Diablo 4 Vampiric Curse, explained

Modified Feb 06, 2025 15:38 IST

Diablo 4 Vampiric Curse — Vampiric Curse is a powerful ability from the earlier seasons of Diablo 4. Here's what it does and how you can use it (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Vampiric Curse was introduced in Diablo 4's Season of Blood. Later, it would disappear before returning in the following season as a permanent part of the game. In both the Eternal and Seasonal ladders, you can unlock the devastating power of the Vampiric Curse. However, you have to potentially sacrifice an imprint on one of your pieces of equipment to gain access to it.

Is the Vampiric Curse affliction worth it in Diablo 4? I would say so. Season of Blood is a content update that I found to be one of the best in the game’s history. It is nice to see a remnant of that season remain, even if it's just one ability. The Vampiric Curse takes a little planning and a little effort, but it’s worth using in the game.

What is the Vampiric Curse status ailment in Diablo 4?

The Vampiric Curse still exists in Diablo 4 to this day, but it’s a little harder to get than it was originally. The affliction only exists in the form of two Legendary Aspects, both of which were powers in the Season of Blood. Both, conveniently, also inflicted Vampiric Curse on enemy targets. You can only find it on equipment that has the following Legendary Aspects:

Which version you use is up to you (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Aspect of Accursed Touch
Aspect of Metamorphosis

Both these Aspects afflict Vampiric Curse in different ways in Diablo 4. Metamorphosis is guaranteed, while Accursed Touch is based on Lucky Hit — but it seems very reliable in my testing. Here’s what the official ability for Vampiric Curse looks like:

“Killing an enemy affected by your Vampiric Curse stores their soul. Casting a Defensive, Macabre, or Agility Skill will unleash stored souls to attack nearby enemies. You can hold up to 8 souls.”

Accursed Touch features Lucky Hit [20-40%] chance for your Skills to inflict Vampiric Curse on enemies. It also makes them Vulnerable. In addition, Vampiric Curse’s stored souls deal [20-60]% increased damage, so it’s pretty potent. This is the method of delivery that I prefer.

On the other hand, Metamorphosis makes you turn into a cloud of bats when you Evade, while also making you Unstoppable for 2.5 seconds. Enemies in your path take Physical Damage and are inflicted with Vampiric Curse. You still have to use a Defensive/Agility/Macabre skill to unleash the souls.

That blood splash means you hit your foes with trapped souls (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The hardest part is finding enough gear that has these Legendary Aspects to level it up. You will also have to figure out the skills that align with your build, which can be used to unleash those souls. Thankfully, “Defensive” skills are probably the best option for most classes. It's up to the player to figure out how they want it to work.

When you cast one of those abilities and you have stored souls (red icon with a number in it with your buffs), you’ll see a large splash of blood around the character, which hits all nearby enemies and damages them. That's all there is to Vampiric Curse. You can keep doing it over and over, as long as you have the right abilities off cooldown, along with stacks of Souls.

Check out our other Diablo 4 guides and features

Edited by Abhishek Manikandan