Specter - Condition Specter

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Condition damage

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on February 21, 2025 and is up to date for the April 15, 2025 patch.

Overview

Condition Specter bleeds, torments, and poisons its enemies with a continuous flurry of attacks and a very fluid rotation. Enter Shadow Shroud for extra damage and utility, and enjoy some extra durability from Panaku's Ambition and innate sustain from Larcenous Torment. With a different set of gear, condition specter can sacrifice damage and take Shadestep to provide nearby allies with permanent Alacrity, but never do this when soloing.

As a downside, condition specter lacks AoE damage and burst damage, and it needs nearby allies for maximum damage by sharing Venom skills such as Spider Venom, but nevertheless performs good in solo open world.

Skill Bar

Spear

Scepter/Dagger

Utility

Template Code

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Weapon variants

Spear is your best weapon, usage requires land spear with Janthir Wilds.

• Pistol replaces spear for players without Janthir Wilds, and scepter+dagger becomes the main weapon set. Pistol should only be used for crowd control.

Skill variants

Utility skills

Well of Sorrow can be replaced with:

• Prepare Thousand Needles - this provides more damage but has a longer cast time and mobile enemies may get out of the radius before you can detonate the trap.
• Haste for a nice stunbreak.

Elite skills

Shadowfall can be replaced with:

• Basilisk Venom - better single target CC, especially when you can share the Venom with nearby allies.
• Thieves Guild - extra damage but no CC.

Equipment

Viper

This setup uses Viper equipment for high raw DPS.

Head
Viper

Shoulders
Viper

Chest
Viper

Hands
Viper

Legs
Viper

Feet
Viper

Backpiece
Viper

Accessory
Viper

Accessory
Viper

Amulet
Viper

Ring
Viper

Ring
Viper

Spear
Viper

Sigil

Sigil

Scepter
Viper

Dagger
Viper

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

• Other relics include Relic of the Cavalier, Relic of Durability, and Relic of the Chronomancer.

Alacrity

This setup provides much higher HP and boon duration while sacrificing about 16% of its damage. This allows for the ability to keep up Alacrity via Shadestep.

Head
Ritualist

Shoulders
Ritualist

Chest
Ritualist

Hands
Ritualist

Legs
Ritualist

Feet
Ritualist

Backpiece
Ritualist

Accessory
Ritualist

Accessory
Ritualist

Amulet
Ritualist

Ring
Ritualist

Ring
Ritualist

Dagger
Ritualist

Dagger
Ritualist

Sigil

Sigil

Scepter
Ritualist

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

• Use Shadestep to provide Alacrity to nearby allies with your full Ritualist gear. You will need to spend more time in Shadow Shroud. Also use Amplified Siphoning and Deadly Ambush, and replace Skale Venom with Caltrops.
  • Spend all your initiative on Death Blossom, and your time in Shadow Shroud casting Grasping Shadows twice filling the cooldown gap with one Eternal Night and auto attacks.
• Generally speaking, it's not worth playing alacrity specter in solo open world, as you lose valuable damage, especially in short fights which are the majority of fights in open world. Only consider playing alacrity specter when in groups and fighting bosses.

Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

DPS

• Prioritize Flatbread Ascended food.
• /
• /

Farming

• Prioritize Flatbread Ascended food.
• /
• (and variants)

Usage

Shadow Shroud

Enter Shadow Shroud is the profession mechanic of the specter. After building Shadow Force by spending initiative in combat and using Siphon, Enter Shadow Shroud to gain access to new skills.

Your damage skills in shroud are Grasping Shadows and Eternal Night, while Dawn's Repose provides a leap and CC, and Mind Shock stuns and gives stability.

Generally speaking, when playing condition specter you want to enter Shadow Shroud, use Grasping Shadows and Eternal Night once, then immediately leave. This also provides initiative due to Quick Pockets.

Damage

Spear

On Spear you want to use the following combo: 2-2-3-1-2-2-2-4-2-3-1 (these are the keys you press on your keyboard)

1. Mantis Sting (2)
2. Entangling Asp (2)
3. Shattering Assault gives Stealth (3)
4. Ashen Assault stealth attack (1)
5. Mantis Sting (2)
6. Entangling Asp (2)
7. Falling Spider (2)
8. Distracting Throw (4)
9. Entangling Asp (2)
10. Shattering Assault gives Stealth (3)
11. Ashen Assault stealth attack (1)
12. Enter Shadow Shroud
13. Grasping Shadows
14. Eternal Night
15. Exit Shadow Shroud and repeat from step 1

• This is your full rotation. It's actually very simple and fluid.
• Use Siphon, Well of Sorrow, Skale Venom and Spider Venom off cooldown.
• The first Mantis Sting can be replaced with Unsuspecting Strike as Unsuspecting Strike deals more damage to targets above 90% health.

Scepter

Scepter is your ranged weapon but it offers less damage so only use it if range is needed. In this weapon set you just spam Twilight Combo. Don't waste initiative on other skills, except for Dancing Dagger against groups of enemies.

Defense

• The best defense is always to dodge or sidestep attacks.
• All your well skills also allow you to quickly reposition yourself since they are shadowsteps. This includes your heal skill Well of Gloom.
• Enter Shadow Shroud replaces your health, so it is your main source of damage mitigation. Eternal Night will also heal you for a very small amount. You also have access to stability with Mind Shock.

Crowd control

• Dawn's Repose.
• Mind Shock.
• Shadowfall.
• Distracting Throw (if the target is movement-impaired).
• Soft cc from Siphon, Entangling Asp or Twilight Combo.