Skip to content

How loot works

ARK uses Diablo II's loot rules. Every drop is a chain of dice rolls, and every roll can be calculated. Once you know the chain, farming becomes a choice instead of a hope.

1. Item level is monster level

A monster drops items whose item level (ilvl) equals its own level, and a monster's level comes from how deep you are in the dungeon: the floor, and how many rooms you've walked (Dungeons). It never scales to you. So how far you get decides what can drop:

  • A base can only drop from monsters at or above its quality level (qlvl). Elite bases need deep floors.
  • Uniques and set pieces have their own minimum level (Unique items).
  • The best affixes need a high affix level, which comes from the item level (next section).

2. Treasure classes

Each monster rolls its treasure class a number of times ("picks"). Each pick may be NoDrop, gold, a rune, a gem or equipment. Champions and elites roll richer classes with more picks, and elites add a bonus to the quality roll. Bosses have guaranteed drops. The full tables are in Loot mechanics.

TC upgrade: item tiers follow the monster's actual item level, which comes from the dungeon's floor and rooms entered. A low-floor monster in Hell can therefore drop an elite base.

3. The quality roll

Each item checks, in order, unique → set → rare → magic → normal. The first success wins. The chance depends on:

  • the quality ratios of each rarity,
  • how far the item level is above the base's quality level (a higher ilvl makes better qualities a little more likely),
  • your magic find,
  • the treasure class's bonus (elites and bosses).

If a unique roll lands on a base with no unique of low enough level, it becomes a rare. A failed set roll becomes a magic item.

Magic find has diminishing returns

MF counts in full for magic items, but much less for rares, sets and uniques. The table in Loot mechanics shows it. Going from 0 to 200% MF almost doubles your uniques, while going from 500 to 1000% adds much less. MF is a build decision, not free power: every point competes with damage and defense for the same slots.

The Ferryman gets MF and gold another way: from the dead. His toll passives (see below) add Magic Find and gold for every death in the battle, and the battle's loot is rolled with whatever the dead paid. A crowded fight pays better than a duel.

4. Affix level

Which affixes can roll depends on the affix level: alvl = ilvl - qlvl / 2. Two consequences veterans exploit:

  • Low-qlvl bases get the best affixes. A ring (qlvl 1) dropped by a level 60 monster can roll anything. An elite armor from the same monster has a lower affix level.
  • The top tier of every affix group is magic-only. A magic item with one perfect affix beats a rare on that stat. Read blue items before you pass on them.

5. Every range rolls

Uniques, sets, runewords and affixes roll their values once, when the item drops. Two copies of the same unique can be very different, and a perfect roll is a real trophy (the Grail keeps your best).

Taking and rerolling rewards

You may take one item from each reward. A boss's skill choice is separate. Rerolling items is available only until you take an item; leaving the skill choice pending does not allow another item. An offer with no initial items may still be rerolled while it is open. The first reroll is free and later ones cost increasing account gold; fallen heroes' equipment is fixed. Loading preserves your selection and the Ferryman's toll effects until the next battle starts.

Judge the item against your build

Rarity is a clue to possible modifiers, not a verdict. A white staff with bonuses to the spell you use can beat a rare weapon whose modifiers do nothing for that spell. A magic item can reach a higher tier of a particular affix; a socketed base may be valuable for a runeword. Check the full stats, whether you can still use your skills, and what the item changes about your cooldown rotation, summons, healing and speed breakpoints. The reward comparison shows item-stat differences; it does not simulate a complete build or predict every proc. In compact comparisons, skill-level gains and losses that affect your equipped skills appear first, followed by bonuses to other learned skills (including passives), then the remaining properties. Bonuses that do not apply to your learned skills keep their ordinary order. This display order is not an item rating. Keep the weapon type your skills require and inspect both possible slots when replacing a ring.

Where the good loot is

In a run you don't pick up drops: every won fight offers you up to 3 items rolled from these rules, and you keep one (Rewards). Drop odds lists, for every monster, rank and difficulty, the chance per kill of any magic, rare, set, unique and rune. Rules of thumb:

  • Elites and champions are worth several normal monsters each: more picks and a quality bonus.
  • Deeper floors unlock higher runes (the rune ladder grows with monster level) and better gems.
  • Bosses always roll several items, with a strong quality bonus, and every boss offers a choice of three skills too.
  • For one specific item, use the drop calculator (tools/dropcalc.gd). It prints every base and unique a monster can drop, with its exact odds.

Equipment quality in ordinary rooms

At the beginning of Avalon, without Magic Find, roughly 47% of equipment generated by ordinary enemies is magic and 4% is rare. These shares describe generated equipment, before reward filtering; a fight can still drop no equipment. Champions and elites offer better quality, and white bases remain useful for runewords.

Magic Find increases unique checks directly, with diminishing returns. Raising the chance of magic or rare items does not turn them into uniques: the unique check happens first. At monster level 6, the first boss treasure class has about a 2.87% chance of at least one unique per kill at 0 MF, 4.88% at 100 MF and 6.69% at 300 MF. Those are odds for any eligible unique, not for a particular item.

Reading reward cards

Equipment rewards put the comparison beside the name: Gain and Lose describe changes against each item you could replace, including empty slots. The preview shows average weapon damage and up to four stat changes per replacement. All item stats expands the complete item description without taking it. This is a comparison of item stats, not a build score: procs, charge effects and changes to equipped set bonuses are not simulated.

New to your Grail if taken means you have not collected that item yet. An offer does not enter the Grail until you take it. Set cards show how many different pieces your account has collected and how many would remain after taking this piece; duplicates do not increase that total. This collection count does not describe your currently equipped set bonuses.

Rare, set and unique rewards, plus runes with base level 45 or higher, have a brief reveal and an original sound cue. Controls remain available. Only one cue plays per offer or reroll, with unique finds taking priority. Refreshing the screen or choosing the skill part does not replay it. Sound volume/mute applies; reduced motion disables the reveal animation.

Early upgrades and Magic Find

White equipment with staffmods is kept in reward rolls, even when your slots are occupied. A white weapon with higher average damage, or equipment improving an item stat in a possible replacement slot, is also kept. Only ordinary duplicates with no improvement are automatically sold; the reward offer still has its normal choice limit and rarity ordering.

Up to item level 12, class items, staves and wands roll staffmods more often: 25% none, 45% one, 25% two, 5% three. Above that level the standard 50/30/15/5 weights apply. The skill pool only includes skills whose required level does not exceed item level. Bonuses still range from +1 to +3 and do not teach unlearned skills.

Lucky can appear from affix level 1 on rings, amulets, helms, boots and gloves. Fortune starts at affix level 6. Their values remain modest; higher Magic Find tiers still give magic items an advantage. The first +1 branch prefixes for Wizard, Evocator and Druid can appear from affix level 3, so early magical or rare gear can improve learned spells without needing a unique.

Comparing a destination slot

Rewards, inventory and merchant inspection compare equipment against one destination slot at a time. Select the slot when an item can go in either hand or either ring slot. The equip, take or buy action uses that same destination; changing the comparison alone does not move items, spend gold or reroll the reward.

A two-handed main weapon also removes the off-hand item. Its property losses are included in the preview and inspection keeps that warning visible above the paged details. Off-hand destinations are unavailable while the main weapon occupies both hands.

The differences compare item properties. Average weapon damage compares the candidate weapon with the selected weapon, not total character or skill damage. Conditional set bonuses, procs and their interactions are not included in this comparison. Properties and proc descriptions remain on the item itself; there is no universal power score.

Choosing a reward

Item rewards show one candidate at a time. The numbered options let you switch candidates without taking anything or rerolling. The item name, destination slot, replacement context and Take buttons stay visible while you scroll through its complete properties and comparison. A boss can offer both an item and a skill: choose each separately using the item and skill tabs. Taking one does not consume the other choice. Learning a skill returns to the remaining item choice; taking an item opens the remaining skill choice. Leaving the rest discards outstanding choices. Reroll keeps its existing gold cost and eligibility rules.

Feedback after changing equipment

Equipping, unequipping, moving a working charm or socketing worn gear can reveal a compact build-change notice in Hero. Purchases, gambles and item rewards use the same observation when they change worn equipment. Details include affected skill levels/base values, synergy bonuses, weapon base damage, selected sheet stats, capped resistances and actual set bonuses gained or lost. A two-handed replacement is observed after both hands are settled. These observations are not a gear score or target damage prediction. Unchanged values and capped resistance increases are omitted. The latest summary belongs to the current character and lasts only for the current application session; it is not a saved history.

Long item and skill details scroll vertically within their panel. A downward scroll hint appears only when more content remains; you can swipe or use the scrollbar. A passive arrow over a subtle fade marks the lower edge while more text remains, then disappears at the bottom. It takes no layout space and does not intercept touch input. Selecting a different candidate starts at the top. Inventory lists keep their existing pagination.

Paying for rerolls

Each eligible offer has one free reroll. Later rerolls cost account gold (100, 200, 400, and so on) or a fixed 5 premium gems. The buttons show their currency and exact cost; account balances are visible. Paying gems does not improve quality, Magic Find or the treasure classes used. Both currencies advance the same reroll count. Insufficient gems never spend gold instead. Taking an item blocks further rerolls even if a skill is still pending; fallen-hero gear cannot be rerolled.

The Gems screen previews a 50-gem entry pack at a US$0.99 reference price, with 50 additional gems for the first purchase once: 10 paid rerolls normally, 20 on the first purchase. Purchases are not integrated or available yet; previewing the pack awards nothing.

Every eligible reroll guarantees at least one freshly rolled item. If the usual rolls would leave nothing, one item is retained or generated from an item-bearing source, at that source’s level with your Magic Find. Gold and gem rerolls share this guarantee. It does not guarantee an upgrade, a different base or a higher rarity. Ordinary monster and container drops still use their usual no-drop chances.

In Hero → Gear, empty slots show the number of compatible items in your bag. Tap a slot, choose a candidate, inspect it and equip it into that slot. In rewards, hold an equipment name or its replacement line to inspect the worn item; closing that view preserves the reward and comparison slot. Successful equips have a short original audio cue, respecting sound volume and mute settings.