diff --git a/doc/PACKS.md b/doc/PACKS.md
index 24631a5c..891016d2 100644
--- a/doc/PACKS.md
+++ b/doc/PACKS.md
@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ Locations define drops on maps, rules to have them accessible as well as the loo
         {
             "name": "Area name",
             "short_name": "Area", // shorter version of name. currently unused
+            "access_resolver": "$func", // optional method to resolve access. overrides access_rules
             "access_rules": [
                 "<rule1>,<rule2>",
                 "<rule3>,<rule4>",
@@ -399,6 +400,11 @@ Locations define drops on maps, rules to have them accessible as well as the loo
 Each `map_location` is a square on the map and shows a popup with individual chests.
 
 **Rules:**
+If access_resolver if provided or inherited for a section and starts with `$`, access_rules are ignored and the
+provided global Lua function is called for each section instead of resolving access_rules. Useful for pure Lua logic.
+The Lua function has to return one of AccessibilityLevel values.
+If access_resolver is `""` (default), access_rules are resolved internally as described below.
+
 Rules starting with `$` will call the lua function with that name, `@<location>/<section>` will use the result of a different access rule, other rules will just look at items' `code` (runs ProviderCountForCode(rule)).
 
 For `$` rules, arguments can be supplied with `|`. `$test|a|b` will call `test("a","b")`.
diff --git a/schema/packs/locations.json b/schema/packs/locations.json
index 91f4e9b8..3c520c3a 100644
--- a/schema/packs/locations.json
+++ b/schema/packs/locations.json
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@
                             "description": "Short version of name. Currently unused.",
                             "type": "string"
                         },
+                        "access_resolver": {
+                            "description": "Optional method to resolve access. Use \"$func\" to call a Lua function with Section as argument that returns an AccessibilityLevel.",
+                            "type": "string"
+                        },
                         "access_rules": {
                             "example": [
                                 "rule1,rule2",
@@ -146,6 +150,10 @@
                     "description": "Short version of name. Currently unused.",
                     "type": "string"
                 },
+                "access_resolver": {
+                    "description": "Optional method to resolve access for each section. Use \"$func\" to call a Lua function with Section as argument that returns an AccessibilityLevel. This value is inherited by children, empty string resets to default behavior.",
+                    "type": "string"
+                },
                 "access_rules": {
                     "example": [
                         "rule1,rule2",
diff --git a/schema/packs/strict/locations.json b/schema/packs/strict/locations.json
index 13693701..f5f64bdf 100644
--- a/schema/packs/strict/locations.json
+++ b/schema/packs/strict/locations.json
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
                             "description": "Short version of name. Currently unused.",
                             "type": "string"
                         },
+                        "access_resolver": {
+                            "description": "Optional method to resolve access. Use \"$func\" to call a Lua function with Section as argument that returns an AccessibilityLevel.",
+                            "type": "string"
+                        },
                         "access_rules": {
                             "example": [
                                 "rule1,rule2",
@@ -128,6 +132,10 @@
                     "description": "Short version of name. Currently unused.",
                     "type": "string"
                 },
+                "access_resolver": {
+                    "description": "Optional method to resolve access for each section. Use \"$func\" to call a Lua function with Section as argument that returns an AccessibilityLevel. This value is inherited by children, empty string resets to default behavior.",
+                    "type": "string"
+                },
                 "access_rules": {
                     "example": [
                         "rule1,rule2",
diff --git a/src/core/location.cpp b/src/core/location.cpp
index 23dc5099..75d0e1de 100644
--- a/src/core/location.cpp
+++ b/src/core/location.cpp
@@ -113,14 +113,14 @@ static bool parseRule(const json& v, std::list<std::string>& rule,
 }
 
 
-std::list<Location> Location::FromJSON(json& j, const std::list<Location>& parentLookup, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& prevAccessRules, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& prevVisibilityRules, const std::string& parentName, const std::string& closedImgR, const std::string& openedImgR, const std::string& overlayBackgroundR)
+std::list<Location> Location::FromJSON(json& j, const std::list<Location>& parentLookup, const std::string& prevAccessResolver, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& prevAccessRules, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& prevVisibilityRules, const std::string& parentName, const std::string& closedImgR, const std::string& openedImgR, const std::string& overlayBackgroundR)
 {
     // TODO: sine we store all intermediate locations now, we could pass a parent to FromJSON instead of all arguments
     std::list<Location> locs;
     
     if (j.type() == json::value_t::array) {
         for (auto& v : j) {
-            for (auto& loc : FromJSON(v, parentLookup, prevAccessRules, prevVisibilityRules, parentName, closedImgR, openedImgR, overlayBackgroundR)) {
+            for (auto& loc : FromJSON(v, parentLookup, prevAccessResolver, prevAccessRules, prevVisibilityRules, parentName, closedImgR, openedImgR, overlayBackgroundR)) {
                 locs.push_back(std::move(loc)); // TODO: move constructor
             }
         }
@@ -159,9 +159,12 @@ std::list<Location> Location::FromJSON(json& j, const std::list<Location>& paren
         }
     }
 
+    const auto& parentAccesResolver = parentLocation ? parentLocation->getAccessResolver() : prevAccessResolver;
     const auto& parentAccessRules = parentLocation ? parentLocation->getAccessRules() : prevAccessRules;
     const auto& parentVisibilityRules = parentLocation ? parentLocation->getVisibilityRules() : prevVisibilityRules;
 
+    std::string accessResolver = to_string(j, "access_resolver", parentAccesResolver);
+
     std::list< std::list<std::string> > accessRules;
     if (j["access_rules"].is_array() && !j["access_rules"].empty()) {
         // TODO: merge code with Section's access rules
@@ -220,6 +223,7 @@ std::list<Location> Location::FromJSON(json& j, const std::list<Location>& paren
         loc._name = name;
         loc._parentName = parentName;
         loc._id = loc._parentName.empty() ? loc._name : (loc._parentName + "/" + loc._name);
+        loc._accessResolver = accessResolver;
         loc._accessRules = accessRules;
         loc._visibilityRules = visibilityRules;
         if (j["map_locations"].is_array()) {
@@ -239,7 +243,7 @@ std::list<Location> Location::FromJSON(json& j, const std::list<Location>& paren
                     fprintf(stderr, "Location: bad section\n");
                     continue;
                 }
-                loc._sections.push_back(LocationSection::FromJSON(v, loc._id, accessRules, visibilityRules, closedImg, openedImg, overlayBackground));
+                loc._sections.push_back(LocationSection::FromJSON(v, loc._id, accessResolver, accessRules, visibilityRules, closedImg, openedImg, overlayBackground));
             }
         } else if (!j["sections"].is_null()) {
             fprintf(stderr, "Location: invalid sections\n");
@@ -249,7 +253,7 @@ std::list<Location> Location::FromJSON(json& j, const std::list<Location>& paren
 
     if (j["children"].type() == json::value_t::array) {
         std::string fullname = parentName.empty() ? name : (parentName + "/" + name);
-        for (auto& loc : Location::FromJSON(j["children"], parentLookup, accessRules, visibilityRules, fullname, closedImg, openedImg, overlayBackground)) {
+        for (auto& loc : Location::FromJSON(j["children"], parentLookup, accessResolver, accessRules, visibilityRules, fullname, closedImg, openedImg, overlayBackground)) {
             locs.push_back(std::move(loc));
         }
     } else if (j["children"].type() != json::value_t::null) {
@@ -300,7 +304,7 @@ Location::MapLocation Location::MapLocation::FromJSON(json& j)
 }
 
 
-LocationSection LocationSection::FromJSON(json& j, const std::string parentId, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentAccessRules, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentVisibilityRules, const std::string& closedImg, const std::string& openedImg, const std::string& overlayBackground)
+LocationSection LocationSection::FromJSON(json& j, const std::string parentId, const std::string& parentAccessResolver, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentAccessRules, const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentVisibilityRules, const std::string& closedImg, const std::string& openedImg, const std::string& overlayBackground)
 {
     // TODO: pass inherited values as parent instead
     LocationSection sec;
@@ -316,6 +320,7 @@ LocationSection LocationSection::FromJSON(json& j, const std::string parentId, c
     sec._itemCount = sec._hostedItems.empty() && sec._ref.empty() ? 1 : 0;
     sec._itemCount = to_int(j["item_count"], sec._itemCount);
     bool nonEmpty = sec._itemCount > 0 || !sec._hostedItems.empty();
+    sec._accessResolver = to_string(j, "access_resolver", parentAccessResolver);
 
     if (j["access_rules"].is_array() && !j["access_rules"].empty()) {
         // TODO: merge code with Location's access rules
diff --git a/src/core/location.h b/src/core/location.h
index b1dabd35..72003d3f 100644
--- a/src/core/location.h
+++ b/src/core/location.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class LocationSection final : public LuaInterface<LocationSection> {
 public:
     static LocationSection FromJSON(nlohmann::json& j,
             const std::string parentId,
+            const std::string& parentAccessResolver="",
             const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentAccessRules={},
             const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentVisibilityRules={},
             const std::string& closedImg="", const std::string& openedImg="",
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ class LocationSection final : public LuaInterface<LocationSection> {
     int _itemCount=0;
     int _itemCleared=0;
     std::list<std::string> _hostedItems;
+    std::string _accessResolver;
     std::list< std::list<std::string> > _accessRules;
     std::list< std::list<std::string> > _visibilityRules;
     std::string _overlayBackground;
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ class LocationSection final : public LuaInterface<LocationSection> {
 public:
     // getters
     const std::string& getName() const { return _name; }
+    const std::string& getAccessResolver() const { return _accessResolver; }
     const std::list< std::list<std::string> > getAccessRules() const { return _accessRules; }
     const std::list< std::list<std::string> > getVisibilityRules() const { return _visibilityRules; }
     int getItemCount() const { return _itemCount; }
@@ -95,6 +98,7 @@ class Location final : public LuaInterface<Location> {
 
     static std::list<Location> FromJSON(nlohmann::json& j,
         const std::list<Location>& parentLookup,
+        const std::string& parentAccessResolver="",
         const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentAccessRules={},
         const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& parentVisibilityRules={},
         const std::string& parentName="", const std::string& closedImg="",
@@ -106,6 +110,7 @@ class Location final : public LuaInterface<Location> {
     std::string _id;
     std::list<MapLocation> _mapLocations;
     std::list<LocationSection> _sections;
+    std::string _accessResolver; // this is only used if referenced through @-RUles
     std::list< std::list<std::string> > _accessRules; // this is only used if referenced through @-Rules
     std::list< std::list<std::string> > _visibilityRules;
 public:
@@ -115,6 +120,7 @@ class Location final : public LuaInterface<Location> {
     const std::list<MapLocation>& getMapLocations() const { return _mapLocations; }
     std::list<LocationSection>& getSections() { return _sections; }
     const std::list<LocationSection>& getSections() const { return _sections; }
+    const std::string& getAccessResolver() const { return _accessResolver; }
     std::list< std::list<std::string> >& getAccessRules() { return _accessRules; }
     const std::list< std::list<std::string> >& getAccessRules() const { return _accessRules; }
     std::list< std::list<std::string> >& getVisibilityRules() { return _visibilityRules; }