Home instance
A home instance is an instanced area within a character's home city based on the character's race, which evolves as they progress through the world.
A character's home instance will change based on their progress and actions in their personal story. For example, character actions could determine the presence or absence of non-player characters, special merchants or even buildings.
Players can invite others to visit their home instance. If a character visits a home instance in a city other than their home city (for example, a charr visiting Salma District), they will see a basic version of the district without any story-related changes. However, most upgrades are available to all characters in the account and visitors to the instance.
Contents
Locations[edit]
| Race | Home instance | Description | Nearest waypoint |
|---|---|---|---|
 Asura
|
Applied Development Lab | A laboratory in Rata Sum. | Magicat Court Waypoint — |
 Charr
|
Hero's Canton | The barracks in the Black Citadel. | Hero's Waypoint — |
 Human
|
Salma District | Residential district in the north part of Divinity's Reach. | Salma Waypoint — |
 Norn
|
Hunter's Hearth | Upper levels of The Great Lodge of Hoelbrak. | Great Lodge Waypoint — |
 Sylvari
|
Dreamer's Terrace | A garden nestled in the roots of the Grove. | Ronan's Waypoint — |
List of home instance upgrades[edit]
Upgrades can be added to home instances for all characters on the account. When entering as a group, the instance owner's upgrades will appear and can be used by other party members. Harvesting nodes and chests can only be gathered once per day per account.
Gem Store upgrades[edit]
These upgrades can be added by purchasing the relevant upgrade from the Gem Store.
| Upgrade item | Type | Gathering results | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Ore Node Pack | Node (mining) | Copper, Silver, Gold Ore + gemstones | 800 
|
| Basic Lumber Node Pack | Node (logging) | Green, Soft, Seasoned Wood Logs + extras | 800
|
| Basic Harvesting Node Pack | Node (harvesting) | Various plants | 800
|
| Basic Cloth Rack | Chest | Jute, Wool, Cotton Scraps | 800
|
| Basic Leather Rack | Chest | Rawhide, Thin, Coarse Leather Sections | 800
|
| Black Lion Hunters Contract [1] | Mail delivery | Tiered intermediate crafting materials of the chosen type | 1 200
|
| Black Lion Garden Plot Deed | Node (harvesting) | Plants chosen from the Gardeners' inventory | 1 000
|
- ^ This unlock can only be used by the home instance owner.
Black Lion Chest upgrades[edit]
These upgrades can be added from very rare drops from Black Lion Chest.
Achievement upgrades[edit]
These upgrades can be added by earning the relevant consumable from achievements.
| Upgrade item | Type | Gathering results | Required achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurillium Node | Node (mining) | Lumps of Aurillium + gemstones |  No Mask Left Behind
|
| Enchanted Treasure Chest [1] | Chest | Various |  Treasure Hunter
|
| Gift of Candy Corn [2] | Node (mining) | Candy Corn |  You, Back in the Box
|
| Gift of Magnanimity | Chest | Wintersday Gifts |  For the Children!
|
| Gift of Quartz [2] | Node (mining) | Quartz Crystals + Charged Quartz Crystals |  Bazaar Ambassador
|
| Gift of Sprockets [2] | Node (mining) | Watchwork Sprockets +Blade Shards |  The Origins of Madness Completionist.
|
| Krait Obelisk Shard [2] | Place of power | — |  Tower of Nightmares (meta)
|
| Personal Bandit Chest | Chest (locked) | Various |  Point of No Return Episode Completion
|
- ^ When visiting another player's home instance, this node can only be used if it's also unlocked on your account.
- ^ a b c d These nodes require historical achievements but can also be purchased from vendors.
- Laurel Merchant for 25
+ 15 
under the Living World Season 1 Rewards tab - Festival Rewards Vendor for 400
- Laurel Merchant for 25
Vendor upgrades[edit]
These upgrades can be added by purchasing the relevant consumable from various vendors.
- ^ This unlock replaces and has priority over Raw Candy Corn node from the Gift of Candy Corn.
Cats[edit]
- Primary article: Hungry cat scavenger hunt
NPCs[edit]
- Primary article: Unlockable home instance characters
- Ambient creatures, various friendly NPCs that on interaction will do little more than provide a greeting.
- Belcher's Bluff NPCs offer unique skills to players.
- Personality, a hidden mechanic, combining dignity, charm (charisma) and ferocity; may be boosted by certain home instance NPCs
- Krewe Researcher at top of stairs in Applied Development Lab boosts charm
- Personal story NPCs, presence depends on the character completing a particular chapter in a their personal story. Every chapter adds at least 1 NPC to the story instance. For example:
- Joining the Durmand Priory: Priory Explorer Kalliee
- Joining the Order of Whispers: Agent Otto Barenjaard
- Joining the Vigil: Vigil Crusader Dalloros
- Completing Retribution: Lionguard Mira
- Various Services are available in some, but not all home instances.
- M.O.X. will join your home instance after completing Heart of the Volcano.
- A Webby Hatchling has a random chance to appear next to M.O.X.[1]
- Various cats will join your instance after feeding hungry cats found around Tyria. (The asura home instance comes with one cat, but is not part of the hungry cats.)
- After purchasing a Black Lion Garden Plot Deed, a Gardener will take care of it. In addition, you can find a Launchpad to Garden for easy access to the garden in Salma District and a Raven Statue in Hunter's Hearth.
- Side Stories NPCs
- Ridhais will join your home instance while doing Knight of the Thorn achievements.
- Mechanist Ninn will join your home instance while doing Current Events achievements.
- After returning the Salvaged Device Wreckage a Datapad will appear.
Notes[edit]
- Certain personal story instances take place in the home instance instead of a separate instance.
- The Home Portal Stone allows players to instantly travel to the home instance and return to their original location.
- Gathering done in the home instance is applied to the regional gathering daily achievement, e.g. gathering in Salma District counts towards Daily Kryta Miner/Forager/Lumberer, so daily gather can be readily achieved by mapping to the appropriate home instance.
