Passive Skill Tree
The Passive Skill Tree is a vast, interconnected web of passive skill in Path of Exile 2 that allows players to customize their character's attributes and powers. It serves as the primary progression system for character development, providing access to numerous bonuses, such as increased damage, survivability, or utility. Players allocate Passive Skill Points on the Passive Tree by leveling up or completing certain quests, enabling deep build customization and unique playstyles.
Passive Tree Nodes
Passive Tree Nodes are individual points on the Tree that grant specific bonuses when allocated. Nodes come in various types:
- Attribute Nodes (Travel Nodes): Adds +5 to any attribute selected. This node can be changed to a different attribute for half the gold cost as refunding one passive.
- Small Passives: Provide minor bonuses to a variety of stats, such as increased damage or defenses.
- Notable Passives: Passives which provide a significant boost to power or unique mechanics, generally requiring allocating the small passives preceding them to unlock.
- Jewel Sockets: Special nodes that allow players to socket jewels into them, which grant highly modular bonuses. Jewels can be removed and swapped out at any time.
- Keystones: Passives which dramatically alter gameplay mechanics, often providing powerful benefits alongside drawbacks.
Nodes are interconnected, and players must allocate points in a path to reach desired nodes.
Layout
The Passive Skill Tree consists of a large circle in the center as the starting area, several passives cluster spread across the entire tree, and attribute nodes that connect everything together. Each cluster contains multiple small passives that lead to a notable passive, some of which having different pathways leading into the notable. The type of bonuses from each cluster tend to be more generalized near the center and more powerful or specialized the further they are. Each class starts from one of the sections from the large circle in the center of the tree, depending on their primary attributes.
The Passive Skill Tree is divided into distinct sections, each indirectly associated with one of the game's three primary attributes: Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence. These sections influence the types of bonuses and playstyles available in each area and dictate the starting points for characters based on their class:
- The southwest section of the passive tree is focused on Strength; it proves bonuses to mechanics such as fire damage, armour, melee combat, endurance charges, block, warcries, and life leech.
- The southeast section of the passive tree is focused on Dexterity; it proves bonuses to mechanics such as lightning damage, evasion, ranged attacks, Frenzy charges, deflection, accuracy, and flask recovery.
- The north section of the passive tree is focused on Intelligence; it proves bonuses to mechanics such as cold damage, chaos damage, energy shield, spells, minions, power charges, mana, and curses.
- The passive skills available between these sections are hybridized between the two.
This structure ensures that starting positions reflect each class's core identity, while the flexibility of the Passive Skill Tree allows for highly customized builds that can explore other sections as desired.
Ascendancy skill tree
Each class gains access to an Ascendancy class skill tree after completing their first Ascension Trial, which can be found within the center circle. The Ascendancy skill tree is a small sub-tree that contains highly specialized and build-defining passive skills. They require Ascendancy passive skill points to allocate, and each difficulty of an Ascension Trial grants two Ascendancy passive points, up to 8 per character.
The Ascendancy passive tree is separate from the regular skill tree and generally do not interact with each other.
Passive Skill Points
Characters gain one Passive Skill Point each time they gain a level. They can also gain additional skill points by completing certain quests or using quest rewards dropped by certain bosses. Each character can gain up to 99 passive points from levels and 24 from quests, for a total of 123 skill points. However, players should have a build that can function with 10-20 points less than this, due to the time it takes to reach maximum level.
Pathfinders can gain up to 6 additional passive skill points from their Ascendancy class tree, 5 from Traveller's Wisdom, and 1 from the minor node preceding it.
Weapon Specialisation
Certain quest items like the Book of Specialisation or quest rewards grant two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points, which can be allocated separately to each weapon set, with the exception of keystone passives and jewel sockets. This system provides flexibility for builds that utilize multiple weapon setups or prefer to invest in general passives. You can also allocate these passive points as regular passives instead.
Each character can gain up to 24 Weapon Set Passive Skill Points throughout the course of the campaign. The Witchhunter passive Weapon Master converts up to 100 regular passive points into weapon set passive points.
If you allocate points to both weapon sets, refunding these points requires removing one from each weapon set to reclaim a single normal Passive Skill Point.
Respecialisation
Respecialisation, also known as "refunding" or "respeccing", is the process of reallocating passive skill points. Players can remove previously allocated nodes on the tree by spending Gold, with the cost increasing as the character's level rises. This system allows for build adjustments, experimentation, and correcting mistakes in skill allocation while balancing accessibility with resource management.
| Level | Gold Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 19 |
| 3 | 25 |
| 4 | 31 |
| 5 | 39 |
| 6 | 46 |
| 7 | 60 |
| 8 | 73 |
| 9 | 85 |
| 10 | 98 |
| 11 | 113 |
| 12 | 128 |
| 13 | 145 |
| 14 | 163 |
| 15 | 182 |
| 16 | 211 |
| 17 | 225 |
| 18 | 241 |
| 19 | 257 |
| 20 | 273 |
| 21 | 290 |
| 22 | 308 |
| 23 | 326 |
| 24 | 344 |
| 25 | 364 |
| 26 | 384 |
| 27 | 404 |
| 28 | 425 |
| 29 | 447 |
| 30 | 470 |
| 31 | 493 |
| 32 | 517 |
| 33 | 542 |
| 34 | 567 |
| 35 | 593 |
| 36 | 620 |
| 37 | 648 |
| 38 | 676 |
| 39 | 706 |
| 40 | 736 |
| 41 | 767 |
| 42 | 799 |
| 43 | 832 |
| 44 | 866 |
| 45 | 900 |
| 46 | 936 |
| 47 | 973 |
| 48 | 1010 |
| 49 | 1049 |
| 50 | 1089 |
| 51 | 1130 |
| 52 | 1172 |
| 53 | 1215 |
| 54 | 1259 |
| 55 | 1304 |
| 56 | 1351 |
| 57 | 1399 |
| 58 | 1448 |
| 59 | 1498 |
| 60 | 1550 |
| 61 | 1603 |
| 62 | 1657 |
| 63 | 1713 |
| 64 | 1770 |
| 65 | 1829 |
| 66 | 1889 |
| 67 | 1950 |
| 68 | 2014 |
| 69 | 2078 |
| 70 | 2145 |
| 71 | 2213 |
| 72 | 2282 |
| 73 | 2354 |
| 74 | 2427 |
| 75 | 2502 |
| 76 | 2578 |
| 77 | 2657 |
| 78 | 2737 |
| 79 | 2820 |
| 80 | 2904 |
| 81 | 3089 |
| 82 | 3281 |
| 83 | 3480 |
| 84 | 3686 |
| 85 | 3899 |
| 86 | 4120 |
| 87 | 4349 |
| 88 | 4585 |
| 89 | 4829 |
| 90 | 5081 |
| 91 | 5509 |
| 92 | 5952 |
| 93 | 6412 |
| 94 | 6889 |
| 95 | 7383 |
| 96 | 7895 |
| 97 | 8425 |
| 98 | 8974 |
| 99 | 9542 |
| 100 | 10129 |
Ways to interact with the skill tree
Certain effects allow you to modify the bonuses granted by passive skills on the skill tree or even allocate passives that you haven't directly pathed into.
Liquid emotions from Delirium encounters can be used to Instil an amulet to give it an enchantment modifier that allocates a notable passive skill anywhere on the tree and without using a skill point. Note that effects which allocate passives do not stack if you have already directly allocated the passive skill yourself.
Unique jewels such as 
Controlled MetamorphosisControlled Metamorphosis
DiamondLimited to: 1
Radius: VariableOnly affects Passives in (Very Small-Massive) Ring
Passives in Radius can be Allocated without being connected to your tree
(-20--5)% to all Elemental Resistances
(-23--3)% to Chaos ResistanceOur world was dying, but we chose to survive.
We broke free from the chains within.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
and 
From NothingFrom Nothing
DiamondLimited to: 1
Radius: SmallPassives in Radius of <Keystone> can be Allocated without being connected to your treeCorruptedThey clawed their way up from the agonising depths of nonexistence,
breathing deep with joy the exquisite light of meaning.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
allow you to allocate points into passives within its radius without having them be directly connected to your skill tree.
Certain effects like the Titan passive skill Hulking Form, Time-lost jewel modifiers, and certain unique jewels can increase the effect of small passives, modifying the amount of stats they give, or add additional stats to passives.
Unique Timeless Jewels transform passive skills within their radius, adding new modifiers or replacing them with new ones, including keystone passives, which is determined by the seed listed on its modifier.
Version history
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 0.3.0 |
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| 0.2.0 |
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| 0.1.0 |
|