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In Path of Exile 2 you earn 8 Ascendancy points in four pairs. The first pair comes from the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2, the second usually from the Trial of Chaos in Act 3, and the last two pairs from higher-level versions of either trial in the endgame. The two trials are interchangeable for points 5 to 8, so you pick the one that suits your build. This guide is checked against patch 0.5.5, Forbidden Rites, which went live on 4 September 2026.
All 8 Ascendancy points at a glance
| Points | Trial | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Trial of the Sekhemas (Act 2) | Balbala's Barya, dropped by Balbala, the Traitor |
| 3-4 | Trial of Chaos (Act 3) | Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum, dropped by Xyclucian, the Chimera |
| 5-6 | Sekhemas or Chaos | Level 60+ Djinn Barya with 3 trials (floors), or a level 65+ Inscribed Ultimatum with 10 trials |
| 7-8 | Sekhemas or Chaos | Level 75+ Djinn Barya with 4 floors, ending with Zarokh, the Temporal, or a level 65+ Inscribed Ultimatum with 10 trials plus the three fate fragments for the Trialmaster |
The fate fragments for the final Chaos run are Cowardly Fate, Deadly Fate and Victorious Fate. Always read the gold text on the Barya or Ultimatum before you start. It tells you the level and number of trials, which decides whether the run can give you points.
Trial of the Sekhemas
You enter the Sekhemas with a Barya. It is a run through rooms on one or more floors, each floor ending in a boss: Rattlecage, then Hadi and Rafiq, then Ashar, and Zarokh on floor 4.
Honour is your second health bar
The defining mechanic is Honour. It is a separate bar based on your life and energy shield, and any damage you take drains it. Run out and the trial fails, even if you never died. Flasks, regeneration and leech do not restore Honour. Only certain boons, artifacts and shrines do.
That is why the Sekhemas punishes melee builds and anyone who tanks hits. A build that kills from range and avoids damage has a much easier time.
Sacred Water, boons and relics
- Sacred Water is a currency that only exists inside the run. Spend it at merchants on boons for this run or relics for future runs.
- Relics are trial-only gear slotted at the Relic Altar. Honour resistance is the stat to chase, since it cuts Honour damage a lot.
- Afflictions are downsides you are forced to take. Some are mild. Others, like ones that disable relics or hide rooms, can end a run.
- Treasure keys open chests in the final room. You lose any keys you are holding if the trial fails.
Trial of Chaos
The Trial of Chaos is found in the Chimeral Wetlands in Act 3. You run it with an Inscribed Ultimatum. Each room is a short challenge, and before each one you pick one of three Tribulations: negative modifiers that stack for the rest of the run. The more rooms you clear, the more stacked modifiers you are fighting through.
What 0.5.5 changed
Forbidden Rites gave the Trial of Chaos its biggest update so far:
- Pause and resume. You can leave a run at any point and come back to the same room later.
- A chest after every room. Dying no longer wipes everything you earned in the run.
- Continue an Ultimatum. After its 10 trials, you can carry on twice without a new Ultimatum, each time for a different Trialmaster fragment.
- Clearer modifiers. They now have more tiers, less raw difficulty and show their actual values.
- A new Uxmal arena. Uxmal no longer flies around the fight.
Full-run rewards are now currency and Soul Cores only. The patch made no Ascendancy balance changes.
Which trial should you pick?
| Your build | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ranged, avoids hits | Sekhemas | Honour rarely drains if you never get touched. |
| Melee or tanky | Chaos | No Honour bar. Your normal life and defences work. |
| Short on time | Chaos | Since 0.5.5 you can pause and pick up later. |
Most players still take the Act 3 Trial of Chaos for points 3 and 4, even if they prefer Sekhemas later. It is a repeatable quest and comes at the right moment in the campaign. If the campaign itself is what is holding you back, PoE 2 campaign help gets you to the trials faster.
Level and gear before each run
- Be over-levelled for the key. A level 75 Barya at level 75 is a real fight. A few levels above makes Honour far less scary. Leveling is the simplest fix if you keep failing.
- Cap resistances. Trial bosses lean on elemental and chaos damage, such as Rattlecage with fire and Ashar with poison.
- Bring movement speed. Several room types are timed.
- Do not overspend on keys. High-level Barya and Ultimatums cost currency, so practise on lower ones first.
Respecs and 1.0
Since patch 0.2.0f, you can change Ascendancy class by redoing a trial that would give you the same number of points you already have, as long as you have zero Ascendancy points allocated. Grinding Gear Games has announced the full 1.0 release for 11 December 2026, so trial details may change again then.
Getting help with ascension
A pro can play your character with appear offline, or join your party for the run, while you follow it in the live order chat. Account sharing breaks Grinding Gear Games' terms of service, so a party carry is the lower-risk choice. Every step is tracked and you can get a refund before work starts.
For any or all of your 8 points, see the PoE 2 ascension trials service.
Quick answers
How many Ascendancy points are there in PoE 2?
Eight, earned in four pairs: Act 2, Act 3, and two endgame trial runs.
Is Sekhemas or Chaos easier?
It depends on your build. Ranged builds that avoid damage prefer Sekhemas. Melee and tanky builds usually prefer Chaos, because there is no Honour bar.
What level Djinn Barya do I need for the last points?
Level 75 or higher, with 4 floors. Points 5 and 6 need level 60 or higher with 3 floors.
What level Inscribed Ultimatum do I need?
Level 65 or higher with 10 trials for points 5 to 8. The final pair also needs the three fate fragments to reach the Trialmaster.
Can I change my Ascendancy class?
Yes. Unallocate all Ascendancy points, then redo a trial that grants the same number of points you already have.