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Secret Levels and Alternate Paths

By ScotUpdated

Tactical Quick Answer

Barony hides a network of optional secret areas alongside the main 35-floor dungeon, headlined by the Gnomish Mines, Jungle Temple, Sokoban, Minotaur Maze, Mystic Library, Cockatrice Lair, and the Underworld path into Hell, plus smaller detours like Minetown, the Haunted Castle, and Bram's Castle. Each needs a puzzle solution or hidden entrance, and each rewards unique artifacts such as the Sphinx's Casque, Djinni's Brace, Gungnir, and Dragon's Mail. None of them are required to beat the game.

Barony hides a network of secret levels and alternate paths alongside the main 35-floor dungeon. Each one rewards unique loot, powerful artifacts, or access to alternate boss encounters. Finding them requires specific actions, items, or puzzle solutions.

This guide documents every known secret level, how to access it, what it rewards, and whether the detour is worth the time and resources.

Secret Level Overview​

Secret LevelAccessible FromKey RequirementMajor Reward
Gnomish MinesFloor 2 (Mines)Hidden entranceSphinx's Casque
MinetownFloor 3 (Mines)Hidden entranceShops and early trading
UnderworldFloor 5 (Mines)Hidden entranceKhryselakatos (artifact bow)
Jungle TempleFloor 7 (Swamp)Hidden entranceMassive gold cache
Haunted CastleFloor 8 (Swamp)Hidden entranceLoot and undead fights
SokobanFloor 11 (Sand Labyrinth)Boulder puzzleDjinni's Brace
Minotaur MazeFloor 13 (Sand Labyrinth)Hidden entranceGungnir (artifact spear)
Mystic LibraryFloor 16 (Ruins)Hidden entranceHigh-tier spellbooks
The Underworld + HellFloor 18 (Ruins)Gated lava fortress + hidden ladderBaphomet boss fight
Cockatrice LairFloor 28 (Crystal Caves)Hidden entranceDragon's Mail
Bram's CastleFloor 33 (Citadel)Hidden entranceEndgame loot
info

Secret levels are optional. None of them are required to beat the game. They exist for players who want the best possible gear, rare achievements, and the Baphomet alternate boss encounter.

What is coming in Instruments of Destruction: Part 2?​

Ten more secret levels, according to the dev diary Turning Wheel published on June 26, 2026. Part 2 is a free update with no announced release date. It adds two biomes in the realm of the Eternals: the Ancient Fortress, a long-abandoned battleground where Dryads, Myconids, and Gremlins fight over territory, and the Eternals' Keep, a guarded castle where Salamanders still keep their customs.

Each of those two zones brings two new secret levels of its own. The rest go into biomes you already know, with new secret areas planned for the Underworld, Hell, the Crystal Caves, and the Citadel. The diary puts the total at 10 all-new secret levels, each with its own puzzles, traps, treasure, and challenges, alongside 45 minutes of new music from composer Garrett Williamson.

The table above covers what is live today. None of the Part 2 levels are in the game yet.

Gnomish Mines (Floor 2)​

Location: Accessible from Floor 2 of the Mines.

How to access:

  1. On Floor 2, find the walkway crossing a large pit that dead-ends into two locked gates.
  2. Hit the two switches on either side of the pit to open the gates and reach the entrance.

Inside: The Gnomish Mines feature tighter corridors, gnome-type enemies, and mining-themed hazards. The floors are short but densely packed with loot.

Reward: The Sphinx's Casque, an unbreakable artifact helm with +3 AC and +8 Intelligence.

Worth it? Yes on runs where you find the lever room early (Floors 1-2). The Casque is strong enough to carry you through the Swamp. On late Mines floors (4-5), the detour costs time and resources you may need for the Swamp transition.

Jungle Temple (Floor 7)​

Location: Accessible from Floor 7 of the Swamp.

How to access:

  1. On Floor 7, look for the entrance guarded by a bottomless pit and a hallway of boulder traps.
  2. Time your run under the boulders to reach the temple. Levitation trivializes the pit.

Inside: Dense vegetation, poison traps, and jungle-themed enemies. Traps are more numerous than on standard floors.

Reward: A massive gold cache. Before v5.0, this level also contained the Green Mystic Orb. Post-v5.0, the orb moved to standard-floor Treasure Rooms, but the gold remains.

Worth it? Situationally. If you are playing Merchant or need gold for shop purchases on later floors, the temple pays for itself. Otherwise, the gold is less valuable than the time spent clearing poison traps.

Sokoban (Floor 11)​

Location: Accessible from Floor 11 of the Sand Labyrinth through a boulder puzzle entrance.

How to access:

  1. On Floor 11, the Sokoban portal sits sealed inside closed walls ringed by lava.
  2. Dig your way in with a pickaxe, the Dig spell, a staff of digging, or a Firestorm potion.
  3. The boulder puzzle waits inside: push 17 boulders into the pits to clear the path and claim the prize.

Inside: A multi-room boulder-pushing puzzle with enemies interspersed between rooms. Dangerous because the tight corridors limit dodging.

Reward: The Djinni's Brace, unbreakable artifact gauntlets with +3 AC and +1 Magic Resistance.

Worth it? Yes if you can solve boulder puzzles cleanly. Not worth it if you are low on health or food, because the tight corridors make escape difficult if things go wrong.

warning

Sokoban punishes sloppy pushes and never softlocks you. A boulder stuck in a corner can be destroyed to recover, but breaking one spawns a Labyrinth enemy and cuts the gold reward, and breaking two or more forfeits the artifact entirely. Plan your moves before pushing.

Minotaur Maze (Floor 13)​

Location: Accessible from Floor 13 of the Sand Labyrinth through a hidden entrance.

How to access:

  1. On Floor 13, the Maze portal is sealed inside closed walls surrounded by lava, just like Sokoban's.
  2. Dig in with a pickaxe, the Dig spell, or a staff of digging. The entrance leads to a maze built around a guaranteed Minotaur.

Inside: A large, winding maze with a Minotaur on the prowl. Before v5.0 this level also held the Red Mystic Orb next to the spear. Clearing it earns the Theseus' Legacy achievement.

Reward: Gungnir, the artifact spear. Extremely high damage and long reach.

Worth it? Yes for melee builds that use polearms. Gungnir is one of the strongest weapons in the game. Not recommended for ranged or magic builds that would not use a spear, or for builds with low HP and armor that cannot survive Minotaur hits.

Mystic Library (Floor 16)​

Location: Accessible from Floor 16 of the Ruins through a hidden entrance.

How to access:

  1. On Floor 16, find the small fortress structure locked with gates and ringed by lava.
  2. Levitation gets you across to the portal inside.

Inside: A library filled with bookshelves, magical enemies, and scholar-type NPCs. Less combat-focused than other secret levels. The primary danger is cursed spellbooks mixed into the loot.

Reward: A large cache of high-tier spellbooks across all three magic schools (Sorcery, Thaumaturgy, Mysticism). The density of rare spellbooks here is unmatched anywhere else in the dungeon.

Worth it? Yes for any caster build. The spellbooks found here can fill gaps in your spell repertoire and provide significant school XP from learning. For pure martial builds with no magic investment, skip it.

danger

Identify every spellbook before reading it. The Library has a higher-than-normal rate of cursed spellbooks. A cursed book erases a known spell from your memory. Losing your only Heal spell to a cursed book in the Ruins can end a run.

Cockatrice Lair (Floor 28)​

Location: Accessible from Floor 28 of the Crystal Caves, behind a puzzle.

How to access:

  1. Find the puzzle entrance on Floor 28.
  2. Solving it opens the path into the lair and its crystal hazards.

Inside: The Cockatrice boss and its guards. Barony's cockatrice does not petrify: it is a heavy melee attacker whose telegraphed Stoneblood spell inflicts paralysis, so bring Cure Ailment or paralysis-blocking gear and respect its Double Strike up close.

Reward: Dragon's Mail, an unbreakable artifact breastplate with +5 AC and +1 HP regeneration.

Worth it? Yes for almost any build that can win the fight. Unbreakable armor removes condition management from your endgame entirely and carries you through the Citadel and the Floor 35 boss fight.

The Path to Baphomet: Underworld and Hell​

This is the most complex alternate path in the game, requiring specific preparation and a step-by-step sequence to reach the alternate final boss.

Step 1: Enter the Underworld (Floor 18)​

  1. On Floor 18 of the Ruins, find the gated fortress ringed by lava.
  2. Pull the fortress's two levers to open its gates, and use Levitate to cross the lava safely. Walking through is almost guaranteed death.
  3. Take the portal inside the fortress. You are now in the Underworld.

Step 2: Redirect the Exit​

  1. The Underworld's exit portal initially leads back to the normal route on Floor 19, NOT to Hell.
  2. Search the Underworld for a hidden ladder. Finding it redirects the exit portal to Hell.
  3. Take the redirected portal. You arrive in Hell (Floors 21 to 23).

Step 3: Navigate Hell​

  1. Descend through Hell's three floors.
  2. On Hell's third floor, find and pull four levers.
  3. After all four levers are pulled, the exit portal spawns. It leads to The Molten Throne on Floor 24, the Baphomet boss arena.

Step 4: Fight Baphomet​

Baphomet is tougher than Baron Herx. Higher HP, faster attacks, more aggressive minion summoning. You do NOT get Mystic Orb pedestal buffs for this fight.

danger

The most common failure point is taking the Underworld's exit portal before finding the ladder. Doing that drops you back on the normal route at Floor 19 with no way back that run. Find the ladder first, then leave.

Preparation Checklist for Baphomet​

ItemWhy You Need It
Levitate spell or potionRequired to cross the Underworld hazard room safely.
Cure Ailment (multiple)Hell has burning and poison environmental hazards.
Healing potions (5+)No orb buffs means you take more damage per hit from Baphomet.
Magic resistance gearBaphomet uses magic attacks. Reflection gear is ideal.
Full repair on all equipmentNo blacksmiths or shops in the Underworld or Hell.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Are Barony secret levels required to finish the game?

No. Every secret level is optional. They exist for players chasing the best gear, rare achievements, and the Baphomet alternate boss encounter.

Where do I find the Sphinx's Casque?

In the Gnomish Mines, reached through a hidden entrance on Floor 2 of the Mines. A pickaxe or the Detect Magic spell helps reveal the way in if the layout hides it well.

Is the Jungle Temple still worth doing after v5.0?

Only situationally. It used to hold the Green Mystic Orb, but the orb moved to standard-floor Treasure Rooms in v5.0. The massive gold cache remains, which pays off for Merchant builds or anyone planning shop purchases on later floors.

Can the Sokoban puzzle be failed permanently?

Not quite. A boulder stuck in a corner can be destroyed to recover, but breaking one spawns a Labyrinth enemy and cuts the gold reward, and breaking two or more forfeits the Djinni's Brace artifact. Plan every move before you push.

What is the most common mistake on the path to Baphomet?

Taking the Underworld's exit portal before finding the hidden ladder. The portal initially leads back to the normal route on Floor 19 with no way back that run. Find the ladder first so the portal redirects to Hell, then leave.