Shrines

Purify shrines before battle.

Shrines are former sacred places, now desecrated. But, unlike many random surprises in the world, they’re always a welcome sight.

When you select a desecrated shrine, it becomes purified, and you (and your allies) receive a temporary buff – an enhancement to your abilities – that persists for a short period of time. Each shrine you find will only provide its effects once, and you cannot receive multiple concurrent buffs from shrines of the same type. Some shrines are cursed; selecting them can result in unexpected monster attacks and other dangers (alongside their standard rewards).

Here are the shrines you’ll encounter, along with their benefits:

Dare to activate Cursed Shrines!

  • Enlightened: You gain 25% increased experience from monster kills.
  • Frenzied: Your attack speed increases by 25%.
  • Blessed: You reduce all incoming damage by 25%.
  • Bandit: Summons forth a gaggle of Goblins.
  • Empowered: You have 100% increased resource gain, and 50% reduced cooldown time.
  • Fleeting: You gain 25% increased movement speed and increase your pickup radius by 20 yards.

Healing Wells

Healing wells restore your Life.

Healing wells, bright red vessels that look like pools of blood, can completely restore your Life (and the Life of your allies). Once it’s used, a healing well cannot quickly be used again, though it will refill in time.

Destructibles

If it stands in your way, break it.

A number of inanimate objects can be destroyed to your advantage. Furniture, bookshelves, and pots can be smashed; doors or gates that bar your way can be shattered; and rolling logs, falling chandeliers, and flimsy walls can be used against your enemies if you break them at the right time.

Chests

Plunder every chest you find.

Chests hold weapons, money, and other treasure. They come in diverse shapes and sizes, including unclaimed corpses, forgotten bags, tree stumps, and literal trunks of treasure. Select to open them up (or roll them over) and reap their riches. Some chests are cursed; they’ll erupt with more than just loot. Be warned.

Pools of Reflection

Reflect and survive.

Pools of reflection (PC) give your hero the capacity to improve at an accelerated rate. Gaze into one, and you’ll be provided with a bonus to all of your experience gains. Look through multiple pools, and their benefits will stack (up to a point). Bonus experience from pools of reflection persists even if you log out of Diablo III, but disappears when you die. Reflect, and then survive.

Pylons

Pylons are a more powerful version of the shrines of Sanctuary, and they’re only found inside Nephalem Rifts. When you activate a pylon, you and your allies receive a bonus – just like regular shrines – but the effects they provide are significantly more powerful, and their bonuses only last a very short period of time.

Here are the pylons you’ll find, along with their benefits:

  • Power Pylon: Damage from all of your attacks is increased by 400%, causing you to deal five times as much damage.
  • Conduit Pylon: Lightning zaps your surroundings, causing massive damage to nearby enemies and obstacles.
  • Channeling Pylon: All resource costs and cooldowns on your skills are removed.
  • Shield Pylon: You become immune to all sources of damage and reflect damage back at attackers.
  • Speed Pylon: Your movement speed is greatly increased and you can pass through enemies and obstacles.