Corrupted

Certain items can be found Corrupted or made Corrupted using a Vaal Orb, changing their properties unpredictably. Most methods of item crafting and modification cannot be used on Corrupted items. There is no penalty for using Corrupted items.

File:Corrupted items.png

Examples of corruption outcomes such as a corruption enchantment modifier or an additional item socket.

Corrupted is a special modifier and item tag. The process of making something corrupted is referred to as corruption.

Mechanics

Items and craftable objects with the Corrupted tag cannot be altered further through regular crafting methods, and cannot be reversed.

Socketable items such as runes, soul cores, and talismans can still be placed into or replaced in a corrupted item's sockets, and corrupted skill and support gems can have their base gem level increased with Uncut Gems which carries over when the gem is levelled up.

Sources of corrupted items

Using a Vaal OrbVaal OrbStack Size: 20Modifies an item unpredictably and Corrupts itRight click this item then left click an item to corrupt it. Corrupted items cannot be modified again. on items, strongboxes, or other eligible objects will cause them to become corrupted and may also result in one of several unpredictable outcomes, dependent on base type or item class and item level.
In Jiquani's Sanctum in Act 3, there's a Corruption Altar ("Paquate's Mechanism") that lets you apply a Vaal Orb effect on an item, once per character.
Corrupted strongboxes may contain corrupted items.
Item rewards offered in the Trial of Chaos are typically corrupted.

Corruption enchantment modifiers

Corruption enchantments or Vaal enchantments are special enchantment modifiers from a pool dependent on the item's item class and item level. They are displayed separately from other enchantments. They do not replace existing enchantments. Similarly, adding enchantments such as by socketing runes or soul cores will not replace existing corruption enchantments.

Corruption outcomes

When an item is corrupted, or drops corrupted, one of the following outcomes will apply at random. The specific effect within each outcome may use a weight system dependent on item level and item class/base type.

An Omen of CorruptionOmen of CorruptionWhile this item is active in your inventory your next
Vaal Orb will be more unpredictableRight click this item in your inventory to set it to be active. This item is consumed when triggered. can be used to typically remove the 25% "No change" outcome, increasing the remaining outcomes' relative odds. It does not remove the "pseudo" no change outcome for items that lack item sockets, or for outcomes like quality change that can roll a change of 0.

Non-unique equipment

(25%) No change.
(25%) Reroll up to three modifiers.
(25%) Adds a special Vaal enchantment to the item.
(25%) Adds an item socket to weapons (including sceptres) and armour, ignoring socket limits.
- For jewellery, no change. (This outcome is not removed by Omen of CorruptionOmen of CorruptionWhile this item is active in your inventory your next
  Vaal Orb will be more unpredictableRight click this item in your inventory to set it to be active. This item is consumed when triggered..)^{[confirmation needed]}

Unique equipment

(25%) No change.
(25%) Randomises the numerical values of explicit modifiers (like a Divine OrbDivine OrbStack Size: 10Randomises the numeric values of modifiers on an itemRight click this item then left click an item to apply it.)^[1], then applies a modifier magnitude multiplier of 0.78x to 1.22x (in 0.01 increments) before rounding. Applies before quality effects.
- The resulting values are rounded to the nearest whole number, rather than always being rounded down like most decimal values in the game. However, testing suggests the game may use truncation with a +0.5 shift instead of standard rounding. This appears to bias internally negative stats (like 10% Reduced Dexterity) toward zero, preventing some expected values from appearing while making others more common. A formula of trunc(value + 0.5) may explain this behavior. ^[2]
(25%) Adds a special Vaal enchantment to the item.
(25%) Adds an item socket to weapons (including sceptres) and armour, ignoring socket limits.
- For jewellery, no change. (This outcome is not removed by Omen of CorruptionOmen of CorruptionWhile this item is active in your inventory your next
  Vaal Orb will be more unpredictableRight click this item in your inventory to set it to be active. This item is consumed when triggered..)^{[confirmation needed]}

Gems

(25%) No change.
(25%) Permanently add or subtract one gem level. This is retained when upgrading the gem level using an uncut gem. Max level gems can exceed their normal maximum this way, but cannot go below Level 1.
(25%) Add or remove a socket.
(25%) ±10% to Quality, up to 23%.

Flasks and charms

(100%) ±10% to Quality, up to 23%.

Non-unique jewels

(25%) No change.
(25%) Reroll up to three explicit modifiers.
(25%) Adds a special Vaal enchantment to the item.
(25%) Adds or removes an explicit modifier. This outcome ignores the normal limit of 2 prefixes and 2 suffixes for rare jewels. This upgrades a normal or magic jewel's rarity if they are already at their affix limit.^[3]

Unique jewels

(25%) No change.
(25%) Adds a special Vaal enchantment to the item.
(25%) Randomises the numerical values of explicit modifiers (like a Divine OrbDivine OrbStack Size: 10Randomises the numeric values of modifiers on an itemRight click this item then left click an item to apply it.)^[4], then applies a modifier magnitude multiplier of 0.78x to 1.22x (in 0.01 increments) before rounding.
(25%) No change. (This outcome is not removed by Omen of CorruptionOmen of CorruptionWhile this item is active in your inventory your next
Vaal Orb will be more unpredictableRight click this item in your inventory to set it to be active. This item is consumed when triggered..)^{[confirmation needed]}

Waystones

(25%) No change.
(25%) Increase or lower the Waystone's Tier by 1, randomizing its modifiers.
- Note: this is the primary way to obtain a Waystone (Tier 16)Waystone (Tier 16)Waystone Tier: 16Area Level: 80CorruptedCan be used in a Map Device, allowing you to enter a Map. Waystones can only be used once., by corrupting a Waystone (Tier 15)Waystone (Tier 15)Waystone Tier: 15Area Level: 79Can be used in a Map Device, allowing you to enter a Map. Waystones can only be used once..
(25%) Prevent prefixes from being removed, then reforge the item, removing all suffixes and adding the same number of prefix modifiers, ignoring modifier limit (or vice versa with suffix lock/prefix reforge).
(25%) Prevent prefixes and suffixes from being removed, then reforge the item, adding between 0 and 4 random number of additional modifiers ignoring modifier limit.

Essence imprisoned monsters

(~1%) Upgrade a normal essence into its Greater version, and transform Greater Essences into a random Corrupted Essence.
(~4%) No change.
(25%) Add an additional random essence.
(~35%) Reroll all essences, transforming them into the same tier of essences.
(~35%) Essence monsters are freed immediately

Special outcomes/interactions

Glimpse of Chaos

Glimpse of ChaosGlimpse of Chaos
Tribal MaskEvasion: 66
Energy Shield: 28Requires Level 52, 34 Dex, 34 IntCan be modified while Corrupted
+(50-150) to maximum Life
+(50-150) to maximum Mana
+(-30-30)% to Fire Resistance
+(-30-30)% to Cold Resistance
+(-30-30)% to Lightning Resistance
Chaos Resistance is ZeroMan retains sanity and strives toward civilisation
only under the blessed veil of ignorance. has unique corruption outcomes:

Remove one random unique explicit modifier from this item.
- This item can no longer be modified if it removes the Can be modified while Corrupted modifier.
Add a special Vaal enchantment to the item.
- Special Vaal enchantments do not replace each other; each time a unique outcome is rolled, it simply adds it to the item. There is no limit other than the pool of modifiers.
Transform into a random unique helmet, retaining any special enchantments it had, up to a maximum of 2.
Transform into a random rare helmet with a random base type, retaining any special enchantments it had, up to a maximum of 2.

Guiding Palm/Palm of the Dreamer

Palm of the DreamerPalm of the Dreamer
Shrine SceptreSceptre
Spirit: 100Requires Level 26Grants Skill: Level (7-20) ImpurityAllies in your Presence deal (13-17) to (25-37) added Attack Chaos Damage
+(7-13) to all Attributes
23% reduced Light Radius
(-13-13)% increased Skill Effect Duration
Gain 27% of Damage as Extra Chaos Damage
Grants effect of Dreaming Gloom ShrineCorrupted"We sometimes fail. We sometimes succeed. Who determines one from the other?
I now know we can never be made One, if we are bore of differing desires.
And yet, I have hope for a new truth. And I will see it... made real."
- The Benevolent Dreamer can only extremely rarely obtained by corrupting Guiding Palm uniques: Guiding Palm of the HeartGuiding Palm of the Heart
Shrine SceptreSceptre
Spirit: 100Requires Level 26Grants Skill: Level (7-20) Purity of FireGain 25% of Damage as Extra Fire Damage
Allies in your Presence deal (15-23) to (28-35) added Attack Fire Damage
50% of your Base Life Regeneration is granted to Allies in your Presence
+(20-30) to Strength
25% increased Light Radius
Grants effect of Guided Meteoric ShrineThe stories we tell serve to unite us., Guiding Palm of the EyeGuiding Palm of the Eye
Shrine SceptreSceptre
Spirit: 100Requires Level 26Grants Skill: Level (7-20) Purity of IceGain 25% of Damage as Extra Cold Damage
Allies in your Presence deal (15-23) to (28-35) added Attack Cold Damage
50% of your Base Life Regeneration is granted to Allies in your Presence
+(20-30) to Intelligence
25% increased Light Radius
Grants effect of Guided Freezing ShrineThe stories we tell serve to unite us., or Guiding Palm of the MindGuiding Palm of the Mind
Shrine SceptreSceptre
Spirit: 100Requires Level 26Grants Skill: Level (7-20) Purity of LightningGain 25% of Damage as Extra Lightning Damage
Allies in your Presence deal 1 to (56-70) added Attack Lightning Damage
50% of your Base Life Regeneration is granted to Allies in your Presence
+(20-30) to Dexterity
25% increased Light Radius
Grants effect of Guided Tempest ShrineThe stories we tell serve to unite us..

Version history

Prior to version 0.2.0g, one corruption outcome for both unique and non-unique sceptres, wands, and staves was one that grants ±10% to caster weapon Quality, up to 23%, which also affected the quality of granted skills. Because of this, these items with 21-23% quality are considered legacy until another way to exceed 20% quality is found.

Version	Changes
0.2.0g	Sceptres, Wands, and Staves can now correctly roll an additional Rune Socket as a Corruption outcome. This replaced the outcome that grants ±10% to caster weapon Quality, up to 23%, which also affected the quality of granted skills.[Undocumented]
0.2.0	Using a Vaal Orb on an item can no longer cause a modifier with a value of 1 to be reduced to 0. The Corruption modifiers on Jewels that provide +5-10 of a specific attribute now have values of +4-6. The Corrupted modifier on Helmets and Rings that provides 1-2% of Life Regenerated per Second can no longer roll. It has been replaced with a new Corrupted modifier that provides 1-2% increased Life Regeneration Rate. The "Debuffs you inflict have 20-30% increased magnitude of Slows" Corrupted modifier on Gloves can no longer roll.
0.1.0f	(Hotfix 3) Fixed a bug where the Corrupted Skill Gem Level Modifier wasn't applying.
0.1.0	Introduced to the game.