The Root of Nightmares Lightfall raid is here and with it comes a new arsenal of weaponry to test out and new armour to style our Guardians with. As such, you’re likely to want to know the Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares guide, bosses, loot table, rewards, and story.
The Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares raid, the Lightfall raid, tests the limits of any Guardians who dare enter. However, if you are up to the challenge, then you’ll want to prepare the best Destiny 2 Titan build, the best Destiny 2 Hunter build, or the best Destiny 2 Warlock build first. Check out our Destiny 2 Lightfall review to hear our full thoughts.
Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares bosses
The Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares bosses are:
- Zo’Aurc, Explicator of Planets (third encounter)
- Nezarec, Final God of Pain (fourth encounter)
The Root of Nightmares raid description on the Bungie website alluded to a “haunting presence”, which was a callback to Season of the Haunted, which heavily involved Destiny 2 Nezarec, the final boss of the raid. After When the Traveller’s beam pierced through the Witness’ Pyramid Ship, it terraformed throughout it and also awoke Nezarec, whose body was on the ship.
Zo’Aurc, Explicator of Planets, however, is a Cabal boss. To Explicate means to analyse and develop an idea of something in detail. The lore surrounding Zo’Aurc is pretty light, but the battle against them takes place in the room we saw the Witness in at the end of The Witch Queen campaign.
As for non-boss encounters, there are two and they both at the start of the raid. The first Root of Nightmares encounter, Cataclysm, involves killing Psions, Champions, and other mobs, all while staying on top of the Field of Light buff and activating plates. The second Root of Nightmares encounter, Scission, tasks you once again with activating plates in much the same manner, only this time it’s more complex. You’ll have to criss-cross around the arena.
Once you’ve beaten these first two encounters, you’re onto the Root of Nightmares bosses.
If you’re thinking about taking this raid head-on, then you’ll want to find out the Destiny 2 Lightfall raid Light level and Power level requirements so you know if you’re ready.
Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares loot table
The Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares loot table is:
| Reward | Encounter |
| Briar’s Contempt (linear fusion rifle), Nessa’s Oblation (shotgun), Koraxis’ Distress (grenade launcher), Robes of Detestation (chest), Wraps of Detestation (gauntlets), Mask of Detestation (helmet) | Survive The Onslaught |
| Mykel’s Reverance (sidearm), Acasia’s Rejection (trace rifle), Nessa’s Obligation (shotgun), Koraxis’ Distress (grenade launcher), Robes of Detestation (chest), Wraps of Detestation (gauntlets), Boots of Detestation (greaves) | Enter The Root |
| Rufus’ Fury (auto rifle), Mykel’s Reverence (sidearm), Acasia’s Rejection (trace rifle), Robes of Detestation (chest), Bond of Detestation (class item), Boots of Detestation (greaves) | Zo’Aurc, Explicator of Planets |
| Conditional Finality (Exotic shotgun), Any Root of Nightmares weapon, Mask of Detestation (helmet), Boots of Detestation (greaves) | Nezarec, Final God of Pain |
The Root of Nightmares loot table is jam-packed with powerful weapons and unique armor. If you want to find out more about the individual items, we have a breakdown of the Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares weapons and Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares armor.
For beating the first encounter, you can earn the Briar’s Contempt, Nessa’s Oblation and Koraxis’s Distress. You’ll also have the chance to earn the chest, gauntlets. and helmet items from the Root of Nightmares armor set.
The second encounter can drop Mykel’s Reverance, Acasia’s Dejection, Nessa’s Obligation, and Koraxis’s Distress. Likewise, you can also earn the chest, class item, and leg armor from the Root of Nightmares armor.
The third encounter, the Zo’Aurc boss fight, can drop Rufus’ Fury, Mykel’s Reverence, and Acasia’s Dejections. It can also drop the chest armor, class item, and leg armor from the Root of Nightmares armor set.
The final encounter, the Nezarec boss fight, can drop any of the Root of Nightmares weapons and the Destiny 2 Conditional Finality Exotic raid shotgun. It’s also a chance to earn the helmet and leg gear from the Root of Nightmares armor set.
Overall, the Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares loot table is surprisingly strong. It offers highly creative armor styles that are unlike anything we’ve seen before, and powerful weapons that fill niches and add to the Strand arsenal.
Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares story
The Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares story sees you make your way through the Witness’ Pyramid Ship to put a stop to Nezarec and ensure his influence in Neomuna is stopped.
Nezarec has been causing widespread nightmares in Neomuna since the Traveler awoke him with its beam. Nezarec was preparing to potentially herald a second Collapse since they were responsible for leading the attack against humanity during the first Collapse. As Guardians, it’s our duty to dive into the Pyramid structure and take Nezarec head-on. It also seems like this was the Witness’ goal by bringing Nezarec’s body onto its ship, in the hopes that they would be revived by the Traveler to cause havoc in the solar system once again. Meanwhile, the Witness disappeared through the portal in the Traveler to an unknown location.
Nevertheless, Nezarec has been stopped, at least for now. Though they were killed by the Guardians at the end of this raid, it was revealed that even without a physical body, Nezarec will live on in the consciousness of those it torments. Therefore, it’s possible that Nezarec could resurface in the future despite our victory.
That’s all you need to know about the Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares raid, including the RoN bosses, loot table, rewards, and story. To face this threat, you’ll need the Destiny 2 best weapons by your side. And who knows, maybe some of the Root of Nightmares weapons will end up on this list.