The Shrine of the Woods creates a permanent circular healing field when purchased. It heals all allies inside the zone continuously, similar to Bustling Fungus but with more frequent ticks at a lower amount per tick. Interact up to three times to expand the radius. Only spawns on Distant Roost, Scorched Acres, and Siren's Call. Primary reason to use it: completing the One with the Woods challenge to unlock the Gnarled Woodsprite equipment.
Stages
Distant Roost, Scorched Acres, Siren's Call
Challenge
One with the Woods
Unlocks
Gnarled Woodsprite
Locations
Distant Roost (Stage 1)
Most valuable location - cheap and useful before you have healing items.
Scorched Acres (Stage 4)
Late enough that healing items usually outshine it.
Siren's Call (Stage 4)
Same late-stage caveat. Still worth upgrading for the challenge.
Distant Roost Is the Best Location
Stage 1 is when you have the least healing from items. The $25 base cost is cheap relative to your gold, and a fully upgraded shrine covers a large area for only ~$118 total. On Scorched Acres and Siren's Call the shrine's value drops significantly as item-based healing scales past it.
How It Works
Creates a permanent healing zone. Once purchased, the circular field remains for the rest of the stage. All allies inside - including drones, Beetle Guards, and other followers - are healed continuously.
Similar to Bustling Fungus, but different. Both create healing zones. Shrine of the Woods ticks more frequently at lower HP per tick. It does not require standing still. It does not stack with item upgrades.
Upgrades increase radius only. Each of the two upgrades expands the healing zone. The heal rate and HP per tick do not increase. A fully upgraded shrine covers a substantially larger area.
3 interactions total, not 3 upgrades. The first interaction activates it at base radius. The second and third are the two upgrades. Cost increases by 50% per interaction: $25 → $37 → $56 (before difficulty scaling).
Upgrade Costs
| Interaction |
Base Cost |
Effect |
| 1st (Activate) | $25 (scaled) | Creates healing zone at base radius |
| 2nd (Upgrade 1) | $37 (scaled) | Increases healing zone radius |
| 3rd (Upgrade 2) | $56 (scaled) | Increases healing zone radius again - fully upgraded |
One with the Woods Challenge
Gnarled Woodsprite (Equipment)
Passively heals you for 1.5% of your maximum health per second. Activate to send it to an ally, healing them for 10% of their maximum health. 15-second cooldown.
How to unlock: Fully upgrade a Shrine of the Woods (interact 3 times). Any Distant Roost, Scorched Acres, or Siren's Call run where you find the shrine and have enough gold.
Comparison: Shrine vs Healing Items
Bustling Fungus
Common Item (stackable)
Requires standing still. Heals 4.5% HP/sec per stack in a growing radius. Scales infinitely with stacks. Far outpaces the shrine by mid-game.
Lepton Daisy
Common Item
Healing nova during Teleporter Events - not continuous. Complements the shrine during the teleporter fight specifically.
Gnarled Woodsprite
Equipment (unlocked by challenge)
1.5% max HP/sec passive heal. The reason to care about this shrine at all. Better than the shrine it unlocks.
The Shrine Is Usually Skippable
By Stage 4, you almost always have enough healing items that the Shrine of the Woods adds nothing meaningful. The one exception is Distant Roost on Stage 1, where any sustained healing is valuable. Use it there if you have gold and the shrine is near the teleporter.
Tips
Upgrade it fully on Distant Roost for the challenge. If you find it on Stage 1, always fully upgrade it to complete One with the Woods. The Gnarled Woodsprite is a legitimately strong equipment and worth the early investment.
Position yourself inside it during the teleporter fight. If the shrine spawns near the teleporter, the healing zone overlaps the teleporter radius. Fight inside both zones simultaneously for the healing benefit during the boss fight.
It heals drones and allies too. The zone applies to all allied units. If you're running a drone build early, the shrine provides passive healing to your entire fleet during the teleporter event.
Skip it on Scorched Acres and Siren's Call unless you haven't unlocked Gnarled Woodsprite yet. By Stage 4 your items outperform the healing zone. The gold is better spent elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Shrine of the Woods do in Risk of Rain 2?
The Shrine of the Woods creates a permanent circular healing field around it when purchased. The healing effect is similar to Bustling Fungus - ticking frequently at a low percentage of max HP per second. It can be upgraded twice after the initial purchase, with each upgrade increasing the radius of the healing zone (not the heal rate). Base cost is $25, increasing by 50% per upgrade.
Where does the Shrine of the Woods spawn?
The Shrine of the Woods only appears on three stages: Distant Roost (Stage 1), Scorched Acres (Stage 4), and Siren's Call (Stage 4). It does not spawn on any other stages. Distant Roost is the most impactful location since Stage 1 is when you have the fewest healing items.
What is the "One with the Woods" challenge?
One with the Woods is completed by fully upgrading a Shrine of the Woods - interacting with it all three times. Completing it unlocks the Gnarled Woodsprite equipment for future runs. Gnarled Woodsprite passively heals you for 1.5% of your maximum health per second and can be activated to send a 10% max HP heal to an ally with a 15-second cooldown.
Is the Shrine of the Woods worth using?
The value depends entirely on when you find it. On Distant Roost (Stage 1) it provides meaningful healing early before you have healing items, costs only $25-37-56 total for full upgrade, and unlocks the Gnarled Woodsprite challenge. On Scorched Acres and Siren's Call at Stage 4, item-based healing usually outperforms it significantly. Use it on Distant Roost if you have gold to spare; use it anywhere to complete the challenge.
How does the Shrine of the Woods compare to Bustling Fungus?
Both create healing zones with similar mechanics. The Shrine of the Woods ticks more frequently but heals less HP per tick compared to Bustling Fungus. Bustling Fungus requires standing still to activate and scales with stacks, while the Shrine of the Woods is a permanent fixed zone that does not require standing still and does not scale.
More Rogue Ranker Guides
