Minecraft Dungeons 2: Talisman Guide and the Best Talismans

TL;DR

Minecraft Dungeons 2 has 24 talismans in total. 15 come from quests and 9 are secret talismans hidden in the world.
You can equip up to 3 talismans at once. They sit in dedicated slots separate from your artifacts.
Talismans level up from 1 to 3 by earning XP while equipped. You need 18,480 XP for Level 2 and 73,920 more for Level 3.
Talisman effects do not activate randomly. They are always-on passive bonuses while equipped.
5 talismans summon companion creatures: Wolf, Iron Golem, Prickle, Wobble, and Llama.
Collecting all 8 secret talismans unlocks a secret door leading to the Mosstrosity boss fight and a 9th secret talisman.
The strongest endgame talismans are Fist of Iron, Twisted Tooth, and Glowstone Flask.
Sigil of Beeswax is the best early-game survival pick. Swap it out once you have better options.

Table of Contents

What Are Talismans in Minecraft Dungeons 2?

Talismans are a brand new equipment type introduced in Minecraft Dungeons 2. They are passive accessories that give your hero permanent bonuses while equipped. Unlike artifacts, you never activate a talisman. It just works in the background every second you are playing.

You get three dedicated talisman slots. These are completely separate from your artifact slots, so you lose nothing by filling them. Every build in the game benefits from having all three slots filled with the right talismans.

Talismans do not have random stats or item power. Each one has a fixed effect and comes from a specific source in the world. What changes over time is their level, which grows stronger as you earn XP while the talisman is equipped.

How Talisman Leveling Works

Every talisman starts at Level 1 and can be upgraded to Level 3. The stronger the level, the more powerful the passive effect.

Talismans do not level up on their own. They only gain XP when they are actively equipped. The amount of XP needed is fixed for every talisman in the game:

Level 1 to Level 2: 18,480 XP
Level 2 to Level 3: 73,920 XP
Total XP to max: 92,400 XP

Because the XP requirement is the same for all talismans, the best strategy is to equip the three you want most and keep them equipped consistently. Once a talisman reaches Level 3, you can swap it out if needed without losing its progress. The level stays with the talisman permanently.

A smart tip: do not spread XP across too many talismans at once. Pick your three core talismans early and stick with them until they hit Level 3. Swapping frequently slows everything down.

How to Get Talismans

Talismans come from three sources in Minecraft Dungeons 2:

Quest rewards — Most talismans are earned by completing core and side quests as you progress through the story. These are unmissable if you play through the campaign.
Secret chests — Eight talismans are hidden in the world inside secret chests. These require you to explore off the main path, solve small puzzles, or find hidden jump pads in dungeons and rifts.
Boss drops — One talisman, Wonderful Wheat, is dropped by the Mosstrosity, a secret boss that only unlocks after you collect all eight secret talismans.

All Quest Talismans in Minecraft Dungeons 2

These talismans are earned by playing through the game’s core and side quests. Complete the listed quest and the talisman is yours.

Sigil of Beeswax

Sigil of Beewax

Increases your maximum health by a percentage. A straight durability boost. Great early on when you need to survive tougher enemies and boss fights.

Level 1: +20% max health
Level 2: +25% max health
Level 3: +35% max health

How to get: Reward from the “Illagers from the Rift” core quest.

Tasty Bone

Summons a wolf companion to fight alongside you. The wolf attacks enemies automatically and returns 30 seconds after being defeated. A nice passive support option that requires no management from you.

How to get: Reward from the “Silence in Little Howl” core quest.

Twisted Tooth

Increases the amount of souls you gain from all sources. One of the most important talismans for soul builds. At Level 3 it nearly triples your soul income, which directly powers your soul-based artifacts and enchantments.

Level 1: +40% souls gained
Level 2: +80% souls gained
Level 3: +140% souls gained

How to get: Reward from the “Down into the Deep Dark” core quest.

Fist of Iron

Increases all melee attack damage by a percentage. A simple, strong, always-relevant damage boost for any melee build. The effect applies to normal attacks and jump attacks.

Level 1: +10% melee damage
Level 2: +20% melee damage
Level 3: +35% melee damage

How to get: Reward from “The Missing Note Blocks” core quest.

Twig of Dark Oak

Increases how much ammo you can carry. If you use a bow or other ranged weapon, this means fewer trips to restock and more sustained damage output in long fights.

Level 1: +20% ammo capacity
Level 2: +40% ammo capacity
Level 3: +60% ammo capacity

How to get: Reward from “The Missing Note Blocks” core quest.

Golem Kit

Summons an Iron Golem companion that protects you and tanks damage. The Golem is a powerful frontline unit that draws enemy aggression, giving you space to deal damage safely. Returns 30 seconds after being defeated.

How to get: Reward from “The Final Souldown” quest.

Healing Heart

Restores health each second after you have been out of combat for 5 seconds. This is a recovery tool, not an in-combat healer. It shines between dungeon rooms and after clearing waves. Pairs very well with Sigil of Beeswax because a bigger health pool means each percent of healing restores more HP.

Level 1: 2% health per second
Level 2: 6% health per second
Level 3: 10% health per second

How to get: Reward from the “Wildflower Warrior” side quest in Rainy Plains.

Armadillo Amulet

Reduces the cooldown on your dodge roll. The more you roll, the more often you can roll. Essential for high-mobility builds and any build using the Dynamo or Somersault enchantments that rely on rolling for damage or extra moves.

Level 1: 20% roll cooldown reduction
Level 2: 25% roll cooldown reduction
Level 3: 45% roll cooldown reduction

How to get: Reward from the “Illegal Illager Trials” side quest in Rainy Plains.

Sculk Badge

Increases the duration of all positive status effects applied to you. This includes buffs from enchantments like Barrier Brew, Springload, and Artifact Amplifier. The longer your buffs last, the more uptime you get from the same actions.

Level 1: +10% status duration
Level 2: +15% status duration
Level 3: +25% status duration

How to get: Reward from the “Illager Intelligence” side quest in Frozen Highlands.

Looter’s Charm

Increases the chance that enemies drop loot when defeated. Good for farming runs where you want more item drops per dungeon clear.

Level 1: +1% drop chance
Level 2: +2% drop chance
Level 3: +4% drop chance

How to get: Reward from the “Gone Fishing” side quest in Frozen Highlands.

Essence of Efficiency

Reduces artifact cooldown time. The shorter the cooldown, the more often you use your active abilities. This is key in artifact-heavy builds that rely on cycling multiple abilities quickly.

Level 1: 4% cooldown reduction

How to get: Reward from the “Breaking Camps” quest.

Tendrils of the Sprout

Grants a damage increase while your health stays above a certain threshold. The threshold drops at higher levels, making it easier to keep the bonus active. Strong on skilled players who take little damage. Falls off if you get hit often.

Level 1: +10% damage while above 95% health
Level 2: +20% damage while above 85% health
Level 3: +40% damage while above 75% health

How to get: Quest reward. Exact quest varies by source, but unlocks during mid-game progression.

The Eye of Experience

Increases all experience gained. Useful early in the game to reach key level milestones faster. Reaching level 10 unlocks the third artifact slot, which is a massive power spike. Once you are at max level, this talisman becomes less valuable and can be swapped for something with more combat impact.

Level 1: +4% experience gained
Level 2: +6% experience gained
Level 3: +10% experience gained

How to get: Quest reward during story progression.

Prickle’s Mark

Summons a Prickle companion to join you in battle. The Prickle fights alongside you and returns 30 seconds after being defeated. Good for adding extra pressure in fights without using any artifact slots.

How to get: Quest reward during story progression.

Wobblestone

Summons a Wobble companion to aid you in battle. Like all companion talismans, the Wobble acts autonomously and respawns on a 30-second timer if defeated.

How to get: Reward from the “Wobble Run” quest.

All Secret Talismans in Minecraft Dungeons 2

Eight talismans are hidden in the world inside secret chests. They do not come from quests. You have to find them by exploring the Overworld, dungeons, and rifts. A 9th secret talisman unlocks only after collecting all eight.

Glowstone Flask

Reduces your potion cooldown time. Shorter cooldowns mean more frequent healing and more procs of potion-based enchantments like Ancient Alchemy, Barrier Brew, and Buddy Brew. One of the best utility talismans in the endgame.

Level 1: 10% potion cooldown reduction
Level 2: 20% potion cooldown reduction
Level 3: 25% potion cooldown reduction

Where to find: Secret chest in Overworld Dungeons.

Ocelot’s Paw

Increases jump attack damage specifically. If you use jump attacks as part of your melee rotation, this stacks cleanly with Fist of Iron and enchantments like Crash Landing, Fire Aspect, and Lightning Surge.

Level 1: +10% jump attack damage

Where to find: Secret chest in Overworld Rifts.

Amethyst Lens

Increases ranged weapon damage. The dedicated damage talisman for bow and ranged builds. Combine with Twig of Dark Oak for a full ranged-focused talisman setup.

Level 1: +10% ranged damage

Where to find: Secret chest in Howling Woods. Also awarded for completing The Prime Enchanter Revived quest.

Thrifty Pendant

Grants a damage bonus based on how many emeralds you are currently holding. The bonus scales up to a maximum of 7,000 emeralds, where it gives up to 200% bonus damage at Level 3. The catch is that the bonus disappears if you spend your emeralds. It rewards players who save their currency instead of constantly shopping at vendors.

Level 3: Up to 200% bonus damage at max emerald count

Where to find: Secret chest in Rainy Plains, north of the White Tower fast travel point after a short jumping puzzle.

Lucky Clover

Increases the chance of getting additional loot drops from chests and enemies. Best used during dedicated farming runs alongside Looter’s Charm for maximum drop rate.

Level 1: +1% additional loot chance
Level 2: +2% additional loot chance
Level 3: +4% additional loot chance

Where to find: Secret chest in Frozen Highlands near the Frozen Fortress checkpoint and Library Towers.

Soul Chip

Increases your maximum soul capacity. More capacity means you can store more souls before they cap out. Useful for soul builds, but ranked below Twisted Tooth since generating more souls is more useful than holding more of them.

Level 1: +15% soul capacity
Level 2: +20% soul capacity
Level 3: +35% soul capacity

Where to find: Secret chest hidden in a Sift Dungeon with a specific jump pad layout, found in Singer’s Meadow, Humbler Huskland, or Lullaby Hills.

Medallion of Momentum

Increases your movement speed after you have been moving continuously for more than 3 seconds. A strong traversal talisman for players who are constantly on the move and want to cover ground faster between fights.

Level 1: +10% movement speed after 3 seconds of moving

Where to find: Secret chest near the Echo Den in Humbler Husklands. There is a hidden path near the dungeon entrance.

Emerald of Good Fortune

Provides a passive bonus tied to emerald rewards or fortune, increasing what you earn from the world. Exact scaling details are still being verified by the community, but it is found in Lullaby Hills after a short jumping puzzle.

Where to find: Secret chest in Lullaby Hills near the Illager Fortress, after a jumping puzzle.

Wonderful Wheat (The 9th Secret)

Summons a woolly llama companion to watch over you in battle. This is the hardest talisman to unlock in the game. You must first collect all 8 secret talismans above. Doing so opens a secret door in the Overworld. Enter it, defeat the secret boss Mosstrosity, and Wonderful Wheat is your reward.

How to get: Collect all 8 secret talismans, then defeat the Mosstrosity secret boss.

Best Talismans in Minecraft Dungeons 2

With only three slots available at once, choosing the right talismans matters. Here is how they rank for different playstyles based on current community and data testing.

S-Tier: Best in Slot

Fist of Iron — A flat 35% melee damage increase at Level 3. No condition. No activation. Just more damage on every single hit. This is the single strongest damage talisman for melee builds and one of the first you should level to max.

Twisted Tooth — 140% more souls gained at Level 3. If your build uses soul-powered artifacts or enchantments like Ancient Alchemy, Twisted Tooth is non-negotiable. More souls means more artifact uses, which means more damage, more healing, and more procs of everything that fires on artifact activation.

Glowstone Flask — A 25% reduction to potion cooldown at Level 3. Potions are the main source of healing in Minecraft Dungeons 2. Using them more often keeps you alive longer and also feeds potion-triggered enchantments like Ancient Alchemy, Barrier Brew, and Buddy Brew. One of the strongest utility picks in the endgame.

A-Tier: Excellent Picks

Sigil of Beeswax — 35% more maximum health at Level 3. The best survivability talisman in the game. No combat condition, no threshold to maintain. It just makes you tankier. Especially strong early to mid game. Even in the endgame it is reliable for any build that takes hits regularly.

Healing Heart — 10% health per second after 5 seconds out of combat at Level 3. Pairs perfectly with Sigil of Beeswax because larger health pools mean each percent tick heals more actual HP. Strong for solo play where you have time to step back between fights.

B-Tier: Solid and Situational

Sculk Badge — 25% longer positive status effects at Level 3. The value depends entirely on which enchantments and artifacts you use. If your build generates a lot of buffs (from Artifact Amplifier, Springload, Barrier Brew, etc.), this is very strong. If not, it does nothing useful.

Essence of Efficiency — Faster artifact cooldowns. Good in artifact-heavy builds but the base reduction is small at Level 1 and the exact Level 3 value is still being verified. Useful as a supporting talisman, not a standalone pick.

Armadillo Amulet — 45% roll cooldown reduction at Level 3. Excellent in roll-focused builds using Dynamo, Somersault, or Tumbleshot enchantments. Less valuable if you do not build around rolling.

Tendrils of the Sprout — 40% damage increase at Level 3, but only while above 75% health. Great on ranged or high-mobility builds that rarely take hits. Unreliable on tanky builds that absorb damage to fight in close range.

C-Tier: Progression or Niche

The Eye of Experience — Very helpful early to hit level 10 and unlock your third artifact slot faster. Becomes redundant once you reach max level. Swap it out for a combat talisman once you no longer need the XP boost.

Lucky Clover and Looter’s Charm — Best used together during dedicated loot farming sessions. Neither is strong for combat, but stacking both during dungeon runs gives you noticeably more gear drops and item quality over time.

Twig of Dark Oak — Solid for pure ranged builds that struggle with ammo. Not needed in most setups since ranged weapons have good default ammo capacity.

Thrifty Pendant — The damage ceiling is enormous at Level 3 (up to 200% bonus damage), but requires you to hoard emeralds and never spend them. Works best in a specific economy build. A fun talisman but requires a playstyle commitment.

Best Talisman Combinations by Playstyle

With three slots, the goal is to pick talismans that reinforce each other or cover the same core game loop.

Melee Damage Build

Fist of Iron + Ocelot’s Paw + Sigil of Beeswax
Fist of Iron boosts all melee hits. Ocelot’s Paw stacks extra damage on top for jump attacks. Sigil of Beeswax keeps you alive in close range. A reliable, straightforward three-slot setup for any melee character.

Soul and Artifact Build

Twisted Tooth + Essence of Efficiency + Glowstone Flask
Twisted Tooth floods you with souls. Essence of Efficiency keeps your artifact cooldowns short. Glowstone Flask gives you more potion uses, which feeds Ancient Alchemy for even more soul generation. These three talismans create a self-sustaining loop of soul income and artifact uptime.

Tank and Survival Build

Sigil of Beeswax + Healing Heart + Glowstone Flask
Sigil of Beeswax increases your max health by up to 35%. Healing Heart restores up to 10% of that larger health pool every second out of combat. Glowstone Flask means more potions, which means more active healing in fights. A high durability setup for solo play on harder difficulty.

Ranged Build

Amethyst Lens + Twig of Dark Oak + Fist of Iron (or Tendrils of the Sprout)
Amethyst Lens boosts ranged damage. Twig of Dark Oak keeps you stocked with ammo. The third slot depends on your secondary weapon. If you melee when enemies close in, Fist of Iron is the pick. If you stay at range and rarely take hits, Tendrils of the Sprout gives massive bonus damage for staying healthy.

Loot Farming Build

Lucky Clover + Looter’s Charm + Tasty Bone (or Golem Kit)
Stack both loot drop chances for maximum item output per dungeon run. Use a companion talisman in the third slot so you still have a combat presence without thinking about it. Not the strongest combat setup but excellent for gearing up quickly.

Tips for Getting the Most from Talismans

Equip your three core talismans early and leave them in. XP is only earned while equipped. The biggest mistake is swapping talismans too often and leveling nothing to max.
Start with The Eye of Experience early. Reaching level 10 for your third artifact slot is a big deal. Use it during the first half of the campaign, then swap it out once you hit max level.
Do not skip secret talismans. Several of the best endgame talismans, including Glowstone Flask and Ocelot’s Paw, are only found in secret chests. Make time to explore off the main path.
Chase all 8 secret talismans for Wonderful Wheat. The Mosstrosity fight required to get the 9th talisman is one of the most unique pieces of content in the game. It is worth doing even if you do not need the llama companion for combat.
Companion talismans are low maintenance. Tasty Bone, Golem Kit, Prickle’s Mark, Wobblestone, and Wonderful Wheat all summon allies that fight automatically. Use them in the third slot of any build to add pressure without thinking about it.

For more on how to build your character, check out our full guide on Minecraft Dungeons 2 All Enchantments and How to Get Them. And to understand how your talisman levels connect to your character progression, see our Minecraft Dungeons 2 Max Level Cap guide.

Where To Play Minecraft Dungeons 2

Frequently Asked Questions

How many talismans are in Minecraft Dungeons 2?

There are 24 talismans in total. 15 come from completing core and side quests. Eight are secret talismans hidden in chests across the Overworld, dungeons, and rifts. The 9th and final secret talisman, Wonderful Wheat, is earned by collecting all eight secret talismans and defeating the Mosstrosity secret boss.

How many talismans can you equip at once?

You can equip up to three talismans at the same time. They sit in three dedicated slots that are completely separate from your artifact slots, so equipping talismans never costs you any artifact capacity.

How do you level up talismans in Minecraft Dungeons 2?

Talismans level up by earning XP while they are equipped. They do not gain XP when stored in your inventory. A talisman needs 18,480 XP to reach Level 2 and an additional 73,920 XP to reach Level 3, for a total of 92,400 XP to reach maximum level. All talismans share the same XP curve.

What is the best talisman in Minecraft Dungeons 2?

For raw combat power, Fist of Iron (35% more melee damage at Level 3), Twisted Tooth (140% more souls at Level 3), and Glowstone Flask (25% shorter potion cooldown at Level 3) are considered the strongest endgame picks. Sigil of Beeswax is the best single survivability talisman and the strongest early-game choice.

Do you need all 8 secret talismans?

You do not have to collect all 8 to progress through the main story. However, collecting all 8 unlocks a secret door in the Overworld that leads to the Mosstrosity boss fight. Defeating Mosstrosity rewards the Wonderful Wheat talisman, which summons a llama companion. It is the only way to get that companion and the fight itself is worth experiencing.

Can you swap talismans freely?

Yes. You can change which talismans are equipped at any time. Swapping does not reset a talisman’s level. The level stays saved with the talisman permanently, so you can equip and unequip without losing progress.

What is the fastest way to level up talismans?

Equip the talismans you want and play normally. XP comes from defeating enemies and completing dungeons. Focus on three talismans at a time rather than rotating through many. Since a talisman only earns XP while equipped, splitting your time across too many will slow every single one down. Pick your three core talismans and keep them equipped until they all hit Level 3.

Are companion talismans worth using?

Yes, especially in the third slot of builds that already have their two core picks set. Companion talismans like Tasty Bone, Golem Kit, Prickle’s Mark, Wobblestone, and Wonderful Wheat summon allies that fight automatically. They require no inputs from you and add passive combat pressure at zero cost to your own playstyle.