speaking, the more difficult a Map is to clear, or the smaller it is, the more axes it will specialise in. A number of Maps now have 50% more chance to contain Essences. A number of Maps now have 50% more chance to contain Strongboxes. A number of Maps now have 50% more chance to contain Shrines. Maps that are only exclusively found in Biomes containing Citadels now have 50% more chance to contain Essences, Strongboxes and Shrines.
0.1.0	Introduced to the game.