How to choose a class and Ascendancy

Starting attributes and passive-tree position change the character's first allocation choices. The short list below gives the exact starting values and the reviewed combat association for every playable class. Open a class page for its full tree position and reference details.

• Sorceress: 7 Strength, 7 Dexterity, 15 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 54447. The Sorceress is the Intelligence class associated with elemental spells.
• Warrior: 15 Strength, 7 Dexterity, 7 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 47175. The Warrior is the Strength class associated with maces, Warcries, and shield skills.
• Ranger: 7 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 7 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 50459. The Ranger is the Dexterity class associated with bow skills.
• Witch: 7 Strength, 7 Dexterity, 15 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 54447. The Witch is the Intelligence class associated with occult spells, undead Minions, and Chaos skills.
• Mercenary: 11 Strength, 11 Dexterity, 7 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 50986. The Mercenary is the Strength and Dexterity class associated with Crossbows and Grenades.
• Monk: 7 Strength, 11 Dexterity, 11 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 44683. The Monk is the Dexterity and Intelligence class associated with unarmed and Quarterstaff skills.
• Huntress: 7 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 7 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 50459. The Huntress is the Dexterity class associated with Spear skills.
• Druid: 11 Strength, 7 Dexterity, 11 Intelligence; passive-tree start node 61525. The Druid is the Strength and Intelligence class associated with Primal skills.

Her class identity points toward Fire, Cold, and Lightning spell skills, but it does not restrict which skills or equipment the character can use. The class begins at passive-tree node 54447 with 7 Strength, 7 Dexterity, and 15 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Stormweaver: Stormweaver develops elemental spellcasting through stronger Shock and Chill control, permanent Arcane Surge, Elemental Infusions, and triggered Elemental Storms. Important tradeoff: The double Shock and double Chill branches apply less magnitude to each ailment, so their extra instances are not free full-strength copies.
• Chronomancer: Chronomancer manipulates time with cooldown resets, a return-to-previous-state skill, Time Freeze, repeat effects, and delayed incoming damage. Important tradeoff: Phased Form reduces an enemy Hit immediately but returns the prevented portion as damage four seconds later.
• Disciple of Varashta: Disciple of Varashta combines a suite of granted Djinn skills with Mana defence, Staff and Focus equipment, Time-Lost Jewel radius, and Energy Shield recovery. Important tradeoff: Instruments of Power allows a Focus with a Staff but reduces the bonuses gained from that Focus by 50%.

His nearby tree start and presented skill families support heavy melee attacks, Slams, Warcries, and shield combat without locking the character to those choices. The class begins at passive-tree node 47175 with 15 Strength, 7 Dexterity, and 7 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Titan: Titan strengthens self-used Slams, Aftershocks, Heavy Stun payoffs, Life, Armour, and the effect of small passive skills. Important tradeoff: Its main offensive branches explicitly require Slams used by the character, so Totem or other indirect skill use does not satisfy those lines.
• Warbringer: Warbringer links Armour Break, Warcries, Totems, shield Block, and Jade into a physical offence and defence Ascendancy. Important tradeoff: Turtle Charm raises maximum Block but makes blocked Hits deal 20% of their damage instead of preventing the Hit completely.
• Smith of Kitava: Smith of Kitava turns a Normal Body Armour into a configurable defensive and offensive foundation through connected forge passives. Important tradeoff: Smith's Masterwork allows only a Normal Body Armour, exchanging ordinary armour modifiers for the bonuses selected on the Ascendancy tree.

Her class identity points toward ranged bow attacks, projectiles, and Evasion, while the normal attribute and weapon requirements still determine what she can equip and use. The class begins at passive-tree node 50459 with 7 Strength, 15 Dexterity, and 7 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Deadeye: Deadeye specialises in Projectiles, Tailwind, Frenzy Charge consumption, Marks, and choosing between close-range and long-range projectile damage. Important tradeoff: Gathering Winds builds Tailwind through skill use but removes all Tailwind when the character is Hit.
• Pathfinder: Pathfinder combines Concoction skills, Flask persistence, Poison scaling, movement protection, Evasion defence, and alternate passive-tree starting paths. Important tradeoff: Overwhelming Toxicity doubles the number of Poisons a target can have but halves Poison duration.

Her presented skill families include Minion and Chaos builds, but class choice does not prevent her from meeting the requirements for other skills or equipment. The class begins at passive-tree node 54447 with 7 Strength, 7 Dexterity, and 15 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Infernalist: Infernalist trades conventional resources for Infernal Flame, Demon Form, Life reservation, Fire and Ignite scaling, and altered incoming damage types. Important tradeoff: Reaching maximum Infernal Flame deals Fire damage based on maximum Life and Energy Shield, then removes all Infernal Flame.
• Blood Mage: Blood Mage spends Life for skills and turns Life recovery, Spell Critical Hits, Bleeding, Curses, and Body Armour Energy Shield into offensive scaling. Important tradeoff: Its strongest branches ask the character to support added Life costs or change normal recovery, including Sanguine Tides preventing Flasks from directly recovering Life.
• Lich: Lich builds around Energy Shield, Mana, Curses, Power Charges, Unholy Might, and sacrificing Energy Shield to empower Spells. Important tradeoff: Soulless Form removes inherent Mana regeneration and lets part of damage bypass Energy Shield in exchange for Life-based Mana regeneration.
• Abyssal Lich: Abyssal Lich replaces part of the Lich tree with Abyssal Apparition, self-directed Offerings, Umbral Souls, and Physical corpse explosions. Important tradeoff: It retains the Lich Energy Shield and Mana tradeoffs, including damage bypassing Energy Shield and the loss of inherent Mana regeneration from Soulless Form.

His class identity points toward ammunition skills, Crossbow firing modes, and Grenade combinations, while other weapons and skills remain available when their requirements are met. The class begins at passive-tree node 50986 with 11 Strength, 11 Dexterity, and 7 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Tactician: Tactician coordinates Banners, Totems, allied Attack damage, Armour and Evasion defence, Pin, and Immobilisation. Important tradeoff: Stay Light, Use Cover doubles Armour defence and penalises enemy Accuracy at range, but caps both maximum Evasion chance and Physical Damage Reduction at 50%.
• Witchhunter: Witchhunter breaks enemy Concentration, gains damage against weakened targets, and adds Culling, Decimating Strike, Sorcery Ward, and extensive Weapon Set specialisation. Important tradeoff: Obsessive Rituals grants Sorcery Ward but applies 50% less Armour and Evasion Rating.
• Gemling Legionnaire: Gemling Legionnaire makes socketed Support Gem colours, Gem Quality, skill attribute requirements, and inherent attribute bonuses central build resources. Important tradeoff: Enhanced Effectiveness doubles inherent attribute bonuses but applies 20% less Attributes.

His presented skill families emphasize mobile melee attacks, elemental Quarterstaff skills, and unarmed combat without making those options class-exclusive. The class begins at passive-tree node 44683 with 7 Strength, 11 Dexterity, and 11 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Martial Artist: Martial Artist develops Combo, unarmed glove transformation, body-bound Rune sockets, and Mountain's Teachings alongside three Hollow skills. Important tradeoff: Mountain's Teachings are lost when the character is Hit or uses or sustains an Attack that benefits from them.
• Invoker: Invoker combines Cold and Lightning damage, elemental Critical Hits, Meta Skills, Spirit conversion, and Armour plus Evasion defence. Important tradeoff: The Armour and Evasion conversion branch applies 35% less Evasion, and the Spirit branch prevents Spirit from Equipment.
• Acolyte of Chayula: Acolyte of Chayula uses Darkness, Chaos Resistance, Chaos Leech, Volatility, Flames of Chayula, and granted Chayula skills. Important tradeoff: Embrace the Darkness removes Spirit, and reserved Darkness remains unavailable for five seconds after absorbing damage.

Her presented skill families combine melee and thrown Spear attacks, with Bucklers available as a related defensive weapon class. This association does not restrict her other skill and equipment choices. The class begins at passive-tree node 50459 with 7 Strength, 15 Dexterity, and 7 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Amazon: Amazon converts Accuracy and exposed Weaknesses into Critical Hits, Physical Attack damage, speed, and Elemental Surges. Important tradeoff: Stalking Panther doubles Evasion from Helmet, Gloves, and Boots but halves Evasion from Body Armour.
• Spirit Walker: Spirit Walker develops Companions, captured Beasts, Azmeri possession, Owl Feathers, Vivid Wisps, Idols, and the Wild Protector skill. Important tradeoff: Idolatry rewards equipped Idols but applies reduced Elemental Resistances for every equipped Augment that is not an Idol.
• Ritualist: Ritualist expands Ring and Charm use, supports missing-Life recovery, and adds Ritual Sacrifice and Blood Boil interactions. Important tradeoff: Mind Phylacteries can consume 25% of maximum Mana when a Charm lacks charges, making automatic Charm use a significant resource cost.

His presented skill families include Shapeshifting, animal Minions, and nature spells. Talismans provide animal forms, but the class can use other skills and equipment when their requirements are met. The class begins at passive-tree node 61525 with 11 Strength, 7 Dexterity, and 11 Intelligence. Compare the resource, defence, and combat conditions below before choosing an Ascendancy.

• Oracle: Oracle manipulates passive-tree connectivity, Fate, unavoidable Critical Hits, Totem persistence, and unlucky enemy damage rolls. Important tradeoff: Harmony Within can redirect Hit damage to Mana before Life, but applies 15% less maximum Life and 15% less maximum Mana.
• Shaman: Shaman connects Rage to Spell damage, activates Bonded Rune and Idol modifiers, adapts to Elemental Hits, and grants Apocalypse. Important tradeoff: Furious Wellspring sustains Rage but adds a Rage cost to skills, while Sacred Flow grants Spirit only for empty Charm slots.

Use the passive-tree planner to inspect the class start and travel distance to important passives. Use the Ascendancy planner to compare exact prerequisites and fit the available eight Ascendancy points. The guide does not rank builds or assume that one current path is best.

• The selected class start is open in the passive-tree planner.
• Each candidate Ascendancy has been compared by exact nodes and prerequisites.
• Any resource replacement, defence penalty, equipment restriction, or conditional mechanic has been checked on its reference page.