Oil Barrage Druid Leveling Build

Build Introduction

The Oil Barrage Druid fires a devasting barrage of projectiles, rapidly destroying bosses in a few seconds with a single sustained channel. I (Lexyu) optimized this build to clear the campaign in under 4.5 hours with a casual speedrun pace. Be prepared to use advanced techniques, such as Weapon Set Skill Points, Skill swaps, and a hybrid Spell and Attack setup (as GGG intended for the Druid class). The most effective tactic available in each Act is utilized to clear groups of enemies and deal single-target damage.

Oil Barrage is one of the most damaging Skills the Druid has access to, capable of deleting campaign bosses with a mid-tier Talisman, but it is not unlocked until Act 3. This guide initially focuses on Spells instead, since they are strong even with the minimal 50-68% increased Spell Damage affix on an Item Level 1 Staff.

The starting Druid Skill, Volcano, deals surprising high single-target damage in Act 1. For area clear, I chose Essence Drain and Contagion, as they have already been proven to be a powerful combination early-on from the Tier 1 and Tier 3 Gem options. These starting Skills are replaced once better ones become available at Level 14.

Bonestorm is more effective against bosses than Volcano and used until the Oil Barrage setup becomes active. Ice Nova and Snap is swapped to for clearing, not only due to it has being one of my favorite combos I’ve included in many other builds, but it also generates and consumes Cold Infusions to grant Power Charges from Infusion of Power in the Passive Tree. This interaction empowers Oil Barrage to deal more damage and sustain channeling for a continuous stream of projectiles.

This guide can be followed to level a new character for any endgame builds involving Shaman or Oracle ascendancies for the Druid class. I intend on writing a follow-up endgame build guide shortly after the start of the Forbidden Rites league event (Patch Update 0.5.5). For now, this guide provides enough to clear the campaign and then progress into early-tier maps.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

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Video Guide

Watch the following video for gameplay footage of a campaign speedrun cleared in under 4.5 hours.

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Ascendancy

Select your first Ascendancy after completing the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2. The trial is not difficult, so complete it around Level 38.

During the early access of Path of Exile 2, the Druid class has the option to ascend to a Shaman or an Oracle. The Shaman is highly recommended for the easiest leveling experience in the campaign. If you intend on playing another Ascendancy in the endgame, it can be changed later by repeating a Trial of the Sekhemas or Ultimatum.

After completing the first Trial of the Sekhemas, ascend to a Shaman and allocate Wisdom of the Maji to Gain the benefits of Bonded modifiers on Runes and Idols. Obtain Turning of the Seasons after the second trial to boost damage output.

Ascendancy nodes provide a fairly minor benefit from this build, so the ascension trials can be skipped during the campaign to reach the endgame faster. Previous Ascendancy points can be retroactively rewarded by completing a higher level trial from a Djinn Barya or Inscribed Ultimatum obtained in endgame maps.

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General Leveling Advice

Path of Exile II’s campaign is not meant to be taken lightly, and decent gear is necessary to progress smoothly. The damage output of Spells is highly dependent on having a well-rolled Staff. A good Talisman is also required for Oil Barrage. Refer to the Gearing Progression section for the ideal stats.

Use the following methods to obtain items outside of monster drops, focusing on Staves and Talismans to upgrade damage output:

• Check the vendors every time you visit a town after leveling, as their inventory refreshes. The gear you can get from vendors scales with your level, making it a great way to search for upgrades.
• Gamble from the vendor in town for a chance of receiving an upgrade or a base item to craft. Do not forget to pick up loot to sell for gold to gamble.
• Crafting currency can be used to make decent weapons or other gear. Apply Transmutation and Augmentation Orbs to base items. If a Magic item has ideal stats, upgrade it to a rare with a Regal Orb or Essence. Alchemy and Chaos Orbs can be used to create a Rare item with random results. Add additional affixes to Rare items with Exalted Orbs.
• Keep in mind that Exalted Orbs are also valuable currency for trading, and can often be traded for better items with more efficiency than crafting. Use the Trade Site to search for upgrades.

Kill enemies in groups to gain experience efficiently. Skipping too many enemies can cause you to be under-leveled, putting you at a disadvantage later on.

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Leveling Passive Tree

The Passive Tree below for the Hybrid Caster Druid can be followed through to the end of the campaign and early endgame. Follow along as you level by using the left and right arrows in the tool to track the allocation order.

The build is separated into four progression stages, which can be selected from the tabs at the top. The Act 1 & 2 Passive Tree is the starting Spellcaster setup. Infusion of Power is allocated at the end of the Level 40 Passive Tree. Weapon Set 1 Skill Points are allocated to scale the Spells used in the build, and Weapon Set 2 Skill Points are utilized for Oil Barrage with an equipped Talisman. The final 2 Passive Trees continue progression into the early endgame.

Most attribute nodes must be allocated to Intelligence and Strength to meet gear and gem requirements. Avoid equipping Evasion gear with Dexterity requirements while leveling. Additional attributes may be needed on equipment.

Skill Gems

The Oil Barrage Druid obtains the following Skill Gem setups for each Act, selected in the tool through the dropdown menu. Refer to the Act Note sections below the Skill Gem tool for additional details.

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Act 1 Notes

Equip Volcano from the chest in the starting zone as your main Skill in Act 1. Volcano can be fully charged to deal maximum damage output against bosses.

Craft Frost Bomb with the first Level 1 Uncut Skill Gem received in town. Frost Bomb applies Elemental Exposure to increase the damage of other Skills and generates Cold Infusions for Ice Nova in Act 2.

Find the second Uncut Skill Gem in Clearfell’s Mysterious Campsite and craft Contagion. Against groups of enemies, cast Contagion on a single target before killing it with Volcano to spread the Damage Over Time debuff.

Craft Essence Drain with your first Level 3 Uncut Skill Gem. Apply Contagion and Essence drain to an enemy to spread a more powerful Damage Over Time debuff.

Use the next Level 3 or 4 Uncut Skill Gems to craft Pounce for improved mobility, followed by Wing Blast. Cast Wing Blast against bosses Primed for Heavy Stun (at least 70% Heavy Stun buildup) to generate Power Charges, and then attack with Rend for a Buff granting 50% of damage Gained as Lightning.

Mana Remnants can be activated once you obtain 30 total Spirit from defeating The King in the Mists (Freythorn, Act 1).

If you reach Level 14 before the final boss fight in Act 1, Bonestorm can be crafted with the first Level 5 Uncut Skill Gem rewarded in town for killing The Executioner. Use the Bonestorm setup displayed in Act 2, instead of Volcano, to defeat Count Geonor.

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Act 2 Notes

Swap Volcano to Bonestorm for higher single-target damage against rare monsters and bosses.

Wait until you have at least two Uncut Skill Gems that are Level 5 or higher before crafting Ice Nova and Snap together. Cast Snap on enemies Frozen by Ice Nova to generate Cold Infusions, replacing the Essence Drain and Contagion combo. Use any remaining Level 1 Uncut Support Gems or relocate already crafted ones for Ice Nova and then Snap.

Level 2 Uncut Support Gems start to drop from monsters in Act 2. Craft Living Lightning to support Entangle, which extract Impales applied by Bonestorm to increase damage output against bosses. Support Pounce with Mark for Death to also break their Armour.

Craft Overabundance I and Spell Echo to support Frost Bomb to generate two Cold Infusions at a time. Overabundance does not work on its own because Frost Bomb has a cooldown.

Lesser Jeweller’s Orb starts dropping from Level 25 monsters to unlock the third socket on Ice Nova and then Bonestorm.

Defeat Balbala in Traitor’s Passage or the Watchful Twins in Deshar to obtain a Djinn Barya for access to the Trial of the Sekhemas. Complete the trial to ascend the class of your character, and allocate ascendancy nodes. Ascension trials during the campaign can be skipped if you are attempting a speed-run, as the benefits are fairly minor.

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Act 3 Notes

Level 3 Uncut Support Gems start to drop from monsters in Act 3. Prioritize crafting Support Gems for any unlocked third sockets and then upgrade equipped Support Gems to Ice Bite II and Retreat II.

Replace Mana Remnants with Blasphemy and insert Elemental Weakness into its socket once you obtain another 30 Spirit from defeating Ignagduk in The Azak Bog.

Once you allocate Infusion of Power in the Passive Tree at Level 40, replace Bonestorm with Oil Barrage. Before boss fights, generate Cold Infusions with Frost Bomb. Cast Ice Nova with Cold Infusions to Freeze the target and gain Power Charges from Infusion of Power, empowering Oil Barrage to deal more damage and sustain channeling. Ensure you have a decent Talisman equipped in Weapon Set 2 before switching Skills for single-target damage.

Craft Ferocious Roar to generate Rage before channeling Oil Barrage.

Insert a newly crafted Freezing Mark into Pounce for more Freeze buildup and a Buff granting 30% of damage Gained as Cold.

Defeat Xyclucian in the Wetlands to obtain the Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum for access to the Temple of Chaos. Complete an Ultimatum to obtain 2 additional ascendancy points if you are not skipping ascension trials during the campaign.

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Act 4 Notes

Level 4 Uncut Support Gems start to drop in Act 4. Prioritize crafting Burgeon II and Rapid Attacks II for Oil Barrage.

Greater Jeweller’s Orbs can drop at an extremely low chance, so do not depend on them. Prioritize using them on Ice Nova and then Oil Barrage.

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Interlude Notes

Add Siphon Elements with Clarity I as your second persistent buff once you obtain 100 total Spirit from boss rewards during the campaign. Defeat Lythara in the Interlude to earn the final Spirit reward.

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Rotation

In Act 1, apply Contagion and Essence Drain to an individual target, then kill the enemy with Volcano to spread the Damage Over Time debuffs through groups of enemies. Once the chain reaction is started, enemies can be dragged while you run ahead to the next objective to continue spreading the debuffs further.

Fully charge Volcano by holding down the button for maximum damage output, especially against bosses. Keep refreshing Exposure by casting Frost Bomb. If you have a Voltaic Staff equipped, you can weave Lightning Bolt in to apply Shock. Once a boss is Primed for Heavy Stun (indicated by a brighter Heavy Stun bar located directly under their Life bar), hit them with Wing Blast to generate Power Charges. Consume a Power Charge with Rend for a buff granting 50% of damage gained as Lightning. Wyvern form must be selected on your Talisman to use Rend. You can animation-cancel Rend’s attack by moving immediately after pressing the button while still activating the buff.

At Level 14, use the Ice Nova and Snap combo to clear groups of enemies. Cold Infusions are generated by Snap and Frost Bomb to empower Ice Nova.

Channel Bonestorm to deal more serious single-target damage. To increase Physical Damage dealt against bosses, start by hitting them with Pounce to apply Mark for Death for Armour Break. Keep an Entangle on a boss to activate Living Lightning, which extracts Impales applied by Bonestorm. Ensure you have at least one Storm Rune inserted into your Staff to deal Lightning Damage for Living Lightning. Continue to use the Rend and Wing Blast combo. Frost Bomb does not need to be cast against bosses for the Bonestorm setup.

When you reach Level 40, Infusion of Power is obtained in the Passive Tree to bring the Oil Barrage setup online. Frost Bomb can be cast before a boss spawns to prepare Cold Infusions. Pounce on the target to apply Freezing Mark. Cast empowered Ice Nova at least 3 times to generate 3 Power Charges. You can hit the boss with additional Ice Noves if needed to Freeze them, making them an easier target for Oil Barrage. Activate Ferocious Roar to generate Rage before unleashing a fully channeled Oil Barrage.

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Gearing Progression

Equip item upgrades to enhance damage and survivability during the campaign. Well-rolled weapons provide a significant boost to damage output while leveling. Equipment with Armour base types are ideal to increase survivability while leveling.

Offensive Gear

Your weapons are the most important items. A Staff equipped in Weapon Set 1 is your main source of damage output for Spells. A Wand and Focus combination can also be acceptable, but obtaining 2 optimal items is more difficult/expensive while leveling. A Gelid Staff has the most potential, as it can roll Cold Spell Skill Levels and Cold Spell Damage. Starting at Item Level 36, Gelid Staves can roll +(3-4) to Level of All Cold Spell Skills, so save most of your currency to gamble/craft until you reach this point.

Prioritize the following stats on your Staff, in order of importance:

1. Cold/All Spell Skill Levels
2. Extra Cold/Lightning/Fire Damage
3. Increased Cold/All Spell Damage
4. Critical Strike Chance and Critical Spell Damage Bonus
5. Cast Speed

Oil Barrage uses a Talisman equipped in Weapon Set 2 as its base damage. You must obtain/craft a high-tier Talisman with increased Physical damage before the Oil Barrage swap at Level 40.

Prioritize the following stats on your Talisman, in order of importance:

1. Increased Physical Damage
2. Added Physical Damage
3. Added Lightning/Cold/Fire Damage
4. Attack Speed

Attack Skills, such as Oil Barrage, can also benefit from Added Physical/Lightning/Cold/Fire prefixes on Gloves and Rings.

Defensive Gear

Prioritize the following stats on armor and jewelry to increase survivability, in order of importance:

1. Maximum Life
2. Armour
3. Resistances

Runes

Insert Runes into gear for additional stats while leveling. Insert Storm Runes into your Staff to apply Shock and activate Living Lightning socketed into Entangle. The Talisman should have Iron Runes to increase Physical Damage, or any other Rune that adds Lightning/Cold/Fire Damage. For other gear, prioritize any needed attributes or resistances you lack most.

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Campaign Buffs

Quest rewards during the campaign offer a selection of buffs to your character. Some of these choices are permanent. If you have chosen an endgame build to work towards, check the endgame guide for the most optimal permanent buffs.

Choose the following buffs for the leveling build:

• Valley of the Titans Altar: 30% increased Charm Effect Duration
• Venom Draught: 25% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
• Trial of Ngkanu: Resistances
• Shark Fin: 30% increased Global Armour, Evasion, and Energy Shield
• Goddess of Justice: 30% increased Life Recovery from Flasks
• Seven Pillars: +5% to all Elemental Resistances or 3% increased Movement Speed

For more details, check the guide on Campaign Difficulties and Permanent Stat Bonuses.

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Flasks and Charms

Throughout leveling, you will frequently find various charms and flasks. Make sure to swap them out for upgrades.

Prioritize the following Flasks and Charms:

• Health and Mana Flasks
  • Prefix: Increased Amount Recovered
  • Suffix: Increased Charges
• Charms
  1. Thawing Charm: Increased Duration
  2. Stone Charm: Increased Duration
  3. Silver Charm: Increased Duration

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Ingame Build Tools

Build Planner

Subscribe to my Build Planner for the Oil Barrage Druid Leveling Build from the official Path of Exile 2 website to access it ingame: https://pathofexile2.com/build/WX6rhE

Loot Filter

Follow my campaign Loot Filter for this build to access it ingame: https://pathofexile2.com/item-filter/P0YPmBCL

Regex

Copy and paste the following Regex string into the vendor search windows to highlight important items for this build:

“\d+% i.+mov|sed phy|ck spe|\d.+m life|o (all a|str|d|int)|s: (am|ri|wa|st|fo)|adds” “\d+% i.+mov|^\+.*all sp.*ls$|^\+.*ld sp.*ls$|^\+.*al sp.*ls$|^\+.*ile skills$|s: (be|tali|gl|bod|he)” “!rating:”

Path of Building (PoB)

For advanced users, the PoB export provides a build planner useful for additional calculations: https://pobb.in/zqICcfQBNI6W

The standalone PoB program must be downloaded and installed to use all of its features: https://pathofbuilding.community

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Progressing into the Endgame

An endgame build guide to follow-up this leveling build guide is coming shortly after the start of the Forbidden Rites league event.

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Changelog

• September 3rd, 2026: Guide created for the Forbidden Rites league event (Patch Update 0.5.5).