Root of Nightmares was the first raid added in Destiny 2 Lightfall, bringing with it one of the game’s most visually stunning activities, as well as a range of exciting weapons and armor for players to farm.
Added on March 10, 2023, Root of Nightmares is a raid set after the Witness and the Traveler’s epic confrontation that sees Guardians tasked with infiltrating an enemy Pyramid ship and taking down Nezarec, a powerful disciple of The Witness.
Overcoming this raid isn’t easy, but there’s great incentives to do so. Most notably, a whole heap of exciting weapons and armor, including an Exotic that can’t be found anywhere else. Here’s everything you need to know about the Root of Nightmares loot table to help you prepare for what lies ahead.
Root of Nightmares loot table
The Root of Nightmares loot table features an Exotic weapon, six legendary weapons, and three sets of armor, one for each class. These are acquired by completing the raid’s four encounters: Cataclysm, Scission, Zo’aurc, and Nezarec.
Here’s the full loot table for Root of Nightmares, detailing all of the weapons and armor you can earn from each encounter:
| FIRST ENCOUNTERCataclysm | SECOND ENCOUNTERScission | THIRD ENCOUNTERZo’aurc | FINAL ENCOUNTERNezarec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briar’s Contempt | Acasia’s Dejection | Acasia’s Dejection | Conditional Finality |
| Koraxis’s Distress | Koraxis’s Distress | Koraxis’s Distress | Acasia’s Rejection |
| Nessa’s Oblation | Mykel’s Reverence | Mykel’s Reverence | Briar’s Contempt |
| Class Chest armor | Nessa’s Oblation | Rufus’s Fury | Koraxis’s Distress |
| Class Arms armor | Class Chest armor | Class Chest armor | Mykel’s Reverence |
| Class Helmet armor | Class Arms armor | Class Item | Nessa’s Oblation |
| — | Class Legs armor | Class Legs armor | Rufus’s Fury |
| — | — | — | Class Helmet armor |
| — | — | — | Class Legs armor |
| — | — | — | Class Item |
Exotic Weapon – Conditional Finality
Conditional Finality is an Exotic Shotgun that can be earned as a rare drop from the raid’s final encounter. This unique weapon cannot be acquired anywhere else, so you’ll need to complete runs of Root of Nightmares for a chance to unlock it.
Here are its Exotic Perks and their effects:
- Split Decision: Dual barrels split into Stasis and Solar damage.
- Paracausal Pellets: Landing nearly all Stasis pellets will freeze targets; landing nearly all Solar pellets will ignite targets.
This weapon fires Solar energy out of its left barrel and Stasis energy on its right barrel. The former triggers Ignitions, while the latter freezes combatants, providing the intrinsic ability to stun Unstoppable Champions. This effect stacks with artifact mods, potentially allowing it to stun multiple Champion types depending on what mods are active.
While it is fairly strong in PvE, Conditional Finality comes into its own in PvP. In the Crucible, it has been one of the most used weapons since it was released, with its consistency, range, and ability to freeze targets making it undeniably meta.
How to boost Conditional Finality’s drop rate
Just like with the Exotics in other raids, you have one chance to earn Conditional Finality each week, and the odds of receiving it are increased if you have completed certain triumphs.
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Here are all of the triumphs that you can complete to increase the Exotic’s drop rate and get your hands on this powerful Stasis weapon as soon as possible:
| TRIUMPH | REQUIREMENT |
|---|---|
| All Hands | Complete the All Hands challenge |
| Classic Horror | Complete all encounters with a fireteam of the same Guardian class |
| Cosmic Equilibrium | Complete the Cosmic Equilibrium challenge |
| Crossfire | Complete the Crossfire challenge |
| Dream Weavers | Complete all encounters with a fireteam of Strand subclasses |
| Final Nightmare | Complete all encounters on Master difficulty |
| Illuminated Torment | Complete the Illuminated Torment challenge |
| Living Nightmares | Complete all encounters in Roots of Nightmares without any member of your fireteam dying |
| Psionic Purge | In Cataclysm, defeat all Psions within one second of each other |
| Shields Up | In Scission, do not defeat any attuned shielded combatants on a floor until both node chains are complete on that same floor |
| Singular Orbit | In Macrocosm, a player cannot gain Planetary Insight twice in the same Planetary Shift |
| Synchronicity | During the final battle with Nezarec, activate both sets of nodes within five seconds of each other, for every activation, and complete the encounter |
All legendary weapons and perks
There are six legendary weapons that can be farmed in Root of Nightmares, all of which are craftable: Acasia’s Dejection, Briar’s Contempt, Koraxis’s Distress, Mykel’s Reverence, Nessa’s Oblation, and Rufus’s Fury.
Here’s everything you need to know about these legendary weapons, including each of their archetypes and available perks:
| WEAPON | ARCHETYPE | PERK 1 | PERK 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acasia’s Dejection | Solar Trace Rifle(Adaptive) | Field PrepHip-Fire GripPerpetual MotionKeep AwayEnvious AssassinReconstructionRewind Rounds | FrenzyHarmonyHigh-Impact ReservesTarget LockParacausal AffinityVorpal WeaponIncandescent |
| Briar’s Contempt | Solar Linear Fusion Rifle(Adaptive Burst) | ReconstructionDemolitionistRewind RoundsIncandescentSlideshotEnvious AssassinKeep Away | Focused FuryParacausal AffinityHigh-Impact ReservesAdagioHarmonySurroundedFrenzy |
| Koraxis’s Distress | Strand Heavy GL(Rapid-Fire) | Chain ReactionDemolitionistReconstructionEnvious AssassinDanger ZoneField PrepImpulse Amplifier | Full CourtParacausal AffinityHatchlingWellspringSurroundedHarmonyFrenzy |
| Mykel’s Reverence | Strand Sidearm(Rapid-Fire) | Perpetual MotionPugilistRewind RoundsThreshPerfect FloatUnrelentingElemental Capacitor | Paracausal AffinityHatchlingSwashbucklerTap The TriggerHarmonyFrenzyOffhand Strike |
| Nessa’s Oblation | Void Shotgun(Pinpoint Slug) | Fourth Time’s The CharmDemolitionistReconstructionRepulsor BraceDragonflyEnvious AssassinCompulsive Reloader | Focused FuryVorpal WeaponDestabilizing RoundsOpening ShotParacausal AffinityHarmonyFrenzy |
| Rufus’s Fury | Strand Auto Rifle(Rapid-Fire) | DemolitionistPugilistRewind RoundsMoving TargetReconstructionPerpetual MotionThresh | HatchlingParacausal AffinityTap The TriggerFrenzyAdrenaline JunkieTarget LockHarmony |
Root of Nightmares raid armor
There are three armor sets available in Root of Nightmares, with each class having its own unique set up for grabs: Trepidation for Hunter, Agony for Titan, and Detestation for Warlock.
Here are all of the armor pieces you can earn for each class, as well as what they look like:
| HUNTER | TITAN | WARLOCK |
|---|---|---|
| Mask of Trepidation | Helm of Agony | Mask of Detestation |
| Grips of Trepidation | Gauntlets of Agony | Wraps of Detestation |
| Vest of Trepidation | Plate of Agony | Robes of Detestation |
| Boots of Trepidation | Greaves of Agaony | Boots of Detestation |
| Cloak of Trepidation | Mark of Agony | Bond of Detestation |
Is Root of Nightmares’ loot farmable?
Ordinarily, this raid’s loot will only drop one item per character each week, so you can’t keep farming it over and over until you get the roll you want. However, if Root of Nightmares is the featured raid, this limit is removed, making the grind for god rolls and craftable weapons much faster.
Be sure to check out the raid rotation schedule for more information on when RoN will next be featured and you’ll be able to farm its loot.
While you wait for your chance to farm Root of Nightmares, why not check out the best PvE weapons and our Exotics Tier List to figure out what you should use. We’ve also detailed all of the best PvP weapons just in case your in the mood for some Crucible action or even some Trials of Osiris.