Path of Exile 2: Expedition Guide – Passives, Artifacts, & Rewards

Author: Anthony Jan 30,2025

Mastering Path of Exile 2's Expedition Endgame: A Comprehensive Guide

Path of Exile 2 introduces four significant endgame events: Delirium, Breaches, Rituals, and Expeditions. This guide focuses on Expeditions, a returning mechanic from the original game, detailing its mechanics, rewards, and the crucial Expedition Passive Skill Tree.

Understanding Expeditions and the Detonation Mechanic

Expedition Map Node

Expedition map nodes on the Atlas are identified by a light blue, spiral-shaped icon. An Expedition Precursor Tablet placed in a completed Lost Tower slot guarantees an Expedition encounter.

Within the Expedition zone, locate the central Detonator and four NPCs. The core gameplay involves strategically placing Explosives near Markers to trigger events:

  • Red Markers: Detonating near these spawns Runic Monsters. Larger markers yield larger monster packs, enhanced by Unearthed Remnants.
  • Unearthed Remnants: These relics provide beneficial or detrimental modifiers (e.g., increased elemental damage from monsters but higher item rarity from chests).
  • Black Markers (Spiral Symbol): Detonating near these spawns Excavated Chests containing Artifacts, Logbooks, currency, Waystones, and high-tier gear.

The Explosives UI shows the area of effect (AoE). Maximize rewards by avoiding overlapping AoE circles. Detonate Explosives via the Detonator. You can strategically leave the area after detonation and return later to engage enemies.

The Expedition Pinnacle Map and Olroth

Runic Monsters and Excavated Chests have a chance to drop Expedition Logbooks. Use these with Dannig in your hideout to access the Expedition Pinnacle Map – a significantly larger Expedition with increased Explosives.

This map introduces Olroth, a challenging boss (indicated by a skull on the minimap). Defeating Olroth is crucial for obtaining Expedition Passive Skill Tree points (double points per victory).

Expedition Passive Skill Tree

Expedition Passive Skill Tree

Located within the Atlas Passive Skill Tree, this tree enhances Expeditions. Points are earned by defeating Olroth. The tree features Notable nodes and difficulty-increasing nodes for Logbooks.

Notable Expedition Passive Effect Requirements
Extreme Archaeology Reduces Explosives to 1, but boosts radius by 150%, placement range by 100%, and reduces enemy Life by 20% N/A
Disturbed Rest 50% more Runic Monster Flags N/A
Detailed Records 50% more Logbooks, Logbooks always spawn with 3x Modifiers Disturbed Rest
Timed Detonations 50% more Artifacts, Detonation chains travel 50% faster N/A
Legendary Battles 50% more Rare monsters, 50% more Exotic Coinage Timed Detonations
Frail Treasures 3x more Excavated Chest Markers, but they disappear after 5 seconds N/A
Weight of History 35% boost to Remnant effects N/A
Unearthed Anomalies Remnants gain an additional Suffix and Prefix modifier Weight of History

Prioritize "Disturbed Rest," "Detailed Records," and "Timed Detonations" for significant reward boosts. Then consider "Weight of History," "Unearthed Anomalies," and "Legendary Battles" for increased challenge and rewards. Avoid "Extreme Archaeology" due to its significant reduction in Explosives.

Expedition Rewards

Expedition Rewards

Artifacts are the primary currency, each used with a specific vendor for unique gear:

Reward Use Gear
Broken Circle Artifact Gwennen Weapons
Black Scythe Artifact Tujen Belts & Jewelry
Order Artifact Rog Armor
Sun Artifact Dannig Various Artifacts
Exotic Coinage Refreshes vendor inventory N/A

Expedition Logbooks, obtained from Runic Monsters and Excavated Chests, unlock the Pinnacle Map and the chance to fight Olroth for exceptional rewards and additional passive skill points. Increasing map difficulty increases Olroth's spawn rate and reward quality.