[2.2] Occultist (Contagion + Essence Drain) Beginner starting build

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Cruzeriox wrote:

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Sure: https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwAAt9a-vNtZguQtqJARsZCKr4MJSshGcW-ebqo_J7QM8bO18ipNytNLVzWSeA1H4qPvAO6-isDj_o_YvcAaIuJUgizpkyehL03j_gpvO6Q5hrN_xu-IbAumV7c-8kURlvk3IvQ64YPMDkgHHtfPbRk8LbcwXfKVLkmxl_QI9INfxq7oWisK8NVSU8BUC2EmiBEvAx5JUY_6l5U9X7zqakOvbOtjH0FcQEyzaPK1SDY9h8sEB9AfRX7wH3aCG8idqqebg9vv6w5cogDIDM_dbIx1nlXGavoEs7TR8YpirM8VOljAZha_PAUmlZ_f73xh4lVLE20UCYuq4q0J2cpGMTV7bpchwXyHB3vD

What way do you start in that build?

Not sure really, probably will just get the shadow side of the tree first then witch then templar, first get Sentinel tho for resists.

Build seems great !
I'll probably use the scion variant with some small changes

Taking zero duration nodes is really bad for an Essence Drain / Contagion character, imho.

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djnat wrote:

Taking zero duration nodes is really bad for an Essence Drain / Contagion character, imho.

I truly don't think you have played an ED build before if you think that way. Mobs die in a second or two even in t15 maps. Why would you want longer duration? During boss fights you have seconds where you can just reapply ED on the boss, etc... I don't get it, don't get me wrong, I'm not being offensive or anything.

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djnat wrote:

Taking zero duration nodes is really bad for an Essence Drain / Contagion character, imho.

I was wondering about this, as skill effect nodes should greatly increase the overall damage of a DOT, and really allow contagion to spread ED to other mobs with enough duration left to kill them.

I also wonder about the area damage nodes; Gamepedia says that area damage does not affect the damage of Contagion: http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Contagion This could, however, be incorrect or changed in 2.2. Does anyone know? Right now, I'd be tempted to take the area damage nodes out of the tree and invest them into the Potency of Will and Exceptional Performance notables.

Thanks for all the work on this build and for everyone's input, this is a playstyle that I'm excited to play in the new league.

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Buks wrote:

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djnat wrote:

Taking zero duration nodes is really bad for an Essence Drain / Contagion character, imho.

I truly don't think you have played an ED build before if you think that way. Mobs die in a second or two even in t15 maps. Why would you want longer duration? During boss fights you have seconds where you can just reapply ED on the boss, etc... I don't get it, don't get me wrong, I'm not being offensive or anything.

I haven't played an ED character yet, so this information is great to know. Considering that our equipment will be very lackluster at the beginning of the league, do you think it would be worth it to grab a couple of skill duration nodes and then spec out of them later as we get enough spell damage to melt mobs in the base duration? Thanks!

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Buks wrote:

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djnat wrote:

Taking zero duration nodes is really bad for an Essence Drain / Contagion character, imho.

I truly don't think you have played an ED build before if you think that way. Mobs die in a second or two even in t15 maps. Why would you want longer duration? During boss fights you have seconds where you can just reapply ED on the boss, etc... I don't get it, don't get me wrong, I'm not being offensive or anything.

Positive criticism is always appreciated, I don't take it as an offense. ;)

For me, it's not a matter of pure DPS.

Increased duration nodes are very good for a lot of things.

They make the following things last longer:

- Contagion (the chain-spread that lasts a lot is fantastic even on easy maps)
- ED
- Wither debuff (so more stacks can be applied on mobs)
- Fortify buff
- Vaal skills (I personally use both Vaal Grace and Vaal Ligthning Trap)
- Abyssal Cry debuff (not that important, to be honest)
- Poison (if you use Consuming dark as main weapon, allowing more stacking)

Usually you're right if we're talking about easy map packs. For bosses or tough mobs in high tier maps with bad mods like more life / enfeeble, duration is the key; think about Atziri or Trio, when you have to focus about dodging, rather than dot-reapplying. Think about the Excavation boss, for example, where you spend most of the time moving.

I'd go for some duration nodes all time; in my setup Vaal Grace lasts 15 seconds, for example. This is a lot and makes me keep it perma-up in maps, gaining a huge survivability boost.

And this doesnt really come at a heavy price, because you can take all of the damage nodes and 5+ jewel sockets. I have currently an ED / Contagion Scion @lvl 95 in Talisman with 39k ED damage without the +1 corruption on chest.

I guess you can call this preferences. I prefer to spend points elsewhere and I find duration nodes completely unnessecary, at least for the build I'm going to be playing. For example i'm not even using wither, abyssal cry, poison. Vaal skills can be up almost 100% of the time if it's a good map and I'm not devoting a lot of time to looting. Getting duration nodes for contagion spread I feel like is a waste, it's probably good for dried lake speed farming but when farming high end maps you can't always find mob packs close together so that contagion can spread. I'm not planning to farm atziri, excavation boss isn't hard either if you know how to dodge and when you have a little bit of time to reapply ED.
Again it seems like it comes down to what you prefer and as you can see I'm probably playing a "different" kind of ED build than you.

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Buks wrote:

I guess you can call this preferences. I prefer to spend points elsewhere and I find duration nodes completely unnessecary, at least for the build I'm going to be playing. For example i'm not even using wither, abyssal cry, poison. Vaal skills can be up almost 100% of the time if it's a good map and I'm not devoting a lot of time to looting. Getting duration nodes for contagion spread I feel like is a waste, it's probably good for dried lake speed farming but when farming high end maps you can't always find mob packs close together so that contagion can spread. I'm not planning to farm atziri, excavation boss isn't hard either if you know how to dodge and when you have a little bit of time to reapply ED.
Again it seems like it comes down to what you prefer and as you can see I'm probably playing a "different" kind of ED build than you.

If the duration nodes aren't necessary for Contagion spread, what about the area radius/damage nodes? They are taken in both the Witch and Scion versions of the build, but area damage doesn't seem to apply to Contagion. Are those nodes taken strictly for the radius increase?

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Buks wrote:

I guess you can call this preferences. I prefer to spend points elsewhere and I find duration nodes completely unnessecary, at least for the build I'm going to be playing. For example i'm not even using wither, abyssal cry, poison. Vaal skills can be up almost 100% of the time if it's a good map and I'm not devoting a lot of time to looting. Getting duration nodes for contagion spread I feel like is a waste, it's probably good for dried lake speed farming but when farming high end maps you can't always find mob packs close together so that contagion can spread. I'm not planning to farm atziri, excavation boss isn't hard either if you know how to dodge and when you have a little bit of time to reapply ED.
Again it seems like it comes down to what you prefer and as you can see I'm probably playing a "different" kind of ED build than you.

Yes, I guess you're right here. It's truly a matter of preferences and playstile, and of what you want to do with your character.