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ContagionSpell, AoE, Duration, Chaos
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (5-20) Mana
Cast Time: 0.60 sec
Radius: 20
Unleashes a vile contagion on enemies, dealing chaos damage over time. If an enemy dies while affected by Contagion, it spreads to other enemies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent0.5% increased Area of Effect3% increased Chaos Damage3% chance to Spread when affected Enemy is HitDeals (3.5-235.9) Base Chaos Damage per second
Base duration is 5 seconds
Modifiers to Spell Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect
Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
Contagion skill iconContagion inventory icon
Acquisition
Area level: 5
Vendor Prices
Normal1x Scroll of Wisdom
Vendor Offer
1x Scroll Fragment
Metadata
Item class: Active Skill Gems
Metadata ID: Metadata/Items/Gems/SkillGemContagion

Contagion skill screenshot


Contagion is a chaos spell that applies a chaos damage over time effect to all enemies in the area, and spreads itself when an enemy dies. Contagion interacts favourably with Essence Drain inventory iconEssence DrainEssence DrainSpell, Projectile, Duration, Chaos, AoE
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (8-23) Mana
Cast Time: 0.70 sec
Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%
Effectiveness of Added Damage: 60%
Requires Level 12Fires a projectile that applies a damage over time debuff when it hits. You are healed for a portion of the debuff damage. The debuff is spread by Contagion.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent1% increased Chaos DamageRegenerate 0.01% of Debuff Damage as Life5% increased Damage with HitsDeals (31.2-1503.2) Base Chaos Damage per second
Regenerate 0.5% of Debuff Damage as Life
Base duration is 3.8 seconds
Deals (9-433) to (14-649) Chaos Damage
Modifiers to Spell Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect
Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
Essence Drain skill icon
Essence Drain inventory icon
, a skill that deals heavy chaos damage over time and is spread by Contagion.

Skill functions and interactions[ | ]

  • Modifiers to Spell Damage apply to this skill's Damage Over Time Effect: Modifiers to spell damage only affect the damage over time effect of Contagion granted by the gem and do not affect other sources of damage over time caused by the skill.
  • Essence Drain inventory iconEssence DrainEssence DrainSpell, Projectile, Duration, Chaos, AoE
    Level: (1-20)
    Cost: (8-23) Mana
    Cast Time: 0.70 sec
    Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%
    Effectiveness of Added Damage: 60%
    Requires Level 12Fires a projectile that applies a damage over time debuff when it hits. You are healed for a portion of the debuff damage. The debuff is spread by Contagion.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent1% increased Chaos DamageRegenerate 0.01% of Debuff Damage as Life5% increased Damage with HitsDeals (31.2-1503.2) Base Chaos Damage per second
    Regenerate 0.5% of Debuff Damage as Life
    Base duration is 3.8 seconds
    Deals (9-433) to (14-649) Chaos Damage
    Modifiers to Spell Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect
    Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
    Essence Drain skill icon
    Essence Drain inventory icon
    : When an enemy affected by both Contagion and Essence Drain dies, the resulting Contagion proc will spread both effects. This is a unique interaction. Contagion will not spread other damage over time effects.
  • Duration: Increases and reductions to duration function normally. The duration of Contagion and associated degeneration effects (Essence Drain inventory iconEssence DrainEssence DrainSpell, Projectile, Duration, Chaos, AoE
    Level: (1-20)
    Cost: (8-23) Mana
    Cast Time: 0.70 sec
    Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%
    Effectiveness of Added Damage: 60%
    Requires Level 12Fires a projectile that applies a damage over time debuff when it hits. You are healed for a portion of the debuff damage. The debuff is spread by Contagion.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent1% increased Chaos DamageRegenerate 0.01% of Debuff Damage as Life5% increased Damage with HitsDeals (31.2-1503.2) Base Chaos Damage per second
    Regenerate 0.5% of Debuff Damage as Life
    Base duration is 3.8 seconds
    Deals (9-433) to (14-649) Chaos Damage
    Modifiers to Spell Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect
    Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
    Essence Drain skill icon
    Essence Drain inventory icon
    ) is not reset when spread to other enemies on death.
  • Area of Effect: Modifiers to area of effect affect both the skill radius and spread radius of Contagion.[1] Modifiers to area damage (such as Concentrated Effect Support inventory iconConcentrated Effect SupportConcentrated Effect SupportSupport, AoE
    Icon: o
    Level: (1-20)
    Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 140%
    Requires Level 18Supports any skill with an area of effect, regardless of whether that skill deals damage.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentSupported Skills deal 0.5% increased Area DamageSupported Skills have 0.5% less Area of EffectSupported Skills have 0.5% reduced Enemy Stun ThresholdSupported Skills have 30% less Area of Effect
    Supported Skills deal (25-39)% more Area Damage
    This is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket.
    Concentrated Effect Support inventory icon
    ) do not apply.[2]
  • On hit effects: Contagion does not hit, and therefore cannot activate the effects of supports such as Hextouch Support inventory iconHextouch SupportHextouch SupportTrigger, Support, Hex
    Icon: &
    Level: (1-20)
    Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 130%
    Requires Level 38Must support both a skill that hits enemies, and a hex curse skill to work. The hex will be applied when enemies are hit by the other skill. Cannot support totems, traps, or mines. Minions cannot apply hexes this way.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent0.5% increased Effect of Supported CursesSupported Skills deal 1% increased Damage with Hits and Ailments per Curse on Enemy0.5% reduced Effect of Supported Curses
    Supported Skills have 2% increased Curse Duration
    Supported Skills apply supported Curses on Hit
    Supported Skills have (50-12)% reduced Curse Duration
    You cannot Cast Supported Curse Spells
    This is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket.
    Hextouch Support inventory icon
    .

Gem level progression[ | ]

LevelRequired LevelRequired DexterityRequired IntelligenceMana
Cost
Chaos
Damage
per sec
Exp.Total Exp.
140053.500
260064.3841841
3901765.730993940
412142177.4743311373
5161826810.22289534268
6202231913.64972583993
7242537101895714179707
82829421123.3169595349302
93233471129.9283759633061
103636521238.14539961087057
114040581348.17031281790185
124444631460.310612232851408
134848681575.220658704917278
145251741693.325071107424388
1555547816109.525737319998119
1658578217128.1761135117609470
1761608618149.61343790831047378
1864629018174.42505214756099525
19676594192034386943699968961
2070689820235.9242081178342050139
21727010020260.5N/AN/A
2274N/AN/A21287.5N/AN/A
2376N/AN/A21317.2N/AN/A
2478N/AN/A21349.7N/AN/A
2580N/AN/A22385.4N/AN/A
2682N/AN/A22424.5N/AN/A
2784N/AN/A23467.3N/AN/A
2886N/AN/A23514.3N/AN/A
2988N/AN/A24565.7N/AN/A
3090N/AN/A24621.9N/AN/A
3191N/AN/A24652N/AN/A
3292N/AN/A25683.5N/AN/A
3393N/AN/A25716.5N/AN/A
3494N/AN/A25750.9N/AN/A
3595N/AN/A25787N/AN/A
3696N/AN/A25824.7N/AN/A
3797N/AN/A26864.1N/AN/A
3898N/AN/A26905.4N/AN/A
3999N/AN/A26948.5N/AN/A
40100N/AN/A26993.6N/AN/A

Item acquisition
Questionmark

Upgrade paths

This item can be acquired through the following upgrade paths or vendor recipes:

AmountIngredientGeneral
Notes
Type
3Divination card inventory iconThe Bitter BlossomThe Bitter Blossom card artDivination card frameThe Bitter Blossom3Level 21 Chaos Gem
Quality: +23%
Corrupted
The pain you feel is of no consequence, it is evolution, to be made whole within something greater.
Divination card inventory icon
random corrupted superior level 21 Chaos gem with 23% qualityAutomatic
8Divination card inventory iconDying AnguishDying Anguish card artDivination card frameDying Anguish8Level 19 Gem
Alternative Quality: +19%
Moribund, he gazed upon the journey taken as blood trickled down his chin. His eye closed on the city ahead that he would never call home.
Divination card inventory icon
random level 19 gem with 19% alternative qualityAutomatic
1Gemcutter's Incubator inventory iconGemcutter's IncubatorGemcutter's IncubatorAdds an incubated Quality Gem item to an equippable item
Item drops after killing # monsters
Quality GemRight click this item then left click an item to apply it. The Incubated item drops after killing a specific number of monsters.
Gemcutter's Incubator inventory icon
random superior gemAutomatic
6Divination card inventory iconThe FoxThe Fox card artDivination card frameThe Fox6Level 20 Gem"Masters of wit, strength and cunning. To survive the harsh winters, you must be like the fox."
- Ezomyte Proverb
Divination card inventory icon
random level 20 gemAutomatic
13Divination card inventory iconThe CataclysmThe Cataclysm card artDivination card frameThe Cataclysm13Level 21 Spell Gem
Corrupted
The mighty warriors traded in blows, the nimble archers in arrows, yet it was the brazen thaumaturgists who would bring catastrophe to all.
Divination card inventory icon
random corrupted level 21 Spell gemAutomatic
3Divination card inventory iconGemcutter's PromiseGemcutter's Promise card artDivination card frameGemcutter's Promise3Superior Gem
Quality: +20%
"I swore to use my position to help the people. What good is power when it just accumulates on the already-powerful?" - Erasmus, Imperial Gemcutter
Divination card inventory icon
random superior gem with 20% qualityAutomatic
1Divination card inventory iconThe VoidThe Void card artDivination card frameThe Void1Reach into the Void and claim your prize.Divination card inventory iconrandom divination card set exchangeAutomatic

Quest reward

This item is given as a quest reward for the following quests:

Class →WitchShadowRangerDuelistMarauderTemplarScion
Quest ↓
Breaking Some Eggs
Act 1

Vendor reward

This item can be bought at the listed NPC vendors, after completing the following quests:

Class →WitchShadowRangerDuelistMarauderTemplarScion
Quest ↓
Breaking Some Eggs
Act 1
Nessa
A Fixture of Fate
Act 3
Siosa
Fallen from Grace
Act 6
Lilly Roth

Related helmet enchantments

The following helmet enchantments affect Contagion.

NameFor generated item/monster modifiers the minimum item/monster level respectively. Some generation types may not require this condition to be met, however item level restrictions may be raised to 80% of this value.StatsSpawn Weighting
Enchantment Contagion Damage 16625% increased Contagion Damagehelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Contagion Damage 27540% increased Contagion Damagehelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Contagion Duration 16620% increased Contagion Durationhelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Contagion Duration 27530% increased Contagion Durationhelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Contagion Radius 16616% increased Contagion Area of Effecthelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Contagion Radius 27524% increased Contagion Area of Effecthelmet 100
default 0

Alternate skill effects

Contagion has the following alternate skill effects:

ItemEffect(s)
Arcane Contagion EffectArcane Contagion Effect inventory iconArcane Contagion EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Contagion becomes a blue arcane effect.Arcane Contagion Effect inventory iconYour Contagion becomes a blue arcane effect.
Celestial Contagion EffectCelestial Contagion Effect inventory iconCelestial Contagion EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Contagion becomes a Celestial Effect.Celestial Contagion Effect inventory iconYour Contagion becomes a Celestial Effect.

Version history[ | ]

Version Changes
3.13.0
  • Now has a base radius of 17 (from 20).
3.12.0
  • Now has alternative quality.
3.8.0
  • No longer gains additional radius as the gem levels (previously gained +4 radius by gem level 20).
3.6.0
  • Mana Cost at gem level 1 is now 5 (was 11).
  • Mana Cost at gem level 20 is now 20 (was 28).
  • Can now affect up to 40 targets per cast (from 20).
2.6.0
  • Contagion's radius has increased from 18 to 20 units.
2.2.1d
  • Fixed an instance crash with Contagion.
2.1.1c
  • Fixed an instance crash with [...] Contagion.
2.1.1b
  • Fixed a bug where Contagion could be cast and spread through walls.
2.1.1
  • Contagion can now be supported by Iron Will.
2.1.0
  • Added to the game.

References[ | ]

  1. Mark_GGG (August 1, 2016). "Mechanical Questions Thread". Official Path of Exile Forums. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  2. Rory (May 3, 2017). "Damage Over Time Changes - Part 2". Official Path of Exile Forums. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
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