Modifier

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Modifiers are gameplay mechanics that make PvE activities more challenging by adding a new level of difficulty. Modifiers are typically randomly applied for special missions. Modifiers can be applied to normal Story missions by changing the difficulty and raising the level of the mission.

Activity-specific modifiers

Destiny

• Heroic: Enemies are more numerous and aggressive. All missions above their default level have Heroic active. Heroic is also used in the Daily Heroic Story Mission and Weekly Heroic Strike.
• Epic: Heavily shielded and highly aggressive enemies appear in large numbers. Epic is always active during the Nightfall Strike.
• Nightfall: On team death, you are returned to orbit. Nightfall is always active during the Nightfall Strike. The Taken King changes this modifier: players will have to wait thirty seconds before they can be revived by allies (as in normal-difficulty Raids), and team death will no longer return players to orbit.

Destiny 2

• Advanced: Combatants have extra shields and are 5 Power above the player's current Power.
• Expert: Combatants have extra shields, are 15 Power above the player's current Power, and the Locked Loadout modifier is active.
• Master: Combatants have extra shields and Champions, are 20 Power above the player's current Power, and the Locked Loadout modifier is active.
• Grandmaster: Combatants have extra shields and Champions, are 25 Power above the player's current Power, players are unable to join in progress, and the following modifiers are active: Chaff, Extinguish, Limited Revives, and Locked Loadout.

Randomly selected modifiers

Destiny

• Vanilla:
  • Angry: Enemies do not flinch, even after taking massive damage.
  • Arc Burn: All sources of Arc damage deal more damage.
  • Juggler: Enemies only drop ammo for weapons you are not currently using.
  • Lightswitch: Enemies deal more melee damage.
  • Solar Burn: All sources of Solar damage deal more damage.
  • Void Burn: All sources of Void damage deal more damage.

• Added in House of Wolves:
  • Airborne: Players deal more damage in the air.
  • Brawler: Player melee attacks are more powerful.
  • Catapult: Grenades recharge at an increased rate.
  • Exposure: Player shields are increased, but don't replenish.
  • Grounded: Players take more damage while in the air.
  • Small Arms: Primary weapons are more powerful.
  • Specialist: Special weapons are more powerful.
  • Trickle: Abilities recharge at a reduced rate.

• Added in The Taken King:
  • Berserk—: Minions of the Darkness won't flinch, even after massive damage.
  • Bloodthirsty: Enemies fire more frequently and more accurately.
  • Chaff: Player radar is disabled.
  • Fresh Troops: Some enemy squads have been fortified with additional reinforcements.
  • Ironclad: More enemies have shields.
  • Match Game: Enemy shields are resistant to all unmatched elemental damage.

Destiny 2

• Vanilla:
  • Momentum: Health and shield regeneration are disabled while standing still. Sprint to regenerate more quickly
  • Timewarp: Anomalies: Vex anomalies appear in random spots throughout the strike. Destroying them will extend the timer.
  • Loadout Lock: Players are unable to change current gear and weapon loadouts.
  • Prism: Your attacks matching the focused element deal increased damage. All other elemental damage is reduced. Kinetic and incoming damage is unaffected. The focused element rotates periodically.
  • Timewarp: Killing Time: Defeat enemies to extend the mission timer, up to a limit.
  • Timewarp: Rings: Vex time gates have appeared in the area. Pass through them to discharge temporal energy and extend the mission timer.
  • Attrition: Health and shields regenerate slowly. Enemies have a chance of leaving wells of Light when they die, which fill health and Super energy.
  • Torrent: Boundless power erupts from within. Your abilities recharge much faster. Use them to shatter your foes.
  • Timewarp: Zero Hour: The mission timer cannot be extended. Choose your battle carefully.
• Added in Curse of Osiris:
  • Brawler: Faster melee recharge and health regeneration. Increased Power weapon damage. Slower Super recharge
• Added in Warmind:
  • Grenadier: Faster grenade recharge
• Added in Forsaken:
  • Scorched Earth: Enemies throw grenades more often.
• Added in Shadowkeep
  • Fire Pit: When defeated, Acolytes will leave behind a fire pool that deals damage over time.
  • Shocker: When defeated, Goblins will leave behind a pool that damages players inside it.
  • Arach-No: When defeated, Vandals will leave behind a Web Mine at their feet.
  • Pestilence: When defeated, Psions will leave behind a Slap Grenade at their feet.
  • Epitaph: When defeated, Taken enemies leave behind a blight geyser.
  • Champion Foes: Players will face Barrier, Overload, and/or Unstoppable Champions.
  • Champion Mob: Players will face extra Champions.
• Added in Beyond Light:
  • Limited Revives: Players have a limited amount of revives. Defeat Champions to gain more revives.
  • Extinguish: When everyone falls in a Restricted Zone, players are returned to orbit.
• Added in The Witch Queen:
  • Acute Burn: Players deal more damage with a matching element, but also take more damage from that element.
  • Mettle: The mission is at a fixed difficulty. The player is placed on a specific Power Level.
  • Multiplicity: The mission is increased in difficulty with more members of the player fireteam.
• Added in Lightfall:
  • Void Surge: Void damage is increased from players.
  • Solar Surge: Solar damage is increased from players.
  • Arc Surge: Arc damage is increased from players.
  • Stasis Surge: Stasis damage is increased from players.
  • Strand Surge: Strand damage is increased from players.
  • Void Threat: Players take more Void damage.
  • Solar Threat: Players take more Solar damage.
  • Arc Threat: Players take more Arc damage.
  • Stasis Threat: Players take more Stasis damage.
  • Overcharged Weapons: One random category of weapons and weapons featured in the Seasonal Artifact will increase damage.
• Added in The Final Shape:

Trivia

• Modifiers are similar to the Skulls seen in Bungie's previous work, the Halo series.

List of appearances

• Destiny (First appearance)
  • The Dark Below
  • House of Wolves
  • The Taken King
  • Rise of Iron
• Destiny 2
  • Curse of Osiris
  • Warmind
  • Forsaken
  • Shadowkeep
  • Beyond Light
  • The Witch Queen
  • Lightfall
  • The Final Shape