Trickster

Trickster

Shadow

	Everyone knows how to die. Some just need a little nudge to get them started.

This page is about the Ascendancy class. For the Ascendant passive, see Trickster (Ascendant passive).

The Trickster is an Ascendancy class for Shadows.

Overview

The Trickster is a versatile hybrid class that mixes high speed, maneuverability, and slippery defenses. It is well-suited for Shadows that deal damage over time, including from poison. They also gain added layers of defense to their evasion and energy shield from Shade Form and Escape Artist, rewarding playstyles that focuses on taking hits periodically. They also gain Power and Frenzy charge generation and bonuses from Swift Killer and big mana discounts from Weave the Arcane.

Passive skills

Minor skills

This class has the following minor passive skills:

Name	Stats
Attack and Cast Speed, Damage Over Time	4% increased Attack and Cast Speed 10% increased Damage over Time [1]
Evasion and Energy Shield, Attack and Cast Speed	14% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased maximum Energy Shield 4% increased Attack and Cast Speed [1]
Evasion and Energy Shield, Damage	14% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased maximum Energy Shield 10% increased Damage [1]
Evasion and Energy Shield, Energy Shield Leech	14% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased maximum Energy Shield 40% increased total Recovery per second from Energy Shield Leech [1]
Evasion and Energy Shield, Energy Shield Recharge	14% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased maximum Energy Shield 10% increased Energy Shield Recharge Rate [1]
Evasion and Energy Shield, Frenzy Charge Duration	14% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased maximum Energy Shield 15% increased Frenzy Charge Duration [1]
Evasion and Energy Shield, Movement Speed	14% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased maximum Energy Shield 4% increased Movement Speed [1] [2]

Notable skills

The class has the following notable passive skills:

This article describes historical game content.

Weave the Arcane is a notable Ascendancy passive skill for the Trickster. It increases maximum mana, removes mana cost from skills with the Movement tag, grants increased attack speed and cast speed if you have used a Movement skill recently, grants a chance to recover a percentage of maximum mana on active skill use.

Mechanics

Channelled skills: The modifier 20% chance to Recover 10% of Maximum Mana when you use a Skill only applies when one activates a channelled skill for the first time. It does not continue to grant mana recovery as one spends additional mana on channelled skills that are already activated.

Mines: When a Movement skill is supported by a gem which turns it into a mine (such as Blastchain Mine Support), the mana cost of the skill is converted to Mana Reserved before hand. This means that skills Like Lightning Warp will still reserve mana based on the original cost of the skill. "Movement Skills cost no Mana" has no impact on skills which are converted to Mines.

Repeated skills: When a skill is repeated, such as when supported by Multistrike SupportMultistrike SupportAttack, Melee, Support
Icon: 3
Level: (1-20)
Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 150%Requires Level 38Supports melee attack skills, making them repeat twice when used, targeting a random enemy each time. Cannot support Vaal skills, channelling skills or triggered skills.Supported Skills Repeat 2 additional times
Supported Skills have (35-44)% more Melee Attack Speed
Supported Skills deal (30-20)% less Attack Damage
First Repeat of Supported Skills deals 22% more Damage
Second Repeat of Supported Skills deals 44% more Damage

Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Supported Skills deal (0.5-10)% increased Melee DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket. or Spell Echo SupportSpell Echo SupportSpell, Support
Icon: k
Level: (1-20)
Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 150%Requires Level 38Supports spell skills, making them repeat when cast. Cannot support Vaal skills, totem skills, channelling skills, triggered skills, instant skills, blink skills, or skills with a reservation.Supported Skills deal 10% less Damage
Supported Skills Repeat an additional time
Supported Skills have (40-54)% more Cast Speed

Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Supported Skills deal (0.5-10)% increased Spell DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket., the modifier 20% chance to Recover 10% of Maximum Mana when you use a Skill only applies once since the skill is only used once.

Blood magic: Any life spent by skills supported by Blood Magic does not count towards the total mana spent.

Eldritch Battery: When the keystone passive Eldritch Battery is allocated, any energy shield spent does not count towards the total mana spent.

Version history

Skill	Modifiers	Prerequisite	Preceding Passive

Version	Changes
3.19.0	The Trickster Ascendancy has been reworked. Replaced by One Step Ahead.
3.13.0	No longer grants 6% reduced Damage Taken for 4 seconds after Spending a total of 200 Mana. Now grants 30% increased maximum Mana (from 25%) and 30% chance to Recover 10% of Mana when you use a Skill (from 20%).
3.2.0	Removed 50% increased Mana Regeneration Rate. Added bonuses from Walk the Aether (Movement Skills cost no Mana, 20% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've used a Movement Skill Recently). Now grants damage reduction after spending 200 mana, no longer requiring 200 mana to be spent recently. Damage reduction decreased from 8% to 6%.
2.5.0	Weave the Arcane now also reduces damage taken by 8% if you have spent a total of 200 mana recently.
2.3.0	Chance to recover mana on skill use increased from 5% to 20%.
2.2.0	Added to the game.

Attack and Cast Speed, Maximum Mana

Swift Killer

Ascendancy Notable Passive Skill

+2 to Maximum Frenzy Charges
200% increased Charge Duration [1]

Swift Killer is a notable Ascendancy passive skill for the Trickster that grants two maximum frenzy charges and greatly increased charge duration.

Ruthless mode

Swift Killer (Ruthless)

Ascendancy Notable Passive Skill

+2 to Maximum Frenzy Charges
200% increased Charge Duration

Swift Killer in Ruthless mode is unchanged.

Version history

Version	Changes
3.19.0	Reworked: Old: +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges and Maximum Power Charges 15% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge and a Power Charge on Kill 5% increased Damage per Frenzy Charge 5% increased Damage per Power Charge Gain a Power or Frenzy Charge each second while Channelling New: +2 to Maximum Frenzy Charges 200% increased Charge duration
3.6.0	Now also causes you to gain a Power or Frenzy Charge each second while Channelling.
3.2.0	Now grants increased damage per power and frenzy charge, instead of only damage over time.
3.0.0	Now also grants +1 to Maximum Power Charges, and 5% increased Damage over Time per Frenzy or Power charge.
2.3.0	Chance to gain Frenzy Charge on kill increased from 10% to 15%.
2.2.0	Added to the game.

Attack and Cast Speed, Frenzy Charge Duration

This article describes historical game content.

For the current version of this Ascendancy notable, see Polymath.

Patient Reaper was a notable Ascendancy passive skill for the Trickster that grants increased life, mana, and energy shield recovery on kill. It also grants an increase to life, mana and energy shield recovery if the character has killed an enemy affected by one of his damage over time effects recently (within the past four seconds).

Mechanics

Damage over time effects such as poison or ignite are applied after the initial hit is applied, since they depend on the size of the hit. Therefore, hits that kill the enemy instantly will not trigger Patient Reaper.

The increase in energy shield recharge rate will show on the character sheet, however passive regeneration (and, by extension, energy shield regeneration via Zealot's Oath) will not. The interaction has been confirmed by GGG and through independent testing.

Instant recovery sources such as Life Gain on Hit, and Seething Life flasks do not have a duration, and therefore are not affected by Patient Reaper.

Version history

Version	Changes
3.19.0	The Trickster Ascendancy has been reworked. Replaced by Polymath.
3.16.0	Now grants 50% increased Recovery Rate of Life, Mana and Energy Shield if you've Killed an Enemy affected by your Damage Over Time Recently (previously 70%).
3.13.0	No longer grants 50% increased Damage over Time. Now causes you to recover 3% of Life on Kill (from 2%), 3% of Mana on Kill (from 4%) and 3% of Energy Shield on Kill (from 2%).
3.2.0	Damage over Time bonus increased from 30% to 50%. Added Recover 2% of Maximum Life on Kill, Recover 2% of Maximum Energy Shield on Kill, and Recover 4% of Maximum Mana on Kill.
3.0.0	Now grants 70% increased Recovery Rate of Life, Mana and Energy Shield if you've Killed an Enemy affected by your Damage Over Time Recently (up from 60%).
2.2.0	Added to the game.

References

Attack and Cast Speed, Evasion and Energy Shield

Harness the Void

Ascendancy Notable Passive Skill

27% chance to gain 25% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage
13% chance to gain 50% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage
7% chance to gain 100% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage [1]

Harness the Void is a hidden notable Ascendancy passive skill for the Shadow. It is not found on any current Ascendancy Tree and can only be allocated by socketing matching variants of Forbidden FleshForbidden Flesh
Cobalt JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FlameCorruptedThe bodies of those wholly subsumed by the Tangle
continue to merge and mutate and cry out for release...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. and Forbidden FlameForbidden Flame
Crimson JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FleshCorruptedThe minds of those studied utterly by the Cleansing Fire
continue to think and dream and beg for silence...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket..

Mechanics

Harness the Void grants three modifiers, each of which grant a chance to gain extra chaos damage. All three modifiers are rolled separately, and more than one of them can apply to the same hit.

It is possible to calculate the average value by adding these modifiers together: (0.27 * 0.25) + (0.13 * 0.5) + (0.07 * 1.0). This results in an average value of Gain 20.25% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage

Despite the with Hits wording, the extra chaos damage granted by this passive is not functionally different from the typical Gain #% of Non-Chaos Damage as extra Chaos Damage. It is limited to hits either way, and both versions scale poison normally.

Related unique items

Item	Base Item		Stats
Forbidden FlameForbidden Flame Crimson JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FleshCorruptedThe minds of those studied utterly by the Cleansing Fire continue to think and dream and beg for silence...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.	Crimson Jewel	1	Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FleshCorrupted
Forbidden FleshForbidden Flesh Cobalt JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FlameCorruptedThe bodies of those wholly subsumed by the Tangle continue to merge and mutate and cry out for release...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.	Cobalt Jewel	1	Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FlameCorrupted

Forbidden Flame/Flesh that grant this Ascendancy notable are only from the Uber variants of the boss fight.

Version history

Version	Changes
3.19.0	Soul Drinker replaces Harness the Void in the main skill tree. The variation of Forbidden FlameForbidden Flame Crimson JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FleshCorruptedThe minds of those studied utterly by the Cleansing Fire continue to think and dream and beg for silence...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. and Forbidden FleshForbidden Flesh Cobalt JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FlameCorruptedThe bodies of those wholly subsumed by the Tangle continue to merge and mutate and cry out for release...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. that allocated Soul Drinker now allocates Harness the Void.
3.13.0	Now grants 27% chance to gain 25% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage (from 25% chance), 13% chance to gain 50% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage (from 15% chance) and 7% chance to gain 100% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage (from 5% chance).
3.10.0d	Fixed a bug introduced in 3.10.0 causing the Harness the Void ascendancy passive to stop working.
3.2.0	Added to the game.

References

Attack and Cast Speed, Damage Over Time

This article describes historical game content.

Prolonged Pain has been removed from the skill tree on version 3.19.0

Prolonged Pain

Ascendancy Notable Passive Skill

10% reduced Damage taken from Damage Over Time
20% more Damage over Time
20% increased Skill Effect Duration

Prolonged Pain was a notable Ascendancy passive skill for the Trickster that grants increased skill effect duration, more damage to damage over time effects, and damage reduction against damage over time.

Version history

Version	Changes
3.19.0	The Trickster Ascendancy has been reworked. Replaced by Spellbreaker. Existing Forbidden FlameForbidden Flame Crimson JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FleshCorruptedThe minds of those studied utterly by the Cleansing Fire continue to think and dream and beg for silence...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. and Forbidden FleshForbidden Flesh Cobalt JewelLimited to: 1Requires Class <Random Character Class>Allocates <Random Ascendancy Notable> if you have the matching modifier on Forbidden FlameCorruptedThe bodies of those wholly subsumed by the Tangle continue to merge and mutate and cry out for release...Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. Unique Jewels that provided Trickster Notables that have been removed have been updated as follows: Jewels that allocated Prolonged Pain now allocate Spellbreaker.
3.13.0	No longer grants 20% increased Poison Duration.
3.2.0	Added to the game.

Patient Reaper
or
Harness the Void Attack and Cast Speed, Damage Over Time
Attack and Cast Speed, Damage Over Time

Ghost Dance

Keystone

Cannot Recover Energy Shield to above Evasion Rating
Every 2 seconds, gain a Ghost Shroud, up to a maximum of 3
When Hit, lose a Ghost Shroud to Recover Energy Shield equal to 3% of your Evasion Rating [1]

Surround yourself with the dead, so that you may avoid joining them.

Ghost Dance is a keystone on the passive tree. It generates a Ghost Shroud every two seconds, up to a maximum of three Ghost Shrouds. When hit, a Ghost Shroud is removed and recovers energy shield equal to a percentage of your evasion rating.

Mechanics

The character must be hit in order for a Ghost Shroud to recover energy shield. Defensive mechanics that prevent hits such as evasion and dodge will also prevent the loss of Ghost Shrouds.

Self-hits will cause a Ghost Shroud to be lost normally. Reflected hits and blocked hits will not. Taking damage from blocked hits (e.g. through Glancing Blows) does not change this.

Location

Ghost Dance is located on the top-right side of the tree, on the upper outer parts of the Shadow's starting area.

Version history

Ghost Dance is a former Ascendancy notable passive skill of the Trickster.

Version	Changes
3.16.0	No longer grants 3% reduced Damage taken per Ghost Shroud. Now causes you, when Hit, to lose a Ghost Shroud and Recover Energy Shield equal to 3% of your Evasion Rating (from 5%). You cannot Recover Energy Shield to above Evasion Rating.
3.13.0	No longer grants +3% to Chance to Evade while you have Energy Shield and 10% increased Movement Speed while you have Energy Shield. Now causes you, when Hit, to lose a Ghost Shroud and Recover Energy Shield equal to 5% of your Evasion Rating (from 4%) and 3% reduced Damage taken per Ghost Shroud (from 2%).
3.8.0	Now grants +3% to chance to evade while you have Energy Shield (from +5%), 2% reduced damage taken per Ghost Shroud (from 3%), and when hit, causes you to lose a Ghost Shroud and recover Energy Shield equal to 4% of your Evasion Rating (from 5%).
3.7.0	Now causes you to gain a Ghost Shroud every 2 seconds (from 1).
3.6.5	Fixed a bug where Ghost Shrouds were not able to be gained after changing areas in a PvP match.
3.6.0	Reworked. It now causes you to gain a Ghost Shroud every second, up to a maximum of 3, 3% reduced damage taken per Ghost Shroud, when Hit, lose a Ghost Shroud and recover Energy Shield equal to 5% of your Evasion Rating, +5% chance to Evade while you have Energy Shield, and 10% increased Movement Speed while you have Energy Shield.
3.2.0	Removed 20% faster start of Energy Shield Recharge. Added 40% increased Attack and Cast Speed if Energy Shield Recharge has started Recently and 20% more chance to Evade while on full Energy Shield. Now grant 10% Dodge and Spell Dodge while you have energy shield, from 5% at all times. Movement Speed is now granted at any amount of energy shield, from only at full energy shield.
2.2.0	Added to the game.

Attack and Cast Speed, Evasion and Energy Shield

Escape Artist

Ascendancy Notable Passive Skill

+5 to Evasion Rating per 1 Maximum Energy Shield on Equipped Helmet
+1 to maximum Energy Shield per 6 Evasion Rating on Equipped Body Armour [1]

Escape Artist is a notable Ascendancy passive skill for the Trickster grants evasion rating per energy shield on your equipped helmet and energy shield per evasion rating on your equipped body armour.

The bonus evasion/ES granted by Escape Artist is not part of the item's defense values. Therefore, it does not factor into modifiers which scale off an item's defense values such as item quality and X% increased Energy Shield from Body Armour. On the other hand, modifiers which directly affect the item's defense values, such as Oath of the Maji, will increase the amount of evasion/ES gained from Escape Artist.

Ruthless mode

Escape Artist (Ruthless)

Ascendancy Notable Passive Skill

+5 to Evasion Rating per 1 Maximum Energy Shield on Equipped Helmet
+1 to maximum Energy Shield per 6 Evasion Rating on Equipped Body Armour

Escape Artist in Ruthless mode is unchanged.

Version history

Version	Changes
3.16.0	No longer requires Ghost Dance (which has been replaced with a new Notable). No longer grants "5% increased Attack and Cast Speed per Ghost Shroud" or "Cannot be Stunned while you have Ghost Shrouds".
3.13.0	No longer grants 10% chance to Dodge Spell Hits if you have Energy Shield. Now grants 5% increased Attack and Cast Speed per Ghost Shroud (from 6%).
3.7.0	Now grants 10% chance to dodge hits from Spell Damage while you have Energy Shield (from 20%), and 6% increased Attack and Cast Speed per Ghost Shroud (from 12%).
3.6.0	No longer prevents you from being Stunned if you haven't been Hit recently, and no longer grants 8% reduced Damage taken if you haven't been Hit Recently. Now grants 12% increased Attack and Cast Speed per Ghost Shroud, Cannot Be Stunned while you have Ghost Shrouds, and 20% chance to Dodge Spell Hits if you have Energy Shield.
3.2.0	Added to the game.

Ghost Dance Attack and Cast Speed, Evasion and Energy Shield

Version history

Version	Changes
3.2.0	Removed Walk the Aether and Shade Form. Added Harness the Void, Prolonged Pain, and Escape Artist.