Path of Exile 2 Currency, Crafting & Unique Items Glossary
Many names that players search for in Path of Exile 2 come from the first Path of Exile, from data left in the game files, or from guides that mixed the two games up. This page sorts eleven of them into what they are, whether you can find them in PoE 2, and what to use instead. Where a name only exists in PoE 1, that is stated plainly.
Status on 1 November 2026: PoE 2 is on patch 0.5.5 (Forbidden Rites, released 4 September 2026) and its hotfixes, part of the 0.5 "Return of the Ancients" update. Version 1.0 is scheduled for 11 December 2026. Numbers below are from the game data for patch 0.5.5 unless marked as Path of Exile 1.
| Name | In PoE 2? | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Shard | In files, not obtainable | Shard of the Orb of Alchemy |
| Arcanist's Etcher | Yes | Quality currency for caster weapons |
| Grand Eldritch Ember | In files, not obtainable | PoE 1 implicit-modifier currency |
| Lesser Eldritch Ichor | In files, not obtainable | PoE 1 implicit-modifier currency |
| Order Artifact | In files, unusable | Retired Expedition currency |
| Soul Offering | Yes | Offering skill gem |
| Two-Stone Ring | Yes | Ring base with two elemental resistances |
| Crown of the Tyrant, Shaping the Mountains, Zodiac Leather | No usable item | PoE 1 helmet, Atlas node, armour base |
| Phasing Scythe | No | Not an item in either game |
Currency and crafting
Alchemy Shard
An Alchemy Shard is the fragment form of the Orb of Alchemy: ten shards stack into one orb. The item exists in the PoE 2 files but has no drop source in patch 0.5.5, so you will not see one in play. The shards you do get in PoE 2 are the Transmutation, Regal and Chance Shard, each also ten to an orb.
The orb itself is a whole-drop currency. It turns a Normal or Magic item into a Rare item with 4 random modifiers, discards the modifiers the item had and stacks to 20. It can first drop from item level 5.
In Path of Exile 1 the shard is real and a different count applies, so ignore PoE 1 advice about "alch shards" when planning a PoE 2 character.
Arcanist's Etcher
Arcanist's Etcher is a quality currency. Right-click it, then left-click a wand, staff or sceptre to improve that weapon's quality. It is not a unique item and has no spell damage, cast speed or mana cost effect of its own.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Stack size | 20 |
| First drops at item level | 5 |
| Works on | Wands, staves, sceptres |
Other weapon types and armour use their own quality currencies (the Blacksmith's Whetstone for martial weapons, the Armourer's Scrap for armour), so the Etcher does nothing for a bow or a body armour. It drops from monsters and can be traded on the Currency Exchange like other stackable currency.
Grand Eldritch Ember
The Grand Eldritch Ember is a Path of Exile 1 crafting item whose data also sits in the PoE 2 files. In PoE 1 it adds a "Grand Searing Exarch" implicit modifier to a body armour, boots, gloves or helmet and replaces other implicits except Eater of Worlds ones. It cannot be used on Shaper, Elder or Elderslayer influenced items. It needs item level 78 to drop, and stacks to 10.
In the PoE 2 files its acquisition is marked "Not in game". The Searing Exarch and the Eater of Worlds are PoE 1 Atlas bosses, and PoE 2 has neither the bosses nor their Eldritch implicits as of patch 0.5.5.
For the lowest tier, the standalone page for the Lesser Eldritch Ember covers the same effect at drop level 68; the same PoE 1 caveat applies.
Lesser Eldritch Ichor
Ichor is the Eater of Worlds side of the same pair: the Lesser Eldritch Ichor adds a "Lesser Eater of Worlds" implicit modifier to a body armour, boots, gloves or helmet in Path of Exile 1, replacing other implicits except Searing Exarch ones. Drop level 68, stack of 10.
In PoE 2 it is marked "Not in game"; its maps-only drop tag describes its PoE 1 behaviour. An easy rule for PoE 1 crafting threads: Ember means Searing Exarch, Ichor means Eater of Worlds. It never added a random minor "Eldritch affix" that stacks with other ichors.
Order Artifact
Order Artifact is a stackable currency (stack of 20) in the PoE 2 files, tagged as one of the Expedition faction currencies. Its item text says it "is no longer usable", so it has no crafting function today: it does not buy upgrades and does not reroll modifiers.
Its internal name, ExpeditionVendorCurrencyFaction3, ties it to the third Expedition vendor faction, which is why it looks like the Expedition artifacts that buy items from those vendors. If you hold one, treat it as vendor clutter. For the currencies that do matter for crafting, the Orbs of Transmutation, Augmentation, Alchemy, Regal, Exalted and Chaos, the community wiki and the PoE 2 crafting guide below are the reliable references.
Skills and gear names
Soul Offering
Soul Offering is a PoE 2 skill gem (Tier 13). It skewers a Skeleton on a bone spike. While the spike stands you get a buff that raises your Spell damage; it does not affect your minions. The spike is itself a minion with a limit of 1, lasts 6 seconds and ends the effect at once if it dies, so enemies that reach it cut the buff short. The base duration was 4 seconds earlier in early access before it was raised to 6, and quality adds up to 1 more second. The gem levels past 20 as well: at level 40 it costs 347 mana.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Gem tags | Offering, Minion, Buff, Duration |
| Spell damage buff | 20% to 77% increased across gem levels |
| Mana cost | 32 to 141 across gem levels |
| Spike duration | 6 seconds (up to 7 with quality) |
It does not consume corpses or give minions speed and block; that is how PoE 1's Flesh, Bone and Spirit Offerings behave. In PoE 2 it is a buff for your own spells; see the minion skills glossary for the minion side.
Crown of the Tyrant
Crown of the Tyrant is a Path of Exile 1 unique helmet (Magistrate Crown, level 58, 64 Strength and 64 Intelligence, one socket). It gives +50 to +175 maximum Life, nearby enemies have -10% to all resistances, and you and nearby allies gain added damage depending on socket colour: fire for red, cold for green, lightning for blue, chaos for white.
| Socket colour | Added damage for you and nearby allies |
|---|---|
| Red | 64 to 96 Fire |
| Green | 56 to 88 Cold |
| Blue | 16 to 144 Lightning |
| White | 47 to 61 Chaos |
With only one socket the helmet gives one of these bonuses at a time, which made it a support piece for groups in PoE 1. It drops only from Aul, the Crystal King, in Delve, and was added with the Delve league (3.4.0). Path of Exile 2 has no helmet of this name; only a leftover buff entry with the name sits in its files.
Phasing Scythe
Phasing Scythe is not an item in Path of Exile 2 or in Path of Exile 1: no unique, base type or skill carries that name, and no scythe with built-in phasing and bleed exists. Phasing on its own is real: it is a buff in both games, and while Phasing you can pass through enemies without being blocked by them. In PoE 1 it mostly comes from Phase Run.
If a guide or seller offers a "Phasing Scythe", ask for the exact in-game item name and check it on PoE2DB before you pay.
Shaping the Mountains
Shaping the Mountains is a notable on the Path of Exile 1 Atlas passive tree. Maps of tier 1 to 15 you find have a 15% chance to be one tier higher, and you get 10% increased number of rare monsters in your maps. In Ruthless mode the tier chance is 8%. The node does not exist in PoE 2.
In PoE 2, maps are Waystones with their own Atlas tree, and higher-tier drops depend on modifiers and map bosses instead. Check the live tree in game, since the PoE 2 Atlas changes between patches.
Two-Stone Ring
Two-Stone Ring is a ring base type, not a unique, and it exists in Path of Exile 2. It comes in three variants, each with an implicit of +12 to +16% to two elemental resistances:
| Variant | Implicit | Unique on this base (level 42) |
|---|---|---|
| Fire and Cold | +(12-16)% to Fire and Cold Resistances | Berek's Pass |
| Fire and Lightning | +(12-16)% to Fire and Lightning Resistances | Berek's Respite |
| Cold and Lightning | +(12-16)% to Cold and Lightning Resistances | Berek's Grip |
In PoE 2 the base needs level 35. Compared with the single-element rings (Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz Ring at +20 to 30% to one resistance) it trades a higher total for spread: up to 32% resistance split over two elements, which helps fix two gaps with one slot. The three Berek's uniques add +10 to 20 to two attributes and a bonus tied to an ailment on you, for example life regeneration while Ignited on Berek's Pass. In PoE 1 the same base exists at level 20. More PoE 2 uniques are listed in the Onlyfarms PoE 2 items category.
Zodiac Leather
Zodiac Leather is a Dexterity body armour base type from Path of Exile 1 rather than a unique: 854 to 982 Evasion Rating, level 65, 197 Dexterity, with -3% movement speed. It is a pure Evasion base, not a hybrid Evasion and Energy Shield armour, and it has no PoE 2 version: PoE 2 body armours use their own base names.
Shards and orbs at a glance
The three shard types that do exist in PoE 2 follow one rule: a full stack of 10 becomes the matching orb.
| Shard | Becomes | Drop level | In PoE 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmutation Shard | Orb of Transmutation | 1 | Drops |
| Regal Shard | Regal Orb | 5 | Drops |
| Chance Shard | Orb of Chance | 1 | Drops |
| Alchemy Shard | Orb of Alchemy | not listed | Not in game |
The Orb of Alchemy sits between the Transmutation and Regal steps. It skips the Magic stage: a Normal or Magic item goes straight to Rare with 4 modifiers. A Regal Orb, in contrast, upgrades a Magic item to Rare, keeps its existing modifiers and adds one. That difference is why guides disagree about which orb to use first. The first keeps nothing and costs little, the second keeps a good Magic roll you already have.
Summarised standalone pages
- Cluster jewels. Medium Cluster Jewels adds passive nodes in a socket in PoE 1. The notable Unwaveringly Evil is a PoE 1 cluster jewel notable: 30% increased Chaos Damage and Chaos skills ignore interruption from Stuns, and the Large cluster enchant adds 12% increased Chaos Damage (12% increased Chaos Damage over Time on Medium).
How to tell PoE 1 names from PoE 2 names
Three checks catch most mix-ups. First, search the exact name on PoE2DB: a real droppable item has an acquisition or a drop source, while leftovers show "Not in game" or have no page (Zodiac Leather and Shaping the Mountains have none). Second, look at the mechanic: Eldritch influence, Delve, Atlas passive nodes with map tiers and cluster jewel notables are PoE 1 systems. Third, check the date on the guide. Anything written before the PoE 2 early access of December 2024 is about PoE 1 by definition.
Tips
- Check the game tag on any guide. If an item is "Not in game" on PoE2DB, a PoE 2 guide for it is a mistake.
- Do not trade shards one by one: a stack of 10 turns into the orb on its own.
- Before you spend on a "unique", confirm the exact name in the PoE 2 unique list.
Related terms
- Minion skills glossary
- Support gems glossary
- Classes and passives glossary
- Rpg progression and loot glossary
Guides and services
Our PoE 2 crafting guide walks through the core currencies, and how to use the Orb of Chance covers the shard route. Onlyfarms lists PoE 2 currency and the Arcanist's Etcher.
FAQ
Can I get Alchemy Shards in Path of Exile 2?
No. They exist only in the game files and do not drop in patch 0.5.5. You collect Orbs of Alchemy as whole drops instead, and the shards you do get are Transmutation, Regal and Chance Shards.
What does Arcanist's Etcher do?
It improves the quality of a wand, staff or sceptre. It is a stackable currency, not a unique item.
Which of these names are Path of Exile 1 only?
Eldritch Embers and Ichors, Crown of the Tyrant, Shaping the Mountains and Zodiac Leather. Cluster jewels and Unwaveringly Evil are also PoE 1 items. Two-Stone Ring is in both games.
What is the difference between a shard and an orb?
A shard is a fragment that stacks to 10 and turns into the full orb by itself. Orbs do the crafting, such as turning a Normal item into a Rare one, while shards only store part of an orb until the stack is full.
Is Soul Offering the same skill as in Path of Exile 1?
No. In PoE 2 it skewers a Skeleton on a bone spike that lasts 6 seconds and raises your Spell damage by 20% to 77%, depending on gem level. It does not buff minions.
