In the world of Path of Exile, where min-maxing and build optimization reign supreme, unique items like Death’s Harp offer early to mid-game players an incredible power spike. This iconic unique bow is particularly beloved for its added projectile bonus, high base physical damage, and ease of accessibility for Ranger and projectile-focused builds. Whether you're running a Poison Pathfinder, a Deadeye Ice Shot build, or just love classic bow gameplay, Death’s Harp is an excellent stepping stone on your journey to red maps.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to obtain Death’s Harp, break down its unique stats, examine its best use cases, and explore how it evolves into its more powerful cousin, Death’s Opus.

What Is Death’s Harp?

Death’s Harp is a low to mid-level unique bow that offers solid base damage and a bonus projectile, which massively increases clear speed for many builds that rely on skills like Split Arrow, Ice Shot, Caustic Arrow, or Lightning Arrow.

Base Stats of Death’s Harp

Item Type: Short Bow (Dexterity-based)

Required Level: 32

Physical Damage: 38–57

Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%

Attacks per Second: 1.50

Implicit Modifier: +10% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier

Unique Modifiers

Adds (15–20) to (30–40) Physical Damage

+100 to Accuracy Rating

Adds (10–20) to (30–40) Chaos Damage

50% increased Critical Strike Chance

+1 to number of Arrows fired

(10–20)% increased Critical Strike Multiplier

The real selling point is the +1 Arrow modifier, allowing any bow skill to hit more enemies or apply extra projectiles with each attack. It feels like a mini Greater Multiple Projectiles Support but without the damage penalty.

How to Get Death’s Harp in Path of Exile

There are several reliable ways to acquire Death’s Harp, especially in Trade League or through smart farming. Here’s a breakdown of the best methods:

1. Farming the Death’s Harp Drop Location

Death’s Harp can drop in several areas, but it is part of the core unique drop pool, meaning it can randomly drop from enemies, chests, strongboxes, and bosses in maps or campaign zones level 32 and higher. However, it has no specific boss tied to it.

Zones with Higher Drop Chance:

The Chamber of Sins Level 2 (Act 7)

The Ashen Fields (Act 7)

Dried Lake (Act 4) – if you're in Standard or Legacy League

These zones are ideal because they have:

High monster density

Good linear layouts

Enemies that drop weapons frequently

Endgame Farming Tip: Use strongboxes that drop weapons and run Weapon-focused Delirium Mirrors or Blight maps with bow-specific rewards.

2. Buy It from Trade

If you’re playing in a Trade League, buying Death’s Harp is the easiest and most time-efficient method. This unique bow is very cheap, often available for:

1–2 Chaos Orbs in early leagues

Less than 1 Chaos Orb mid-league

Even free in community giveaways for leveling gear

To buy one:

Use the official Path of Exile Trade website

Filter for Death’s Harp

Select the proper league (e.g., Necropolis League)

Look for a roll with higher physical and chaos damage for maximum value

3. Use the Divination Card: “Deadly Joy”

One of the most thematic and effective ways to farm Death’s Harp is through the Divination Card system.

Deadly Joy

Card Text: "She laughed as they fell before her, one by one."

Turn-In Reward: Death’s Harp

Cards Required: 6

Drop Areas:

The Old Fields

The Crossroads

The Broken Bridge (Act 2 zones)

Ashen Fields (Act 7)

Farming The Broken Bridge and Ashen Fields is popular for Deadly Joy card drops because they have:

Fast clear layouts

High pack density with Blood Apes and Goatmen

Chance to spawn Corrupted Zones or Essences

Once you’ve collected 6 cards, turn them in to Tane Octavius (or any NPC that handles div card trade-ins) and you’ll receive a guaranteed Death’s Harp.

4. Prophecy (Legacy League Only)

In older versions of Path of Exile, you could use Fated Prophecies to upgrade items. Death’s Harp had a prophecy called "The Bowstring’s Music", which allowed you to upgrade it into Death’s Opus. While Prophecy was removed in recent leagues, the upgraded version can now be crafted or dropped in maps.

Upgrading to Death’s Opus

After enjoying the raw power of Death’s Harp, many players aim to get its upgraded version: Death’s Opus, one of the best leveling bows in the game and still used in mid-tier maps.

Death’s Opus Stats

Required Level: 44

Adds more physical and chaos damage

+2 to number of Arrows fired

Higher base critical strike chance and multiplier

Slightly lower attack speed, but greater burst potential

Currently, Death’s Opus drops as a standalone unique item in maps or can be target-farmed in boss maps such as Lair, Arid Lake, or through Heist weapon chests.

Best Builds for Death’s Harp

Here are the top builds that can make excellent use of Death’s Harp from Acts 4–10 and even early maps:

1. Ice Shot Deadeye

Synergy: Extra projectile enhances clear speed

Support Gems: Mirage Archer, GMP, Trinity, Elemental Damage with Attacks

Ascendancy: Endless Munitions gives even more arrows

2. Caustic Arrow + Mirage Archer Pathfinder

Synergy: Chaos damage bonus fits the DoT scaling

Uses: Excellent league starter for SSF or hardcore

Strategy: Clear packs at a distance while staying mobile

3. Lightning Arrow Crit Ranger

Synergy: Bonus arrow triggers more explosions

Support Gems: Chain, Elemental Focus, Increased Crit Strikes

Notes: Easily transitions into rare bows or Chin Sol later

4. Toxic Rain Trickster

While Toxic Rain uses bows differently, the extra projectile still helps with spore pod stacking and better map clear early on.

Tips for Farming and Using Death’s Harp Efficiently

Use a 5-link early: A Death’s Harp in a 5-link setup can carry you to Tier 5+ maps

Prioritize Chaos and Physical Support Gems: Maximize both damage sources

Stack Flask effects and Projectile Speed: Helps scale the clear with skills like Ice Shot or Lightning Arrow

Use a quiver with added elemental or chaos damage: This complements Death’s Harp’s hybrid damage profile

Don’t Overlevel Before Swapping: Wait until level 32 before equipping it, or your DPS won’t spike efficiently

Conclusion

Death’s Harp is one of the best unique bows for early-to-mid progression in Path of exile currency. It’s affordable, powerful, and easy to obtain through divination cards, boss farming, or trade. With its signature +1 Arrow modifier and hybrid damage output, it's an incredible value bow for players wanting to clear the campaign efficiently or prepare for the transition into more expensive endgame weapons like Death’s Opus or a crafted Spine Bow.

Whether you’re a new exile just learning the game or a veteran looking for a reliable league starter tool, Death’s Harp remains a legendary classic worth keeping in your stash.