Component & Augment Combinations

Explore the Occultist mastery in Grim Dawn! Learn about its lore, powerful skills like Sigil of Consumption and Dreeg's Evil Eye, and how it combines with other masteries for devastating builds.

Hey there, future Champion of Cairn! So, you're diving into the world of Grim Dawn and want to know more about the Occultist? Awesome choice! This mastery is all about eldritch power, throwing down nasty curses, and summoning some spooky allies. Unlike some other classes, Occultists don't rely on specific weapons, so whether you're a melee brawler or a ranged sniper, you can make it work. ### Lore Long ago, the Occultists were hunted for their connection to the 'eldritch' – basically, forbidden magic. They draw power from three ancient witch 'gods': Bysmiel, Solael, and Dreeg. Their arts are pretty dark, focusing on curses that weaken enemies and spells that deal poison, acid, and that weird 'entropic' damage. They're not exactly masters of the sword or gun, but they can definitely use them to spice up their attacks. ### Skill Tree This is where the magic happens! Let's break down some of the key skills you'll be using: * Sigil of Consumption: This is a fantastic skill for both offense and defense. You place a swirling vortex on the ground that damages enemies within its radius and also heals you for a percentage of the damage dealt. It's great for keeping yourself topped up while you fight. * At level 1, it costs 32 Energy and lasts 3 seconds with a 3.5 Meter Radius, dealing 14 Vitality Damage and 10 Decay Vitality Damage over 2 seconds, plus healing you for 15% of Attack damage. * Maxed out at level 12, it costs 95 Energy, has a 5 Meter Radius, deals 110 Vitality Damage and 120 Decay Vitality Damage over 2 seconds, and heals you for 30% of Attack damage. * Consecrated Blade: This is a transmuter skill that converts Physical Damage to Chaos Damage. It also gives a bonus to all pets. Useful if you're going for a Chaos damage build or have pets! * At level 1, it converts 10% Physical Damage to Chaos Damage and gives 5 Chaos Damage, plus a bonus to pets. * At level 3, it converts 30% Physical Damage to Chaos Damage and gives 20 Chaos Damage, plus a bonus to pets. * Destruction: A direct damage skill that throws fiery and chaotic energy at your foes. Good for adding some punch to your attacks. * At level 1, it adds 15 Fire Damage and 18 Chaos Damage. * At level 12, it adds 81 Fire Damage and 93 Chaos Damage, plus a +96% Vitality Damage bonus. * Doom Bolt: This is your big hitter! A powerful projectile that deals significant Vitality and Chaos damage. It also has a chance to crit for extra damage. * At level 1, it costs 102 Energy, has a 4.5 Second Skill Recharge, and deals 144 Vitality Damage and 206 Chaos Damage. * At level 12, it costs 180 Energy, deals 445 Vitality Damage and 641 Chaos Damage, and gives a +33% Crit Damage bonus. * Solael's Witchfire: This is a toggle skill that buffs your attacks with Chaos and Vitality damage, and also increases your Attack Speed. It does drain your energy while active, so keep an eye on that energy pool! * At level 1, it costs 0.5 Energy per second, reserves 75 Energy, adds 8 Chaos Damage, +8% Vitality Damage, +8% Vitality Decay, and +1% Attack Speed. * At level 12, it costs 1.5 Energy per second, reserves 130 Energy, adds 55 Chaos Damage, +85% Vitality Damage, +85% Vitality Decay, and +15% Attack Speed. * Second Rite: Another toggle skill that enhances your attacks with Vitality damage and Vitality Decay. It also boosts your Chaos damage and adds Vitality Resistance. Like Solael's Witchfire, it drains energy. * At level 1, it adds 8 Vitality Damage, 30 Vitality Decay Damage over 3 seconds, +8% Chaos Damage, and 3% Vitality Resistance. * At level 12, it adds 59 Vitality Damage, 165 Vitality Decay Damage over 3 seconds, +85% Chaos Damage, and 25% Vitality Resistance. * Possession: This is a powerful passive buff that absorbs a percentage of incoming damage and significantly boosts your offensive stats, including Acid, Vitality, Chaos, Poison, and Vitality Decay damage. It also gives Chaos Resistance and protects against Skill Disruption. * At level 1, it offers 2% Damage Absorption and various damage bonuses. * At level 12, it offers 15% Damage Absorption and much higher damage bonuses. * Dreeg's Evil Eye: A ranged attack that deals Acid and Poison damage. It's a solid choice for applying damage over time to enemies. * At level 1, it costs 10 Energy and deals 8 Acid Damage and 27 Poison Damage over 3 seconds. * At level 12, it costs 25 Energy and deals 106 Acid Damage and 300 Poison Damage over 3 seconds. * Blood Burst: A modifier for Dreeg's Evil Eye that adds an area-of-effect explosion, spreading the Acid and Poison damage. Great for clearing out groups! * At level 1, it adds 5% Weapon Damage, 10 Acid Damage, and 24 Poison Damage over 3 seconds. * At level 12, it adds 35% Weapon Damage, 98 Acid Damage, and 165 Poison Damage over 3 seconds. * Focused Gaze: A transmuter for Dreeg's Evil Eye that increases its radius, critical damage, and total damage. It also adds a debuff that reduces enemy Physical Damage for 4 seconds. A must-have for Dreeg's Evil Eye builds! * At level 1, it adds +10 Energy Cost, +4 Second Skill Recharge, +25% Crit Damage, 135% Total Damage Modified, +50% Acid Damage, +50% Poison Damage with +100% Increased Duration, and reduces target's Physical Damage by 18% for 4 seconds. * Fevered Rage: This is a risky but powerful transmuter that reduces enemy health by a significant percentage, boosts your Offensive Ability, and massively increases your Total Speed. However, it comes with a penalty to Defensive Ability. Use with caution! * At level 1, it offers 13-19% Reduction to Enemy's Health, 40% Total Damage Modified, +25% Offensive Ability, -25% Defensive Ability, +150% Total Speed, and -35% Skill Energy Cost. * Terrifying Gaze: This skill adds a chance to fear enemies when you hit them. Great for crowd control! * At level 1, it has a 5% chance to fear enemies. ### Mastery Combinations This is where the real fun begins! The Occultist pairs incredibly well with almost any other mastery. Some popular combinations include: * Occultist + Soldier = Battlemage: Focuses on powerful buffs and debuffs, with strong melee or ranged capabilities. * Occultist + Demolitionist = Pyromancer: Excellent for fire, chaos, and poison damage builds. Lots of AoE potential! * Occultist + Arcanist = Warlock: A potent caster build focusing on elemental and chaos damage, with strong crowd control. * Occultist + Shaman = Ritualist: Great for pets, vitality damage, and summoning. A very tanky option. * Occultist + Nightblade = Spellbreaker: While often seen as a dual-wielding class, combining it with Occultist can create a powerful caster with frost and chaos damage. * Occultist + Oathkeeper = Vindicator: This combination can lead to some very strong pet builds or powerful caster builds focusing on lightning and chaos damage. * Occultist + Inquisitor = Purifier: While not as common, this can create a build that focuses on dual-wielding pistols with chaos and fire damage. * Occultist + Necromancer = Defiler: This is a fantastic combination for pet builds, focusing on summoning an army of undead and eldritch creatures. Remember, these are just starting points! The beauty of Grim Dawn is the freedom to experiment. Don't be afraid to try out different combinations and see what works best for your playstyle. Happy hunting!