How to Unlock the Hot Springs in Hades 2 and Invite Characters to Bathe

Of all the Cauldron Incantations available in Hades 2, one of the most unusual allows you to create Hot Springs at the Crossroads, where you can relax in the warm water and bathe with other characters. But how do you unlock them, and what exactly is the point of taking a bath? In this section of our guide, we will quickly explain everything you need to know.

How do you unlock the Hot Springs?

As mentioned above, the Hot Springs are a feature you can unlock in Hades 2 by performing one of the Cauldron Incantations available at the Crossroads.

• The Incantation used to create the Hot Springs is called "Rite of Vapor-Cleansing".
• Performing this Incantation requires Moly x2, Lotus x2 and Nightshade x2.
• After performing the Incantation, the Hot Springs will appear in a new area of the Crossroads and you will receive +1 Bath Salts.

Cauldron Incantations generally become available as you progress further through the game and perform other Incantations from the list. The Hot Springs Incantation is one of the first you can unlock, so you should have no trouble obtaining it. Simply keep playing, completing runs and performing any new Incantations that appear until it becomes available.

How do you invite other characters to bathe in the Hot Springs?

Once you have created the Hot Springs, you can bathe with another character by giving them Bath Salts, a special gift intended specifically for this activity.

• You will receive your first Bath Salts when you create the Hot Springs. After that, you can obtain more by purchasing them from the Wretched Broker in exchange for Bones.
• You can also occasionally obtain Bath Salts by digging them up from Digging Spots found throughout different Regions using the Silver Spade, although this is less common.
• Bear in mind that not every character will accept Bath Salts, so you cannot bathe with absolutely everyone.

For example, the gods who offer you Boons during your runs cannot be invited to the Hot Springs. As far as we currently know, the only characters who will accept an invitation are those found at the Crossroads, and even then, not everyone in this area will accept Bath Salts. The characters who can bathe with you are Dora, Hecate, Odysseus, Nemesis, Moros and Eris.

Before you can trigger a bathing scene with one of these characters, it is advisable to improve your relationship with them by giving them Nectar. If you have not earned enough relationship hearts, the character will turn down your invitation when you attempt to give them Bath Salts. Do not worry, though: the Bath Salts will not be consumed if they refuse.

Nemesis, for example, needs to be given Nectar three times before she will accept an invitation to the Hot Springs. Simply make sure you develop your relationship with each character far enough for them to accept the Bath Salts. Some characters require fewer relationship hearts than others. If you later unlock the "Empath's Intuition" Incantation at the Cauldron, you will be able to check your relationship level with each character in the Book of Shadows, along with the types of gifts they are willing to accept.

What are the Hot Springs used for?

As you have already seen, the Hot Springs allow you to bathe with other characters once you have developed a strong enough relationship with them. In purely practical terms, their main benefit is that 12 Whiles pass instantly whenever you use them. This allows you to quickly speed up the growth of any Seeds you are growing in the Garden, for example, or advance other pending tasks that require time to pass.

This saves you from having to begin another run simply to make time pass at the Crossroads, making it a much more convenient alternative.

Bathing in the Hot Springs also serves another interesting purpose, as it allows you to watch short, unique scenes between Melinoë and the other characters while they bathe. If you are interested in the game's narrative, this is an excellent way to spend time with your favorite characters and get to know them better.