ExileDB

Best Ascendancy for Life Builds

16 ascendancies ranked by nodes about life builds · Path of Exile 2✓ Checked against game files · 0.5.5
InfernalistInfernalistWitch · 11 nodes

Infernalist (Witch) has the most ascendancy nodes about life builds: 11, among them Beidat's Gaze, Beidat's Hand and Beidat's Will. Next: Blood Mage (10), Amazon (4) and Lich (4). 16 of 22 ascendancies have at least one such node. Counted: nodes about your life: maximum life, recovery, life costs (not enemies' or totems' life). Patch 0.5.5, from the game files.

A count is not a damage number: one notable can matter more than four small passives, so each row lists the nodes it counts. Pick the ascendancy, then read them. Abyssal Lich is left out: its nodes are in the files but not on this patch's passive tree.

Ascendancies by nodes about life builds

  1. 1
    Infernalist
    Witch · 6 notables
    11nodes
    • Beidat's Gaze
      Reserves 25% of Life
      +1 to Maximum Mana per 6 Maximum Life
    • Beidat's Hand
      Reserves 25% of Life
      +1 to Maximum Energy Shield per 8 Maximum Life
    • Beidat's Will
      Reserves 25% of Life
      +1 to Maximum Spirit per 25 Maximum Life
    • Demonic PossessionGrants skill Demon FormShapeshift into a demon, vastly boosting the power of your Spells. You gain Demonflame every second you remain in demon form, causing your Life to be lost at an ever-increasing rate. Maximum 10 Demonflame. Revert to human form if you reach 1 Life, use a Skill that isn't a Spell, or reactivate this Skill.Grants skill Demon FormShapeshift into a demon, vastly boosting the power of your Spells. You gain Demonflame every second you remain in demon form, causing your Life to be lost at an ever-increasing rate. Maximum 10 Demonflame. Revert to human form if you reach 1 Life, use a Skill that isn't a Spell, or reactivate this Skill.
    • Grinning Immolation
      Become Ignited when you deal a Critical Hit, taking 15% of your maximum Life and Energy Shield as Fire Damage per second
    • Pyromantic Pact
      Take maximum Life and Energy Shield as Fire Damage when Infernal Flame reaches maximum
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
    • Minion Life
      Minions have 12% increased maximum Life
  2. 2
    Blood Mage
    Witch · 6 notables
    10nodes
    • Crimson Power
      Gain additional maximum Life equal to 100% of the Item Energy Shield on Equipped Body Armour
    • Gore Spike
      1% increased Critical Damage Bonus per 50 current Life
    • Grasping Wounds
      25% of Life Loss from Hits is prevented, then that much Life is lost over 4 seconds instead
    • SanguimancyGrants skill Life RemnantsDrink the blood of your enemies to restore your Life. While active, enemies you kill have a chance to spawn a Life Remnant, and Hitting a target spawns a Life Remnant every few seconds. Picking up a Life Remnant grants you Life which can Overflow maximum Life.
      Skills gain a Base Life Cost equal to Base Mana Cost
      Grants skill Life RemnantsDrink the blood of your enemies to restore your Life. While active, enemies you kill have a chance to spawn a Life Remnant, and Hitting a target spawns a Life Remnant every few seconds. Picking up a Life Remnant grants you Life which can Overflow maximum Life.
    • Sanguine Tides
      Flasks do not recover Life
      Gain 1 Life Flask Charge per 2% Life spent
      On Hitting an Enemy while a Life Flask is at full Charges, 40% of its Charges are consumed
    • Vitality Siphon
      20% of Spell Damage Leeched as Life
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
    • Life Flasks
      15% increased Life Flask Charges gained
    • Life Leech
      12% increased amount of Life Leeched
  3. 3
    Amazon
    Huntress · 2 notables
    4nodes
    • Azmeri Brew
      Life Flasks also recover Mana
      Mana Flasks also recover Life
    • Mystic Harvest
      Life Leech recovers based on your Elemental damage as well as Physical damage
    • Flask Recovery
      15% increased Life and Mana Recovery from Flasks
    • Life Leech
      12% increased amount of Life Leeched
  4. 4
    Lich
    Witch · 2 notables
    4nodes
    • Eternal Life
      Your Life cannot change while you have Energy Shield
    • Soulless Form
      Regenerate Mana equal to 6% of maximum Life per second
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
    • Life
      3% increased maximum Life
  5. 5
    Acolyte of Chayula
    Monk · 2 notables
    3nodes
    • Embrace the Darkness
      Damage taken is Reserved from Darkness before being taken from Life or Energy Shield
    • Grasp of the VoidGrants skill Void IllusionWhile active, creates a short-lived illusory copy of yourself whenever you dodge roll. The copy can be damaged by enemies, and copies that are destroyed by an enemy will cause damaging explosions. Copies created this way have 1 Life.Grants skill Void IllusionWhile active, creates a short-lived illusory copy of yourself whenever you dodge roll. The copy can be damaged by enemies, and copies that are destroyed by an enemy will cause damaging explosions. Copies created this way have 1 Life.
    • Leech
      11% increased amount of Life Leeched
  6. 6
    Ritualist
    Huntress · 2 notables
    3nodes
    • As the Whispers DemandGrants skill Ritual SacrificeSacrifice the Corpse of a Rare Monster to grant you its Modifiers for a duration, or gain a single random Modifier at the cost of your own life force.Grants skill Ritual SacrificeSacrifice the Corpse of a Rare Monster to grant you its Modifiers for a duration, or gain a single random Modifier at the cost of your own life force.
    • Wildwood Persistence
      10% increased Life Recovery rate per 5% missing Unreserved Life
    • Life Recovery Rate
      10% increased Life Recovery rate
  7. 7
    Chronomancer
    Sorceress · 2 notables
    2nodes
    • Footprints in the SandGrants skill Temporal RiftWhile active, passively leaves afterimages of your recent past. Cast the Spell to return to the oldest afterimage, teleporting to that location and resetting your Life, Mana and Energy Shield to the values they had at the time. Removes any upcoming damage delayed by Phased Form on use.Grants skill Temporal RiftWhile active, passively leaves afterimages of your recent past. Cast the Spell to return to the oldest afterimage, teleporting to that location and resetting your Life, Mana and Energy Shield to the values they had at the time. Removes any upcoming damage delayed by Phased Form on use.
    • InevitabilityGrants skill Inevitable AgonyDebuff all targets in an area, causing a portion of Damage they take from Hits to be tracked by the Debuff. When the debuff's duration expires or can kill the target, the target loses life equal to that tracked damage all at once.Grants skill Inevitable AgonyDebuff all targets in an area, causing a portion of Damage they take from Hits to be tracked by the Debuff. When the debuff's duration expires or can kill the target, the target loses life equal to that tracked damage all at once.
  8. 8
    Smith of Kitava
    Warrior · 2 notables
    2nodes
  9. 9
    Oracle
    Druid · 1 notable
    2nodes
    • Harmony Within
      Hit damage is taken from Mana before Life if your current Mana is higher than your current Life
      15% less maximum Life
    • Life and Mana Regeneration Rate
      8% increased Life Regeneration rate
  10. 10
    Pathfinder
    Ranger · 1 notable
    2nodes
    • Enduring Elixirs
      Life Flask Effects are not removed when Unreserved Life is Filled
      Life Flask Effects do not Queue
    • Life Flask Charges
      20% increased Life Flask Charges gained
  11. 11
    Spirit Walker
    Huntress · 1 notable
    2nodes
    • Wild ProtectorGrants skill Wild ProtectorCall upon a Bear Spirit Companion to maul your foes. The Bear Spirit leaps at enemies to Maim them, Leeches Life with its slam, and periodically roars to Intimidate enemies. The Bear Spirit does not count toward your Companion limit.Grants skill Wild ProtectorCall upon a Bear Spirit Companion to maul your foes. The Bear Spirit leaps at enemies to Maim them, Leeches Life with its slam, and periodically roars to Intimidate enemies. The Bear Spirit does not count toward your Companion limit.
    • Companion Life and Area
      Companions have 15% increased maximum Life
  12. 12
    Titan
    Warrior · 1 notable
    2nodes
    • Mysterious Lineage
      15% more Maximum Life
    • Life Regeneration
      Regenerate 0.5% of maximum Life per second
  13. 13
    Disciple of Varashta
    Sorceress · 1 notable
    1nodes
  14. 14
    Stormweaver
    Sorceress · 1 notable
    1nodes
  15. 15
    Warbringer
    Warrior · 1 notable
    1nodes
    • Jade HeritageGrants skill Encase in JadeConsume all stacks of Jade to grant Guard based off your maximum Life for each Jade consumed. You cannot gain Jade stacks while you have Guard.Grants skill Encase in JadeConsume all stacks of Jade to grant Guard based off your maximum Life for each Jade consumed. You cannot gain Jade stacks while you have Guard.
  16. 16
    Shaman
    Druid · 0 notables
    1nodes
    • Flask Recovery
      12% increased Life and Mana Recovery from Flasks

Other themes

MinionsCompanionsSpellsMeleeProjectilesAttack speedCritical hitsFireCold and freezeLightning and shockChaosPhysicalElementalIgnitePoisonBleedingCursesTotemsBlock and shieldsEnergy shieldManaArmourEvasionResistancesSpiritChargesFlasks and charmsStunArea of effectMovement speedCooldownsLeechWarcriesStrength stackingDexterity stackingIntelligence stacking

How it is counted: a node counts when one of its lines (or the description of the skill it grants) matches the theme's words, read from the game's passive tree and stat files. Compare two ascendancies to see all their nodes.