+4 +6 
Armor and shields · 9 Protection idol 
+2 +4 
+4 +6 
+7 +9 
+4 +6 
+4 +6 
+1 +3 
+2 +4 
+5 +7 
+6 +8 
+9 +11 
+3 +5 
+22 +24 
+6 +8 
+29 +31 
+6 +8 
Battle and protection
Battle idols upgrade weapons and tools. For the hammer, hoe, cultivator, metal pickaxes, scythe and snow shovel this adds durability. Protection idols upgrade armor and shields.
A gift or a sacrifice
Idols
Rare statuettes from chests. At the Forge of Potential they raise gear beyond its normal maximum level. An attempt can bring a gift from the gods, or take the item itself.
Found an idol for the first time? Which idol fits which item, what happens on a failure and where to look for the Forge: explained briefly at the bottom of the page. How idols work ↓ Where they are used
It cannot be built: it stands in the Mountains. You hand over one idol, the one this particular item needs, and no other materials. The idol is used up whatever the result.
65% level +1 35% destroyed
1 Find the Forge in the Mountains 2 Bring the right idol 3 Try the upgrade
Idols by stage
Each stage has two idols: a battle idol for weapons and tools and a protection idol for armor and shields. Click an idol to open its page with the full list of gear.
Where to find them
Idols cannot be crafted and do not drop from creatures: they are found only in chests. The bar is the idol’s share of the possible loot of one chest slot, the big number is the chance that the slot holds some idol. Filter for battle or protection idols to find which chest is worth searching.
Meadows 2 chests
Buried chest in the Meadows 2–3 rolls per chest 3.06%
Chest in the Meadows 2–3 rolls per chest 2.75%
Black Forest 3 chests
Chest in the Black Forest 2–3 rolls per chest 3.89%
Chest in a forest crypt 2–4 rolls per chest 3.17%
Chest in a Troll Cave 3–5 rolls per chest 2.67%
Swamp 2 chests
Chest in the Swamp 3–5 rolls per chest 1.86%
Chest in a sunken crypt 4–5 rolls per chest 1.59%
Mountain 2 chests
Chest in a Frost Cave 3–5 rolls per chest 3.97%
Chest in the Mountains 3–5 rolls per chest 2.32%
Plains 3 chests
Chest in Hildir’s quest fortress 5–6 rolls per chest 4.62%
Chest on the Plains 3–4 rolls per chest 4.28%
Fuling trash heap 2–3 rolls per chest 2.81%
Mistlands 2 chests
Chest in a Dvergr tower 2–3 rolls per chest 9.59%
Chest in a Dvergr settlement 4–5 rolls per chest 2.43%
Ashlands 4 chests
Stone chest in the Ashlands 2–4 rolls per chest 6.36%
Chest in a Charred fortress 5–6 rolls per chest 5.28%
Pile in a Morgen hole 3–4 rolls per chest 2.44%
Pots in the Ashlands 2–3 rolls per chest 2.17%
Deep North 5 chests
Chest in a Deep North village 3–4 rolls per chest 3.28%
Loot in a Deep North timber hall 2–3 rolls per chest 3.23%
Chest from a shipwreck 2–4 rolls per chest 2.13%
Chest in Mörkhalla 2–4 rolls per chest 1.87%
Ancient chest of Mörkhalla 5–7 rolls per chest 1.61%
Meadows 2 chests
Buried chest in the Meadows 2–3 rolls per chest 1.98%
Chest in the Meadows 2–3 rolls per chest 0.97%
Black Forest 3 chests
Chest in the Black Forest 2–3 rolls per chest 1.37%
Chest in a forest crypt 2–4 rolls per chest 1.12%
Chest in a Troll Cave 3–5 rolls per chest 0.94%
Swamp 2 chests
Chest in the Swamp 3–5 rolls per chest 0.66%
Chest in a sunken crypt 4–5 rolls per chest 0.56%
Mountain 2 chests
Chest in a Frost Cave 3–5 rolls per chest 1.4%
Chest in the Mountains 3–5 rolls per chest 0.82%
Plains 3 chests
Chest in Hildir’s quest fortress 5–6 rolls per chest 1.63%
Chest on the Plains 3–4 rolls per chest 1.51%
Fuling trash heap 2–3 rolls per chest 1.1%
Mistlands 2 chests
Chest in a Dvergr tower 2–3 rolls per chest 3.38%
Chest in a Dvergr settlement 4–5 rolls per chest 0.86%
Ashlands 4 chests
Stone chest in the Ashlands 2–4 rolls per chest 2.24%
Chest in a Charred fortress 5–6 rolls per chest 1.86%
Pots in the Ashlands 2–3 rolls per chest 0.85%
Pile in a Morgen hole 3–4 rolls per chest 0.81%
Deep North 5 chests
Chest in a Deep North village 3–4 rolls per chest 1.16%
Loot in a Deep North timber hall 2–3 rolls per chest 1.08%
Chest from a shipwreck 2–4 rolls per chest 0.71%
Chest in Mörkhalla 2–4 rolls per chest 0.69%
Ancient chest of Mörkhalla 5–7 rolls per chest 0.54%
Meadows 2 chests
Chest in the Meadows 2–3 rolls per chest 1.78%
Buried chest in the Meadows 2–3 rolls per chest 1.08%
Black Forest 3 chests
Chest in the Black Forest 2–3 rolls per chest 2.52%
Chest in a forest crypt 2–4 rolls per chest 2.05%
Chest in a Troll Cave 3–5 rolls per chest 1.73%
Swamp 2 chests
Chest in the Swamp 3–5 rolls per chest 1.2%
Chest in a sunken crypt 4–5 rolls per chest 1.03%
Mountain 2 chests
Chest in a Frost Cave 3–5 rolls per chest 2.57%
Chest in the Mountains 3–5 rolls per chest 1.5%
Plains 3 chests
Chest in Hildir’s quest fortress 5–6 rolls per chest 2.99%
Chest on the Plains 3–4 rolls per chest 2.77%
Fuling trash heap 2–3 rolls per chest 1.71%
Mistlands 2 chests
Chest in a Dvergr tower 2–3 rolls per chest 6.21%
Chest in a Dvergr settlement 4–5 rolls per chest 1.57%
Ashlands 4 chests
Stone chest in the Ashlands 2–4 rolls per chest 4.12%
Chest in a Charred fortress 5–6 rolls per chest 3.42%
Pile in a Morgen hole 3–4 rolls per chest 1.63%
Pots in the Ashlands 2–3 rolls per chest 1.32%
Deep North 5 chests
Loot in a Deep North timber hall 2–3 rolls per chest 2.15%
Chest in a Deep North village 3–4 rolls per chest 2.12%
Chest from a shipwreck 2–4 rolls per chest 1.42%
Chest in Mörkhalla 2–4 rolls per chest 1.18%
Ancient chest of Mörkhalla 5–7 rolls per chest 1.07%
How idols work
Which idol exactly
Most of the time the idol’s material matches the item’s stage, but there are plenty of exceptions. The Forge shows the idol that is needed, and the exact lists are in the cards above.
Examples: Bronze Axe and Early Axes — iron battle; Iron Axe — silver battle; Nord Atgeir — bronze battle; Nord Axe — black metal battle; Nord Knucklechains — iron protection; Snow Shovel and Scythe — wooden battle.
Chance and cost
Every attempt takes one idol, even if it fails. In the game files each item has a 65% chance of success: the item gains +1 level, and it can be raised beyond 4.
If it fails
With a 35% chance the item breaks and disappears: you get back 35% (rounded up per material) of its base recipe plus the materials of its current upgrade level. There is no middle outcome: the item either gains +1 level or is lost, and it never drops a level.
What it does not accept
Accessories, utility-slot items and items without quality levels, such as the butcher knife or the antler pickaxe. Wooden training weapons, except the wooden sword.
How to find the Forge
When the world is created, the game marks up to 10 possible places in the Mountains: away from the edges of the biome and at least 200 m from the center of the world. As soon as you approach one of them, the Forge settles there and the other places disappear. An idol marker appears on the map.
When to take a risk
Upgrade what you can afford to lose, or keep spare materials for a new item. The most expensive idols from the Ashlands and the Deep North are better saved for gear you will take to the end of the game.