PoE 3.25 Spark Inquisitor Build Guide

Grinding Gear Games made sweeping changes to melee skill gems in Patch 3.25. This begs the question: did the company make any adjustments to spell-based builds? Well, not to the same extent as their melee counterparts, but there is some noteworthy stuff that is going on in this league.

In today's article, we are going to talk about the Spark Inquisitor. Is the build still viable or should you just turn your attention to other builds? Well, we encourage you to read this to completion. This is our build guide for the Spark Inquisitor in Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur League!

Basics

The Spark Inquisitor is one of the oldest builds in PoE. It makes use of a spell skill gem that prompts you to launch a plethora of projectiles that can populate the screen within a few seconds.

What makes Spark interesting is how the projectiles behave. You see, unlike other similar skills, the projectiles that are created by Spark do not have any return mechanic. Instead, they move randomly in an area until they disappear.

Moreover, the projectiles bounce off when they collide on walls and terrain, which is why Spark is amazing when you are running a map that is full of tight spaces.

Despite visibly hitting an enemy multiple times, the Spark projectiles actually only deal damage once. For this reason, you want to raise your cast speed as high as you can to create as many projectiles as possible for maximum damage.

Although most melee skill gems got buffed in Patch 3.25, Spark did not receive any adjustments whatsoever in Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur. This is both a good thing and a bad thing.

It is a good thing because those who enjoy the said spell skill gem need not worry about any decrease in damage. It is also a bad thing because its power is somewhat mediocre when you compare it with other skills like Ground Slam of Earthshaking or Lightning Arrow.

To give it more oomph amidst the lack of any meaningful changes, the Spark Inquisitor is now run with the Nebulis and Aegis Aurora for a good mix of offense and defense.

Another thing to invest in is an 8-mod Spark Gloves that has a couple of support gems built-in, as well as two critical strike modifiers. Because of the things that you have to make, this build now requires more PoE Currency in Patch 3.25 to make it somewhat competitive.

In the Settlers of Kalguur expansion, GGG has removed the Divine Blessing Support from the game. This means that you can no longer have a 50% aura active for a short period of time. For this reason, you now have to invest in items that have increased mana reservation efficiency, which requires PoE Currency to obtain.

Anyway, here is a rundown of the modifiers that you need to look for in your gear to further improve your damage output:

• Increased Projectile Speed
• Increased Projectile Damage
• Increased Cast Speed
• Increased Lightning Damage
• Increased Critical Strike Chance
• + to Critical Strike Multiplier
• + to Level of All Spell Skill Gems
• + to Level of All Lightning Skill Gems

Ascendancy

The best ascendancy class for Spark is the Inquisitor. That's because this ascendancy class has access to several notable passives that can improve Spark in more ways than one.

The ascendancy passive skill that you want to get as soon as you finish the first labyrinth is Sanctuary. This makes you leave a Consecrated Ground around you while stationary. The Consecrated Ground that you create weakens the enemies' defenses, allowing you to deal 15% more damage to them. 

Pious Path is the next ascendancy passive skill that you should get. This makes the effects of Consecrated Ground linger for several seconds. Not only that but it also empowers the Consecrated Ground itself, causing you to regenerate life and energy shield in the process. This is a great addition to your build because it helps improve your survivability.

For your third ascendancy node, you should get Righteous Providence. This increases your strength and intelligence by 50 points. However, the main reason why youre getting this is that it increases your critical strike chance by 1% per point of strength or intelligence, whichever is lower. Critical strike chance is vital to any Spark build, even more so when you consider going for the Heatshiver variant.

Righteous Providence is a great prelude to the final ascendancy passive for Spark Inquisitors, Inevitable Judgement. What makes this special is that your critical strikes ignore enemy monster elemental resistances. To put it simply, when you land some critical hits on the enemy, you ignore their elemental resistances as a result. This means that Spark deals a ton of damage since it is a spell that deals elemental damage.

If you have enough PoE Currency, you could invest in Forbidden Flame and Forbidden Flesh Jewels with Sanctuary of Thought as the matching modifier. This is a Hierophant-exclusive passive skill that significantly reduces the mana cost of Spark. It also grants extra energy shield and mana reservation efficiency.

Playstyle

The Spark Inquisitor is a pretty easy build to play. Once you enter a map, cast Frostblink or Frostblink of Wintry Blast to scour the area for packs of monsters.

After seeing a huge mob, simply cast Spark until you fill the screen with a myriad of projectiles. This should occur within two to three seconds depending on the amount of cast speed that you have.

Whenever you encounter a tough monster, use Vaal Smite and Righteous Fire to gain a huge boost in damage. Do not forget to activate Vaal Haste so that you will have more cast speed as well.

Gear

For a long time, the Spark Inquisitor can be used as a league starter. However, we feel that if you do not have the right equipment, this build feels a bit underwhelming to play.

Hence, you will need to invest a sizable amount of PoE Currency to truly bring the best out of this build. Fortunately for you, we will provide you with the information about the best gear that you can use for your character, so every upgrade is definitely worth it.

Weapon

The Nebulis is the perfect weapon for the Spark Inquisitor in Path of Exile 3.25 Settlers of Kalguru. This is a synthesized weapon that can roll a few implicit modifiers that improve the build in various ways. If you can afford it, grab a Nebulis that has cold damage to spells, increased critical strike chance, and global critical strike multiplier as its implicits for maximum benefit.

Shield

If you look at the Nebulis' modifiers, you will find that the weapon grants increased cold and lightning damage for every 1% of cold and lightning resistance above 75%. Therefore, you want to increase your maximum elemental resistances so that you can take advantage of your weapon's unique effect.

To help you with that, you can equip the Aegis Aurora. This is a unique shield that increases your maximum cold resistance by 5%.

Another amazing thing about the Aegis Aurora is that it allows you to recover energy shield equal to 2% of your total armor whenever you block an attack or a spell. This can be felt more often due to the allocation of the Glancing Blows keystone passive.

Body Armor

For body armor, you have a couple of good options. The first is a crafted Twilight Regalia (pure energy shield) or Sacred Chainmail (armor and energy shield) with increased mana reservation efficiency, maximum energy shield, and resistances. Use Essence of Loathing to guarantee the mana reservation mod.

In the endgame, you want to invest in a Grasping Mail that has "% Increased Global Defenses" as one of its explicit modifiers. Ideally, you want to have this mod fractured using a Fracturing Orb. This is because it enables you to use Essence of Loathing to guarantee the mana reservation efficiency mod.

The increased global defenses provided by the Grasping Mail encompasses all defense types in Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur, such as armor, evasion, energy shield, and ward.

If you are new to the game, the Grasping Mail can be obtained via a vendor recipe, where you sell a full inventory’s worth of Breach Rings.

Helmet

Normally, you will have a hard time capping resistances on the Spark Inquisitor simply because the PoE 3.25 version of the build uses quite a lot of unique items.

If you are struggling to get your elemental resistances above the normal cap of 75%, you can wear a rare helmet with life, mana, and resistances. 

The beauty of a crafted helmet is that you can use Eldritch Currencies to guarantee certain modifiers like increased mana reservation efficiency and cast speed.

When you are able to cap your resistances without the need for a crafted helmet, you can then safely transition to the Heatshiver.

The Heatshiver is quite nice for the Spark Inquisitor in Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur because some of your lightning damage will be converted to cold damage with the help of a specific unique ring.

Since you deal cold damage (in addition to lightning damage), you have the power to apply Freeze and Shock to enemies, especially if you can land some critical hits. The Heatshiver allows you to deal extra fire damage against frozen enemies, thus improving your damage output.

Gloves

The best gloves for the Spark Inquisitor is a pair of 8-mod crafted Fingerless Silk Gloves. If you are wondering why these gloves are great for this build, it is because they have modifiers that would allow you to socket your main Spark gem setup into them.

The modifiers include the following:

• Faster Casting Support
• Faster Projectiles Support
• Critical Strike Chance/Multiplier
• Cast Speed
• Projectile Speed
• Projectiles Pierce an Additional Target
• +1 to Level of Socketed Projectile Gems

Now, the process of crafting such an overpowered pair of gloves is lengthy. Luckily for you, the full instructions can be found in our ultimate crafting guide.

Boots

Ralakesh's Impatience has become one of the most popular pairs of unique boots in Path of Exile for quite some time now. This is largely because it enables you to enjoy the maximum number of Endurance, Frenzy, and Power Charges when you have the boots equipped. Take note that you do not even have to cast Spark just to gain the benefits of these charges!

It is also important to note that the Endurance Charge got buffed in Patch 3.25. Back then, this used to provide you with +4% to all elemental resistances. But now, it gives you 4% elemental damage reduction per charge, which is significantly more powerful than the previous effect.

Amulet

When it comes to the amulet for the Spark Inquisitor, there are two options you can take. If your budget permits it, you can purchase the Replica Dragonfang's Flight with the "+3 to Level of All Spark Gems" mod on it.

Another reason why the Replica Dragonfang's Flight is so incredible is that it grants increased reservation efficiency of skills. This should lessen the burden of activating multiple auras, particularly on your mana.

A good alternative to the previously-mentioned amulet is Ashes of the Stars. This one is known for increasing the quality of all of your skill gems. For Spark, specifically, the higher its gem quality, the more projectiles it can produce at a given moment.

Now, as you can see, the amulets that you are going to use can increase the level of your Spark gem. The reason why they are great is that Spark, and all other spell skill gems in Path of Exile, scale really well with higher gem levels.

For example, if you have Replica Dragonfang's Flight and a level 20 Spark gem, the spell's lightning damage increases dramatically from 104-1983 to 136-2593.

No matter what amulet you choose, make sure to anoint it with Champion of the Cause (Teal Oil, Crimson Oil, and Golden Oil) for that increased reservation efficiency and increased effect of non-curse auras.

Rings

In Patch 3.25, the only ring that you need to use for the Spark Inquisitor is the Call of the Brotherhood. This is a unique ring that converts a portion of your lightning damage to cold damage, thus enabling you to Chill and Freeze those that are hit by your Spark projectiles.

Furthermore, whenever your projectiles hit frozen enemies, they are guaranteed to suffer from Shock, which increases the damage they take by a considerable amount!

That said, on a well-rolled Call of the Brotherhood, you can only convert 40% of your lightning damage to cold damage by default. However, you can improve that by spamming it with Turbulent Catalysts. At 20% quality, this ring is able to convert 48% of lightning damage!

If you have two of these rings at 48% conversion each, that translates to a total of 96%. This is the most ideal scenario because you still need to deal lightning damage to apply Shock.

Belt

With the plethora of unique items that this build requires, it would be hard for you to address your resistances and critical strike chance. That is why the Mageblood is the best belt that you can wear for the Spark Inquisitor.

For those who are new, the Mageblood is a unique belt in Path of Exile that makes the effect of four magic utility flasks permanent. This is true until you remove the belt for some reason.

Aside from that, the Mageblood provides you with some STR and DEX to satisfy certain stat requirements for your other pieces of gear.

Flasks

• Bismuth Flask
• Granite Flask
• Quicksilver Flask
• Silver Flask
• Life Flask/Bottled Faith/Progenesis

Flask Mods

• 20% Additional Elemental Resistances (of the Rainbow)
• 60% Increased Armour (of the Armadillo)
• 65% Reduced Effect of Curses on You (of the Owl) OR 14% Increased Movement Speed (of the Cheetah)
• 55% Increased Critical Strike Chance (of Incision)
• Corrupted Blood Immunity (Life Flask)
• Alchemist/Abecedarian/Dabbler (25% Increased Effect, Prefix)

Jewels

In terms of jewels, the first thing that you need to get is a good Watcher's Eye. Obtain one with any of the following mods:

• Precision
• + to Critical Strike Multiplier
• Gain a Flask Charge When You Deal a Critical Strike
• Clarity
• % of Damage Taken from Mana Before Life
• Gain % of Mana as Extra Maximum Energy Shield
• % of Damage Taken While Affected by Clarity Recouped as Mana
• %Increased Mana Recovery Rate
• Zealotry
• % Increased Cast Speed
• Critical Strikes Penetrate % of Enemy Elemental Resistances
• Increased Critical Strike Chance Against Enemies on Consecrated Ground

To make the most out of the Nebulis, you have to invest in Melding of the Flesh. This jewel has a unique effect that makes all your capped elemental resistances on par with your highest maximum elemental resistance.

Since you will be using Aegis Aurora and Purity of Ice, your cold resistance is going to be much higher than fire and lightning resistance. That is why using Melding of the Flesh is a no-brainer in this scenario.

If you can afford one, buy a Melding of the Flesh that has the least elemental resistance reduction on the trade website.

Spark works really well with projectile speed. So, grab at least one Medium Cluster Jewel (projectile damage) and use Harvest Reforge Speed to get the following notable passive skills:

• Aerodynamics
• 10% Increased Projectile Damage
• 10% Increased Projectile Speed
• Projectiles Pierce an Additional Target
• Repeater
• 30% Increased Projectile Damage
• 8% Increased Attack and Cast Speed

If you can afford another Medium Cluster Jewel with projectile damage, use Harvest Reforge Caster until you get Repeater and Streamlined. The latter notable passive skill increases your projectile speed and projectile damage by 20%, which is very useful for your Spark projectiles.

Gems

The gem setups for the Spark Inquisitor, at least in Patch 3.25, are pretty tight. This means that there is no room for flexibility. So unless you know what you are doing, the gems that you will use for this build are pretty much set in stone.

Gloves

• Spark
• Awakened Spell Echo
• Inspiration Support
• Increased Critical Damage Support

This version of the Spark Inquisitor wears the 8-mod Spark Gloves. For this reason, you are going to put your Spark gem, as well as its support gems, in this equipment slot.

We know that this support gem is incredibly expensive, but you should get your hands on Awakened Spell Echo as soon as you can. This is because this particular support gem gives your Spark projectiles the ability to deal double damage on the final repeat.

Inspiration Support got rebalanced in Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur. Instead of reducing the mana cost of your skills, each skill you cast now costs less mana. If this is confusing to you, it just means that the mana cost reduction provided by this support gem is calculated multiplicatively rather than additively.

Increased Critical Damage Support is pretty self-explanatory. At gem level 20, this support gem grants an additional 148% to your critical strike multiplier.

Body Armor

• Purity of Ice
• Zealotry
• Petrified Blood
• Determination
• Vaal Haste
• Enlighten Support (lvl 4)

Purity of Ice is an important aura for this build, mainly because you want to achieve a 90% maximum cold resistance. To gain the most out of this gem, you have to corrupt a level 20 Purity of Ice using a Vaal Orb. By doing so, you have a chance to raise its level to 21 if you are lucky. You can also put "Purity of Ice Has % Increased Aura Effect" on your crafted body armor to make this aura even more effective.

Zealotry is included in the setup to grant increased spell critical strike chance and more spell damage. This also unlocks any Watcher's Eye mods that require Zealotry to be enabled.

Determination has been nerfed in Patch 3.25. Previously, this aura used to grant 2,051 flat armor at gem level 20. But now, it has been reduced to just 1,026. The reason for this nerf is that GGG introduced new armor base types in Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur. This is why the new Sacred Chainmail is appealing to use as the crafting base because it has the highest armor/energy shield values among its counterparts.

Vaal Haste is there only for the Vaal portion of the skill. Use it whenever you need a burst of speed to help you eliminate tougher monsters.

Petrified Blood is there to improve your survivability. This prevents fatal blows and gives you enough time to recover from a devastating attack.

A level 4 Enlighten Support is non-negotiable. Since Divine Blessing has been deleted from the game, you now have to invest in items, gems, and jewels that give increased reservation efficiency and Enlighten Support just happens to be one of them.

Helmet

• Frost Shield
• Molten Shell
• Clarity
• Precision

Because of how fast you can unleash your Spark projectiles, you might find yourself starving for mana. Hence, Clarity is activated to give a huge boost in mana recovery.

Aside from Zealotry, Precision increases your critical strike chance as well. It is best that you level this to the max to get the most out of this aura.

Molten Shell and Frost Shield are there primarily for defensive purposes. As an added benefit, Frost Shield further improves your critical strike chance so long as you stay within its area of effect.

Boots

• Sniper's Mark
• Vaal Smite
• Righteous Fire
• Empower (lvl 4) OR Mark on Hit Support

If you are wondering why Vaal Smite is here, you are just mainly using the skill for its aura. At max level, the aura grants 12-220 added lightning damage, making your projectiles hit harder.

Righteous Fire is activated whenever you want a huge boost in spell damage. Only use this if you are sure that you can survive the life degen when it is active.

The last slot can either be a level 4 Empower Support or a Mark on Hit Support. The former increases the level of Sniper's Mark, Vaal Smite, and Righteous Fire by four. The latter, on the other hand, triggers Sniper's Mark automatically whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

If you are having a hard time choosing between Empower or Mark on Hit, you can replace Righteous Fire with any of them instead.

Weapon

• Frostblink of Wintry Blast
• Faster Casting Support
• Arcane Surge Support

Frostblink of Wintry Blast is the ideal travel skill for this build. This fully takes advantage of the Spark Inquisitor's insanely high cast speed. Unlike the base version, Frostblink of Wintry Blast can be cast multiple times in quick succession, allowing you to traverse the entire map easily.

Both Arcane Surge and Faster Casting increase your cast speed even further, with the former granting increased mana regeneration rate as well.

Shield

• Vitality
• Arrogance
• Tempest Shield

The Spark Inquisitor does not have a lot of HP to work with. Therefore, you want to make sure that your life recovery is on point so that your HP recovers very quickly. One way to address that is by activating a max level Vitality aura.

Now, with the amount of auras you have reserved already, you do not have enough mana left in your tank. For this reason, you are going to link Vitality to Arrogance Support to be able to activate the said aura.

Tempest Shield is another way to bolster your defense. When enabled, you gain a buff that increases your spell block chance while holding a shield. Additionally, Tempest Shield makes you immune to Shock, thus improving your chances of survival.

Tattoos

• Tattoo of the Rongokurai Warrior
• 6% Increased Armour
• Tattoo of the Hinekora Warrior
• 3% Increased Maximum Energy Shield
• Tattoo of the Hinekora Storyteller
• +3% to Chaos Resistance
• Tattoo of the Valako Warrior
• 5% Increased Lightning Damage

Passive Tree

POB

Spark Inquisitor

Final Thoughts

The Spark Inquisitor is still a fun build to play in Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur. It has the potential to fill the screen with a plethora of projectiles that can destroy enemies in a jiffy.

Unlike the previous versions of the build, the Spark Inquisitor now requires a heavy investment in Patch 3.25. This is to make it somewhat competitive against builds that use melee skill gems.

We hope that you found our build guide useful. Be sure to bookmark this page for future reference.

With that said, good luck on your adventures in Wraeclast, Exile!

PROS

+Great mapper

+Freeze and Shock enemies thanks to Call of the Brotherhood

+Amazing damage output when fully geared

CONS

-Now requires a boatload of PoE Currency to put up

-Spark is untouched in Patch 3.25