Charges Guide
Last Updated:November 22, 2023|Changelog
Welcome to the Charges Guide! Charges are a temporary boost to your character's power in Path of Exile. Almost every build in the game makes use of one or more types of Charges to gain various benefits.
Their presence is highlighted by an icon on the buff bar and small floating orbs around the character. With sound effects turned on, they also make a noticeable whizzing noise when they expire. You may have all three types of Charges (and more introduced below) active at once, with each individual Charge type having their own maximum number of Charges.
Base Charges
Every character has access to all 3 types of base Charges and a default maximum of 3. In order to generate Charges, certain skills, items, passives or on-kill effects are required.
- Charge base duration is 10 seconds, which can be increased through various effects on the Passive Tree and items. If they time out, all Charges of the same type are lost.
- The easiest way of acquiring Charges is typically through on-kill effects. This requires fast pace clearing and makes Charges difficult to keep up during long boss encounters.
- Generating Charges continuously without relying on kills (especially through on-hit effects) is typically one of the ways of optimizing builds for endgame.
- Certain skills and effects like Discharge may spend Charges to gain a bonus.
- Minimum Charges (acquired from various sources) cannot be spent or exceed the maximum Charge limit, they are effectively a permanent bonus.
Frenzy Charges
Base effects
- 4% increased Attack Speed per Frenzy Charge
- 4% increased Cast Speed per Frenzy Charge
- 4% more Damage per Frenzy Charge
The biggest benefit of stacking Frenzy Charges is the 4% more Damage (a damage multiplier). Even without any bonuses to maximum Frenzy Charges, acquiring three of them is a noticeable boost to your DPS. Frenzy Charges fit into any build but are especially easy to generate for Dexterity-based, melee and Bow builds. Extra Frenzy Charges can be found all around the bottom-right side of the Passive Tree.
Charge generation
Some of the most commonly used techniques to generate Frenzy Charges are the following:
- Terminus Est (chance on crit)
- Tinkerskin (chance on trap trigger)
- Blood Rage (chance on kill)
- Ice Bite Support (chance on kill)
- Charged Traps Support/Charged Mines Support
- Quiver affix for Bow builds (chance on crit)
- Reedemer-influence Body Armour (chance on hit)
- Farrul's Fur (continuously generates Charges)
- Raider Ascendancy Way of the Poacher/Scion Ascendancy Raider (chance on hit & kill)
- Guardian Ascendancy Harmony of Purpose (chance on hit)
- Claw Mastery (chance on kill)
- Sword Mastery (chance on hit)
- Various notables on the Passive Tree (esp. Disciple of the Slaughter & Overcharged)
Power Charges
Base effects
- 40% increased Critical Strike Chance per Power Charge
Power Charges are mainly used by Spell Crit and Wand builds because these archetypes have quite easy access to them and benefit greatly from their effect. Extra Power Charges can be found all around the top side of the Passive Tree.
Power Charge generation
Some of the most commonly used techniques to generate Power Charges are the following:
- Power Charge On Critical Support
- Power Siphon & Wand Mastery (for Wand builds)
- Skyforth (charge on crit)
- Occultist Ascendancy Forbidden Power (gain Charge after spending Mana)
- Guardian Ascendancy Harmony of Purpose (chance on hit)
- Assassin Ascendancy Unstable Infusion (chance on hit)
- Trickster Ascendancy Swift Killer (chance on kill & while channeling)
- Scion Ascendancy Assassin/Trickster (chance on hit & kill)
- Claw Mastery (chance on kill)
- Various notables on the Passive Tree (esp. Disciple of the Forbidden & Overcharged)
Endurance Charges
Base effects
- 4% to all Elemental Resistances per Endurance Charge
- 4% additional Physical Damage Reduction per Endurance Charge
Endurance Charges are mainly used for their Physical Damage Reduction because you usually aim to cap your Elemental Resistances without any conditional effects. Strength-based and melee builds in the bottom left area of the Passive Tree have easy access to additional Endurance Charges.
Endurance Charge generation
Some of the most commonly used techniques to generate Endurance Charges are the following:
- Enduring Cry (depending on nearby monsters)
- Endurance Charge on Melee Stun Support (chance on stun)
- Small Cluster Jewels (Armour) with Enduring Composure (generate when hit)
- Chieftain Ascendancy Valako, Storm's Embrace (generate on War Cry & on kill)
- Juggernaut Ascendancy Unyielding & Unflinching (generate on Stun & when hit)
- Hierophant Ascendancy Conviction of Power (extra minimum Charges)
- Guardian Ascendancy Harmony of Purpose (chance on hit)
- Various notables on the Passive Tree (esp. Disciple of the Unyielding & Overcharged)
Noteworthy Unique Items
In addition to the unique items in the tabs above, there are others that scale or interact with Charges in special ways. Some of the most important ones are listed here:
- Badge of the Brotherhood
- Wyrmsign
- Doedre's Elixir
- Anathema
- Lochtonial Caress
- Nebuloch
- Ralakesh's Impatience
- Void Battery
- Tulfall
- Honorable mention: Accumulator Wand
Special Charges
In addition to Frenzy, Power and Endurance Charges, there are also others that can be acquired through various effects, mostly from unique items and ascendancies. As these are a common source of confusion, keep in mind all Special Charge generation and effects are entirely determined by their source. You start at 0 maximum Charges and even if you had any, they have no effect whatsoever until provided by a source.
The types of special Charges and their sources are:
- Absorption Charges (Graven's Secret)
- Affliction Charges (Olesya's Delight)
- Blitz Charges (Blitz notable from Berserker Ascendancy)
- Brutal Charges (Arn's Anguish)
- Challenger Charges (Arena Challenger notable from Gladiator Ascendancy)
- Divinity Charges (Garb of the Ephemeral)
- Fanatic Charges (Instruments of Zeal notable from Inquisitor Ascendancy)
- Inspiration Charges (Inspiration Support)
- Siphoning Charges (Disintegrator)
- Spirit Charges (Lightpoacher, Hale Negator)
- Void Charges (Voidfletcher)
Minions and Monsters
Minions and Monsters can also be affected by Charges. Charges have the same effect on Minions as they do on Players, but your Minions do not automatically inherit your Charges. For base Charges on Monsters, their effects are greatly amplified so they become much more deadly. Beware of effects and abilities that give Charges to your foes, especially when they overlap with similar Map mods that make them more powerful!
Frenzy
- 15% increased Attack Speed per Frenzy Charge
- 15% increased Cast Speed per Frenzy Charge
- 4% more Damage per Frenzy Charge
- 5% increased Movement Speed per Frenzy Charge
Power
- 200% increased Critical Strike Chance per Power Charge
Endurance
- +15% to all Elemental Resistances per Endurance Charge
- 15% additional Physical Damage Reduction per Endurance Charge
Summary
The Charges guide covers the basics of the temporary buffs known as "Charges" in Path of Exile.
- Everyone has access to the three types of default Charges Frenzy, Power & Endurance with their base benefits.
- The default maximum for each type of base Charge is 3, which can be raised through various items and passives.
- There are special items and effects that modify, convert or generate completely new types of Charges for your character.
- Charges can apply to minions and enemies and are more effective for them.
Credits
Written by wudijo
Reviewed by Enki, Lexyu