Proposal: Relic System for Alternative Character Creation

Hello GGG,

I’m a relatively new player to Path of Exile, having started during the launch of the early access last December. I’ve genuinely enjoyed exploring Wraeclast and have come to appreciate the depth, challenge, and creativity that make this game so unique. I’m truly looking forward to seeing how the game evolves as it approaches full release.

I’ve also followed many of the community discussions — While some players express frustration about replaying the campaign, I believe that experience is a core part of what makes Path of Exile special. I understand that GGG may be facing increasing pressure to introduce a campaign skip or shortcut to endgame content, but I sincerely hope you stand firm in preserving the campaign’s role. With that in mind, I’d like to share a proposal for your consideration — one that I believe could satisfy both new and veteran players while maintaining the integrity of the game’s design.

Introduction

The Path of Exile campaign remains one of the most distinctive and defining aspects of the game. Each class and ascendancy experience the story differently, and the campaign serves as both an introduction to Wraeclast’s lore and a gradual tutorial for core mechanics. For this reason, no new player should ever be allowed to bypass the campaign outright.

However, many veteran players who have already proven their mastery of endgame content have expressed a desire for an alternate path when creating new characters. This proposal aims to respect both perspectives by introducing a rare, aspirational item — the Relic of Echoed Exiles — that provides a lore-friendly, balanced method to accelerate new character creation without trivializing progression.

Concept: Relic of Echoed Exiles

A special relic that can only be obtained from pinnacle encounters or rare endgame content. It is designed to be scarce, account-bound, and serve as a meaningful reward rather than a tradeable commodity.

When used, the relic provides the following benefits and restrictions:

1. Archiving Rule

• Character Archiving: The relic archives existing characters but keeps them accessible.
• Campaign Completion: Characters that finish the campaign are permanently available.
• Relic-born Character Limit: Only one Relic-born character can exist at a time, and using a new relic
archives the previous one.

2. New Character Creation

• Character Level Boost: Allows creation of a new character at Level 65.
• Passive Points and Rewards: Character receives passive points and quest rewards as if they had
completed the campaign.

3. Progression Balance

• Ascendancy Unlocking: Ascendancies are unlocked by completing Labyrinth trials.
• Resistance Bonuses: Resistance bonuses are not granted from quests and must be acquired
through gear or completing relevant content.
• Campaign-Related Benefits: Other campaign-related benefits remain locked to maintain meaningful
progression.

3. Why I Believe This Could Work

• Campaign Completion Requirement: Players must finish the story for each class before accessing
this option.
• Lore Significance: The relic represents the essence of past exiles, connecting new characters to
the game’s history.
• Acquisition and Rarity: As a rare, account-bound item obtained through challenging content, it
serves as a goal rather than a shortcut.

4. Closing Thought

The purpose of this proposal is to bridge the gap between players who enjoy replaying the campaign and those who wish to focus on endgame after multiple completions. By tying campaign bypass to a rare, lore-driven relic, this system maintains the integrity of Path of Exile’s progression while offering long-term players a meaningful, earned reward that deepens replayability and engagement.