How To Play As The Heretic In Risk Of Rain 2

Out of all the playable characters in Risk of Rain 2, the Heretic is probably the one that stands out the most. Unlike the rest of the cast, this one is unlocked only temporarily and via extraordinary means.

The Heretic doesn't get as much screentime or appreciation as some of the best Risk of Rain 2 characters do, but it's hard to deny how powerful it can be. If you want to try this secret survivor for yourself, here's what you need to do.

Risk Of Rain 2: How To Unlock The False Son

The False Son is a juggernaut of a character in Risk of Rain 2, offering a mix of both ranged and melee combat. Here's how to unlock him.

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By Marc Santos

How To Turn Into The Heretic In ROR 2

The four Lunar Heresy items in Risk of Rain 2 — Risk of Rain 2 Lunar Heresy Items

The Heretic technically isn't unlocked. Unlike other characters where you need to beat a boss or obliterate yourself in ROR 2, players can transform into the Heretic by collecting four special Lunar items. These items are:

Visions of Heresy: Replaces your Primary Skill with Hungering Gaze
Strides of Heresy: Replaces your Utility Skill with Shadowfade
Essence of Heresy: Replaces your Special Skill with Ruin
Hooks of Heresy: Replaces your Secondary Skill with Slicing Maelstrom

The easiest and most convenient way of turning into the Heretic is to use the Artifact of Command in Risk of Rain 2. This artifact lets players choose what items they get according to the rarity of an item drop. To get all the items for the Heretic, find and activate a Newt Portal, then open all the Lunar Buds inside the Bazaar Between Time. If you're lucky, you can find Lunar Buds on the levels themselves. Be aware that doing this requires Lunar Coins.

The Lunar Heresy items will change your abilities into those of the Heretic's. You don't have to fully transform into the Heretic in order to use its powers. Be mindful of which items you pick first, as it might ruin any synergies you have with items or other abilities.

There are also user-made mods that let players pick the Heretic as a survivor in the character selection screen.

What Is The Heretic In ROR 2?

The Heretic fighting a Blazing Vagrant in Risk of Rain 2 — Risk of Rain 2 Heretic fighting Blazing Vagrant

The Heretic is a special survivor that's all about dealing delayed damage. It has the highest base HP of any other playable character (even ROR 2's False Son), but it also has negative health regeneration, resulting in the Heretic constantly losing health every second. Its abilities include:

Hungering Gaze: Shoot tracking shards that explode after a short duration. Stores up to 12 charges at a time, and automatically reloads after two seconds of not firing.
Slicing Maelstrom: Charge a projectile that deals damage to nearby enemies before exploding. The explosion deals damage and roots enemies in place.
Shadowfade: Become Intangible (player's hitbox is removed during the ability), gain movement speed, and heal for a percentage of your maximum health.
Ruin: Heretic passively adds a stack of Ruin to targets when it deals damage. Activating this skill detonates all Ruin stacks, dealing damage that increases per stack consumed.