PoE 3.20: The Forbidden Sanctum Balance Guide – Part 2

Greetings, exiles! In this installment of our comprehensive balance guide series, we’re diving deep into the substantial modifications made to Eldritch Altars and Curses that arrived with The Forbidden Sanctum expansion.

The development team at Grinding Gear Games implemented several crucial adjustments affecting altar rewards, monster pack spawning mechanics, and the strategic incentives around map boss encounters. These changes represent a deliberate effort to create more balanced endgame options while preserving the distinctive gameplay experience that defines Eldritch content.

One of the most significant improvements involves the complete restructuring of altar reward systems. GGG has implemented more logical categorization with distinct reward types that are easier to identify and strategically target. The previous system’s extreme variance in gift quality has been significantly reduced, creating more predictable and consistent returns from your altar investments.

Additionally, Maven-witnessed Map Bosses now feature substantially improved drop rates for Awakened Gems, including those gems that were previously exclusive to The Maven encounter herself. This change directly addresses the community feedback about limited access to these powerful endgame items.

The overarching design objective centers on creating parity between Maven-witnessed mapping and Eldritch Influence mapping. The development team aims to provide players with meaningful choices rather than forcing optimal paths, while maintaining the distinctive atmospheric tension that makes Eldritch Altars so compelling.

Strategic considerations for altar usage have evolved significantly with these changes. The previous meta of rushing directly to map bosses to maximize altar benefits has been deliberately de-emphasized. Instead, players now benefit from more balanced approaches that consider full map clearing alongside targeted boss encounters.

The Wrath of the Cosmos keystone passive received substantial rebalancing, making it less brutally punishing while simultaneously reducing its extreme reward potential. This adjustment reflects GGG’s philosophy of moderating overpowered strategies without eliminating their viability.

Monster pack spawning from altars has been recalibrated to provide more consistent density and experience gains. This change particularly benefits builds that rely on clearing large packs efficiently, creating better alignment between altar choices and character capabilities.

Advanced players should note that the risk-reward calculation for altar selections has shifted. While the peak potential may be slightly lower, the average returns across multiple maps have become more reliable, reducing the volatility that previously characterized Eldritch farming strategies.

When implementing these changes in your gameplay, avoid the common mistake of completely abandoning altar strategies due to the adjusted numbers. Instead, focus on understanding the new reward categories and how they align with your current build objectives and farming goals.

Time your altar interactions carefully—activating them too early can waste potential rewards from unkilled monsters, while waiting too long may compromise efficiency. Most experienced players find optimal results by clearing 60-75% of the map before engaging with altars, then using the remaining monsters to maximize the selected benefits.

Remember that the developers’ intent was refinement, not elimination. Eldritch Altars continue to represent one of the most valuable endgame reward systems available, but now require more thoughtful engagement and strategic planning to maximize their potential.

No reproduction without permission：GameCDjnh » PoE 3.20: The Forbidden Sanctum Balance Guide – Part 2 Master Eldritch Altar strategies to optimize rewards and avoid common pitfalls in The Forbidden Sanctum