Path of Exile 2 will shower you with all manner of items and gear. These items vary in rarity with different effects, suffixes, and prefixes. However, there is a caveat attached to some items: As you pick them up, the details of some items in POE 2 will be hidden and need to be identified first, or you can’t use them nor harness their full potential. The mechanics of identifying items is a bit of a nuisance!
There is no need to throw items that, at first glance, seem useless. You can read through this guide to figure out a neat little trick to identify items for free without much trouble.
Finding Items in Path of Exile 2
As you progress in Path of Exile 2, more and more better rarity loot will start dropping for you. When checking them in your inventory, you’ll soon realize that these items only have basic information displayed, with the red text “Unidentified” written on them.
Unidentified items can’t be equipped, their real name will be hidden, they won’t show any special effects like suffixes and prefixes, and all the rest of their primary details, like level requirement, won’t be available either.
Some of these items can be really great, but you need to identify them first to equip them.
Typically, you need the Scroll of Wisdom key item to identify other unidentified items. The Scroll of Wisdom is a reasonably common loot, particularly dropped by enemies of blue rarity and found inside chests. You can also buy scrolls from merchants across the game.
If you have a scroll in your inventory, whenever you hover over an unidentified item, the option to use the Scroll of Wisdom to identify it will be present. Or, you can select the scroll first and then choose the item you want to be identified.
Although this method of identifying items in Path of Exile 2 is essentially free, the Scroll of Wisdom is a single-use item. This means you need to gather a bunch of scrolls to individually identify items in the game. Considering how much loot you are bound to accumulate at every single turn in this game, farming scrolls isn’t the most efficient identification method.
Nevertheless, there is a trick to mass-identify items in Path of Exile 2 without the need to farm anything or pay a single dime.
How to Identify Items for Free in Path of Exile 2?
To begin identifying all your locked loot for free in Path of Exile 2, you need first to unlock The Hooded One NPC. To meet this NPC, you have to follow a bunch of quests:
- Finish the Secrets in the Dark quest in Act I.
- Next, visit The Grelwood waypoint in Act I and locate the Grim Tangle. Una will remove the roots blocking this path, and you must enter it afterward.
- Venture through Grim Tangle and defeat The Rotten Druid until you find the entrance to the Cemetery of the Eternals.
- Arrive in the Cemetery of the Eternals and begin the Sorrow Among Stones quest given by Lachlann the Lost next to the Memorial Gate. You’ll need two Memorial Key Pieces to progress.
- The first is dropped after defeating Draven, the Eternal Praetor, at the Mausoleum of the Praetor.
- The second is dropped after defeating Asinia, Praetor Consort at the Tomb of the Consort.
- After the pieces are gathered, defeat the Lachlann of Endless Lament.
- Then, return to Clearfall Encampment and talk to Una.
- After talking to her, you’ll witness The Hooded One spawn in the town.
Now, in every Town you visit, The Hooded One will be present. This NPC has many purposes most notably respeccing your Passives and Identifying items.
All you need to do now is walk up to The Hooded One with unidentified items in your inventory. Interact with him and select the “Identify Items” option. This will identify all the items in one single go for free. There are no charges of any kind for this service.
Keep in mind that The Hooded One identifies only the items in your personal inventory. Any items in your Stash won’t be affected. You have to first place them in your inventory and then visit the NPC to identify them also.
This method of identifying items in Path of Exile 2 is incredibly straightforward instead of using the Scroll of Wisdom. Anytime you have amassed a huge supply of unidentified items while out adventuring, simply use the Town Portal Spell and instantly visit the town. Go to The Hooded One and identify all your items at once for free, then equip the ones that work for you and sell off the rest or store them, depending on your preferences. Then, return to your adventure.
This identifying items system in Path of Exile 2 seems like an unnecessary hindrance. However, there is a slight feeling of joy when you reveal the items’ properties and get the one thing that synergizes with your build. It’s like opening a wrapped present; sometimes, you’ll unpack a pair of stupid socks and other times, you’ll be surprised by a PS5!