Gem socket

A gem socket is a socket in a gem which can have another type of gem socketed into it to modify the original gem.

Mechanics

Skill gems can be socketed with support gems. Meta gems can be socketed with skill gems.

Skill gems can have 2-5 sockets. The number of sockets can be increased with Jeweller's Orbs. They may colloquially be referred to as "links" instead (terminology from Path of Exile), in which case they would be considered 3-6 linked skills or gems.

Skills granted by items and passive skills

Skills not granted by a skill gem cannot gain sockets from Jeweller's Orbs. These include:

• Granted skills from items
• Granted skills from passive skills (e.g. Ascendancy notables)
• Default attacks

Default attacks, skills from passive skills, and certain item inherent skills such as Spear ThrowSpear ThrowBarrageable, Attack, AoE, Projectile
Level: (1-20)
Attack Speed: 70% of base
Attack Damage: (125-390)% of baseHurl your Spear with force. Consumes a Frenzy Charge if you have one to cause the Spear to explode at the end of its flight.Explosion
Attack Damage: (232–724)%
Explosion radius is 2 metresSkills can be managed in the Skills Panel. instead gain levels and sockets based on the player's character level.

Other item granted skills, on the other hand, are determined by the item's item level. It is not possible to directly increase an item skill's sockets or levels; the only way to have an improved version of the skill is to find a new, higher item level version of the base type or unique item. This will also usually increase the item's level and attribute requirements. While the highest item level normally obtainable in the game is ilvl 84 (which corresponds to a Level 19 skill with 4 sockets), it is possible to find items that grant a level 19 or 20 version of its skills in high-tier maps.

The following is a table of breakpoints for character level/item level required to increase either the skill level or number of sockets.

Non-gem skill scaling

Character/Item Level	Skill Level	Sockets
1	1	2
3	2	2
6	3	2
10	4	2
14	5	2
18	6	2
22	7	2
26	8	2
31	9	2
36	10	2
40	10	3
41	11	3
46	12	3
52	13	3
58	14	3
64	15	3
65	15	4
66	16	4
72	17	4
78	18	4
84	19	4
90	20	5

Version history

Version	Changes
0.3.0	Items with inherent Skills can now rarely drop with Skill levels up to level 20 in high-tier Maps.
0.1.0	Introduced to the game.