One of the most important aspects of building a character in Path of Exile 2 is selecting which Runes to use on a socketable item. There are five Rune types that can be slotted into an empty socket: Lesser Runes, Normal Runes, Greater Runes, Soul Cores, and Talismans.
Like Soul Cores, Talismans have a special requirement that needs to be filled before they have a chance to drop. While the game does explain this during a quest in Act 1, it doesn’t go into detail. Here is how they work.
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How to Get Talismans in PoE 2
Talismans only drop from monsters empowered by Azmerian Wisps in Path of Exile 2. Azmerian Wisps are special encounters scattered throughout the campaign, as well as the endgame that buff rare monsters, making them more difficult to defeat. Killing these monsters while they are affected by an Azmerian Wisp will allow players to obtain the corresponding Talismans. A Bear Azmerian Wisp will drop a Bear Talisman, whereas a Fox Azmerian Wisp will drop a Fox Talisman, and so on.
Players can guarantee the chance of an Azmerian Wisp appearing in every endgame map by taking the ‘Guiding Light’ Atlas node. This chance canbe further increased through the nearby nodes.
Azmerian Wisps only start appearing in PoE 2 after players complete the ‘Hunt Begins’ quest during Act 1 of the campaign.
Alternatively, players can also opt to use the Currency Exchange to obtain exactly the Talisman they want without having to farm for it. Do note, however, that Talismans are significantly more expensive than Runes, making acquiring one a costly affair.
How to Use Talismans in PoE 2
Talismans work exactly like Runes and Soul Cores in that they can be socketed in an empty slot in a gear piece to grant flat buffs to the player. However, unlike Runes and Soul Cores, Talismans can only be used on gear that corresponds to the Talisman type.
A Bear Talisman, for example, can only be used on Helmets. Trying to use it on a Body Armor will always fail. You can easily tell which gear piece a Talisman can be placed into by reading the description.
Once socketed, a Talisman cannot be removed, only replaced.
All Talismans And Their Effects in PoE 2
There are 11 Talismans in Path of Exile 2, each with a different effect.
|
Talisman |
Effect |
|---|---|
|
Serpent Talisman |
Gloves: 5% increased Curse Magnitudes |
|
Wolf Talisman |
Gloves: 10% increased Magnitude of Bleeding you inflict |
|
Boar Talisman |
Gloves: Gain 1 Rage on Melee Hit |
|
Primate Talisman |
Helmets: Minions have 12% increased maximum Life |
|
Stag Talisman |
Helmets: 8% increased Exposure Effect |
|
Bear Talisman |
Helmets: 8% increased Area of Effect |
|
Fox Talisman |
Body Armors: +2% to Quality of all Skills |
|
Rabbit Talisman |
Body Armors: 8% increased Rarity of Items found |
|
Cat Talisman |
Boots: Hits against you have 15% reduced Critical Damage Bonus |
|
Owl Talisman |
Boots: 5% increased Cooldown Recovery Rate |
|
Ox Talisman |
Boots: 20% increased Presence Area of Effect |
