PoE Speaker of the Dead

Speaker of the Dead

Speaker of the Dead is an Atlas passive skill and Atlas keystone, specifically for Tormented spirits encounters.

• Tormented Spirits in your Maps can Possess Players for 20 seconds
• Tormented Spirits in your Maps cannot Possess Monsters
• (Players can Touch up to 40 nearby normal or magic Monsters for each Tormented Spirit Possessing them)

AI Guides

In Path of Exile, Tormented Spirits are often seen as unpredictable entities that can either enhance or complicate encounters by possessing monsters and granting them powerful abilities. However, the Speaker of the Dead Atlas Keystone offers a novel twist on this mechanic, allowing players to directly benefit from the power of these spirits by enabling them to possess the player instead of monsters. This keystone provides a unique opportunity to turn a potential threat into a powerful buff, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy risky, high-reward gameplay.

What is Speaker of the Dead?

Speaker of the Dead is an Atlas Passive Skill and Keystone designed specifically for encounters involving Tormented Spirits. Instead of allowing these spirits to possess monsters, Speaker of the Dead changes the dynamic by enabling them to possess players for a duration of 20 seconds. During this time, players gain significant buffs and can spread the effects of the Tormented Spirit’s Touch to nearby monsters, adding a layer of strategy and potential power to mapping.

Key Features of Speaker of the Dead:

• Player Possession: Tormented Spirits in maps affected by Speaker of the Dead can no longer possess monsters. Instead, they possess the player for 20 seconds, granting powerful buffs and unique effects.
• Tormented Spirit’s Touch: While possessed, players can apply a special modifier called Tormented Spirit’s Touch to up to 40 nearby normal or magic monsters per spirit. This effect allows players to strategically enhance enemies, creating more challenging but potentially more rewarding encounters.
• Stacking Buffs: Each Tormented Spirit that possesses the player grants a stacking buff, increasing damage, attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed by 35%. These buffs can stack with other similar buffs, such as those from Fairgraves’ Tricorne, offering substantial boosts in combat effectiveness.
• Grip Buffs: In addition to the general buffs, each Tormented Spirit also grants a specific "Grip" buff that corresponds to the spirit’s original powers. These buffs can include effects such as causing attacks to inflict Bleeding or other powerful modifiers. Multiple different Grip buffs can be applied simultaneously, allowing for a highly customized and powerful set of abilities.

Mechanics and Strategic Implications

Speaker of the Dead introduces a dramatic shift in how players interact with Tormented Spirits, transforming them from unpredictable threats into powerful allies—if used correctly.

1. Direct Power Boosts: The most immediate benefit of Speaker of the Dead is the significant boost to a player’s combat abilities while possessed. The increased damage, attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed provided by each spirit can turn the tide of battle, making it easier to clear maps quickly and efficiently. For builds that thrive on speed and power, these buffs can be game-changing.

2. Strategic Monster Enhancement: The ability to apply Tormented Spirit’s Touch to up to 40 nearby monsters per spirit allows players to create more challenging encounters by enhancing these enemies. This can be particularly useful for players seeking higher risk and reward scenarios, as tougher monsters often yield better loot. The number of monsters that can be affected is counted individually for each spirit, meaning that players possessed by multiple spirits can touch a large number of monsters, significantly altering the difficulty of the map.

3. Unique Grip Buffs: Each Tormented Spirit provides a specific Grip buff that grants unique effects based on the spirit’s original powers. These effects can range from inflicting Bleeding on enemies to adding extra elemental damage or defensive buffs. Since players can be possessed by multiple spirits at once, they can accumulate several different Grip buffs, creating a powerful synergy that enhances their combat capabilities in diverse ways.

4. Risk and Reward: While Speaker of the Dead offers substantial benefits, it also introduces a level of risk. Enhancing nearby monsters with the Tormented Spirit’s Touch can make them significantly more dangerous, especially when multiple spirits are involved. Players need to carefully balance the buffs they receive with the increased threat posed by the empowered enemies.

Practical Application

To effectively use Speaker of the Dead, players should consider the following strategies:

• Build Optimization: This keystone is particularly effective for builds that can capitalize on the increased speed and damage provided by the Tormented Spirit buffs. High-mobility builds and those that benefit from rapid attack or cast speeds will find Speaker of the Dead especially useful.
• Strategic Monster Selection: Use the Tormented Spirit’s Touch strategically to enhance monsters that are either easy to control or that drop valuable loot. Be mindful of which monsters you enhance, as empowering the wrong ones could lead to a quick demise.
• Buff Management: Monitor the different Grip buffs you receive to maximize their synergy with your build. Certain combinations of buffs can create powerful effects, so plan your encounters to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Conclusion

Speaker of the Dead is a unique and powerful Atlas Keystone in Path of Exile that transforms how players interact with Tormented Spirits. By allowing these spirits to possess the player instead of monsters, this keystone offers substantial combat buffs and the ability to strategically enhance enemies, making encounters more challenging but also more rewarding.

For players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay and want to turn the unpredictable nature of Tormented Spirits into a reliable source of power, Speaker of the Dead provides an exciting and dynamic way to enhance their mapping experience. With the right build and strategy, this keystone can turn even the most daunting encounters into opportunities for massive gains. Embrace the spirits, harness their power, and become the Speaker of the Dead.