It’s a new season in Diablo 4, and you know what that means! A brand new set of abilities and little to no explanation on how to use them. Fortunately, this guide has everything you need to understand Vampiric Powers, from how to get them to how to equip them. And why it might seem like one of your Vampiric Powers isn’t working.
How to Get and Use Vampiric Powers in Diablo 4 Season 2
Have you ever wanted the powers of a vampire and none of the thrallhood? Then Diablo 4’s Season of the Blood is for you. These 22 powers offer a host of interesting passives and abilities (including a Bat Familiar!) to help you make a completely unique build. But actually using the system effectively can be challenging. Here’s all the foundational information you’ll need on Vampiric Powers to help you on your road to Vampiric Supremacy.
Vampiric Powers in Diablo 4 Season 2 Fully Explained
To acquire Vampiric Powers, you’ll need to progress the seasonal quest with Erys until they’re unlocked. This should occur after completing ‘The Hunter’s Chase’ quest. Once Vampiric Powers are unlocked, you’ll be able to access it in your inventory.
To find Vampiric Powers in your inventory, open your inventory. Then tab to the leftmost menu to find the new Vampiric menu. This menu will display your Sanguine Circle.
At the top of the menu, you’ll see your Pacts. The Pacts you have are influenced by the armor you’re wearing.
Pacts have a cumulative effect. So, if you have gauntlets with two Pacts of Eternity and a Helmet with one Pact of Eternity, your Sanguine Circle will have three Pacts of Eternity.
The Pacts you have will determine which of the Vampiric Powers in your Sanguine Altar can be used. Each Vampiric Power requires a minimum of certain Pacts. The Vampiric Power Domination, for example, requires one Pact of Ferocity. If I don’t have a Pact of Ferocity on one of my armor pieces, Domination will be inactive in the Sanguine Circle, even if I have it equipped in the Sanguine Circle.
You can alter the Pacts on your armor by using Pacts you find in Seekers Caches to add a Pact of your choosing. To remove the Pacts on an item, you can use Cleansing Acid. Cleansing Acid can be found on fallen enemies and in Seekers Caches, though they seem to drop very rarely.
A Vampiric Power must be in the Sanguine Circle to be used. Only five Vampiric Powers can be used at any time. But once a power is equipped and active, it will automatically begin functioning.
How to Unlock Vampiric Powers in Diablo 4 Season 2
To unlock Vampiric Powers, you must collect Potent Blood. Potent Blood can be dropped from Vampiric Monsters like Sanguine vampires, Seekers, or Crimson Blades. Potent Blood can also be found in Seeker Caches in Blood Harvests or in Opulent Coffins which can periodically be found in dungeons. That makes farming Blood Harvest areas the best source for getting Potent Blood, as Seeker Caches are the most plentiful option.
Once you have at least 25 Potent Blood, you can unlock your first Vampiric Power. Go into your inventory, then tab left to the Sanguine Altar menu.
When you’re in your menu, you’ll see a button to “Spend: 25 (of x amount) Potent Blood”.
Click this, and you’ll have a chance to unlock one of the 22 Vampiric Powers. However, unlocking a new Vampiric power is not guaranteed. Three Vampiric Powers will be displayed for you to choose from. You must then decide which of the Vampiric Powers you want to unlock or, alternatively, level up. This is similar to how Paragon Nodes can be upgraded.
If you have one particular Vampiric Power you like, expect to spend quite a bit of Potent Blood and time trying to level it up.
Some Vampiric Powers can only be obtained by completing the Seasonal Quest or from the Blood Harvest. These Vampiric Powers include:
- Undying – Acquired from ‘Blood Money’
- Sanguine Brace – Acquired from Blood Harvest
- Ravenous – Acquired from ‘A Witness in the Dust’
- Hectic – Acquired from ‘Beckoning Thirst’
- Metamorphosis – Acquired from ‘A Serpent Cornered’
- Moonrise – Acquired from ‘Battle of Fear and Faith’
- Accursed Touch – Acquired from Blood Harvest
How to Equip Vampiric Powers in Diablo 4 Season 2
Once you have a Vampiric Power you like, you’ll want to equip it. Once you equip a Vampiric Power into your Sanguine Altar, it will stay locked in place. This is the case even if it becomes inactive because you’ve changed your equipment and no longer have the Pacts necessary to use it.
If you have an empty socket in your Sanguine Circle, you can insert a Vampiric Power by hovering over it in your inventory and then selecting it. It will automatically be socketed into the empty slot in the circle.
If you want to change one of the Vampiric Powers already in your circle, you’ll need to press the button associated with ‘Alter Sanguine Circle’. This can be found at the bottom of the menu. This is circled in the screenshot below. Once you press this, you’ll be able to directly interact with the Vampiric Powers already socketed into the Sanguine Circle.
You can then select it to unequip it, freeing it up a slot so you can then insert the Vampiric Power of your choice.
