Build Introduction
The 
Chain Lightning (or 
Charged Bolts) Sorcerer leveling build unleashes a barrage of lightning that features a straightforward playstyle that anyone can enjoy. This is one of the best starter builds to level a new Sorcerer character, especially for beginner players. This guide covers the build mechanics, character progression, and playstyle!
Season 10 Update (Patch 2.4.0): 
Overflowing Energy is buffed to grant 85%[x] increased Lightning Damage, improving the leveling experience for the Chain Lightning Sorcerer. Stacking 
Enlightenment with different elemental skills is no longer necessary.
Check the Sorcerer Leveling Guide Overview for a comparison of all the starter builds on Icy Veins.
Once your Sorcerer character reaches Level 60, switch to the Endgame Guide for the Chain Lightning Sorcerer to continue this build.
Quick Navigation
Want to skip ahead? Use the table below to jump to sections.
Allocation of Skill Points
The following table shows the order in which to allocate your Skill Points while leveling with the Chain Lightning Sorcerer build. You gain 59 points at Level 60 and 12 points from Renown, for a total of 71.
Charged Bolts can replace 
Chain Lightning for more single-target damage if you do not mind an up-close playstyle.
| Order | Skill | Cluster |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arc Lash Rank 1 | Basic Skill |
| 2 | Enhanced Arc Lash | Basic Skill |
| 3 | Chain Lightning Rank 1 (or Charged Bolts Rank 1) | Core Skill |
| 4 | Flickering Arc Lash | Basic Skill |
| 5 | Enhanced Chain Lightning (or Enhanced Charged Bolts) | Core Skill |
| 6 | Greater Chain Lightning (or Greater Charged Bolts) | Core Skill |
| 7 |  Teleport Rank 1 | Defensive Skill |
| 8 |  Frost Nova Rank 1 | Defensive Skill |
| 9 | Enhanced Frost Nova | Defensive Skill |
| 10 | Mystical Frost Nova | Defensive Skill |
| 11 | Chain Lightning Rank 2 (or Charged Bolts Rank 2) | Core Skill |
| 12 | Chain Lightning Rank 3 (or Charged Bolts Rank 3) | Core Skill |
| 13 | Chain Lightning Rank 4 (or Charged Bolts Rank 4) | Core Skill |
| 14 | Chain Lightning Rank 5 (or Charged Bolts Rank 5) | Core Skill |
| 15 |  Fireball Rank 1 for Enchantment Slot (not equipped on the Skill Bar) | Core Skill |
| 16 |  Familiar Rank 1 | Conjuration Skill |
| 17 | Enhanced Familiar | Conjuration Skill |
| 18 | Invoked Familiar | Conjuration Skill |
| 19 |  Static Discharge Rank 1 | Mastery Passive |
| 20 |  Shocking Impact Rank 1 | Mastery Passive |
| 21 | Shocking Impact Rank 2 | Mastery Passive |
| 22 | Shocking Impact Rank 3 | Mastery Passive |
| 23 |  Elemental Attunement | Defensive Passive |
| 24 |  Unstable Currents Rank 1 | Ultimate Skill |
| 25 | Prime Unstable Currents | Ultimate Skill |
| 26 |  Glass Cannon Rank 1 | Defensive Passive |
| 27 | Glass Cannon Rank 2 | Defensive Passive |
| 28 | Glass Cannon Rank 3 | Defensive Passive |
| 29 |  Permafrost Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 30 | Permafrost Rank 2 | Ultimate Passive |
| 31 | Permafrost Rank 3 | Ultimate Passive |
| 32 |  Inner Flames Rank 1 | Mastery Passive |
| 33 | Inner Flames Rank 2 | Mastery Passive |
| 34 | Overflowing Energy | Key Passive |
| 35 | Inner Flames Rank 3 | Mastery Passive |
| 36 |  Elemental Synergies Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 37 | Elemental Synergies Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 38 | Elemental Synergies Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 39 |  Elemental Dominance Rank 1 | Core Passive |
| 40 | Elemental Dominance Rank 2 | Core Passive |
| 41 | Elemental Dominance Rank 3 | Core Passive |
| 42 |  Icy Touch Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 43 | Icy Touch Rank 2 | Ultimate Passive |
| 44 | Icy Touch Rank 3 | Ultimate Passive |
| 45 |  Hoarfrost Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 46 | Hoarfrost Rank 2 | Ultimate Passive |
| 47 | Hoarfrost Rank 3 | Ultimate Passive |
| 48 |  Coursing Currents Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 49 | Coursing Currents Rank 2 | Ultimate Passive |
| 50 | Coursing Currents Rank 3 | Ultimate Passive |
| 51 |  Conduction Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 52 | Conduction Rank 2 | Ultimate Passive |
| 53 | Conduction Rank 3 | Ultimate Passive |
| 54 |  Evocation Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 55 | Evocation Rank 2 | Ultimate Passive |
| 56 | Evocation Rank 3 | Ultimate Passive |
| 57 |  Mana Shield Rank 1 | Conjuration Passive |
| 58 | Mana Shield Rank 2 | Conjuration Passive |
| 59 | Mana Shield Rank 3 | Conjuration Passive |
| 60 |  Electrocution Rank 1 | Ultimate Passive |
| 61 | Electrocution Rank 2 | Ultimate Passive |
| 62 | Electrocution Rank 3 | Ultimate Passive |
| 63 | Enhanced Teleport | Defensive Skill |
| 64 | Shimmering Teleport | Defensive Skill |
| 65 |  Align the Elements | Conjuration Passive |
| 66 |  Protection Rank 1 | Conjuration Passive |
| 67 | Protection Rank 2 | Conjuration Passive |
| 68 | Protection Rank 3 | Conjuration Passive |
| 69 | Unstable Currents Rank 2 | Ultimate Skill |
| 70 | Unstable Currents Rank 3 | Ultimate Skill |
| 71 | Unstable Currents Rank 4 | Ultimate Skill |
Skill Bar and Skill Tree Points
Chain Lightning
Arc Lash
TeleportFamiliar
Unstable Currents
Frost NovaIf you are unsure about the usage of these Skills, read the Build Mechanics Section after setting up your Skill Bar.
Wondering what comes after Level 60 or which Paragon boards to pick? Head to the Sorcerer Builds Page and choose an endgame build to continue your character progression.
Sorcerer Class Mechanic — Enchantments
The Sorcerer’s Specialization can be unlocked at Level 15. Complete the Legacy of the Magi questline as soon as possible to gain access to your first Enchantment Slot, and then assign Fireball for group clearing. Once you unlock the second slot at Level 30, assign Chain Lightning to it.
If you are using Charged Bolts instead of Chain Lightning, assign Charged Bolts to the second Enchantment slot to activate when Lightning Familiar Stuns enemies with Enhanced Familiar.
Gear, Stats, Gems, and Runes
The following sections cover the important systems that are essential to improving the power of your character during the leveling process. Higher Item Power generally indicates stronger gear, but you should also consider the affixes and effects that are relevant to your class and build.
Legendary Aspects
Recharging Aspect greatly helps with Mana management and is a core part of the Chain Lightning Sorcerer build. Unlock the Aspect in the Codex of Power by completing the Zenith dungeon in Fractured Peaks. This dungeon is near the first main town of Kyovashad, and it has a minimum monster level of 1, so clear it as soon as possible. Afterwards, visit the Occultist to imprint Recharging Aspect onto a Rare Amulet for a +50% bonus effect.
Higher Tier Aspects with more potent effects can be found on dropped Legendary Items. Salvage unwanted Legendary Items at the Blacksmith to unlock these Aspects in the Codex of Power, and then imprint them onto well-rolled Rare or Legendary Items. Check the in-depth Aspect and Codex of Power guide for more information.
Aspect of Elemental Constellation is a highly beneficial aspect that can be found on Legendary Item drops, due to the base damage possible within its massive value range. If you are lucky enough to find the aspect with a decently rolled value, imprint it onto a Staff to double the damage dealt by Elemental Daggers.
Listed below are the Aspects found on Legendary Items that are beneficial for the build while leveling, in order of importance. Check the endgame guide for the Chain Lightning Sorcerer for the best-in-slot Aspect setup.
| Aspect Name | Legendary Aspect Power | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect of Elemental Constellation | Casting Pyromancy, Shock, and Frost Skills conjures a matching Elemental Dagger around you that pierces through enemies dealing [X] damage after 3 seconds. The damage increases by 100% per matching elemental skill you cast. | Random Drop |
| Recharging Aspect | Each time Chain Lightning bounces, gain [2.5 – 5] Mana. | Zenith, Fractured Peaks |
| Conceited Aspect | Deal x [10 – 30%] increased damage while you have a Barrier active. | Random Drop |
| Aspect of Control | You deal x [20 – 40%] more damage to Immobilized, Stunned, or Frozen enemies. | Sunken Library, Kehjistan |
| Aspect of Retribution | Distant enemies have a 10% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds when they hit you. You deal x [15 – 35%] increased damage to Stunned and Knocked Down enemies. | Abandoned Mineworks, Kehjistan |
| Aspect of the Unbroken Tether | Chain Lightning has a [25 – 45%] chance to chain 5 additional times. | Random Drop |
| Lightning Rod Aspect | Chain Lightning has a 25% chance to deal [50 – 90%] increased damage. This chance is doubled against Bosses or Crowd Controlled enemies and prefers them as targets. | Random Drop |
 Aspect of Tenuous Agility | Gain + [5 – 20%] increased Movement Speed. This bonus is tripled if you haven’t used a Defensive Skill in 8 seconds. | Random Drop |
| Aspect of Slaughter | You gain 20% Movement speed. Lose this bonus for [5 – 2] seconds after taking damage from a Close Enemy. | Random Drop |
 Aspect of Mind’s Awakening | Casting a Pyromancy Skill Immobilizes enemies hit for [0.5 – 1] seconds. Casting a Shock Skill grants a burst of [15 – 30%] Movement speed for 1 seconds. Casting a Frost Skill grants a Barrier for [3 – 6%] Maximum Life. While Enlightened, each Skill grants all benefits. | Random Drop |
 Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant 20% Damage Reduction for [2 – 10] seconds. | Dark Ravine, Dry Steppes |
| Elementalist’s Aspect | Core Skills cast at or above 100 Mana gain a + [25 – 45%] increased Critical Strike Chance. | Pallid Delve, Dry Steppes |
| Edgemaster’s Aspect | Skills deal up to x [5 – 25%] increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource. | Oldstones, Scosglen |
| Aspect of the Expectant | Attacking enemies with a Basic Skill increases the damage of your next Core Skill cast by [5 – 12%], up to x30%. | Underroot, Scosglen |
| Accelerating Aspect | Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by + [10 – 30%] for 5 seconds. | Random Drop |
| Rapid Aspect | Basic Skills gain + [15 – 35%] Attack Speed. | Buried Halls, Dry Steppes |
Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes
Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear for Chain Lightning Sorcerers during the early leveling process, ranked by importance. Affixes on the same line have equal value, so attempt to obtain all affixes in each line before moving on to the next.
When comparing weapons with similar item levels, Two-Handed Staves are preferred over a One-Handed Weapon and Focus setup for higher damage per hit and easier upgrading while leveling.
The most beneficial tempering affixes while leveling are included below. The best-in-slot tempering affixes are available in the Endgame Guide for the Chain Lightning Sorcerer. Check the Tempering Guide for more information on this system.
| Slot | Gear Affixes | Tempering Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | 1. Vulnerable Damage, Intelligence 2. Maximum Life | 1. Weapon —  Prismatic Augments: Ranks to Shocking Impact2. Offensive — Shock Finesse (Offensive): Lightning Damage or your highest available damage increase temper |
| Focus (optional) | 1. Critical Strike Chance, Resource Cost Reduction, Cooldown Reduction, Intelligence 2. Maximum Life | 1. Weapon — Prismatic Augments: Ranks to Shocking Impact 2. Offensive — Shock Finesse (Offensive): Lightning Damage or your highest available damage increase temper |
| Helm | 1. Mana per Second, Cooldown Reduction, Intelligence 2. Maximum Life, Armor, Resistances | 1. Defensive — Worldly Endurance: Armor or Natural Resistance: Any Resistance |
| Chest | 1. Mana per Second, Ranks to Defensive Skills, Intelligence 2. Maximum Life, Armor, Resistances | 1. Defensive — Worldly Endurance: Armor or Natural Resistance: Any Resistance |
| Gloves | 1. Ranks to Chain Lightning 2. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed, Vulnerable Damage, Resource Cost Reduction, Intelligence 3. Maximum Life, Armor, Resistances | 1. Offensive — Shock Finesse (Offensive): Lightning Damage or your highest available damage increase temper |
| Pants | 1. Intelligence 2. Maximum Life, Armor, Resistances | 1. Defensive — Worldly Endurance: Armor or Natural Resistance: Any Resistance |
| Boots | 1. Mana per Second, Movement Speed, Intelligence 2. Maximum Life, Armor, Resistances | 1. Mobility — Natural Motion: Movement Speed or Sorcerer Motion: Movement Speed |
| Amulet | 1. Ranks to Glass Cannon, Inner Flames, or Permafrost 2. Ranks to Hoarfrost, Icy Touch, or Elemental Dominance, Intelligence 3. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed, Resource Cost Reduction, Cooldown Reduction, Movement Speed | 1. Resource — Worldly Stability: Resource Generation or Resource Cost Reduction 2. Offensive — Shock Finesse (Offensive): Lightning Damage or your highest available damage increase temper |
| Rings | 1. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed, Resource Cost Reduction, Vulnerable Damage, Intelligence 2. Maximum Life, Resistances | 1. Resource — Worldly Stability: Resource Generation or Resource Cost Reduction 2. Offensive — Shock Finesse (Offensive): Lightning Damage or your highest available damage increase temper |
↑ Back to Legendary Gear Table
Gems and Runewords
Listed below are the best Gems and Runes to socket into gear for each item type.
Gems
Equip the corresponding Gems into your Weapon, Armor, and Jewelry slots.
| Weapon Gems | Armor Gems | Jewelry Gems |
|---|---|---|
 Sapphire for increased Vulnerable Damage. |  Topaz for Intelligence. | Any Resistance Gems needed or  Skull for Armor (up to the 1,000 Armor cap). |
Runewords
Runes start to drop after unlocking them during the Vessel of Hatred campaign. A Rune of Ritual and a Rune of Invocation can be combined by inserting them into equipment with 2 available sockets, creating a Runeword. A limit of 2 Runewords can be equipped.
Listed below are the best Runewords utilizing Magic and Rare Runes that are beneficial for this build. The best-in-slot Runewords utilizing Legendary Runes are in the Endgame Guide for the Chain Lightning Sorcerer.
| Runewords | Effects |
|---|---|
 Feo Lac | Gain: 1000 Offering — Become Injured or Crowd Controlled (Cooldown: 10 seconds). Requires: 400 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Evoke the Barbarian’s Challenging Shout, reducing your damage taken for 3 seconds. |
 Cir Gar | Gain : 300 Offering — Cast 5 Skills then become exhausted for 3 seconds. Requires: 25 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Gain 2.5% Critical Strike Chance for 5 seconds, up to 25%. |
Chaos Perks (Season 10)
Season 10: Infernal Chaos offers seasonal powers that can be utilized to enhance this build. Access Chaos Perks from the Powers tab in the character sheet.
Unlocking specific powers for a build is challenging due to their random appearance, so utilize any that provide the most damage. Beneficial Chaos Perks for leveling, which can be unlocked by progressing through the Seasonal Reputation Board, are listed below in order of importance. Check the Endgame Guide for the Chain Lightning Sorcerer for the best-in-slot setup.
| Priority | Power | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Advanced Techniques | Your base Core Skill ranks increase their Mana Cost or Cooldown by 10% and further increase their damage by x20%. |
| 2 |  Explosive Combinations | Casting a Basic Skill increases your damage by x20% for 5 seconds up to 3 times. |
| 3 |  Invigorating Attacks | Every 5 seconds, your next Basic Skill generates an additional 100% of your Maximum Primary Resource when Cast, but your Basic Skills deal 30% reduced damage. Note: only equip this Chaos Perk if you are having issues sustaining Mana. |
| 4 |  Erupting Chaos | Chaotic Bursts randomly erupt around you, dealing 400% damage of your highest damage type. Your Chaotic Bursts additionally deal 100% of their initial damage over 4 seconds. |
| 5 |  Accelerating Chaos | Lucky Hit: Damaging an enemy has up to a 10% chance to trigger a Chaotic Burst on the enemy, dealing 400% damage. Your Chaotic Bursts that hit an enemy reduce a random active Cooldown by 0.5 seconds. |
| 6 |  Crazy Brew | Your Healing Potion is infused with the power of Chaos, granting you 100% Resource Cost Reduction, +80% increased Attack Speed and +80% increased Movement Speed for 5 seconds. Your Healing Potion has a 15 second Cooldown and you can drink it at full Life. Cooldown is affected by Cooldown Reduction. |
Mercenaries
Once the Den is unlocked during the main questline in the Vessel of Hatred expansion, complete the key quests to acquire each Mercenary. Hire a Mercenary and enlist a Reinforcement in the following setup.
- Hired Mercenary: Raheir
- Skills:
Ground Slam, 
Raheir’s Aegis, 
Bastion, 
Inspiration
- Skills:
- Reinforcement: Varyana
- Skill:
Bloodthirst - Opportunity: Cast when the player casts any skill in combat
- Skill:
Build Mechanics
The Chain Lightning Sorcerer leveling build is relatively simple to play due to the Core Skill doing the majority of the damage for both density clearing and single-target fights. The chain can bounce off the player to hit an individual target multiple times.
Chain Lightning is the most Mana-efficient Core Skill for a starting Sorcerer character due to Recharging Aspect being immediately unlockable by completing Zenith Dungeon. 
Fireball Enchantment is quickly acquired after completing the class quest at Level 15 to provide the build with the necessary area-of-effect damage to clear groups of enemies.
Lightning Familiar supplements damage by Stunning enemies through Enhanced Familiar to activate Shocking Impact. A Rank 3 Shocking Impact deals 150% weapon damage and is activated every 0.5 seconds by each Lightning Familiar in an area around them!
Charged Bolts is another option for a viable Core Skill that synergizes well with the Familiar and Shocking Impact setup. Charged Bolts has more single-target damage than Chain Lightning, but it requires a melee playstyle to shotgun enemies. Both Core Skills are interchangeable in this build guide.
Critical Strike Chance
Prioritize equipping items with Critical Strike Chance, as it synergies well with 
Conduction and Electrocution. Enhanced Chain Lightning and 
Coursing Currents provide additional Critical Strike Chance. A highly ranked Elementalist’s Aspect is extremely valuable if it drops on a Legendary Item during the early leveling phase.
Rotation and Playstyle
Engage battles at range with the following rotation.
- Cast Familiar every 8 seconds. Ensure that the previous Skill cast was a Shock Skill to summon a Lightning Familiar. All 3 charges of Familiar can be cast against bosses and tough elites.
- Cast Frost Nova near enemies to apply Vulnerable from Mystical Frost Nova
- Activate Unstable Currents against bosses and tough elites.
- Spam Chain Lightning (or Charged Bolts) while above 50 Mana to utilize Elemental Dominance for optimal DPS.
- Spam Arc Lash while below 50 Mana to recover Mana or to finish off enemies.
Elixirs
Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants for 
Bundled Herbs during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world. Elixirs can also drop randomly from enemies and chests during many activities in Diablo 4.
Listed below are the best Elixirs to consume while leveling the Chain Lightning Sorcerer, ranked by importance.
Elixir of Resourcefulness II helps with Mana issues, if you do not already have the appropriate Mana gear. This elixir is highly recommended for starting characters to maintain constant casts of Chain Lightning. 
Elixir of Precision II provides the highest damage output increase, if not already capped at 100% Critical Strike Chance.
Elixir of Advantage II increases damage output, if not already capped at 100% Attack Speed bonus from gear and Paragon.
Elixir of Fortitude II is the best general-purpose option for survivability. Increased Maximum Life grants larger Barriers from Protection and 
Ice Armor.
Return to the Alchemist every 10 Levels to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.
Season 10 Updates
A brief summary of the changes in Patch 2.4.0 that may pertain to this specific build is provided below. For a complete overview of Season 10, take a look at the comprehensive season guide.
- Overflowing Energy
- Previous: Crackling Energy hits 1 additional enemy. Each time Crackling Energy hits an enemy, your Shock Skill Cooldowns are reduced by 0.1 seconds, increased to 0.3 seconds against Elites.
- Now: You deal 85% increased Lightning Damage and Crackling Energy hits 1 additional enemy. Each time Crackling Energy hits an enemy, your Shock Skill Cooldowns are reduced by 0.1 seconds, increased to 0.3 seconds against Elites.
Difficulty and Endgame
Once you hit Level 60 with this build, tackle harder difficulties and more challenging endgame content. Make sure to pick one of our recommended endgame builds for Sorcerer to continue your journey! The endgame builds also cover the Paragon setup unlocked at Level 60.
Gameplay Video
The following video covers the Shocking Impact and Familiar tech, along with the other build mechanics. Chain Lightning or Charged Bolts can be utilized with the build setup.
Changelog
- September 21st, 2025: Guide updated for Season 10 (Patch 2.4.0)
- June 27th, 2025: Guide updated for Season 9 (Patch 2.3.0)
- April 26th, 2025: Guide updated for Season 8 (Patch 2.2.0).
- January 21st, 2025: Guide updated for Season 7 (Patch 2.1.0).
- October 4th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 6 (Patch 2.0.2).
- August 6th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 5 (Patch 1.5.0).
- May 14th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4 (Patch 1.4.0).
- January 22nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 (Patch 1.3.0).
- October 17th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2 (Patch 1.2.0).
- July 18th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1.
