The Sorcerer is a magic-focused class, summoning the powers of the elements to strike down their enemies. The Sorcerer’s 24 skills leverage fire, ice, and lightning in an array of area of effect attacks, as well as some targeted ones.
Preference should be given to Sorcerer skills that damage multiple enemies per casting, and any that buff their relatively low defense.
While it may be tempting to focus on mastery of a single element, such a build would be deficient when contending with enemies with near total immunity to damage from it. A good selection would include Arc Lash, Fireball, and Ice Shards. Flame Shield can provide a measure of offensive defense, and Teleport offers some mobility especially when hemmed in by a mob.
The Sorcerer’s complete skill tree is listed below, with recommendations marked with an asterisk:
Basic Node
Arc Lash (5) *
Active | Shock | Lightning Damage
Lucky Hit: 14%
Unleash arcing lightning that deals [59%] damage to enemies in front of you. Every 10 times Arc Lash swipes, it Stuns all enemies hit for 2 seconds.
Enchantment: When you use a Cooldown, enemies around you are Stunned for [0.7] seconds.
Enhanced (1)
If Arc Lash’s initial swipe Critically Strikes, it swipes an additional time.
Glinting (1)
Hitting a Stunned enemy with Arc Lash reduces your Cooldowns by 0.15 seconds.
Flickering (1)
Gain +6% Movement Speed for 5 seconds per enemy hit with Arc Lash, up to +18%.
Fire Bolt (5)
Active | Pyromancy | Fire Damage
Lucky Hit: 35%
Hurl a flaming bolt, dealing [14%] damage and Burning for [56%] damage over 8 seconds.
Enchantment: Direct damage from Skills applies additional [33%] Burning damage over 8 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
Fire Bolt pierces through Burning enemies.
Glinting (1)
Critical Strikes with Fire Bolt increase the Burning damage you deal to the enemy by 20% for 4 seconds.
Flickering (1)
Fire Bolt generates Mana when hitting a Burning enemy.
Frost Bolt (5)
Active | Frost | Cold Damage
Lucky Hit: 40%
Throw a bolt of frost at an enemy, dealing [49%] damage and Chilling them for 15%.
Enchantment: Direct damage from Skills applies up to [21%] Chill.
Enhanced (1)
Frost Bolt has a 15% chance to explode on Chilled enemies, hitting surrounding enemies. Chance increased to 100% against frozen enemies.
Glinting (1)
Frost Bolt generates Mana when hitting Chilled or Frozen enemies.
Flickering (1)
Frost Bolt makes Frozen enemies Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
Spark (5)
Active | Shock | Lightning Damage
Lucky Hit: 9%
Launch a bolt of lightning that shocks an enemy 4 times, dealing [11%] damage each hit.
Enchantment: Killing an enemy has a [14%] chance to form a Crackling Energy.
Enhanced (1)
Each time Spark hits its primary target, it has a 40% chance to hit up to 3 additional enemies, dealing 6% damage. If there are no other enemies to hit, Spark instead deals x20% increased damage to its primary target.
Glinting (1)
Spark grants 2% increased Critical Strike Chance per cast for 5 seconds, up to 8%.
Flickering (1)
Each time Spark hits an enemy it has a 3% chance to form a Crackling Energy.
Core Node
Chain Lightning (5) *
Active | Shock | Lightning Damage
Mana Cost: 35
Lucky Hit: 25%
Unleash a stream of lightning that deals [50%] damage and chains between Nearby enemies and you up to 5 times, prioritizing enemies.
Enchantment: Chain Lightning forms automatically after spending 100 Mana.
Enhanced (1)
Chain Lightning gains a 3% increased Critical Strike Chance per bounce.
Greater (1)
If Chain Lightning bounces off of you, its next hit deals x10% increased damage.
Destructive (1)
When Chain Lightning Critically Strikes, it has a 25% chance to form a Crackling Energy.
Charged Bolts (5)
Active | Shock | Lightning Damage
Mana Cost: 30
Lucky Hit: 20%
Release 5 bolts of lightning that course along the ground in an erratic pattern, dealing [39%] damage.
Enchantment: When you Stun an enemy, there’s a 40% chance to release 3 Charged Bolts from them.
Enhanced (1)
Hitting an enemy at least 3 times with the same cast of Charged Bolts releases a lightning nova, dealing 24% damage to enemies around them.
Greater (1)
Charged Bolts deals x25% increased damage to Stunned enemies.
Destructive (1)
Hitting an enemy with Charged Bolts reduces their damage dealt by 20% for 3 seconds.
Fireball (5) *
Active | Pyromancy | Fire Damage
Mana Cost: 40
Lucky Hit: 33%
Hurl an exploding ball of fire, dealing [84%] damage to surrounding enemies.
Enchantment: When you kill an enemy, they explode in a Fireball for 50% of its damage.
Enhanced (1)
Fireball’s radius is increased based on distance traveled, up to 50%.
Greater (1)
Fireball deals 10% of the Burning damage you’ve applied to enemies as additional direct damage.
Destructive (1)
Fireball’s explosion’s Critical Strike Damage is increased by +10%. Each enemy it hits increases this bonus by +5%, up to +25% total.
Frozen Orb (5)
Active | Frost | Cold Damage
Mana Cost: 40
Lucky Hit: 4%
Unleash an orb that Chills and expels piercing shards, dealing [44%] damage. Upon expiration, Frọzen Orb explodes, dealing [41%] damage and Chilling enemies.
Enchantment: Whenever you cast a Non-Basic Skill, you have a 20% chance to launch a Frozen Orb at a Nearby enemy.
Enhanced (1)
When cast above 50 Mana, Frọzen Orb‘s explosion damage is increased by x30%.
Greater (1)
Frọzen Orb‘s explosion has a 25% chance to make all enemies hit Vulnerable for 2 seconds. Frọzen Orb always makes Frozen enemies Vulnerable.
Destructive (1)
Frọzen Orb’s explosion restores 5 Mana when hitting a Frozen enemy.
Ice Shards (5) *
Active | Frost | Cold Damage
Mana Cost: 30
Lucky Hit: 16%
Launch 5 shards that deal [35%] damage each. Deals x25% increased damage to Frozen enemies.
Enchantment: Ice Shards automatically conjure and fly towards Frozen enemies.
Enhanced (1)
Ice Shards have a 40% chance to ricochet to another enemy. Ice Shards always ricochet off of Frozen enemies.
Greater (1)
While you have a Barrier active, casts of Ice Shards treat enemies as if they were Frozen.
Destructive (1)
Hitting an enemy with 5 Ice Shards in a single cast makes them Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
Incinerate (5)
Active | Pyromancy | Channeled | Fire Damage
Cost: 25 Mana per second
Lucky Hit: 16%
Channel a beam of fire, Burning enemies for [17%] damage per second. Damage per second increases over 4 seconds, up to [92%] .
Enchantment: Every 18 seconds, a serpent spawns and Incinerates enemies for 8 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
While channeling lncinerate, you Burn enemies around you for 15% of the damage per second.
Greater (1)
Every 4 seconds an enemy has been hit by lncinerate, they are Immobilized for 1 second.
Destructive (1)
Enemies deal 20% less damage while Burning from Incinerate.
Devastation (3)
Passive
Your Maximum Mana is increased by 3.
Elemental Dominance (3)
Passive
Your Core Skills deal 4% increased damage when cast above 50 Mana.
Potent Warding (3)
Passive
After casting a Non-Basic Skill, you gain 2% Resistance to all elements and 1% additional Resistance to that Skill’s element for 3 seconds.
Defensive Node
Flame Shield (5)
Active | Pyromancy | Fire Damage
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Lucky Hit: 35%
Engulf yourself in flames for [2.4] seconds, Burning surrounding enemies for [56%] damage per second.
While Flame Shield is active, you are Immune.
Enchantment: Flame Shield automatically activates when you take fatal damage. Can only happen once every 120 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
Flame Shield grants +25% Movement Speed while active.
Mystical (1)
You gain 25% Mana Cost Reduction while Flame Shield is active.
Shimmering (1)
Flame Shield Heals you for 50% of your missing Life.
Frost Nova (5) *
Active | Frost |
Cooldown: [19.7] seconds
Unleash a torrent of frost, Freezing enemies around you for 3 seconds.
Enchantment: Lucky Hit: Your Conjuration Skills have up to a 30% chance to unleash a Frost Nova when hitting enemies.
Enhanced (1)
Killing enemies Frozen by Frost Nova reduces its Cooldown by 1 seconds, up to 4 seconds per cast.
Mystical (1)
Frost Nova makes enemies Vulnerable for 4 seconds, increased to 6 seconds against Bosses.
Shimmering (1)
Frost Nova generates Mana per enemy hit.
Ice Armor (5)
Active | Frost |
Cooldown: 20 seconds
A Barrier of ice forms around you for 6 seconds, absorbing [42%] of your Base Life in damage. While Ice Armor is active, 5% of your damage dealt is added to its Barrier.
Enchantment: Upon getting hit, you have a 5% chance to apply Ice Armor.
Enhanced (1)
While Ice Armor is active, your Mana Regeneration is increased by x25%.
Mystical (1)
Damage against Vulnerable enemies contributes 50% more to Ice Armor’s Barrier.
Shimmering (1)
Enemies that hit you while Ice Armor is active have a 15% chance to become Frozen for 3 seconds.
Teleport (5) *
Active | Shock | Lightning Damage
Cooldown: [8.8] seconds
Lucky Hit: 65%
Transform into lightning, becoming Unstoppable and surging to the target location, dealing [35%] damage around you upon arrival.
Enchantment: Evade is replaced with a short range Teleport on a [13.6] second Cooldown.
Enhanced (1)
Teleport’s Cooldown is decreased by 0.5 seconds per enemy hit, up to 3 seconds.
Mystical (1)
For 4 seconds after Teleporting, Crackling Energy hits 2 additional enemies.
Shimmering (1)
After Teleporting, you gain 30% Damage Reduction for 3 seconds.
Glass Cannon (3)
Passive
You deal 6% increased damage, but take 3% more damage.
Elemental Attunement (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes have a 5% chance to reset the Cooldown of one of your Defensive Skills. Can only happen once every 10 seconds.
Conjuration Node
Hydra (5)
Active | Pyromancy | Fire Damage
Mana Cost: 20
Lucky Hit: 53%
Summon a 3-headed hydra for 10 seconds. Each head spits fire at enemies, dealing [17%] damage.
Maximum 1 active Hydras at a time.
Enchantment: After spending 300 Mana, a 5-headed Hydra spawns for 5 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
While Healthy, your casts of Hydra gain 1 additional head.
Invoked (1)
After you Critically Strike, your Hydras gain 30% Critical Strike Chance for 3 seconds.
Summoned (1)
Hydra also Burns enemies for an additional 12% of its Base damage dealt over 6 seconds.
Ice Blades (5)
Active | Frost | Cold Damage
Cooldown: 16 seconds
Lucky Hit: 71%
Conjure a pair of ice blades for 6.0 seconds that rapidly slash enemies for [32%] damage and have a 30% chance to make them Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
Enchantment: For every 40 seconds in Cooldowns you spend, you spawn an Ice Blades on a random enemy.
Enhanced (1)
Ice Blades’s Cooldown is reduced by 0.5 seconds each time it hits a Vulnerable enemy.
Invoked (1)
Your Ice Blades gain +10% increased Attack Speed per active Ice Blades.
Summoned (1)
20% of Enhanced Ice Blades’s Cooldown reduction is applied to your other Skills.
Lightning Spear (5)
Active | Shock | Lightning Damage
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Lucky Hit: 26%
Conjure a spear of lightning that seeks out enemies for 6.0 seconds, dealing [21%] damage per hit.
Enchantment: Absorbing Crackling Energy has a 10% chance to conjure a Lightning Spear.
Enhanced (1)
After Critically Striking, Lightning Spear gains a 5% increased stacking Critical Strike Chance for its duration.
Invoked (1)
Lightning Spear Stuns enemies for 2 seconds when Critically Striking.
Summoned (1)
Collecting Crackling Energy increases the damage of your next Lightning Spear cast by 20%, up to 100%.
Precision Magic (3)
Passive
Your Lucky Hit Chance is increased by up to 5%.
Conjuration Mastery (3)
Passive
You deal 1% increased damage for each active Conjuration.
Align the Elements (3)
Passive
You gain 5% Damage Reduction against Elites for each second you haven’t taken damage from one, up to 50%.
Mana Shield (3)
Passive
Every time you spend 100 Mana, you gain 5% Damage Reduction for 5 seconds.
Protection (3)
Passive
Using a cooldown grants 10% of your Maximum Life (4) as a Barrier for 5 seconds.
Mastery Node
Blizzard (5) *
Active | Frost | Cold Damage
Mana Cost: 40
Lucky Hit: 33%
Summon a frigid blizzard that deals [168%] damage and continually Chills enemies for 18% over 8 seconds.
Enchantment: Every 15 seconds, a Blizzard forms over you and follows you for 6 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
Blizzard deals x25% increased damage to Frozen enemies.
Wizard’s (1)
While you have an active Blizzard, your Core Skills cost 10% less Mana.
Mage’s (1)
When cast above 50 Mana, Blizzard’s duration is increased by 4 seconds.
Firewall (5)
Active | Pyromancy | Fire Damage
Mana Cost: 30
Lucky Hit: 30%
Create a wall of flames that Burns enemies for [224%] damage over 8 seconds.
Enchantment: Each time an enemy takes Burning damage, there’s a 5% chance to spawn 2 Firewalls underneath them for 3 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
Enemies take 25% increased Burning damage from you while standing in Firewall.
Wizard’s (1)
You gain 5% increased Mana Regeneration per active Firewall, up to 25%.
Mage’s (1)
Enemies continue Burning for 3 seconds after leaving Firewall.
Meteor (5) *
Active | Pyromancy | Fire Damage
Mana Cost: 40
Lucky Hit: 40%
Summon a meteor that strikes the target location, dealing [112%] damage and Burning the ground for [49%] damage over 3 seconds.
Enchantment: Lucky Hit: Up to a 8% chance for a Meteor to fall on enemies.
Enhanced (1)
If a cast of Meteor hits 3 or more enemies, there is a 30% chance an additional Meteor falls on the same location.
Wizard’s (1)
Meteor’s impact Immobilizes enemies for 2 seconds.
Mage’s (1)
Meteor falls 30% faster.
Ball Lightning (5)
Active | Shock | Lightning Damage
Mana Cost: 50
Lucky Hit: 5%
Discharge a ball of lightning that slowly moves forward, continually zapping enemies for [25%] damage.
Enchantment: Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes have up to a 25% chance to spawn a static Ball Lightning.
Enhanced (1)
Ball Lightning’s damage rate is increased by 200% of your Attack Speed Bonus.
Wizard’s (1)
If an enemy is hit at least 4 times by a cast of Ball Lightning, a Crackling Energy is formed. Can only happen once per cast.
Mage’s (1)
After hitting Close enemies 50 times with Ball Lightning, your next cast of it Stuns enemies hit for 1 second.
Icy Veil (3)
Passive
Your Barriers have a 5% increased duration.
Barriers absorb damage from all sources up to a specified amount.
Cold Front (3)
Passive
While you have a Barrier active, you apply 8% more Chill.
Barriers absorb damage from all sources up to a specified amount.
Chilled enemies have reduced Movement Speed. Repeatedly Chilling an enemy will Freeze it.
Snap Freeze (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Frost Skills have a 3% chance to instantly Freeze.
Frozen enemies cannot move or attack. Enemies can be Frozen by repeatedly Chilling them.
Inner Flames (3)
Passive
Your Pyromancy Skills deal 3% increased damage while you are Healthy.
Healthy characters have more than 80% of their Life.
Devouring Blaze (3)
Passive
You deal 10% increased Critical Strike Damage against Burning enemies. If they are also Immobilized, this bonus is increased to 25%.
Crippling Flames (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Your Pyromancy Skills have a 5% chance to lmmobilize enemies for 2 seconds. This chance is doubled while you are Healthy.
Healthy characters have more than 80% of their Life.
Static Discharge (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes with Shock Skills have up to a 5% chance to form a Crackling Energy.
Crackling Energy periodically damages surrounding enemies when picked up.
Shocking Impact (3)
Passive
Everytime you Stun an enemy, you deal 4 Lightning damage to them.
Invigorating Conduit (3)
Passive
Upon absorbing Crackling Energy, you gain 4 Mana.
Ultimate Node
Deep Freeze (1)
Active | Frost | Cold Damage
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Lucky Hit: 2%
Encase yourself in ice, becoming Immune for 4 seconds, continually dealing 25% damage, and Chilling enemies for 14%. When Deep Freeze expires, it deals 100% additional damage.
Casting Deep Freeze again ends the effect early.
Prime (1)
When Deep Freeze ends, gain 10% of your Base Life as a Barrier for 6 seconds for each enemy you Froze while it was active.
Supreme (1)
When Deep Freeze ends, your Non-Ultimate Cooldowns are reduced by 50%.
Inferno (1) *
Active | Pyromancy | Fire Damage
Cooldown: 45 seconds
Lucky Hit: 10%
Summon a fiery serpent that continually constricts the target area, Burning enemies for 295% damage over 8 seconds.
Prime (1)
Inferno repeatedly Pulls enemies to its center.
Supreme (1)
While Inferno is active, your Pyromancy Skills cost no Mana.
Unstable Currents (1)
Active | Shock |
Cooldown: 70 seconds
Lightning surges within you for 10 seconds. Whenever you cast a Shock Skill, a random Core, Conjuration, or Mastery Shock Skill is also cast.
Prime (1)
Unstable Currents increases your Attack Speed by +25% while active.
Supreme (1)
While Unstable Currents is active, Crackling Energy continually pulses and consumes no charges.
Permafrost (3)
Passive
Frost Skills deal 5% increased damage to Elites.
Icy Touch (3)
Passive
You deal 4% increased Cold Damage to Vulnerable enemies.
Vulnerable enemies take 20% increased damage.
Hoarfrost (3)
Passive
You deal 3% increased damage to Chilled enemies, and 6% increased damage to Frozen enemies.
Chilled enemies have reduced Movement Speed. Repeatedly Chilling an enemy will Freeze it.
Frozen enemies cannot move or attack. Enemies can be Frozen by repeatedly Chilling them.
Frigid Breeze (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Cold Damage against Vulnerable enemies has a 20% chance to generate 5 Mana.
Vulnerable enemies take 20% increased damage.
Fiery Surge (3)
Passive
Killing a Burning enemy increases your Mana Regeneration by 10% for 3 seconds.
Endless Pyre (3)
Passive
You deal increased Burning damage to enemies for each second they remain Burning, up to 5% after 5 seconds.
Soulfire (3)
Passive
After standing still for 1.5 seconds, your Pyromancy Skills cost 5% less Mana.
Warmth (3)
Passive
Every 1 second, you Heal for 0.3% of your Maximum Life (0.1) for each Nearby Burning enemy. Healing increased to 0.6% from Bosses.
Coursing Currents (3)
Passive
Hitting enemies with Shock Skills increases your Critical Strike Chance by 1%. Resets upon getting a Critical Strike.
Conduction (3)
Passive
Critical Strikes with Shock Skills increase your Movement Speed by 3% for 3 seconds.
Electrocution (3)
Passive
Enemies deal 5% less damage for 5 seconds after being Critically Struck by your Shock Skills.
Convulsions (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Shock Skills have a 3% chance to Stun enemies for 3 seconds.
Key Passives Node
Avalanche (1)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Your Frost Skills have up to a 10% chance to make your next cast of Ice Shards , Frozen Orb, or Blizzard consume no Mana and deal 40% increased damage. Chance is doubled against Vulnerable enemies.
Vulnerable enemies take 20% increased damage.
Shatter (1) *
Passive
After Freeze expires, enemies explode for 25% of the damage you dealt to them while Frozen.
Frozen enemies cannot move or attack. Enemies can be Frozen by repeatedly Chilling them.
Overflowing Energy (1)
Passive
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 0.25 seconds against Elites.
Crackling Energy periodically damages surrounding enemies when picked up.
Vyr’s Mastery (1)
Passive
Close enemies take 10% increased damage from your Shock Skills and deal 20% less damage to you. Critical Strikes increase these bonuses by 25% for 3 seconds.
Esu’s Ferocity (1)
Passive
Your Fire Critical Strike Damage is increased by 25% against enemies above 50% Life. Your Fire Critical Strike Chance is increased by 5% against enemies below 50% Life.
Killing an enemy with a Critical Strike grants both bonuses against all enemies for 3 seconds.
Combustion (1)
Passive
Your Burning effects deal 2% increased damage per unique source of Burning you have applied to the enemy. lf the enemy is Burning from 3 or more sources, this bonus is doubled.
That is every active and passive skill in the Sorcerer skill tree in Diablo 4.