Blasphemy is a powerful support gem in Path of Exile 2 (PoE2), allowing players to turn curses into auras that apply automatically to nearby enemies. But what happens when it stops working? If you’ve recently noticed that enemies are no longer affected by your Blasphemy-linked curse, or your aura icon has mysteriously vanished, you’re not alone. In this article, we’ll take a serious look at what causes Blasphemy to malfunction in PoE2 and, most importantly, how to fix it.
TLDR
Blasphemy not working in PoE2 typically happens due to insufficient mana reservation, mismatched gem links, or using incompatible support gems. Check that your curse is correctly linked to Blasphemy and that you have enough unreserved mana left to sustain the aura. Make sure your skill is activated and verify that no passive or equipment changes disrupted your build. If the issue persists, consider starting from the support gem setup and work outward to identify the root cause.
Understanding Blasphemy in PoE2
Before diving into troubleshooting, it’s critical to understand how Blasphemy works in PoE2. When linked with a curse gem, Blasphemy reserves a portion of your mana to automatically apply that curse as an aura. This bypasses the need to manually cast the curse, which is especially useful for builds that want to automate debuffs and focus on other mechanics.
However, because it interacts with mana reservation and aura mechanics, there are several points where the setup can fail.
Common Reasons Why Blasphemy Might Not Work
If Blasphemy is not functioning as expected, the issue typically lies in one of these common areas:
- Mana Reservation Issues: Not enough mana available to reserve the aura.
- Incorrect Gem Linking: Your Blasphemy and curse gem are not linked properly in your gear.
- Gem Level or Mana Multiplier Problems: Higher-level gems require more mana, which may exceed your available pool.
- Equipment or Passive Skill Changes: Removing an item or unallocating a passive may disrupt the mana setup.
- Skill Not Activated: You may have forgotten to toggle on the Blasphemy aura after making changes.
- Incompatible Support Gems: Some support gems prevent Blasphemy from working at all.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Blasphemy Not Working
1. Check If the Aura Is Activated
This may sound obvious, but it’s worth starting with the basics. Open your skills tab and confirm that the Blasphemy-linked aura (curse) is activated. If it’s unchecked or not appearing on your skill bar, right-click it to add it back and activate it.
2. Inspect Your Mana Pool and Reservation
Blasphemy reserves a fixed percentage of your mana based on the curse it supports and the gem level. If you’re also running other auras or have reduced mana from gear changes, you might not have enough left to reserve the Blasphemy aura.
What to do:
- Hover over your mana bar to see your reserved and unreserved values.
- Reduce the number or intensity of other auras to free up mana.
- Consider passive skills or gear that provide reduced mana reservation.
3. Verify Correct Gem Linking
For Blasphemy to work, it must be linked directly to a curse gem (like Enfeeble, Temporal Chains, or Despair). A common mistake is placing them in the same gear item but in unlinked sockets.
Action steps:
- Open your character’s inventory.
- Look for connected sockets (visible as golden chains between them).
- Ensure that your Blasphemy gem is in a linked socket with your curse gem.
4. Analyze Gem Level and Mana Cost
At higher levels, Blasphemy and some curses have a significantly increased mana reservation multiplier. This can inadvertently push your total mana reservation over the limit, especially if you level gems without checking their updated costs.
Suggestions:
- Try using a lower-level version of the curse gem.
- Use an Empower support to boost effectiveness without increasing reservation.
- Look into gear or jewels that offer reduced mana reservation efficiency.
5. Audit Recent Gear or Passive Changes
Did you recently respec your passive tree or swap out an item that had mana efficiency stats? That could disrupt your setup. Items like Alpha’s Howl, passive nodes like Influence, or mods on items that reduce reservation are all key to making Blasphemy work.
Fix: Re-equipping the missing item or re-allocating the necessary passive points can instantly solve the problem.
6. Remove Incompatible Support Gems
Some players mistakenly link Blasphemy and a curse with other support gems that interfere with their function, such as Spell Totem or Cast when Damage Taken. These setups override the aura behavior and can nullify the effect.
Resolution: Remove any additional support gems. Limit the socket group to only Blasphemy + Curse.
7. Test with a Simple Setup
If you still can’t get it to work, try isolating the problem. Equip a white (normal rarity) item with two linked blue sockets and socket only Blasphemy and a basic curse like Enfeeble. This provides a clean testing environment.
Why it helps: If it works here, the problem lies elsewhere in your main gear setup. You can then systematically test other variables.
Advanced Fixes and Tools
Use Path of Building (PoB)
Path of Building is a great tool to simulate your build and check your mana reservation with Blasphemy active. It can also highlight whether you have enough free mana or if you need to change your gem levels or passive tree.
Employ Reservation Mastery and Clarity Aura
If you’re really tight on mana, reserve some of your life instead using certain passive nodes or items. Also, running Clarity can improve your mana regeneration, allowing you to sustain small gaps in available mana due to fluctuations in combat.
When It’s a Bug
Though rare, technical bugs can be the culprit. Sometimes, reinstalling the game or verifying your game files through Steam or the PoE2 launcher can resolve invisible data corruption affecting gem function.
If all else fails, report the issue on the PoE forums or reach out to GGG support with your system information and steps to reproduce the issue.
Conclusion
Blasphemy is one of the more complex support gems in Path of Exile 2, and making it work successfully depends on a well-balanced setup of mana reservation, correct gem linking, and compatibility with your build. Whether the issue stems from a basic oversight or an intricate gear interaction, following a methodical troubleshooting approach will help you identify the root cause. Don’t be afraid to leverage the PoE community, forums, and third-party tools—they’re invaluable in resolving issues like this.
With the right steps, your Blasphemy aura will be back up and cursing your enemies in no time.