The Sorceress is one of the Intelligence-focused classes in Path of Exile 2, and unlike the Witch, who is proficient in Chaos and Necromancy, this one is all about elemental magic. This class does just about everything one would expect from a mage-type character, from flinging fire balls, calling down meteors, and firing lightning from their fingertips.

Leveling up a Sorceress is fairly easy, especially when compared to classes like the Monk and Warrior in PoE 2. She's a bit of a glass cannon, but with the right build, even this fragile spellcaster can have high degrees of survivability while still dealing tons of damage. Here's one of many possible Sorceress leveling builds in Path of Exile 2 that strikes a balance between AoE and single-target damage.

Updated April 8, 2025 by Marc Santos: While the changes brought by Dawn of the Hunt have negatively impacted most Path of Exile 2 builds, the builds themselves have remained mostly the same. This PoE 2 Sorceress leveling build in particular remains as viable as it was before, though we've added a small section to this guide that contains alternate Support Gem options for players who might want to try something new.

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Path of Exile 2 Sorceress Leveling Build - Arc/Spark Setup

leveling an arc sorc in PoE 2
Path of Exile 2 Arc Sorceress leveling

This is a Lightning build that uses Arc as its main DPS skill for tough targets and Spark for small-medium-sized packs of monsters. Arc is a satisfying spell to use, and while it has its flaws early on, it scales well into the late game, especially once players start getting important gear and passive effects. As you're leveling up, your skill bar should look something like this:

Arc Sorceress Leveling Skills

Skill

Support Gems

Notes

Arc
  • Conduction
  • Arcane Tempo
  • Unleash

Use for general mobbing and boss killing.

Spark
  • Arcane Surge

Use only when surrounded by many small enemies.

Orb of Storms
  • Overabundance
  • Persistence
  • Lightning Exposure

Use against bosses and elites.

Flame Wall
  • Fortress

Use to empower Spark.

Ice Nova
  • Glaciation

Use to freeze enemies.

Conductivity
  • Focused Curse

Cast to reduce enemy Lightning resistance.

Mana Tempest
  • Premeditation

Use to nuke bosses.

Lightning Conduit
  • -

Attach to Cast on Shock for passive damage.

Cast on Shock
  • -

Use Mana Remnants until you get Cast on Shock.

Raging Spirits
  • -

If needed, replace with Archmage later.

Swarms will be the biggest threat to you while doing Acts with this build, which is why we'll use Spark and Flame Wall with PoE 2's Raging Spirits buff. If you ever get swarmed by too many things at once, pop a Flame Wall and spam Spark until everything dies. Once you get Lightning Conduit and Cast on Shock, you should have an easier time managing big hordes.

Your damage will start to seriously ramp up once you get the Archmage buff, which gives your spells bonus Lightning damage based on your max mana, though it will make your spells use more mana as well. If you don't have this skill yet, stick with Raging Spirits in the meantime.

Late Game Optional Build Variant

Once you start mapping, this Path of Exile 2 Sorceress build might feel like it's lost its effectiveness, especially against bosses and elites. If this is the case, try the following Support Gems for Arc:

  • Unleash
  • Considered Casting
  • Controlled Destruction
  • Lightning Mastery

This Support Gem setup significantly increases the upfront damage dealt by Arc in exchange for less chaining/area of effect potential. Use it to zap big chunks of an enemy's health bar off while Mana Tempest and Orb of Storms are active.

With this alternative Arc setup, you'll need to rely on Spark more for mob-clearing. Use the following Support Gems to increase its late-game effectiveness:

  • Acceleration
  • Inspiration
  • Arcane Tempo

Keep in mind that Controlled Destruction will prevent Arc from scoring critical hits, but it won't affect any of your other offensive spells.

Alternate Support Gems

While the Path of Exile 2 Sorceress build above should work as-is, players still have a plethora of options to choose from. If you feel like the support gem setup above isn't working, consider using the following:

  • Electrocute (T2): Damage from supported skills cannot inflict Shock, but can contribute to Electrocution build-up. Good for Arc and Spark.
  • Stormchain (T2): Supported skills cannot inflict Shock. Instead, they chain from enemies that are Shocked. Good for Arc.
  • Stormfire (T3): Extends the duration of Shock against Ignited enemies. This support gem has excellent synergy with Spark and Flame Well, though you can also use it on Arc if so desired.
  • Elemental Discharge (T3): Supported skills lose the ability to inflict status effects. Instead, they consume status effects to deal damage based on your Intelligence. Good for turning Arc into a skill that detonates a nuke from the Spark/Flame Wall combo.

Sorceress Leveling Build Passives

Lightning sorc passives in POE 2
Path of Exile 2 Lightning Sorceress passives

Since we're mostly using Lightning skills, we'll want to take passive nodes that buff Lightning damage and Shock. If you're having trouble surviving, pick up a few Energy Shield passives. Try making your way to the following major passive nodes as you're leveling up:

  • Raw Power
  • Practiced Signs
  • Open Mind
  • Pure Energy
  • Path of Storms
  • Potent Incantations
  • Lightning Quick
  • Drenched
  • Electric Amplification
  • Pure Power

You can see where these passive nodes are by using the Passive Skill Tree Filter.

This build can transition into either the Stormweaver or Chronomancer Ascendancies, though it does have more straightforward synergies with the former. If you're not sure which Ascendancy to get but are still interested in using Arc, then Stormweaver is the way to go.

For players who are having trouble surviving in Cruel difficulty and the early Atlas maps, consider getting Mind over Matter. This passive basically turns your mana into health, and considering how much you'll be wanting more mana and mana regeneration stats as a Sorceress, taking Mind over Matter isn't such a bad idea.

Lifesprig wand in PoE 2
Path of Exile 2 Lifesprig

There aren't many Support Gems in PoE 2 that buff Arc's damage output, so players will have to rely on getting both passive skills and gear with the right stats. As far as items are concerned, look for ones with the following modifiers:

  • Gain % Damage as Lightning Damage
  • Increased Lightning Damage
  • Increased Spell Damage
  • Increased Elemental Damagee
  • +Level of All Spell Skills
  • Energy Shield
  • Mana
  • Mana Regeneration

You can save modifiers like Movement Speed and Critical Hit stats for the endgame. Keep in mind that Arc (and other magical abilities, for that matter), are counted as Spells, not Attacks. Any item that adds elemental damage to Attacks will not work.

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Path of Exile II
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9 /10
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Released
December 6, 2024
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
Developer(s)
Grinding Gear Games
Publisher(s)
Grinding Gear Games
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Franchise
Path of Exile
Early Access Release
December 6, 2024
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
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