Soul Reaping is the Witchcraft lifesteal curse that keeps Coen alive in human form, and the manual that unlocks it shows up in two free world chests and on the shelves of three Witchcraft vendors in Blood of Dawnwalker. The ability drains a target over time while healing you for every second it runs, which makes it one of the few reliable ways to recover health when you are not in your vampiric form.
Quick answer: Clear the Ancient Circle east of the village of Maragir during daytime and loot the reward chest, or beat the ghosts at the Haunted Site east of Svartrau (south of Volk’s hut) and loot its chest. Either one gives you the Soul Reaping manual for free.
Where to get the Soul Reaping manual
The manual is an Epic-rarity item that makes Soul Reaping available to learn in the development tree. You only need one copy to unlock the ability, but there are several sources so you never have to rely on a single one.
| Source | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Ancient Circle, east of Maragir | Activate the stone altar in daytime, clear the summoned enemies, loot the chest |
| Haunted Site (River Massacre), east of Svartrau | Summon and defeat the ghosts haunting the camp, then loot the nearby chest |
| Vera (Witchcraft vendor) | Purchase at her hut in Briar Sloughs before she dies in the Bittersweet Toast quest |
| Mevasser (Witchcraft vendor) | Purchase in Svartrau’s Neustadt market plaza |
| Uriashi Matriarch (Witchcraft vendor) | Purchase after gaining access to the Uriashi village |
Ancient Circle east of Maragir
This is the earliest and easiest free copy. The Ancient Circle sits in a clearing in the woods to the east, and the altar at its center only responds during the day.
Haunted Site east of Svartrau
A second free manual waits at the River Massacre Site, a Haunted Site located east of Svartrau and just south of Volk’s hut (southwest of the Ruined Hut Shrine). It works like the Ancient Circle encounter.
Buying the manual from Witchcraft vendors
If you miss the chests, Vera, Mevasser, and the Uriashi Matriarch all stock Witchcraft manuals, including Soul Reaping. Each has a catch that can lock you out, so timing matters.
- Vera sells it at her hut in Briar Sloughs, but she dies once you start the Bittersweet Toast quest tied to the Ambrus boss fight. Buy from her before that point.
- Uriashi Matriarch only becomes reachable after you gain access to the Uriashi village.
- Mevasser becomes available once you reach Svartrau, and his shop is not marked on the map.
To reach Mevasser, enter the city through the Svartrau West Shrine and head to the small market plaza in Neustadt. His house stands near a stone arch. Vendor stock can vary slightly between playthroughs, so a second visit may be needed if the manual is not on sale the first time.
What Soul Reaping does at each rank
Soul Reaping is a day-only Witchcraft ability with a 45-second cooldown. Casting it costs 2 Activation Charges and 15% of your Health, and it can be upgraded to a maximum of four levels. The curse steals life from your target each second for a fixed duration, and higher ranks add damage transfer and a burst heal when the target dies.
| Rank | Duration | Added effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18s | Lifesteal per second |
| 2 | 24s | Higher lifesteal per second |
| 3 | 30s | 20% of damage you take transfers to the target |
| 4 | 36s | 40% of damage you take transfers to the target; heal 500 Health when the target dies |
Note: The exact lifesteal-per-second value scales with your current build and level, so the number you see in-game will differ from any fixed figure. The duration, damage transfer, and on-death heal are the parts that stay consistent across ranks.
Because the heal stacks up over the whole duration, the ability pays off most against high-health enemies that survive long enough for the lifesteal to tick many times. Cursed targets are also kept out of the fight while the effect runs. Once the manual is in your inventory, interact with a Shrine, open the development tree, and spend a Skill Point to learn Soul Reaping and confirm the unlock.
