Blessings and Curses: swear, mark, collect
This is the system with the best name and the least explanation. The store says you can swear Vows for power, lay Woe on a pack, and mark the strong for death. That is enough to build a mental model — and not enough to publish a tier list.
The three moves
| Term | Official wording | Working interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Vow | “Swear Vows for power” | A self-buff with a condition or cost. The Oath button is the natural activation point. |
| Woe | “Lay Woe on a pack” | An area curse or debuff applied to enemies before or during a fight. |
| Mark | “Mark the strong for death” | A priority-target debuff, likely on rares, Guardians or dangerous elites. |
| Blessing | The system name | Probably the positive half of the Vow/Woe pair, or a category that contains Vows. |
| Curse | The system name | Probably the negative half, containing Woe and marks. |
Only the middle column is official. The interpretation column is ours and should be tested in-game.
The Oath button
The official screenshots show a button labelled Oath directly under the skill bar, next to the flask and movement keys. That placement matters: it is a combat action, not a menu. It suggests vows are activated during a fight, not only in town.
Why this system matters for builds
Most ARPG builds are a damage skill plus multipliers. A vow/curse layer adds a second axis: when you get the multiplier. If a Vow has a cost, a duration or a condition, the build’s power curve changes. A burst build wants a short, expensive vow; a sustained build wants a cheap one it can keep up.
- Burst: a vow that adds damage for a few seconds, paired with a skill that front-loads damage.
- Sustain: a vow with a manageable upkeep, paired with a damage-over-time or minion build.
- Control: Woe as a defensive layer — slow, weaken or distract the pack before it reaches you.
- Priority: mark the rare, ignore the trash. In a Rupture, the rare is usually the run-ending threat.
What to test at launch
- Does the Oath button open a menu or activate a vow directly?
- Can you have more than one Vow active?
- Does Woe apply to a pack or a single target?
- Does marking a target change its AI, its damage taken, or both?
- What is the cost — mana, life, gold, a cooldown, or a debuff on you?
- Can a boss resist or clear a mark?
How to slot it into a build
Treat the oath layer as one of your defensive or offensive layers, not as a fifth damage skill. If your build already struggles for mana, a vow that drains mana will make it worse. If your build has spare sockets but no burst, a vow is the cheapest way to add a damage window.
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Pick one vow
Read its cost before its bonus. A bonus you cannot pay for is a trap.
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Pick one curse
Woe for packs or a mark for rares. Do not split between both until you have the slots.
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Bind the Oath button somewhere reachable
If it is a combat action, it belongs near your movement key, not on the far side of the keyboard.
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Measure uptime
Count how often the vow is actually active during a Rupture. If it is below half, the build is not built around it.