Cursed Ducats are currency items in Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame that let you stamp your own modifiers onto a Voyage. Each one pushes up loot quantity and rarity, but the trade is real. Every Ducat makes the monsters in the affected area both tougher and more rewarding, and it layers a specific extra threat on top depending on which one you socket.
Quick answer: Defeat Velka once to unlock Cursed Ducat drops, socket a Ducat, then farm more from monsters and objects inside Voyages or Charts. There are six types, all giving the same amount of empowerment, and you can stack up to three on a single Voyage.
How to unlock and get Cursed Ducats
Cursed Ducats arrived with patch 3.29.3, alongside the ability to customize Voyages beyond just Charts and Border Modifiers. Before that update, your only levers over a Voyage were the Chart modifiers and the randomized edges of the board. Now you can add a handful of your own mods with these items.
They only begin dropping after you defeat Velka for the first time. Once that requirement is met, you collect them from monsters and objects inside Voyages or Charts, but only while you already have a Cursed Ducat socketed. If you have beaten Velka on a previous character or run, you can grab your first one by talking to Valerie aboard The Sovereign.
Every Cursed Ducat and its effects
There are six Cursed Ducats in total. Every one carries the same base line, “Monsters in Area have increased Toughness and Reward,” and then adds its own distinct monster modifier. The game does not currently display the exact amount of extra toughness or reward, so treat that part as a fixed cost and pick your Ducat based on the unique mod attached.
| Cursed Ducat | Added effect |
|---|---|
| Ducat of the Grasping Deep | Monsters have 40% increased Area of Effect; Monsters fire 2 additional Projectiles |
| Ducat of the Foul Kin | Monsters have 50% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed |
| Ducat of Tsoatha’s Gift | 50% increased Monster Damage |
| Ducat of the Undead Sea | Monster Damage Penetrates 10% Elemental Resistances |
| Ducat of the Eucarid Isle | Monsters have 500% increased Critical Strike Chance; +50% to Monster Critical Strike Multiplier |
| Ducat of the Fallen Stars | Monsters gain 100% of their Physical Damage as Extra Damage of a random Element |
Note: Every Ducat’s base “increased Toughness and Reward” line is identical, so the only thing separating them is the extra monster mod in the table above.
How to stack Cursed Ducats for more loot
Because all six give the same empowerment, the smart play is to stack the ones whose downside your build can shrug off. You can slot up to three on one Voyage, so choose modifiers that either match your defenses or barely touch you.
- If you cap elemental resistances comfortably, the Ducat of the Undead Sea and Ducat of the Fallen Stars are easier to survive.
- Tanky builds with high life or energy shield can absorb the flat damage boosts from Ducat of Tsoatha’s Gift.
- Ranged or high-mobility characters can more easily dodge the extra projectiles from Ducat of the Grasping Deep and the speed from Ducat of the Foul Kin.
To squeeze the most out of a run, pair your Ducats with Border Modifiers that raise pack size and item rarity. Check the board’s edges before you set sail and reroll those Border Modifiers if they are not helping, then head into the Voyage with your three chosen Ducats socketed.
You will know the setup is working when you clear the Voyage and survive to escape. The higher toughness means monsters take longer to kill and hit harder, so the payoff only lands if you make it back with your loot. Push too far past what your build can handle and the extra reward is worthless.
