[Suggestion] Ultimate Crafting System – Ascended & Supreme Item Upgrades (Ascendant Mode Exclusive)
Objective
This proposal introduces a long-term, grind-based crafting system, exclusively available in the new Ascendant Mode, for players who want to push their builds beyond limits.
It allows players to upgrade their Legendary items to two new classifications: Ascended and Supreme, by adding randomized Prefixes and Suffixes through a high-cost, rare-material crafting system.
IMPORTANT:
You need to add prefixes first, before adding sufixes. Once a Legendary item is upgraded to Ascended, it will lose its Legendary classification.
Its classification and item color will change to reflect its new state:
• Ascended → No longer “Legendary” → Orange rarity
• Supreme → No longer “Ascended” → Crimson rarity
System Overview
Item Classifications & Colors
| Tier | Condition | Classification | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Base item | Legendary | Purple |
| 1 | 1 Affix crafted (Prefix) | Ascended | Orange |
| 2 | 2 Affixes crafted (Prefix + Suffix) | Supreme | Crimson |
Visual Example – Item Rarity Colors
Crafting System Structure
Seal of Ascension – Upgrade to Ascended
Usage:
Adds a random Rare Prefix to a Legendary item → Changes classification to Ascended and color to Orange.
Recipe:
- 1× Shard of Asterkarn (Ascendant Mode exclusive drop)
- 3× Celestial Lotus
- 3× Eldritch Essence
- 2× Ancient Heart
- 2× Blood of Ch’thon
- 2× Tainted Brain Matter
- 150,000 Iron Bits
Essence of Reforging – Reroll Prefix
Usage:
Allows rerolling the Prefix of an Ascended item.
Cost Rule:
Each reroll attempt costs Essence of Reforging × N, where N = number of reroll attempts on that item.
Recipe:
- 3× Seal of Ascension
- 3× Celestial Lotus
- 3× Eldritch Essence
- 2× Tainted Brain Matter
- 2× Blood of Ch’thon
- 200,000 Iron Bits
Core of Supremacy – Upgrade to Supreme
Usage:
Adds a random Rare Suffix to an Ascended item → Changes classification to Supreme and color to Crimson.
Recipe:
- 3× Shard of Asterkarn
- 5× Seal of Ascension
- 3× Essence of Reforging
- 5× Celestial Lotus
- 5× Eldritch Essence
- 3× Ancient Heart
- 3× Blood of Ch’thon
- 3× Tainted Brain Matter
- 500,000 Iron Bits
Sigil of Supremacy – Reroll Suffix
Usage:
Allows rerolling the Suffix of a Supreme item.
Cost Rule:
Each reroll attempt costs Sigil of Supremacy × N, where N = number of reroll attempts on that item.
Recipe:
- 5× Shard of Asterkarn
- 3× Core of Supremacy
- 3× Essence of Reforging
- 5× Seal of Ascension
- 5× Celestial Lotus
- 5× Eldritch Essence
- 3× Ancient Heart
- 3× Blood of Ch’thon
- 3× Tainted Brain Matter
- 1,000,000 Iron Bits
Ascendant Mode Exclusive
This entire crafting system is locked to Ascendant Mode.
• Materials like Shard of Asterkarn only drop in Ascendant Mode content and deep Shattered Realms.
• Crafting Blueprints are only obtainable after progressing in Ascendant Mode (suggestion: Shard 50+).
• Ultimate Mode players cannot access this crafting.
Reroll Cost Curve Example
| Attempt | Prefix Reroll Cost | Suffix Reroll Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1× Essence of Reforging | 1× Sigil of Supremacy |
| 2nd | 2× Essences | 2× Sigils |
| 3rd | 3× Essences | 3× Sigils |
| … | … | … |
Players can theoretically reroll infinitely, but the cost scales exponentially per attempt on the same item.
Design Philosophy
• Optional, hardcore, high-grind content.
• No impact on base game or Ultimate difficulty.
• Provides an endless goal for players seeking perfection.
• Completely reclassifies and recolors items when upgraded — items will no longer be “Legendary” after upgrading.
• Keeps randomness intact but allows dedicated players to control their destiny at extreme cost.
Optional Future Enhancements
• Visual auras or effects for Supreme items.
• Lore-friendly NPC reactions when inspecting a Supreme item.
• Optional leaderboard/stat tracking for who has completed Supreme items.
Closing Thoughts
This system aims to extend Grim Dawn’s endgame for the most dedicated players, offering a controlled, grind-based crafting chase that fits perfectly into the game’s dark, brutal world — without disturbing the balance of the base game or Ultimate difficulty.
Once an item becomes Ascended or Supreme, it is no longer a Legendary item.
It becomes part of an entirely new, endgame-exclusive item tier classification with new colors and new crafting depth.
Thank you for reading. Feedback and balancing suggestions are welcome!