FFXIV’s Deep Dungeons: A Basic Guide to Both PoTD and HoH

With another Deep Dungeon Coming out, it is time to revisit the existing dungeons. How does Palace of The Dead and Heaven-on-High work

Final Fantasy XIV is currently the reigning king of all MMORPGs and for good reason. Square Enix’s hit game features tons of content that will get gamers hooked exploring the world Eorzea. From farming FFXIV gil by killing bosses to decorating large estates, the premiere MMORPG has a lot to offer to its players. One particular content that has been around for a long time but still challenges gamers are the Deep Dungeons.

What are FFXIV’s Deep Dungeons?

Deep Dungeons were content released back in 2016 where gamers with FFXIV accounts could engage in roguelike multi-leveled floor adventures. These instances have their own leveling systems and gear that gamers can obtain along the way. These dungeons can be done in either solo or party mode. There are two save slots that gamers can use which can serve as checkpoints. There are currently only two Deep Dungeons instances with another third rumored to come out soon.

The first dungeon was released back in 2016 which is the Palace of the Dead. This instance was a level 1-60 encounter that was released along with the Heavensward expansion. The original Palace of the Dead featured 50 floors which included the story of Edda Pureheart. Eventually, Square Enix added another 150 floors known as the Hellsward floors for extra content. The 101st floor up to the 200^th floor were only to parties that did not experience a single party death from floors 1-100.

The second instance for the Deep Dungeons was Heaven-on-High which was released during the Stormblood expansion. This dungeon was for levels 61-70 featuring 100 floors. The first 30 levels were dedicated to the story of the empyrean slender tower that reached the heavens on high. The next 70 floors were dubbed as the Apex floors which only allowed players who did not receive a single KO since the first level.

Dungeon Mechanics for both PoTD and HoH

Gamers can enter the instance with a fixed party or a match-made group. Doing either does not change the mechanics of the whole dungeon. However, for fixed parties, all future endeavors can only be done with the group and composition they registered with. For match-made groups, their only restriction is that they need to continue with the class they started with after they registered.

When entering the dungeon, each player gets to choose any job they wish to use in the instance. Afterward, gamers can record their character level, aetherpool arm, and armor strength once they use the Save Data feature. Doing this will allow players to continue from their last saved point if they choose to exit early during their previous session.

For the save progress, players will fight enemy bosses every 10 floors. Once they defeat them, gamers will have their progress saved, and they can choose to exit the current floor or continue on. Any progress made in the dungeons is saved independently and shared across all data. Take note that randomly disconnecting or getting logged out via an update before party members can defeat the boss will not record their progress.

How to Unlock All FFXIV’s Deep Dungeons?

Though both Deep Dungeons are accessible to most players, these instances have level and quest requirements that gamers need to satisfy first. The two dungeons will have varying requirements. Here are the ways to unlock both instances:

Palace of the Dead

To access unlock this Dungeon, gamers should have reached Disciple of War or Magic level 17 and have completed the “Into the Copper Hell” main scenario quest. After meeting these requirements, players can finally access the Palace of the Dead by interacting with the Wood Wailer in the South Shroud at Quarry mill.

Before gamers can start doing levels beyond floor 50, they will have to complete a quest after clearing the first set of floors. Once a player clears the last story level in the Palace of the Dead, they will have to complete “The House That Death Built” quest so that they can accept the “What Lies Beneath” mission to unlock the 51^st level of the palace.

For parties who finish floor one to floor 50, they will be given an option to start from the 51^st floor or the first floor when they start a new save slot. If they choose the 51^st floor, they will start at level 60 and all pomanders will be removed from their inventory. Gamers should note that every level after the 100^th floor is made to challenge players, so they cannot enter those floors with a party. To be eligible for the 101^st floor and above, players should not have a single KO count for their whole party.

Heaven-on-High

To unlock the second Deep Dungeon, players should reach Disciple of War or Magic level 61, have finished the “Tide Goes in, Imperials Go Out” quest, and have cleared the 50^th floor of the Palace of the Dead. They can then accept the “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” quest to be eligible for the Heaven-on-High instance. They can enter the dungeon by interacting with Kyusei at Crick in the Ruby Sea.

After completing the 30^th floor of the HoH dungeon and the “On the Shoulders of Giants,” gamers are given the chance to start from the 1^st floor or from the 21^st floor when they start a new save file. Those who go for the 21^st will start with their levels set to 70 and their existing pomanders cleared from their inventory.

Floors from the 1^st level to the 30^th are all related to the storyline of the empyrean tower. Meanwhile, floors from 31^st and beyond are created as a challenge to players. To access these floors, gamers must have completed the “On the Shoulders of Giants” quest, cleared the 30^th floor, and have not received any KO count in their party. Since these floors are solo challenges, players will not be able to enter with matched parties.

How to Progress through Each FFXIV Deep Dungeon?

Both Deep Dungeons have similar progression systems. They just have different names. When players enter a floor in either HoH or PoTD, they will be given a layout of the area they spawned in. Gamers can take a look around the floor they landed on to find treasures and monsters to slay. The objective of the party is to locate Cairns of Passage (PoTD) or Beacon of Passage (HoH) which they will use to progress to the next floor.

Another set of Cairns and Beacons that players may find is the Return statues. These objects can raise all KO’d players outside of combat. All Cairns or Beacons of Passage and Return can only be activated once the minimum requirement of monsters slain has been reached.

Aetherpool and Pomanders

Both HoH and PoTD have items called Aetherpool (HoH calls them Empyrean Aetherpool) and Pomanders. These items help players progress through the dungeons since they give various stats and bonuses. Aetherpools consist of arms, which represents the increase in damage points, and armor, which represents the amount of reduced damage taken. These items are obtained from Silver Treasure Coffers. They start from level one and then caps one level 99. Take note that the Aetherpool systems in both dungeons are separate.

Pomanders are special items or runes that can be acquired as rewards from Gold Coffers. These items give various buffs or bonus effects depending on what rune the party members obtained. A full party can only store up to three runes of each type of pomander.

Floor Effects and Traps

Aside from exploring and looting items, players should be wary of the various effects that are activated or triggered as they run around. Floor Effects are randomized status effects that players can receive by chance upon entering a new floor. These effects can be either positive or negative and can stack up to three effects. These status buffs or debuffs will last as long as the party remains on its current floor.

Aside from Floor Effects, players have the chance to activate hidden traps if they are not careful enough. These traps will never spawn in the room where the party arrived in. All these traps will provide negative debuffs, so gamers should avoid them as much as possible.

Score

After every run in either HoH or PoTD, the system will record the score of the players. The score is calculated based on the number of mobs killed, areas explored, and time spent on the dungeons. Gamers can check their scores by interacting with Wood Wailer Expeditionary Captain (PoTD) or Kyusei (HoH).

Deep Dungeons offer various fantastic rewards like FFXIV gil, accessories, materia, potions, and Orchestrion Rolls. For those who are attempting to clear these dungeons, it is advisable to party up with other people first so that they can get the feel of each instance. If they are up for the challenge, they can always queue up for extra floors as long as they do not have any party KO points.