TL;DR
- Complete Ominous Altars side quest to unlock Spirit system and gain 30 base Spirit points
- Spirit powers auras, buffs, permanent minions, and Meta Gems with varying activation costs
- Defeat campaign bosses and equip Spirit-boosting gear to increase your maximum Spirit capacity
- Plan your Spirit allocation carefully as costs range from 30-60 points per ability
- Infernalist Ascendancy offers specialized Spirit enhancement options
Games and Esports Articles
Path of Exile 2 introduces revolutionary quality-of-life enhancements through its redesigned aura system. These persistent abilities activate once and remain active continuously, providing sustained buffs without requiring manual casting during combat. Understanding how to leverage these powerful tools can dramatically improve your gameplay experience from early acts through endgame content.
While traditional offensive and defensive skills consume mana resources, auras and other persistent abilities operate on an entirely different principle. They draw from a dedicated resource pool called Spirit, representing a fundamental mechanical innovation in the Path of Exile franchise. This separation ensures that your active skill usage doesn’t conflict with your passive buff maintenance.
New characters begin their journey without access to Spirit points, creating a deliberate progression gate. To initiate this system and start benefiting from auras, you must successfully complete the specific side quest titled Ominous Altars, which serves as your introduction to this crucial gameplay element.
Talk to Finn located within Clearfell Encampment to commence the Ominous Altars questline. This multi-stage adventure culminates in a challenging confrontation against The King in the Mists, a formidable boss encounter that tests your combat proficiency. Proper preparation is essential—ensure your character possesses adequate damage output, defensive layers, and healing capabilities before engaging this demanding opponent.
Upon emerging victorious from this battle, you’ll receive a special gem reward that permanently grants your initial 30 Spirit points. This milestone unlocks the core aura system, allowing you to begin experimenting with various buff combinations that will enhance your character’s capabilities throughout the campaign.

Your Spirit reserve serves as the activation cost for several critical gameplay elements: defensive and offensive auras, temporary buffs, permanently summoned minions, and advanced Meta Gems that modify skill behavior. Each ability demands a specific Spirit investment, with costs varying significantly based on power level and effect duration.
For reference, Arctic Armor represents an entry-level option at 30 Spirit points, providing solid defensive value for newer players. Meanwhile, advanced trigger mechanics like Cast on Shock require a substantial 60 Spirit investment, reflecting their powerful automated response capabilities in combat situations.
Strategic Spirit allocation becomes crucial as you progress. Plan your build around the total Spirit cost of your desired abilities, as exceeding your maximum capacity will prevent activation of additional auras. Many players make the mistake of not accounting for future Spirit needs when planning their character progression.

Expanding your Spirit pool occurs through multiple progression paths. Defeating two key campaign bosses—The King in the Mists and the Act 3 witch—provides permanent Spirit increases. Additionally, equipping scepters as your weapon choice naturally boosts this stat, while actively seeking gear with explicit “+Spirit” modifiers offers the most direct enhancement method.
The Infernalist Ascendancy specialization provides unique Spirit-scaling opportunities through its class-specific passive tree. Advanced players should consider this Ascendancy when planning Spirit-intensive builds that rely on multiple simultaneous auras for maximum effectiveness.
For optimal Spirit management, prioritize abilities that provide the greatest benefit per point invested. Defensive auras often offer better value for newer characters, while experienced players can optimize around high-cost trigger mechanics for automated combat responses. Most players require 15-20 minutes to complete the Ominous Altars quest with proper preparation.

Action Checklist
- Locate Finn in Clearfell Encampment to start Ominous Altars quest
- Prepare adequately for King in the Mists boss fight
- Acquire Spirit gem reward and allocate first 30 points
- Plan Spirit expenditure based on desired aura combinations
- Progress through campaign to defeat Spirit-granting bosses
No reproduction without permission:Game Guides » How to get auras in PoE 2. How to unlock auras and how to increase Spirit in PoE 2 Master PoE 2 auras and Spirit mechanics with advanced strategies for optimal character builds
