The Into the Abyss update adds four special Masked Stranger items to Grounded 2, and honestly, getting some of them is much more complicated than simply walking over to a marked location and picking them up.
You’ve got a new trinket, three unique weapons, hidden caves, underwater routes, dangerous enemies, and even special crafting requirements to deal with. So if you’ve been running around the backyard wondering where these mysterious items are hiding, you’re definitely not alone.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through all four Masked Stranger items, where to find each one, what you need before going after it, and what makes each weapon or trinket worth using.
One important thing before we start: Masked Stranger weapons and trinkets now need to be crafted at Forbidden Workbenches. These aren’t normal workbenches that you can simply build wherever you want. You’ll need to find the special ones located at certain Ranger outposts.
Grounded 2 Into the Abyss All Masked Stranger Items Guide and How to Get Them
There are four new Masked Stranger items to collect in the Into the Abyss update:
- Crown Jewel – Trinket
- Rhyme Rend – Staff
- Fell Feast – Two-handed weapon
- Cutlass – Sword
The Crown Jewel is the easiest one to collect because it’s simply waiting for you in a hidden location. The three weapons are considerably more involved, with some requiring underwater exploration and higher-tier equipment.
Crown Jewel Location
Let’s start with the Crown Jewel because it’s the least painful one to obtain.
Head toward the northern edge of the Skunk Pond area. You’re looking for a large wall with an opening that allows you to climb upward. Keep an eye out for the Masked Stranger symbol on the wall, as that’s a good indication you’re heading in the right direction.
There are several Oak enemies inside this area, including enemies such as earwigs and scorpions. I’d recommend clearing them first rather than trying to sneak past everything. It makes the rest of the search much easier.
Once the enemies are dealt with, follow the path deeper into the cave until you reach a small overlook area. There are a few more enemies waiting there, so take them out and then check the nearby table.
The Crown Jewel will be sitting right there.
What does the Crown Jewel do?
The Crown Jewel gives you the Smashing Attack effect.
This adds additional smashing damage to your weapon attacks, with the bonus scaling according to your current Attack Power. It also provides additional smashing damage when you break an enemy’s block.
This makes the Crown Jewel particularly interesting for players who like using heavy, two-handed smashing weapons.
For example, a weapon with a much higher Attack Power will get more benefit from the trinket than a weapon with a low Attack Power. So don’t think of this as a flat damage increase that works identically with everything.
It’s especially worth considering if you’re running something like the Boom Stick or another powerful smashing weapon. If you’re already building around charged attacks and breaking enemy blocks, the Crown Jewel can fit into that playstyle very nicely.
Rhyme Rend Location
The next item is the Rhyme Rend, and this one requires considerably more preparation.
You’ll need to travel toward the area around the Gnarlibark and Ice Cream Car, where you’ll find a cave near the end of the Hot Wheels track.
Before heading inside, make sure you’re prepared for the cold. You’ll want armor or equipment that helps protect you from the Chilling effect.
You’ll also need:
- A Tier 3 Omni Cutter
- Bombs
- Suitable armor for the cold
- Enough combat supplies to deal with the enemies inside
Once inside the cave, you’ll have to cut through roots and deal with enemies along the way. There’s a Tobiter waiting inside, followed by more dangerous Oak versions deeper in the cave.
Don’t rush this section. The cave is fairly easy to get turned around in, and fighting while dealing with the environmental effects can make things unnecessarily difficult.
After dealing with the enemies, continue deeper into the cave.
Eventually, you’ll find the Rhyme Rend Staff embedded in a rock.
Rhyme Rend abilities
Rhyme Rend is essentially a special Masked Stranger version of the Glacial Sting.
It already has slightly better stats than its counterpart, including increased damage and a somewhat higher critical-hit chance.
Its first major effect is Chilling Attack, which gives the weapon its freezing-oriented playstyle.
But Rhyme Rend also comes with Critical Freezing. This increases your critical-hit chance and critical-hit damage against enemies that have actually become frozen.
That’s an important distinction. You don’t get the full benefit simply because you’re using a freezing weapon. The enemy needs to be completely frozen first.
The effect isn’t necessarily going to transform every freezing build, since enemies aren’t permanently sitting frozen while you’re fighting them. Still, the improved base stats make Rhyme Rend worthwhile even before you consider the special ability.
It’s also a Tier 3 weapon, although unfortunately it doesn’t gain additional abilities when leveled beyond that.
Fell Feast Location
The third weapon is Fell Feast, and this one takes you into a fairly deep underwater area.
Start around the Bridge area and locate the large gnome.
Once you’ve found the gnome, turn around and swim downward. Using a Toe Biter buggy makes the trip much easier.
You’re looking for a small cave close to the fishing hook.
You’ll need a Tier 3 Omni Cutter to get through the entrance, and I strongly recommend bringing proper diving equipment. This isn’t somewhere you want to enter without being prepared for a long underwater journey.
There are several enemies inside, so clearing them beforehand can save you a lot of trouble.
Continue following the cave deeper and deeper. Eventually, you’ll reach an area containing slime mold.
At the end, you’ll find a skeleton holding the Fell Feast.
Don’t forget to loot the skeleton completely. There’s also a piece of data there, so there’s no reason to leave it behind after you’ve gone through all that trouble to reach the location.
Fell Feast abilities
Fell Feast is a special version of the Tikki Maul, and its base stats are essentially the same.
The major difference is its lifesteal mechanic.
The Tikki Maul has Finale Lifesteal, meaning the third hit of a combo provides lifesteal.
Fell Feast instead has Charged Lifesteal.
That means your charged attacks are what provide the lifesteal effect.
This gets much more interesting once you upgrade the weapon.
Fell Feast can only be upgraded along the Mighty path, and when you reach Level 4, it gains the Vampiric Haste ability.
Vampiric Haste increases your attack speed for a short period after you successfully land a lifesteal attack.
So the basic idea is pretty straightforward:
Charged attack → activate lifesteal → gain increased attack speed → attack rapidly → repeat when necessary.
I actually think this is one of the more interesting additions among these weapons because it rewards a very specific combat rhythm rather than simply giving you another passive damage bonus.
If you like charged attacks and lifesteal builds, Fell Feast is definitely worth experimenting with.
Masked Stranger Cutlass Location
Finally, we have the Cutlass, the special Masked Stranger version of the Toenail Cutlass.
This one is probably one of the most annoying locations to reach because of the environment you’ll have to travel through.
Head toward the far northeastern part of the Pergola area and look for the green Sour Pond.
The water here is extremely dangerous because of the Tang effect.
I’d recommend removing your normal armor before entering if it’s going to get destroyed quickly, or using armor that gives you better Tang resistance. You should also have Sour Sensation equipped if you have access to it.
Bring healing items or smoothies as well. You really don’t want to reach the end of this route only to die because your health slowly disappeared while swimming through the pond.
Follow the underwater route and cut through the roots with your Tier 3 Omni Cutter.
You’ll eventually pass through a pipe and enter the Soggy Roots area.
Continue through the pond moss and keep following the route until you finally emerge from the Tang-heavy section.
Once you’re safely out, put your armor back on before going any further.
You’ll eventually enter a cave where an Oak Scorpion is waiting. Take it down carefully, then look for the mushrooms blocking another section of the cave.
Cut through the mushrooms.
Behind them, you’ll find the Masked Stranger Cutlass sitting on a rock.
It’s a surprisingly well-hidden weapon, and this is definitely one of those locations where you can walk past the correct area several times without realizing there’s another path hidden behind the environment.
What makes the Masked Stranger Cutlass different?
The Masked Stranger Cutlass is based on the regular Toenail Cutlass.
Compared with the standard version, the Masked Stranger Cutlass has slightly more stun but a somewhat lower critical-hit percentage.
Both weapons have the Infection ability. Infection slows an affected enemy’s attack speed and reduces its attack damage, making it a useful effect during longer fights.
The real difference appears when you upgrade the Masked Stranger version.
Like Fell Feast, the Cutlass can only be upgraded along the Mighty path.
At Level 4, it unlocks Perfect Slash.
Perfect Slash increases the critical-hit chance of perfectly charged attacks with the sword.
A perfect charged attack is performed by releasing the attack immediately when the charge reaches its required point. If you can consistently land these attacks, the extra critical-hit chance can make the Cutlass hit considerably harder.
So while the normal Toenail Cutlass is already useful, this version gives sword-focused players another reason to build around charged attacks.
Where to Craft Masked Stranger Weapons and Trinkets
There’s one important change you shouldn’t overlook after collecting these items.
You cannot craft the Masked Stranger weapons and trinkets at a normal crafting bench anymore.
Instead, you’ll need to locate a Forbidden Workbench.
These workbenches aren’t something you can freely construct at your base. They appear at specific Ranger outposts.
One example is the Ranger outpost around Pine Hill, while another can be found around the Ceremony area.
Once you’ve found one, this is where you’ll be able to craft your Masked Stranger equipment.
So if you’ve collected one of the items and can’t figure out why the recipe isn’t appearing at your regular workbench, that’s the reason. You’re looking in the wrong place.
Which Masked Stranger Item Should You Get First?
If you’re wondering which one deserves your attention first, I’d prioritize them based on the build you’re using.
Crown Jewel is probably the easiest recommendation for smashing-focused builds. The Attack Power scaling and extra damage after breaking blocks can make it particularly attractive with powerful two-handed weapons.
Fell Feast is the interesting choice for lifesteal builds. Its charged lifesteal combined with Vampiric Haste at Level 4 gives you a fun attack-speed loop.
Rhyme Rend is the obvious choice if you’re building around freezing and want a stronger version of the Glacial Sting.
Masked Stranger Cutlass is best suited to players who enjoy sword combat and can consistently land perfect charged attacks.
There isn’t really one item that’s automatically the best for everybody. These four are designed around different playstyles, so I’d choose based on the weapons and build you already enjoy using rather than trying to force one into every setup.
Grounded 2 Masked Stranger Items Checklist
Before heading back to your base, here’s a quick checklist so you can make sure you’ve collected everything:
- Crown Jewel — Found in a hidden cave in the northern Skunk Pond area.
- Rhyme Rend — Found deep inside the cave near the Gnarlibark/Ice Cream Car area.
- Fell Feast — Found at the end of the underwater cave near the Bridge area.
- Masked Stranger Cutlass — Found behind mushrooms in a hidden cave reached through the Sour Pond.
- Forbidden Workbench — Required to craft Masked Stranger weapons and trinkets.
The big takeaway is that these aren’t really “walk to the marker and grab the loot” collectibles. The developers have hidden them behind environmental hazards, underwater routes, caves, roots, enemies, and equipment requirements. That’s what makes finding all four feel much more rewarding.
And if you’re going for the full Masked Stranger collection, don’t forget about the Forbidden Workbench. Collecting the item is only half the job if you actually want to craft and use these special versions of the weapons and trinkets.