Characters

Marauder

His visage marked equally by tribal tattoos and the scars of battle, the imposing Marauder is a survivor of many bloody battles. The clanging, scraping and screaming of war is music to his ears, and he delights in crushing the skulls of his foes underfoot. He is a monster of a man, towering above his cohorts and quick to show his strength and ferocity. A master armsman, the Marauder is versed in many weapons, but he generally prefers the heft of a heavy two-handed axe or mace. He plunges into battle with a cry of delight, and woe be to anyone foolish enough to get in his way.

The Marauder is Path of Exile's pure strength class, which means that he's great at taking hits, also considering his great amount of life, and even better at dishing out punishment. His melee skills encompass a wide range of assault, from massive single target damage to devastating area of effect. This brute of a man bolsters his impressive physical arsenal with a variety of shouts and cries, skills that rally his allies and strike terror into the hearts of his enemies.

The equipment associated with the Marauder's strength are Casques, Plate Mail, Gauntlets, Greaves, and Tower Shields.

Duelist

Quick to anger, even quicker to strike, the Duelist is a man of haughty character and deadly skill. He is brash and confident. Some might call him arrogant, but he backs up his taunts with a keen blade and a callous heart. The Duelist is a thrill-seeker, always sniffing out conflict and picking fights. This habit has gotten him in trouble countless times, but he's always survived with skill and guile. The Duelist is a master of close-quarters combat, dealing lethal damage with a wide array of weapons while escaping most harm. Women swoon at the sight of him, men tremble at the thought of him, and few that face him in battle live to tell the tale.

The Duelist is Path of Exile's strength/dexterity hybrid class, making him unmatched at dealing and avoiding damage. He can effectively use a shield, but is equally comfortable slashing away with a powerful two-hander or fighting with weapons in both hands. His powerful arms can draw the strings of the heaviest and most lethal longbows. His highly honed reflexes give him a cat-like ability to dodge and parry incoming attacks, be they arrows or axe swings. The Duelist is a daunting foe, and his reputation as a ruthless killer is well deserved.

The equipment associated with the Duelist's strength and dexterity are Helmets, Scale/Bridagines/Doublets/Lamellar, Scale Gauntlets, Scale Boots, and Round Shields.

Ranger

Padding silently through the dark forest, the lithe and stealthy ranger is at home. Long eschewing the company of men, she has turned her affections to the deep and wild wilderness, and she travels alone. Her time out away from the comfortable trappings of civilization has hardened her body and her spirit. It has also granted her the time and necessity to master a wide range of weapons. Despite her prowess on the battlefield, the Ranger is most comfortable hidden from view, felling her opponents from a distance with her mighty long bow. When cornered though, she fights as fiercely as a tigress with sword, dagger, mace, or whatever is at hand.

The Ranger is Path of Exile's pure dexterity class, which befits her slim and graceful appearance. She is agile and fast, darting in and out of combat to deliver vicious critical strikes that often fell her enemies in a single blow. Her natural quickness grants her a profound ability to avoid damage, and she tends to garb herself in light leathers and cloth. She has tremendous proficiency with ranged weapons, but she is as lethal as any man on the battlefield with a sword.

The equipment associated with the Ranger's dexterity are Caps/Hoods, Leather/Garbs/Tunics, Hide Gloves, Hide Boots, and Bucklers.

Shadow

A flicker of movement, a knife from the dark. By the time you've seen him, it's already too late. The Shadow kills silently, without hesitation, without mercy. He is versed in many weapons, but prefers ambush and subterfuge. Hundreds have met their deaths shrieking in his traps. The Shadow has come from the Guild of the Night in Oriath for one purpose: to inflict pain and suffering on anyone who's wronged him. Exile is merely an inconvenience.

The Shadow is Path of Exile's dexterity/intelligence hybrid class. He prefers to use fast-hitting weapons such as daggers or claws to dart in and out of battle, while laying traps or remote mines and controlling the flow of combat. He makes surgical use of offensive spells while dodging attacks, always outmaneuvering his opponents.

The Shadow is one of the more difficult classes to play due to his fragility, but he more than makes up for it if handled with skill. His hit-and-run style of combat makes the most of his natural evasion and energy shield, and rewards strategic coordination of attacks, spells, and traps.

The armors associated with the Shadow's dexterity and intelligence are Masks, Jackets/Coats/Raiments/Garbs, Mitts, Boots, and Spiked Shields.

Witch

They laughed at her. They pointed fingers, pulled their children away and whispered in the streets. They burned her home and drove her from the village. She got even. Flame, shadow, disease and frost. These are the tools of the mighty witch and she wields them with a reckless power she can barely control. Though she may look frail and delicate, do not underestimate her. Many have, and they are counted among the burned and withered corpses in her wake.

The Witch is Path of Exile's pure intelligence class, making her an unmatched master of the elemental and dark arts. She wields the power of raw magic to decimate her foes from a distance. Her tremendous will surrounds her with a shimmering barrier against physical and magical attacks, a barrier that must first be pierced before the Witch herself is vulnerable. In addition to pure damage-based magic, the Witch can also cripple and kill her enemies with curses and diseases. She is a leery friend, and a dangerous enemy.

The armours associated with the Witch's intelligence are circlets, robes, fabric gloves, slippers/boots, and spirit shields.

Templar

He is wizened and gray, but don't let that fool you. His humble clothing hides a powerful, sinuous physique, honed by many years of hard labor and asceticism. Age has granted the Templar an older man's wisdom and tact, qualities he combines with surprisingly well-preserved physical strength. The mighty Templar bests his foes with weapons of steel, and a shield of righteousness. His great bravery and purpose drive him headlong into the fray, disdaining risk with dogged zeal. Some might look upon the Templar's bravado as foolhardiness, but they simply do not know what it means to be a man of faith. On Wraeclast, where faith and hope are dim, he is a shining, towering beacon.

The Templar is Path of Exile's strength/intelligence hybrid class, a perfect balance of brawn and wits. He is a skillful fighter, trained in an array of weapons, from the sharpest cutlass to the heaviest two-handed mace. He's also comfortable wielding a shield, either for additional protection or as a deadly bludgeon. In combat, this pious warrior is expert at augmenting his substantial offense with a wide range of magical abilities. The Templar is also adept at taking punishment, and he's happy to be up at the front lines, serving as a martyr and champion for his ranged companions.

The armors associated with the Templar's strength and intelligence are Chainmail Coifs/Helmets, Chainmail/Ringmail, Mesh/Chain Gloves, Mesh/Chain Boots, and Kite Shields.

Scion

The daughter of corrupt nobles, the Scion was exiled to Wraeclast for killing her husband on their wedding night. She is aligned with all three core attributes - strength, dexterity and intelligence, which places her in the center of the passive skill tree. This unique position allows her to develop into almost any type of character build, while lacking the dedicated specialisation that the other six classes offer.

Because of her high learning curve, she's initially unavailable to new players. The player must rescue the Scion, who can be found in the final area of Act 3, just before the fight with the final boss of this act. Killing the boss is not required to free the Scion. This can be done on Normal Difficulty (in any league) to unlock her as an accessible character.

Her starting skill is Spectral Throw inventory icon.pngSpectral Throw. She is not associated with any particular armor type, and may end up focusing on any of the various types depending on your build choices and passive/attribute choices on the skill tree.