Everything about the look and feel of Last Epoch shouts ‘dungeon crawler.’ However, you might feel a bit of pushback when trying to access a genre staple with this ARPG: dungeons. Due to how the mechanics work in Last Epoch, you will have a hard time completing dungeons and an even harder time just finding their keys.
How Do Last Epoch Dungeons Work? Explained
Dungeons are optional challenges along what are called Alternate Leveling Paths in Last Epoch. Completing these allows you to bypass entire sections of the story, so consider carefully before trying. They offer a scaling challenge where you can play through the area with four tiers of difficulty as long as you have the corresponding tier’s key. The dungeons of Last Epoch are the following:
| Dungeon | Location | Era | Minimum Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightless Arbor | The Shrouded Ridge | Ruined Era (1290 AG) | 22 |
| Soulfire Bastion | The Felled Wood | Imperial Era (1005 AG) | 45 |
| Temporal Sanctum | The Ruined Coast | Ruined Era (1290 AG) | 55 |
But that’s not the end of it. These dungeons aren’t just a themed trek across the different eras of Lost Epoch but rather a collection of unique functions that make each location a memorable experience.
What Are the Dungeon Gimmicks in Last Epoch?
Each dungeon has a gimmick to enhance your challenge, on top of having tough enemies and an eclectic boss. These locations also have two large rooms to which you must discover one of two exits in areas loaded with obstacles. Going through each exit adds a challenge modifier. This means the enemies can do, say, +10% damage in subsequent rooms.
Lightless Arbor forces you to wander in the dark with only a torch whose light can be diminished when enemies chip at your health. Soulfire Bastion equips you with the choice to cycle between fire and necrotic damage immunity. Temporal Sanctum features a common game design quirk that gives you access to two eras (or universes in some cases). This function opens up areas at one time that are closed in another.
This means the dungeons are not only varied and unique but also fun and enticing challenges. It’s enticing to know that you can scale loot and enemy difficulty with the tier options.
However, the minimum level is more of a guideline. While the enemies are similarly easy to kill as their non-dungeon counterparts, they can do way more damage, and completing each area makes the rest of the dungeon harder. Bring your A-game because you won’t get your key back if you lose, and don’t be afraid to bring a friend!
How Do You Get Dungeon Keys in Last Epoch?
You can get dungeon keys through multiple methods in Last Epoch, including:
- Guaranteed drops from Timeline bosses in Monolith of Fate.
- Arena of Champions (arena keys needed).
- Random rewards in green-gold chests found in the game.
- Random drops from high-level or boss enemies in the game.
I don’t recommend grinding for keys if you don’t have access to Monolith of Fate or Arena of Champions yet. Consider that these dungeons let you skip the story and are more like bonus content about loot instead of story.
