Poison Pathfinder Leveling Build

Introduction

Poison Pathfinder is a bow build that clears the campaign easily. This build is one of the strongest endgame builds, as it can easily clear high-level juiced Delirious maps and Uber Pinnacle bosses. It also ignores all slow effects and can run all map modifiers in the endgame.

This build has easy gearing requirements throughout the campaign. A good bow is all you need!

If you’re looking for the endgame version that uses this league starter, please follow the link below!

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skill Rotation

Act 1

Use Lightning Arrow to clear packs of enemies, and combo Lightning Rod with Lightning Arrow to kill bosses and difficult rare monsters. These are the only skills you will need to clear from the start of Act 1 through The Executioner.

Take Plague Bearer with your first Spirit Gem; you will use it throughout the campaign.

Act 2+

You can switch to poison skills at Level 14 upon unlocking Toxic Growth. Save at least one Uncut Skill Gem so you can create a Poisonburst Arrow gem at this point, too.

Clearing

Use Poisonburst Arrow and Plague Bearer to clear packs of enemies. Simple!

If you run into tanky rares that don’t die in just a few Poisonburst Arrow casts, fire Toxic Growth at their feet, then poison the pods using Gas Arrow once you unlock it at level 22, or Plague Bearer prior to that point.

Bossing

Cast Gas Arrow at the boss’ feet, then fire Toxic Growth into the gas cloud, and the pods will explode automatically. Prior to unlocking Gas Arrow, you can use Plague Bearer to detonate Toxic Growth pods instead.

Skill Gems, Support Gems, and Spirit Gems

Below is a full progression of skill gems throughout the campaign for this build.

Ascendancy

In Act 2 you gain access to your ascendancy choice by completing the Trial of Sekhemas. This trial is not difficult and should be completed upon unlocking it. The list below is the order in which you should take ascendancy notables as you progress your character.

1. Overwhelming Toxicity – Doubles your single-target damage. It is as good as it sounds.
2. Relentless Pursuit – Grants immunity to all slow effects. Another amazing bonus.
3. Running Assault – Greatly reduces the slow effect caused by casting skills while moving, which is a mobility increase. Also grants immunity to Heavy Stun when hit while sprinting, which means you can sprint through maps without being in any real danger! This bonus is incredible!
4. Path Seeker – Grants 5 extra passive points (including the small passive) and allows you to allocate points from the Warrior or Sorceress starting point. Use them anywhere you like.

You can drop Running Assault in favor of Traveller’s Wisdom if you have enough Spirit to afford Rhoa Mount, but it is quite a large investment. Before that point, Running Assault is the better option.

Passive Skill Tree

Below is a full progression for the passive skill tree throughout the campaign.

Path of Building Link

If you prefer to use Path of Building, you can find a link to this build here.

Gear Progression

Your bow is your primary source of damage, so try to upgrade it whenever you feel your damage is lacking. Elemental damage does not contribute to poison buildup, so focus on getting as much physical damage as possible from your bow, quiver, and rings.

If you are struggling to stay alive, focus on getting more life and resistances on your gear.

Get as much movement speed as you can on your boots!

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Below is a complete breakdown of your preferred endgame gear. You will not need anything close to this level of gear to complete the campaign:

Slot	Prefixes	Suffixes	Notes
Bow	1. % Increased Physical Damage 2. Flat Added Physical Damage 3. Damage as Extra Physical (Perfect Essence of Abrasion)	1. +4 to Level of All Attack Skills (Perfect Essence of Battle) 2. Critical Hit Chance 3. Critical Damage Bonus	You want as much physical damage from your bow as possible. Attack speed does not matter. Slivertongue is a good unique bow that you can begin using in the campaign. Voltaxic Rift is a good endgame unique option.
Quiver	1. Increased Damage with Bow Attacks 2. Flat Added Physical Damage 3. Increases and Reductions to Projectile Speed Apply to Damage with Bows (Desecrated modifier)	1. +2 to Level of All Projectile Skills 2. Critical Hit Chance 3. Critical Damage Bonus	Visceral Quiver is the preferred base, since it grants Critical Hit Chance as an implicit bonus.
Ring	1. Flat Added Physical Damage 2. Maximum Life 3. Rarity of Items Found	1. Mana Leech 2. Resistances 3. Rarity of Items Found	You don’t need mana leech on both rings, but you want to get it somewhere in your gear. It’s attainable on rings, gloves, and bows. Rings are the best option.
Amulet	1. Increased Global Defences (Perfect Essence of Enhancement) 2. +50 to Spirit 3. Increased Energy Shield	1. +3 to Level of Projectile Skills 2. Resistances 3. Attributes	+3 to level of skill gems is an irreplaceable damage bonus.
Helmet	1. Increased Energy Shield 2. Flat Energy Shield 3. Hybrid Increased/Flat Energy Shield	1. Critical Hit Chance 2. Resistances 3. Attributes/Rarity of Items Found	Helmet is a very basic defensive slot with one offensive modifier. You want as much Energy Shield as possible from your helmet due to Subterfuge Mask.
Body Armour	1. Increased Evasion and Energy Shield 2. Flat Evasion and Energy Shield 3. Hybrid Increased/Flat Evasion and Energy Shield	1. Resistances 2. Hits Against You Have Reduced Critical Damage Bonus (Perfect Essence of Seeking) 3. Gain Deflection Rating Equal to X% of Your Evasion Rating	Falconer’s Jacket is a good base. It grants slightly lower defenses than alternatives, but the implicit modifier gives 5% movement speed, which is worth the tradeoff. Evasion on your body armour will also grant Energy Shield thanks to Spectral Ward.
Gloves	1. Flat Added Physical Damage 2. Increased Evasion Rating and Energy Shield 3. Flat Evasion Rating and Energy Shield	1. 100% Increased Effect of Socketed Items (Essence of Horror) 2. Increased Critical Damage Bonus 3. Gain Deflection Rating Equal to X% of Your Evasion Rating	2-socket gloves are expensive, but very strong for maximizing your damage potential. Don’t spend an Essence of Horror unless you have 2-socket gloves.
Boots	1. Movement Speed 2. Increased Evasion Rating and Energy Shield 3. Flat Evasion Rating and Energy Shield	1. Gain Deflection Rating Equal to X% of Your Evasion Rating 2. Resistances 3. Attributes/Rarity of Items Found	Boots are the primary source of increased movement speed, and that should be your top priority. Otherwise, they are a purely defensive item slot.
Belt	1. Life	1. Resistances 2. Strength	Belts are extremely basic, defensive items. Ryslatha’s Coil is an inexpensive unique belt option that adds a ton of damage. Use it as soon as you are able.

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Leveling Uniques

• Slivertongue – An excellent bow that can be used from Act 3 through Tier 15 maps. The low base damage is a liability at higher levels.
• Plaguefinger – These gloves allow elemental damage contribute to poison. This bonus is amazing during the campaign and early mapping, but a good pair of rare gloves will outperform it at high gear levels.
• Snakebite – Grants +1 maximum poison stack, which is doubled by Overwhelming Toxicity. This can be a major damage increase throughout the back half of the campaign.

Campaign Character Bonuses

Here are our recommendations for permanent character bonus options throughout the campaign:

• Act 2: 30% Increased Charm Charges
• Act 3: 25% Increased Stun Threshold
• Act 4: 5% to each Elemental Resistance
• Interlude 2: 5% to each Elemental Resistance

Changelog

December 4th, 2025: Leveling build created for Patch 0.3.