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:

• Skills granted by an item
• Default attacks
• Skills granted by a passive skill (e.g. Ascendancy notable)

Default attacks and skills from passive skills instead gain levels and sockets based on the player's character level.

Item 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 obtainable in the game is 84 (which grants a level 18 skill with 4 sockets), it is possible to find items that grant a level 19 or 20 version of its skill in high-tier maps.

Non-gem skill scaling

Player/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.