PSA: Optional Bosses = Huge Permanent Bonuses (Don’t Skip Them!)

If the map icon shows a "+", then that means there is some sort of permanent reward for your character as a reward for the boss.

If you’re rushing through the campaign or quick-leveling with alts, here’s a reminder not to skip these optional bosses.

The Mighty Silverfist was particularly painful, it kept one-shotting me from almost off-screen. I’m not sure if it’s just me or if this boss is overtuned, but both my characters struggled, and I eventually decided to skip it. What I didn’t realise was I also skipped a +2 passive skill points upgrade. Later, though, it was super satisfying to come back and face-tank its attacks, and take it down in seconds.

I'm at T10 maps at end game now, and I went to double check to see if there were other bosses I missed. I ended u gaining a total of 12 passive skill points, +40 spirit, +20% fire, +20% cold, +20% lightning resistances. This was HUGE for me.

Here's a quick checklist of optional bosses so you can get all the best permanent upgrades too.

Act 1&4 (Act 4 = Act 1 Cruel difficulty)

1. Clearfell: Beira of The Rotten Pack. Gain +10% Cold Resistance
2. Hunting Grounds: Crowbell. Gain +2 Passive Skill Points
3. Ogham Manor: Candlemass, The Living Right (Underground on the map). Gain: +20 Max Life (Act 1) +8% Max Life (Act 4)

Act 2&5

1. Keth: Kabala, Constrictor Queen. Gain +2 Passive Skill Points
2. The Spires of Deshar: Sisters of Garukhan Shrine (This is not a skull on the map, it is a shrine not a boss.) Gain: +10% Lightning Resistance

Act 3&6

1. Jungle Ruins: Mighty Silverfist. Gain +2 Passive Skill Points
2. Jiquani’s Machinarium: Blackjaw, the Remnant (Underground on the map). Gain+10% Fire Resistance
3. The Azak Bog: Ignagduk, The Bog Witch. Gain: +30 Spirit (Act 3) +40 Spirit (Act 4)
4. Aggorat: Not a boss, but look out for the alter with the dagger to use the sacrificial heart drop. Gain +2 Passive Skill Points

How to check:

1. Look at your waypoint map for skull icons—these mark optional boss locations. A +sign in the bottom right of the skull means it provides a permanent bonus.
2. If the skull isn’t greyed out, you haven’t killed that boss yet.
3. Toggle the underground view to spot hidden bosses. Go through all six acts to ensure you’ve found them all.

I get that this might seem basic to some of the more seasoned players here, but as new POE2 player, this made a massive difference to my game. If you’re in the same boat, I hope this helps you out!

p.s you might also like my updated compilation of POE2 tips which has useful QOL tricks like crtl+clicking on the hooded one = instant identify items.

If they are important (skill points, permanent bonus) they have an icon on their skull on the zone map.

https://maxroll.gg/poe2/getting-started/permanent-stats-from-campaign

yeah, a while ago when they announced the ‘side quests’ with permanent character boosts I just threw my hands up and said these are mandatory for every character. if they were side quest, they would just have like well-rolled rare gear or currency or something

Double PSA if going for demon flame build don’t get the permanent health bonuses till GGG gives us the option to toggle them

I mean they are optional in the way that you don’t need the power they give immediately. You can go back to them if you met a power you need to.

so, not optional :D

I am a campaign rush runner, and I gotta say, GGG, tysm for putting the + signs and such on the optional that give stuff.

I use my own handmade list of instructions for my rushes, but still, that was incredibly helpful during my first and second campaign runs

I'm on this bastard now. I hate him.

This boss fight was the most fun I had with my 2 buddies in campaign. We died many times. 2 warriors and a semi support cold sorc

Sorry but...you said silverback was oneshotting you all the time, is the video showing how you fought him?

If so, you're REALLY not supposed to take the slow overhead slam on the face, like, press space my dude.

No way....

Oh this dude wrecked me last night. I now have an incentive to unalive his ass.

I loved encountering this boss during my first play through. I didn’t even know there were optional bosses at this point, and getting randomly chased down and one shotted by him was crazy.

"Optional"

That was not a PSA, that was clearly a flex. We're not dumb.

For what it's worth I think if you're playing an ARPG and you aren't going out of your way to make sure you kill all bosses that might drop valuable loot then you're doing yourself a disservice anyway.

Exsqueeze me, what just happened. I blinked.

Meanwhile The Molten Vault: Here's some skill gem for your time.

I struggled a lot on blackjaw (in cruel)

this monkey is also annoying but you can abuse the huge area and the terrain to protect and move...

lol yea it tells you on the map overlay

Fun fact that sucks: if you die during one of these fights, but the boss dies, the permanent stat boost item disappears along with everything else as normal. Have lower Spieit than I should because of this wooOoOOOOo love me early access game mechanics

In typical dark souls fashion I cheese certain bosses like him.. you can hug the walls near him and his sunders don’t touch you.

The loading screen tip also mentions this.

Think this is the first list I saw posted ever for it. Used it for two characters. In comments posts the ones you really don't wanna skip https://www.reddit.com/r/PathOfExile2/comments/1hgmht1/quest_rewards_you_may_not_want_to_skip/