Path of Exile 2 Smith of Kitava Ascendancy overview and passives

The “cryptic craftsman” coming to Path of Exile 2, as it turns out, was the Ascendancy Smith of Kitava. A new Ascendancy for the Warrior class brings some truly fascinating abilities and features with it. Depending on where you take the class, you can create your own custom, powerful armour — provided you choose to equip a White (Normal) rarity body armour. Revealed during the March 27, 2025 livestream, alongside the other Ascendancies, Warriors get something interesting to play around with.

The Smith of Kitava Ascendancy can also become incredibly tanky in Path of Exile 2, due to passives that grant additional Resistances, based on other resistances. For example, Coal Stoker makes modifiers to Fire Resistance and also grants Cold/Lightning Resistance based on 50% of their value. There’s also something similar for Maximum Resistance, in Forged in Flame.

Summoning weapons, dealing huge explosions of fire damage, and increasing your Fire Damage and Minion damage — the Smith of Kitava Ascendancy really looks interesting. I could see Warriors using Raging Spirits with a build like this.

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All Smith of Kitava Ascendancy Passives in Path of Exile 2

The Smith of Kitava’s Ascendancy passive tree in Path of Exile 2 is a pretty unique one. Players will get access to a free skill, Smith’s Masterwork, which they can slot in anytime they want. We’ll cover that at the bottom, but it allows you to spend Ascendancy points on extra Body Armour passives — but you can only use Normal Body Armour if you slot this in, so be warned.

The Path of Exile 2 Smith of Kitava Ascendancy does crazy fire damage and also has access to a few powerful new skills (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

A devotee of the god Kitava, the Smith of Kitava in Path of Exile 2 is a true master of their craft. They can enhance their weapon, bring it to life, and even make unique armour specifically for their tastes. Additionally, they can increase all of their resistances, making them ideal solo machines.

Branch 1

• Fire Damage: 20% increased Fire Damage
• Heat of the Forge: Grants Skill “Fire Spell on Hit”

Branch 2

• Fire Resistance: +15% to Fire Resistance
• Coal Stoker: Modifiers to Fire Resistance also grant Cold and Lightning Resistance at 50% of their value
• Forged in Flame: Modifiers to Maximum Fire Resistance also grant Maximum Cold and Lightning Resistance

Branch 3

• Melee Damage: 20% increased Melee Damage
• Against the Anvil: Grants Skill “Temper Weapon”

Branch 4

• Minion Damage: Minions deal 20% increased Damage
• Living Weapon: Grants Skill “Manifest Weapon”

Smith’s Masterwork is a special node that requires you to use a Normal Body Armour (White) if you select it. However, it’s free to allocate and allows you to pick from any of the nodes beneath it, to grant buffs to your armour. These aren’t connected, and thus, aren’t a “branch” per se. We’ll list them together, for easy access.

Smith’s Masterwork options

• Flowing Metal: Body Armour grants +5% to Maximum Fire Resistance
• Molten Symbol: Body Armour grants 25% of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Fire Damage
• Internal Layer: Body Armour grants Hits against you have 50% reduced Critical Damage Bonus
• Leather Bindings: Body Armour grants 5% of Life per second
• Lead Lining: Body Armour grants +75% to Lightning Resistance
• Support Straps: Body Armour grants 20% increased Strength
• Kitavan Engraving: Body Armour grants 15% increased maximum Life
• Tantalum Alloy: Body Armour grants +75% to Fire Resistance
• Heatproofing: Body Armour grants Unaffected by Ignite
• Heavy Bracing: Body Armour grants 100% increased Stun Threshold
• Padded Plates: Body Armour grants +75% to Cold Resistance
• Dedication to Kitava: Body Armour grants Armour also applies to Chaos Damage taken from Hits

Path of Exile 2's Smith of Kitava Ascendancy can unlock three commands/Skills, as well: Fire Spell on Hit, Temper Weapon, and Manifest Weapon.

Unfortunately, we don’t know the specifics of Fire Spell on Hit, but we imagine it makes your attacks deal Fire Damage when they strike. However, we do know something about the other skills. We’ll update you when we have more specifics.

• Temper Weapon: Makes your attacks explode on impact for devastating AOE blasts
• Manifest Weapon: Makes an animated copy of your weapon to fight alongside you

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Check out our other Path of Exile 2 guides and features

• Path of Exile 2 Warrior class overview
• SSF Warrior is the true Dark Souls of Path of Exile 2
• All Mace (Warrior) skills in Path of Exile 2, explained