ESO Meted Misfortunes are optional challenges in the solo versions of Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices. Leave them off to focus on the story, or turn on up to three for tougher fights and better rewards.
Both solo dungeons launched on 21 October 2026 as part of Season Two: Echoes of Skyrim. You can play alone or bring an NPC Companion. Their Misfortunes are selected inside the solo dungeon, not through the usual Normal or Veteran difficulty menu for the four-player version.
How ESO Meted Misfortunes Difficulty Works
Each dungeon has three ESO Meted Misfortunes, and you can enable any combination. Each modifier introduces a drawback while increasing the challenge of enemies and bosses. For example, Warm Welcome doubles the damage you take. Read each description before choosing, because two combinations with the same number of modifiers can feel very different.
| Active Misfortunes | Developer’s intended difficulty | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Similar to overland combat | Story, exploration and learning encounters |
| 1 | Comparable to a normal solo arena | Players comfortable with basic dungeon mechanics |
| 2 | Comparable to a veteran solo arena | Experienced solo players with a prepared build |
| 3 | Harder than the existing comparable solo challenges | Players chasing the toughest available solo test |
Those are ZeniMax’s difficulty comparisons, not fixed character-level requirements. Your build, companion, combat familiarity and the particular modifiers you combine all affect whether a run feels manageable. Two different combinations with the same number of ESO Meted Misfortunes may call for different tactics.
How to Activate ESO Meted Misfortunes in Solo Dungeons
Choose the Solo Dungeon option from the world map or the physical entrance. Moon Hunter Keep is in Reaper’s March; March of Sacrifices is in Greenshade. At the beginning of the solo instance, interact with the pile of armour and weapons to open the Meted Misfortunes selection. It is an in-world object, not a standard menu setting.
- Enter the solo dungeon, with a companion if you want one.
- Interact with the pile of armour and weapons near the entrance and read the three modifier descriptions.
- Choose zero, one, two or three of that dungeon’s optional challenges.
- Play through the encounters and complete the solo dungeon.
- Check the Undaunted Crest payout and any additional rewards at the end.
For a first clear, zero or one modifier is a sensible way to learn the encounter changes. Turning on all three ESO Meted Misfortunes immediately makes it harder to work out whether a defeat came from the encounter itself, a modifier or your setup. You can increase the challenge on later visits.
Do ESO Meted Misfortunes Give Better Rewards?
They are designed to make harder clears more rewarding, but the exact live currency return for every possible combination should be checked in the current game. ZeniMax revised the reward economy several times during the public test, so a chart copied from an old PTS video can give you the wrong answer.
ZeniMax changed these rewards during the Update 51 test. The v12.1.3 PTS patch increased the zero-Misfortune reward from 10 to 50 Undaunted Crests. Guides covering the released version commonly report 50, 100, 150 and 200 Crests for zero through three Misfortunes respectively. The game’s current reward display takes priority over old test-server screenshots.
You spend Undaunted Crests with Veya Thenim at the Undaunted Enclaves outside Wayrest, Mournhold and Elden Root. Solo Moon Hunter Keep awards Mylenne Moon-Caller gear, while March of Sacrifices has Tarcyr gear. The final bosses are the source of the new monster masks, and Veya sells the matching shoulders. Style pages and curated item containers are separate rewards.
| Active Misfortunes | Reported Crests per completion |
|---|---|
| 0 | 50 |
| 1 | 100 |
| 2 | 150 |
| 3 | 200 |
Which ESO Meted Misfortunes Should You Pick?
The best option is the toughest combination you can finish consistently. If a hard run keeps ending at the final boss, a gentler run is a better way to build up Crests. Start with no Misfortunes to learn the encounters, then add one and see which mechanics become a problem.
One specific March of Sacrifices modifier is Pulled Punches. ZeniMax changed it after feedback from heavy-attack players. The revised effect reduces all damage you deal by 30%, rather than only penalising heavy attacks. Check the current in-game description before activating it.
A companion may help you deal with the slower pace of a harder fight, but it does not automatically cancel a Misfortune. Likewise, don’t assume that a mechanic from the standard group version works exactly the same way here. The solo encounters were deliberately adjusted for one player.
ESO Meted Misfortunes vs Normal and Veteran Dungeons
ESO Meted Misfortunes only change the new solo dungeon experience. They do not turn solo Moon Hunter Keep into the original Veteran group dungeon, and they do not award the standard group-dungeon achievements simply because you selected three modifiers. They are a separate progression and reward track.
If you just want the quest and dialogue, leave all three off. If you want to test a build, add one at a time and watch which encounters become troublesome. If you’re collecting Crests or cosmetics, compare the results of actual completed runs before deciding a particular setup is the fastest farm.
Completing either dungeon with all three Misfortunes is also an achievement challenge. Moon Hunter Meted Masochist awards the Lone Wolf title, while Marcher Meted Masochist awards Apex Hunter. If you’re there for the story, you can ignore these modifiers and still finish the solo quest.
Official source: ZeniMax Online Studios, Update 51 PTS patch notes.
