D2 Root of Nightmares Loot Guide

Root of Nightmares is a Destiny 2 raid added during the Lightfall expansion on February 28, 2023. In this raid, Guardians explore the mysterious Pyramid ship on Neptune, facing off against Shadow Legion forces and Nightmare constructs. The environment is filled with dark, surreal visuals and challenging mechanics tied to the Light and Darkness themes.

Root of Nightmares features 4 main encounters that reward players with exclusive Legendary weapons, unique Root of Nightmares armor sets (check their designs for each class below), and the Exotic Trace Rifle, Conditional Finality.

Here’s what you’ll find in this guide:

• Root of Nightmares Loot Table
• Overview of Root of Nightmares Weapons
• Root of Nightmares Armor Sets

We’ll also explain how to obtain Conditional Finality, highlight the God rolls for each Legendary weapon, and recommend which ones are worth farming for optimal builds.

Root of Nightmares Loot Table

Encounter	Item Drop	Type	Ammo Type	Element
First Encounter (Survive the Onslaught)	Briar’s Contempt	Linear Fusion Rifle	Heavy	Solar
	Koraxis’s Distress	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Strand
	Nessa’s Oblation	Shotgun	Special	Void
	Helm of Agony	Helmet	–	–
	Grips of Trepidation	Arms	–	–
	Robes of Detestation	Chest	–	–
Second Encounter (Enter the Root)	Koraxis’s Distress	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Strand
	Nessa’s Oblation	Shotgun	Special	Void
	Mykel’s Reverence	Sidearm	Primary	Strand
	Acasia’s Dejection	Trace Rifle	Special	Solar
	Gauntlets of Agony	Arms	–	–
	Vest of Trepidation	Chest	–	–
	Boots of Detestation	Legs	–	–
Third Encounter (Zo’aurc)	Koraxis’s Distress	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Strand
	Mykel’s Reverence	Sidearm	Primary	Strand
	Acasia’s Dejection	Trace Rifle	Special	Solar
	Rufus’s Fury	Auto Rifle	Primary	Strand
	Plate of Agony	Chest	–	–
	Boots of Trepidation	Legs	–	–
	Mark of Agony Cloak of Trepidation Bond of Detestation	Class Item	–	–
Final Encounter (Nezarec)	Any weapon from previous encounters	–	–	–
	Conditional Finality	Shotgun	Special	Stasis
	Mask of Trepidation	Helmet	–	–
	Greaves of Agony	Legs	–	–
	Mark of Agony Cloak of Trepidation Bond of Detestation	Class Item	–	–

You can get the Root of Nightmares Exotic Trace Rifle, Conditional Finality, from various encounters.

Here’s how to obtain Conditional Finality in Destiny 2:

1. Complete the Root of Nightmares raid to get Conditional Finality, which can drop from the final boss, Nezarec.
2. Increase Your Chances – Participate in weekly raid challenges and triumphs to increase your chances of obtaining the Exotic.
3. Farm When Available – If Root of Nightmares is the weekly featured raid, you can repeatedly farm the final encounter for more chances at the drop.

Other collectibles in Root of Nightmares include:

• Gift of Cruelty Exotic Ship: Finish the “Root of Nightmares” raid on Master difficulty.Master Difficulty “Root of Nightmares”.
• Dream Demon Exotic Vehicle: Complete all encounter challenges on Master difficulty.Final Nightmare.
• Exclusive Emblems:
  • A Good Night’s Sleep: Finish the “Root of Nightmares” raid within the first 48 hours of release and claim the Triumph. This emblem is currently unavailable.
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    Character Menu:
    
    
  • Icarus Ascended: Earn this after helping ten Guardians through their first “Root of Nightmares” clear. This emblem is currently unavailable.
    Fireteam List:
    
    Character Menu:
    
    
  • Terrors Uprooted: Achieved by completing the “Root of Nightmares” raid for the first time.
    Fireteam List:
    
    Character Menu:
    

Is Root of Nightmares Farmable?

When Root of Nightmares is the featured raid of the week, you can farm it endlessly for loot, including its Exotic reward. All you need is a solid Fireteam and some time to grind.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to farming the RoN raid:

Step 1: Prepare for the Raid

• Fireteam: Gather a team of 6 players. Use Looking for Group (LFG) tools if needed.
• Loadout: Bring strong weapons like Izanagi’s Burden, Thunderlord, or Gjallarhorn for boss damage, and weapons like SMGs or grenade launchers for clearing enemies.

Step 2: Farm When Root of Nightmares is Featured

• When it’s the weekly featured raid, you can run it multiple times on the same character for loot.

Step 3: Use Spoils of Conquest

• After defeating the final boss, a chest will appear.
• Spend 20 Spoils of Conquest per item to purchase weapons or armor you’ve already unlocked.
• Farm Spoils by running other raids or completing encounters in Root of Nightmares.

Step 4: Find Hidden Chests

• There are two hidden chests in Root of Nightmares. They drop mods and gear you’ve already earned.
  • First Hidden Chest: Located after the first encounter, in a side area before moving forward.
  • Second Hidden Chest: Found after the third encounter, before the final boss.

Step 5: Complete Challenges for Better Rewards

• Each encounter has a weekly challenge that increases your chances of getting Deepsight Resonance weapons and improves Exotic drop rates.
• Check the weekly raid challenge and complete it for extra loot.

By following these steps, you can efficiently farm Root of Nightmares for its powerful weapons, armor, and Exotic rewards.

Root of Nightmares Weapons

The Root of Nightmares raid in Destiny 2 has one Exotic weapon, Conditional Finality, and 6 Legendary guns with unique abilities and elements.

Here’s a list of the weapons you can get from the RoN raid:

Conditional Finality Stasis Shotgun

Weapon Name:	Conditional Finality
Weapon Type:	Shotgun
Tier Rank:	A-tier in PvE, S-tier in PvP
Slot:	Stasis
Ammo:	Special
Archetype:	Exotic
Perks:	Barrel: Shortened Barrel Magazine: Alloy Magazine Origin Trait: Paracausal Pellets
Exotic Trait:	Stasis Pellets: If you hit almost all the pellets in a shot, you can freeze the target. Solar Pellets: If you hit nearly all the pellets in a shot, you can ignite your opponents. Split Decision: The shotgun has dual barrels, allowing it to shoot both Stasis and Solar damage at the same time.
Is this weapon worth farming?	Conditional Finality is considered one of the best Raid exotics due to its unique ability to deal both Stasis and Solar damage. It has excellent base stats and versatility. Its unique perks, such as Paracausal Pellets and Split Decision, set it apart from other weapons.
How to Get it?	The Conditional Finality can only drop from the Root of Nightmare’s final boss. You can farm it when the Root of Nightmares raid is the weekly featured raid. Completing Triumphs will increase the raid exotic drop rates.

Acasia’s Dejection Solar TR

Weapon Name	Acasia’s Dejection
Weapon Type	Trace Rifle
Tier Rank	A-tier in PvE and PvP
Slot	Solar
Ammo	Special
Archetype	Adaptive Frame
Rarity	Legendary
Is this weapon worth farming?	Yes, but with caveats. Acasia’s Dejection is a solid Solar Trace Rifle and a great alternative to Retraced Path. It’s worth farming if you need a Solar Trace Rifle for double Special ammo loadouts or Solar builds. However, it doesn’t outperform Retraced Path, so farming is only necessary if you prefer its aesthetics or raid origin.
How to Get it	Drops from the Root of Nightmares raid, specifically from the Scission or Macrocosm encounters. You can also get a Deepsighted version once per week by spending 20 Spoils of Conquest at the final chest. Alternatively, complete the Deepsight chest puzzle in the raid for a random Deepsighted drop.
PvE God Roll	Barrel: Fluted Barrel – Increases handling speed and slightly increases stability. Battery: Enhanced Battery – Increases magazine size. Perk 1: Rewind Rounds – When the magazine is empty, it refills from reserves based on the number of hits. Reconstruction – Gradually reloads the weapon over time, up to double capacity. Perk 2: Incandescent – Defeating targets spreads scorch to those nearby. Frenzy – Increases damage, handling, and reload speed when in combat for an extended time.
PvP God Roll	Barrel: Fluted Barrel – Increases handling speed and slightly increases stability. Battery: Enhanced Battery – Increases magazine size. Perk 1: Perpetual Motion – Grants stability, handling, and reload speed while in motion. Perk 2: High-Impact Reserves – Rounds at the end of the magazine deal more damage.

Briar’s Contempt Solar LFR

Weapon Name	Briar’s Contempt
Weapon Type	Linear Fusion Rifle
Tier Rank	A-tier in PvE and B-tier in PvP
Slot	Solar
Ammo	Heavy
Archetype	Aggressive Frame
Rarity	Legendary
Is this weapon worth farming?	While the Linear Fusion Rifle meta has declined, Briar’s Contempt is still a strong weapon for boss fights where rockets aren’t ideal. Its top-tier perks, Aggressive Frame, and craftability make it worth farming for PvE. For PvP, it’s less meta-defining but still viable.
How to Get it	Drops from the Root of Nightmares raid (first encounter: “Survive the Onslaught” and final encounter: “Nezerac”). Can be farmed once per character per week or focused at the raid’s final chest using Spoils of Conquest. Crafting requires Deepsight patterns, obtainable via the weekly Deepsighted chest puzzle or purchasing Deepsighted weapons with Spoils of Conquest.
PvE God Roll	Barrel: Fluted Barrel (increases handling for faster swaps) Battery: Liquid Coils (increased impact damage) or Ionized Battery (extra round in magazine) Perk 1: Rewind Rounds, Demolitionist, or Reconstruction (reload effects/magazine size) Perk 2: Frenzy or Focused Fury (damage boosts) Masterwork: Handling or Charge Time
PvP God Roll	Barrel: Fluted Barrel (handling boost) Battery: Particle Repeater (stability) or Projection Fuse (range) Perk 1: Keep Away (increased accuracy and range) Perk 2: High-Impact Reserves (damage boost) Masterwork: Handling or Range

Koraxis’s Distress Grenade Launcher

Weapon Name	Koraxis’s Distress
Weapon Type	Grenade Launcher
Tier Rank	B-tier in PvE and  C-tier in PvP
Slot	Strand
Ammo	Heavy
Archetype	Rapid-Fire Frame
Rarity	Legendary
Is this weapon worth farming?	Koraxis’s Distress is not highly sought after for its DPS capabilities, landing it in the C-Tier. However, it offers unique build potential with its Strand element type and perks like Demolitionist and Hatchling, which can be beneficial for Strand builds. Most players prefer other options like Wendigo GL3 and Regnant for better damage output.
How to Get it	To obtain Koraxis’s Distress, you must clear the first, second, or fourth encounter in the Root of Nightmares raid. Once unlocked in Collections, it can also drop from secret chests in the raid or be purchased with Spoils of Conquest. The weapon is craftable, allowing for a guaranteed extra Deepsight drop each week.
PvE God Roll	Barrel: Quick Launch or Hard Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Demolitionist or Reconstruction or Field Prep Perk 2: Hatchling or Full Court
PvP God Roll	Barrel: Linear Compensator Magazine: Proximity Grenades Perk 1: Impulse Amplifier Perk 2: Wellspring

Mykel’s Reverence Strand Sidearm

Weapon Name	Mykel’s Reverence
Weapon Type	Sidearm
Tier Rank	B-tier in PvE and  C-tier in PvP
Slot	Strand
Ammo	Primary
Archetype	Rapid-Fire Frame
Rarity	Legendary
Is this weapon worth farming?	Mykel’s Reverence isn’t a must-have weapon. Its archetype is currently not favored in PvE or PvP, and it faces strong competition from other Strand primary weapons. It is one of the least desirable weapons from the new raid. However, it might be worth slowly progressing on this weapon frame as future buffs could make it more valuable.
How to Get it	Mykel’s Reverence can be obtained from the Root of Nightmares raid, specifically from the second encounter (“Enter the Root”), the third encounter (“Zo’aurc”), and the final encounter (“Nezerac”). It can also drop from the two hidden chests after the final encounter. To craft the weapon, you need to extract Deepsight Resonance from drops or complete the weekly Deepsighted chest puzzle. You can also purchase the weekly Deepsighted weapon with Spoils of Conquest from the final chest.
PvE God Roll	Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling – Increases range and stability. Magazine: Flared Magwell or Alloy Magazine – Improves reload speed and handling. Perk 1: Thresh – Grants a small amount of Super energy when you eliminate enemies. Perk 2: Swashbuckler or Hatching – Swashbuckler increases damage and handling after a precision kill, while Hatching spawns a Threadling at the target’s location. Masterwork: Reload Speed – Further enhances reload speed.
PvP God Roll	Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling – Increases range and stability. Magazine: Ricochet Rounds – Rounds bounce off surfaces and can hit additional targets. Perk 1: Perpetual Motion – Provides weapon bonuses while you’re on the move. Perk 2: Swashbuckler or Tap the Trigger (or Hatching if Strand subclass) – Swashbuckler increases damage and handling after a precision kill, Tap the Trigger grants improved stability and precision on the initial trigger pull, and Hatching spawns a Threadling at the target’s location. Masterwork: Range – Further enhances the weapon’s range.

Nessa’s Oblation Void Shotgun

Weapon Name	Nessa’s Oblation
Weapon Type	Shotgun
Tier Rank	B-tier in PvE and PvP
Slot	Void
Ammo	Special
Archetype	Pinpoint Slug Frame
Rarity	Legendary
Is this weapon worth farming?	Nessa’s Oblation is equally as strong as the main competition and a decent all-around pick, with good hot-swapping potential with Reconstruction and strong total damage with Fourth Time’s the Charm.
How to Get it	Nessa’s Oblation can drop from a few specific encounters from the Root of Nightmares raid. The first, second, and final encounters all have a chance to drop this Slug Shotgun. You can also complete the weekly Deepsighted chest puzzle and purchase the weekly Deepsighted weapon from the chest that appears after beating the raid’s final boss.
PvE God Roll	Barrel: Fluted Barrel (Increases range and stability). Magazine: Assault Mag (Increases magazine size). Perk 1: Fourth Time’s the Charm (Grants a damage boost after reloading a certain number of times). Perk 2: Focused Fury (Increases damage with each precision hit).
PvP God Roll	Barrel: Smallbore increases range, while Hammer-forged Rifling increases stability. Magazine: Accurised Rounds increases range, while Assault Mag increases magazine size. Perk 1: Demolitionist (Increases damage to targets with debuffs). Perk 2: Opening Shot (Grants a damage boost on the first precision hit of a fight).

Rufus’s Fury Strand Auto Rifle

Weapon Name	Rufus’s Fury
Weapon Type	Auto Rifle
Tier Rank	S-tier in PvE and  A-tier in PvP
Slot	Strand
Ammo	Primary
Archetype	Rapid-Fire Frame
Rarity	Legendary
Is this weapon worth farming?	Rufus’s Fury has excellent rolls and significant Strand synergies, making it the best Strand primary weapon available.
How to Get it	Rufus’s Fury can be obtained from the Root of Nightmares raid, specifically from the third (Zo’aurc) and final (Nezarec) encounters. It can also drop from hidden chests throughout the raid and can be purchased with Spoils of Conquest at the final vendor. The weapon is craftable.
PvE God Roll	Barrel: Polygonal Rifling or Hammer-Forged Rifling – Increases range and stability. Magazine: Ricochet Rounds – Increases range and magazine size. Perk 1: Demolitionist – Increases damage to targets with debuffs. Perk 2: Hatchling – Increases damage with each precision hit.
PvP God Roll	Barrel: Polygonal Rifling or Hammer-Forged Rifling – Increases range and stability. Magazine: Ricochet Rounds – Increases range and magazine size. Perk 1: Perpetual Motion – Increases reload speed after a certain number of kills. Perk 2: Target Lock – Increases accuracy and precision damage.

Root of Nightmares Armor Sets

Like all other Destiny 2 raids, the Root of Nightmares includes a unique armor set for each class.

Below, you can see Root of Nightmares armor sets for Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans.

These unique armor sets from the Root of Nightmares raid look amazing for each class (in my opinion) and reflect the raid’s dark, surreal aesthetic. They’re definitely on par with popular sets like the Vow of the Disciple gear and are perfect for transmogrification.