PoE 2 Act 1 Walkthrough — Clearfell to Ogham (Patch 0.5)

Permanent Rewards

+4 Weapon Set Skill Points

+10% Cold Resistance

+30 Spirit

+20 Maximum Life

Salvage Bench (1st char)

⚡ Speedrun Tips (Community) ▸ click to expand

◆ Play with urgency. Minimize town time and never stop moving in a zone — even inefficient progress beats no progress.
◆ Focus magic packs. Blue-name (magic) monsters give ~3.5× the XP of equivalent whites. Skip white packs unless you're under-leveled.
◆ Don't mule. Push to the Red Vale weapon racks — they're guaranteed to drop a 2nd-tier Martial weapon (long quarterstaff, smithing hammer, tense crossbow).
◆ Ration regals/exalts. 1–2 regals per act, ideally on weapon bases that hit modifier breakpoints. Save exalts.
◆ Stay on the XP curve. Margin of safety = 3 levels under area + 1 per 16 character levels. Push XP when you fall outside it.
◆ Cemetery: do Draven first, then manually refresh the zone (leave and re-enter) before doing Asinia — her drops scale with the higher zone level.
◆ Aim for Lvl 14 before the Geonor fight.

Riverbank Lvl 1

Talk to Wounded Man, equip starter weapon

Loot Large Chests, equip items + skills

Kill The Bloated Miller

Enter Clearfell Encampment behind boss

Clearfell Encampment TOWN Lvl 2

Talk to Renly Skill Gem Lv1

Enter Clearfell

Clearfell Lvl 2–3

Talk to Farrow → starts The Runeseeker quest Runesmithing tutorial

0.5 NewFarrow is the new league NPC. Meeting him here only starts the Runeseeker quest — the Verisium Anvil unlocks at the end of the Act 1 chain (collect 3 Runestones → Lost Catacombs → return to Clearfell). Runeforging then lets you spend Verisium to add Runic Ward, a regenerating layer that absorbs damage at 1 life (free on sub-55 bases; trades some defence for Ward above that). Full detail in the Crafting Codex.

Runeforging ladderOne tier unlocks per act: Act 1 Armour Runeforging → Act 2 Runic Inscriptions → Act 3 Unique Runeforging → Act 4 Ancient Runes.

Kill Beira of the Rotten Pack (north) +10% Cold Res

(Opt) Mud Burrow → The Devourer Skill Gem Lv2

A waypoint sits right next to Mud Burrow; the bridge onward leads to The Grelwood

After the kill, talk to Renly in town for a Support Gem Lv1

(Opt) Abandoned Stash (inside the Mysterious Campsite) Skill Gem Lv1

Enter The Grelwood

The Grelwood WAYPOINT Lvl 3–5

Find/summon/talk Una

Take waypoint

Enter Grim Tangle → take WP → return

Enter The Red Vale → take WP → return

(Opt) Kill Gerung, the Brambleghast Skill Gem Lv2

(Opt) Hut with Cauldron (medium life + mana flasks) → Areagne Support Gem Lv1

Areagne is the hardest early fight — frost bomb chills her, makes it manageable

Enter The Red Vale

The Red Vale WAYPOINT Lvl 5–6

Find 3 Obelisks of Rust, loot Runed Girdle each

The Rust King spawns on last obelisk Skill Gem Lv3

Kite mobs under his feet for AoE damage uptime

TP back to town

Clearfell Encampment

Talk to Renly, get Runed Spikes

TP to Grelwood

The Grelwood (Return)

Activate 3 Runic Seals

Talk to Una

TP back to town

Clearfell Encampment

Talk to Una

TP to Grim Tangle

Grim Tangle WAYPOINT Lvl 6

0.5 QuestRuneseeker — Runestone 1 of 3 (Grim Tangle). The first stone is mandatory — you interact with it during normal progression. Follow the mushrooms toward the Druid (Grim Tangle); follow the caskets toward the Cemetery of the Eternals.

(Opt) Kill Ervig, the Rotted Druid Support Gem

Enter Cemetery of the Eternals

Cemetery of the Eternals Lvl 6–9

Talk to Lachlann the Lost

(Opt) Ancient Ruins (sarcophagus near checkpoint) Iron or Lazuli Ring

Mausoleum of the Praetor → Draven → Key Piece, TP back

(Opt) Mausoleum of the Praetor — Forgotten Riches hidden cache Support Gem 1 Loot Gold

Find the hidden switch to open the cache

Tomb of the Consort → Asinia → Key Piece, TP back. (Opt) Haunted Treasure secret Support Gem Lv1

Open Memorial Gate next to Lachlann

Kill Lachlann, loot Ring Skill Gem Lv3

Exit to Hunting Grounds — take Waypoint WP

TP to town

Clearfell Encampment

Talk to Finn, Una, The Hooded One

Revival The Hooded One revives upon return — Identify is now available

Hunting Grounds WAYPOINT Lvl 10

0.5 PathingThis sparse zone now ships with navigation cues. After completing the small ritual encounter, follow the trail of locusts — it leads straight to the Freythorn entrance. Crowbells peck dead animals and leave blood trails that lead directly to the boss. A signpost on the road indicates the way to Ogham Village.

Farrow → Runestone 2 of 3 (Hunting Grounds)

Talk to Delwyn

Delwyn is a bit further into the zone than Farrow

Kill The Crowbell +2 Skill Points

Watch slam attacks — can one-shot. Boss flees at low HP, kite carefully

Enter Freythorn → take WP → return

Enter Ogham Farmlands → take WP → return

(Opt) Small ritual event (not near the start of the zone) Support Gem Lv1

TP to Freythorn

Freythorn WAYPOINT Lvl 11–12

Activate 3 small Ritual Altars

Big altar's smoke tendrils point to the small altars — follow them

Big Ritual Altar → kill The King in the Mists +30 Spirit Spirit Gem Lv4 (Persistent Buff)

Aoife spawns in this fight (Druid class only?) and drops a spirit gem

Phase 2: dodge totem summons + curses (stand still vs keep moving differ)

(Opt) Ominous Altars → cleanse, then claim a Charm from Finn in town Ruby/Sapphire/Topaz Charm

TP to Ogham Farmlands

Ogham Farmlands WAYPOINT Lvl 12

Una's Lute Box in house near checkpoint → Una's Lute +2 Skill Points

Deliver to Una in town for the reward

0.5 QuestRuneseeker — Runestone 3 of 3 (this zone, in a crop field). With all three found: return to Grelwood and summon Farrow at the Tree of Souls → run the Lost Catacombs → grab the Liquid Verisium at the end → return to Clearfell to unlock the Verisium Anvil.

(Opt) Rare dogs in crop circle Skill Gem Lv4

Enter Ogham Village

Ogham Village Lvl 12–13

(1st char) Smithing Tools in house Salvage Bench

Follow the cobble road to the smithing house

(Opt) Blacksmith's Chest same house Blank Rune + Artificer's Orb

Kill The Executioner Support Gem Lv1

Fight is mostly in the north of the village

Upstairs → Lever → talk to Leitis

Enter The Manor Ramparts

The Manor Ramparts Lvl 13

(Opt) Gallows secret (rope on hanging man, near checkpoint) Support Gem Lv1

Confirm Lvl 10 flask + Lvl 11 chest piece before entering Manor — much safer

Enter Ogham Manor

Ogham Manor Lvl 13–14

Kill Candlemass (1st floor) +20 Max Life

Usually after the first walkway (when you first see the Count), sometimes earlier — drops Essence + double-res belt

Downstairs → kill Geonor (Act Boss)

Manor descent: take each floor heading the opposite direction from the floor above — retrace how you crossed the walkway

Phase 2: dodge roll under his sword. Frost bomb at start of Phase 2 chills him

TP back to town

Clearfell Encampment (End of Act)

Talk to all NPCs

Talk to The Hooded One → "Follow the Beast's Trail"

Act I Complete — proceed to Act II