How does the PoE 2 passive skill tree work? Many RPGs propel players with an engrossing story, satisfying combat, or maybe even just the lure of another shiny item. Path of Exile 2, while having all of these in spades, is all about your power. Smacking someone in the face with a mace is great, but smacking someone in the face with a mace with several passive skill tree nodes unlocked is even better; these buffs take the most basic actions and amplify them – if you know what you’re doing, anyway.
The Path of Exile 2 release date is right around the corner, and we have builds for all the PoE 2 classes, including the Warrior, the Sorceress, and even the Monk. Knowing where you’re heading in this RPG game is more important than most because of how big the PoE 2 passive skill tree is; incredibly daunting at first, this web of Path of Exile 2 nodes will be the building blocks for your ascendancy to the top.
What is the Path of Exile 2 passive skill tree?
The Path of Exile 2 passive skill tree is a branching set of unlockable nodes for your character. It looks daunting at first, as there are over 1,500 individual passive buffs for your character, but there are ways in which PoE 2 makes the process more digestible. For instance: while each of the PoE2 classes shares the same tree, they start in a specific segment, with all the nodes in that section being useful for that class.
You can’t really go wrong in the early game when choosing which passive nodes to unlock; you get one skill point per level with which to unlock a node, and early on, they’ll be flat boosts to your basic abilities. Things like increased melee damage, etc. are always good to have early on. You progress through the passive skill tree by unlocking nodes; consider it like a fixed track, with branching options as you go.
If you branch off in the wrong direction or just don’t like how your build is progressing, you can respec your passives at the cost of some gold. This allows flexibility and promotes creativity while you’re learning the ropes, and with the new PoE 2 weapon set feature, you can create two different builds from the passive tree, with each one being assigned to a specific weapon set. You can switch between these two sets at will, giving your builds even more depth.
It’s important to note that even though you start in a specific section of the passive skill tree depending on your class, you can head in any direction given you have enough points to unlock nodes. What is good for the Mercenary may also be good for the Ranger, and so on.
Three types of nodes form the PoE 2 passive skill tree: Attribute Nodes, Notables, and Keystones. We’ll go into them in a little more depth next.
Attribute Nodes
Attribute Nodes are the bread and butter of any PoE 2 build, and are generally simple increases to a specific aspect of your character. For instance, if you spend a skill point to unlock the Skill Speed node, you’ll gain a 3% increase in your attack and cast speed. These increases stack up as you progress through the tree, and as we mentioned earlier, the section you begin with is littered with Attribute Nodes that benefit your character, aim to unlock as many as you can early on.
You will occasionally come across an Attribute Node that offers you a choice: these nodes award flat attribute increases, and you can choose whichever attribute you think would benefit your character most. For instance, if you have the choice between +5 to Strength, Intelligence, or Dexterity, and you’re playing a class that relies on melee damage, it’s probably worth opting for the Strength boost.
Notables
Occasionally, you’ll reach a node that is slightly bigger than a regular Attribute Node – these are Notables. Notables are nodes with much bigger increases to a certain aspect of your character, but will often be more nuanced. Notables can also tweak how some of your skills function, which can be useful if you’re beginning to lean into a certain playstyle.
An example of a Notable is Repeatable Explosives; this Notable gives your grenades a 20% chance to explode for a second time. Obviously, if you aren’t utilizing grenades in your build, then this Notable is useless, but for those that rely on the heavy burst damage of their throwable explosives, that can be a potential game-changer.
There are other Notables like Shrapnel that give your projectiles a 30% chance to pierce an enemy, and a 30% chance to ricochet off terrain. If you have a PoE 2 support gem on your crossbow that adds projectiles and then unlock the Shrapnel Notable, you have the potential for a shotgun-like weapon that can shred mobs of enemies instantly.
Keystones
Keystones are the largest and most unique nodes you can unlock on the PoE 2 passive skill tree. They offer powerful rewards but often come with specific drawbacks. Keystones are nodes that you will likely have to mold your build around to make work.
The Mind Over Matter Keystone, for instance, redirects all the damage you take to your mana pool before affecting your health, but it comes with the drawback that your mana regeneration is reduced by 50%. To make this work effectively, you would have to seek and unlock nodes that not only increase your mana pool, but its regeneration speed; otherwise, you’ll be left healthy but unable to use any abilities.
Some Keystones, like Pain Attunement, give you increased critical strike chance when you’re at low health, but decreased critical strike chance when you’re near full health. While it may not necessarily require a lot of tweaking to your build path, you may need to change your playstyle slightly. It’s all about risk vs reward with Keystones, but if you can make any of them work within your build, they can be incredibly strong.
Now that you know how the Path of Exile 2 passive skill tree works, you shouldn’t have a problem building the most powerful character possible. For more explainers, we have a helpful guide on Path of Exile 2 ascension, whether PoE 2 has co-op, and even a PoE 2 Twitch drops guide so you can bag yourself some free goodies.