Apep’s Rage Self-Cast Dark Pact Pathfinder

It’s not unusual for Pathfinders to use weapons other than bows. Using staves and casting spells, however, can seem pretty unique—because it is. A good example of that is Apep’s Rage Self-Cast Dark Pact Pathfinder. With a little time to spend on the learning curve and this guide to help you, it can turn out to be the build you’ve been waiting for all this time.

Pros:

• Good clear speed
• Affordable
• Competitive but not meta

Cons:

• Reliant on flasks
• Low defense

Passive Skill Tree

Here’s the Passive Skill Tree.

Skill Gem Setup

• Core Skill: Dark Pact with Unbound Ailments, Deadly Ailments, Poison, Vile Toxins, and Spell Echo support gems
• Secondary DPS: Soulrend and Essence Drain with Void Manipulation and Greater Multiple Projectiles support gems
• Buffs: Herald of Agony, Plague Bearer, and Clarity
• Debuffs: Blight and Despair with Blasphemy support gem.
• Totem: Spell Totem and Wither with Multiple Totems and Faster Casting support gems
• Mobility/Utility: Flame Dash and Immortal Call with Arcane Surge

Gear

• Weapons: Apep’s Rage (Unique) for increased spell damage, chaos damage, cast speed, chaos resistance, and faster poison damage
• Helm: Kitava’s Thirst (Unique) for chance to trigger socketed spell when 100 mana is used, increased armor, energy shield, and mana, reduced cast speed
• Body: Any Rare armor with bonuses to life and elemental resistances
• Gloves: Any Rare gloves with bonuses to intelligence, energy shield, elemental resistances, and life
• Boots: Garukhan’s Flight (Unique) for increased dexterity, evasion, movement speed, immunity to burning, shocked, and chilled ground, life regen, and +2 max life per 10 dexterity
• Belt: Any Rare belt with bonuses to life, mana, and elemental resistances
• Accessories:
  • Any Rare rings with bonuses to intelligence, elemental resistances, and life
  • Impresence (Unique amulet) for bonus attributes, increased damage over time, life, chaos resistance, Despair’s mana reservation reduced to 100% when cast as aura, Maddening Presence after killing rare enemy
• Jewels:
  • 1 large cluster jewel (grants 12% chaos damage) with two sockets and Unwaveringly Evil notable
  • 2 medium cluster jewels (4% chaos damage over time multiplier) with one socket and Circling Oblivion notable
• Flasks:
  • Seething Hybrid Hollow Flask of Staunching for life and mana recovery and bleeding immunity/removal
  • Perpetual Quartz Flask of Heat for chance to dodge attacks and spells and chill/freezing immunity/removal
  • Alchemist’s Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline for increased movement speed
  • Alchemist’s Sulphur Flask of Adrenaline for increased damage and movement speed, and Consecrated Ground on Use
  • Ample Jade Flask of Warding for +3000 evasion and curse immunity/removal

Apep’s Rage Self-Cast Dark Pact Pathfinder isn’t a build for everyone. However, those that find its appeal will definitely have a good time with it and its one-of-a-kind mechanics. See for yourself—we’re sure you’ll notice the difference!