Keyword

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Keywords are words or phrases with Path of Exile-specific mechanical significance. When appearing in modifier text, they are always capitalized. For words with everyday meanings, like "double", "triple", and "recently", capitalized instances are keywords and follow strict in-game definitions, while uncapitalized instances refer to the everyday definition.

Damage types

Physical damage

Main page: Physical damage

Physical damage is a type of damage. Physical damage is the only type of damage that can inflict impale, bleed, and Corrupted Blood. Along with chaos damage, it is one of two types of damage that can inflict poison. The default attack deals physical damage while unarmed and all weapon basetypes deal physical damage. Physical damage is mitigated by physical damage reduction.

Lightning damage

Main page: Lightning damage

Lightning damage is a type of elemental damage. Lightning damage is the only type of damage that can inflict shock. Sap is lightning damage's alternate ailment. Lightning damage is characterized as having the greatest damage variance of any damage type. Lightning damage is mitigated by lightning resistance.

Cold damage

Main page: Cold damage

Cold damage is a type of elemental damage. Cold damage is the only type of damage that can inflict chill and freeze. Brittle is cold damage's alternate ailment. Cold damage is characterized as having the same damage variance as fire damage, but less then lightning damage. Cold damage is mitigated by cold resistance.

Fire damage

Main page: Fire damage

Fire damage is a type of elemental damage. Fire damage is the only type of damage that can inflict ignite. Scorch is fire damage's alternate ailment. Fire damage is characterized as having the same damage variance as cold damage, but less then lightning damage. Fire damage is mitigated by fire resistance.

Chaos damage

Main page: Chaos damage

Chaos damage is a type of damage that ignores energy shield. Along with physical damage, chaos damage is one of two types of damage that can inflict poison. Chaos damage is characterized as being more difficult to mitigate (chaos resistance is characterized as being rarer than other types of resistance) than any other type of damage but also the least commonly-dealt type of damage.

Damage sources

All damage originates from one of four sources.

Attack

Main page: Attack

Attacks are a category of skills characterized by the attacker trying to hit their target with their weapon, while unarmed, or with projectiles fired directly from their weapon (bows and wands). If the damage does not involve an attacker trying to hit with any of the previous methods, it is an attack. Attacks have a chance to be evaded, determined by the defender's evasion rating and the attacker's accuracy. Unlike spells, attacks will always try to deal damage.

Spell

Main page: Spell

Spells are all skills that are not attacks. They do not involve the attacker trying to hit their target with their weapon, while unarmed, or with projectiles fired directly from their weapon (bows and wands). Unlike attacks, many spells do not deal damage. Spell damage cannot miss.

Secondary

Main page: Secondary

Secondary damage is a category of damage characterized by being difficult to scale due to being neither attack nor spell damage. Explosions, damage dealt by heralds, and self-damage dealt through items like Heartbound LoopHeartbound Loop
Moonstone RingRequires Level 20+(15-25) to maximum Energy ShieldRegenerate (10-15) Life per second
(20-40)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
Minions have 15% increased maximum Life
Minions have 10% increased Area of Effect
350 Physical Damage taken on Minion DeathWhen the axe finally fell, Seryl shared his pain,
and the last thought that flickered through his
fading mind was her broken, shattered scream. and Scold's BridleScold's Bridle
Mind CageEnergy Shield: (73-84)Requires Level 65, 138 Int(80-100)% increased Spell Damage
15% reduced Cast Speed
+(30-60) to maximum Mana
Your Skills deal you 400% of Mana Spent on Upfront Skill Mana Costs as Physical Damage"The sharper the pain, the sharper the mind.
A curious paradox."
- Shavronne of Umbra are secondary damage.

Damage over time

Main page: Damage over time

Damage over time is damage inflicted continuously over a period of time. Unlike damage from all other sources, damage over time cannot hit. All damage over time effects are a kind of debuff.

Double damage and triple damage

Main page: Double damage

Main page: Triple damage

Double damage and triple damage are keywords, following strict in-game definitions instead of their everyday meanings.

• Chance to deal double/triple damage is additive with other double/triple damage modifiers.
• Additional % chance exceeding 100% has no effect.
• The damage increases are applied after all other modifiers.
• Double damage is hit-only and does not apply to damage over time.
• Triple damage overrides double damage; a hit that does triple damage will never also do double damage.

Keystones

Main page: Keystone

The names of all keystone passive skills on the passive skill tree are keywords and their respective modifiers function identically to their passive tree counterparts. For example, Grelwood ShankGrelwood Shank
Eternal SwordOne Handed Sword
Physical Damage: (116.85-129.15) to (193.8-214.2)
Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%
Attacks per Second: (1.72-1.80)
Weapon Range: 1.1 metresRequires Level 66, 104 Str, 122 Dex+475 to Accuracy Rating(185-215)% increased Physical Damage
(15-20)% increased Attack Speed
80% increased Armour while stationary
Skills fire 2 additional Projectiles if you've been Hit Recently
Point Blank
Iron Reflexes while stationaryThrough countless seasons they stand, stoic,
Each season leaving its mark;
a memory written in fibrous flesh.'s modifier Point Blank grants the same bonuses as allocating Point Blank. Multiple instances of the same keystone do not stack.

Keyword-exclusive buffs

Buffs are a type of effect that modifies a character or monster, usually in a neutral or positive way. When active, buffs appear with specific green borders in the UI on the upper-left hand corner of the screen. Buffs are either temporary and have durations, or are tied to specific modifiers.

Some buffs are exclusive to keyword modifiers and are not tied to or unique to specific skill gems or unique items.

Adrenaline

Main page: Adrenaline

Adrenaline is a non-stackable buff that grants 100% increased Damage, 25% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed, and 10% additional Physical Damage Reduction. You cannot gain Adrenaline while you have the Adrenaline buff.

Alchemist's Genius

Main page: Alchemist's Genius

Alchemist's Genius is a non-stackable buff that grants 10% increased Effect of Flasks on you and 20% increased Flask Charges Gained.

Conflux

Main page: Conflux

Conflux is a family of non-stackable keyword buffs that grant All of your damage [elemental ailment]s. Variants of conflux include Igniting Conflux (ignite), Chilling Conflux (chill), Shocking Conflux (shock), Elemental Conflux (shock, chill, & ignite), Scorching Conflux (scorch), Brittle Conflux (brittle), and Sapping Conflux (sap). Note that, despite being an elemental ailment, freeze has no associated type of conflux.

Elusive

Main page: Elusive

Elusive is a non-stackable buff that, at 100% effect, grants 30% increased Movement Speed and 15% chance to Avoid All Damage from Hits. The effect of elusive decays over time at a rate of 20% per second, reaching 0% at the end of its duration.

Fortification

Main page: Fortification

Fortification is a stackable buff that grants 1% less Damage taken per Foritification. Foritification has a default maximum of 20 stacks and has a 6 second duration.

Fortify

Hits may fortify, granting a variable number of fortification stacks, based on how much damage the hit would have dealt to the enemy before taking into account the enemy's damage reduction, relative to the enemy's ailment threshold. As there are no sources of fortify on hit that do not specify melee hits, it is practically impossible to fortify with a non-melee hit.

Onslaught

Main page: Onslaught

Onslaught is a non-stackable buff that grants 20% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed. When applied by a Silver FlaskSilver FlaskLasts 6.00 Seconds
Consumes 40 of 60 Charges on use
OnslaughtRequires Level 27Right click to drink. Can only hold charges while in belt. Refills as you kill monsters., modifiers to flask effect will modify Onslaught's effect.

Phasing

Main page: Phasing

Phasing is a non-stackable buff that allows affected monsters and characters to move through enemies.

Soul Eater

Main page: Soul Eater

Soul Eater is a stackable buff that grants 5% increased Attack Speed, 5% increased Cast Speed, and 1% increased Character Size per stack. For monsters, Soul Eater will also grant damage reduction per stack. If a character or monster have Soul Eater, they will gain 1 Soul Eater stack for each enemy killed. The Soul Eater buff will persist until the original source creating it expires. The effect does not stack or refresh, and Soul Eater cannot be gained while an entity already has Soul Eater.

Soul Eater on monsters do not have a duration and will last indefinitely unless the monster has phase transitions. Soul Eater stacks are reset to zero if a monster becomes possessed by a Tormented Spirit.

Tailwind

Main page: Tailwind

Tailwind is a non-stackable buff that grants 8% increased Action Speed.

Unholy Might

Main page: Unholy Might

Unholy Might is a non-stackable buff that grants Gain 30% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage.

Keyword debuffs

Debuffs are a type of effect that modifies a character or monster, usually in a negative. When active, debuffs appear with specific red borders in the UI on the upper-left hand corner of the screen. Debuffs are either temporary and have durations, or are tied to specific modifiers. Each each adjective keyword describing the state of having a given debuff, there is an associated verb keyword that describes the action of applying it, conforming to standard rules of English.

Some debuffs are keywords and are not tied to or unique to specific skill gems or unique items.

Blinded

Main page: Blind

Blinded is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 20% less Accuracy, 20% less Evasion, and reduces the target's light radius to the minimum value.

Covered in Ash

Main page: Covered in Ash

Covered in Ash is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 20% increased Fire Damage Taken and 20% less Movement Speed. Covered by Ash applied by Infernal CryInfernal CryWarcry, AoE, Duration, Fire, Attack, Trigger, Melee
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (15-19) Mana
Cooldown Time: 8.00 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Use Time: 0.80 sec
AoE Radius: 60Requires Level 24Performs a warcry, taunting nearby enemies to attack the user and exerting subsequent attacks. Covers enemies in ash, causing them to move slower and take increased fire damage. Affected enemies explode when they die, dealing fire damage in an area.Base duration is (5.00-5.90) seconds
(0-38)% increased Warcry Speed
Damage cannot be Reflected
Explosion deals Fire Damage equal to 8% of the Monster's maximum Life
Counts total Power of Enemies in Range
Covers Enemies in Ash, causing 3% increased Fire Damage taken per 5 Power, up to 20%
Exerts the next 6 Melee Attacks you perform
Exerted Attacks Trigger Combust the first time they deal a Melee Hit
60% of Physical Damage Converted to Fire Damage
This Skill is Triggered by Attacks Exerted by Infernal Cry

Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
(2-40)% increased Cooldown Recovery RatePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket. has variable values of #% increased Fire Damage Taken.

Covered in Frost

Main page: Covered in Frost

Covered in Frost is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 20% increased Cold Damage Taken and 50% Critical Strike Chance.

Crushed

Main page: Crushed

Crushed is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have -15% additional Physical Damage Reduction.

Debilitated

Main page: Debilitate

Debilitated is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have Deal 10% less Damage and 20% less Movement Speed.

Exposure

Main page: Exposure

Exposure is a family of keyword debuffs that includes Lightning Exposure, Cold Exposure, and Fire Exposure. Targets that have Exposure of a given element will have -% to the respective resistance. If unspecified, Exposure's default value if unspecified is 10% if applied by a character, and 25% if applied by a monster. However, when specified by its source, its value may be highly variable.

Hinder

Main page: Hinder

Hindered is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have #% reduced Movement Speed. Hinder's default value is 30% reduced Movement Speed. However, many sources of Hinder specific custom values. Multiple hinders do not stack. Hinder is applied by spells, just like hinder is by attacks. Since hinder and maim are different debuffs, an enemy can be affected by both simultaneously.

Intimidate

Main page: Intimidate

Intimidated is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 10% increased Attack Damage taken.

Maimed

Main page: Maim

Maimed is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 30% reduced Movement Speed. Multiple maims do not stack. Maim is applied by attacks, just like hinder is by spells. Since maim and hinder are different debuffs, an enemy can be affected by both simultaneously.

Malediction

Main page: Malediction

Malediction is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 10% increased Damage taken and 10% reduced Damage dealt.

Taunted

Main page: Taunt

Taunt is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target have Deal 10% less Damage to any targets that did not apply the taunt. If a monster is affected, they will prioritize targeting the source of the taunt over any other targets.

Unnerved

Main page: Unnerve

Unnerved is a keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 10% increased Spell Damage taken.

Withered

Main page: Withered

Withered is a stackable keyword debuff that causes the affected target to have 6% increased Chaos Damage taken. Withered can stack up to 15 times on a single target.

Keyword-exclusive modifiers

Some keystone-like modifiers are exclusive to keyword modifiers and cannot be found on the passive skill tree. Some of these effects appear as monsters modifiers.

Keyword	Source
Far Shot	The FledglingThe Fledgling Lacquered HelmetArmour: (345-465) Evasion: (345-465)Requires Level 51, 57 Str, 57 Dex(150-200)% increased Armour and Evasion (30-50)% increased Projectile Speed (30-50)% increased Projectile Damage Projectiles cannot collide with Enemies in Close Range Far ShotThe single well-placed arrow that changes the world must be preceded by ten thousand practice shots., Beltimber BladeBeltimber Blade Eternal SwordOne Handed Sword Physical Damage: (116.85-129.15) to (193.8-214.2) Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attacks per Second: (1.72-1.80) Weapon Range: 1.1 metresRequires Level 66, 104 Str, 122 Dex+475 to Accuracy Rating(185-215)% increased Physical Damage (15-20)% increased Attack Speed 80% increased Evasion Rating while moving Skills fire 2 additional Projectiles if you've used a Movement Skill Recently Far ShotBy wind and wing they are carried, Their fates not theirs to control, Yet the fates of others dragged in their wake., Lioneye's GlareLioneye's Glare Imperial BowBow Physical Damage: (100.8-129) to (394.8-453) Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attacks per Second: (1.59-1.74)Requires Level 66, 212 Dex(20-24)% increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills(180-200)% increased Physical Damage Adds (7-14) to (24-34) Physical Damage (10-20)% increased Attack Speed +(80-100) to maximum Mana Hits can't be Evaded Far Shot"See without doubt, slay without hesitation." - Marceus Lioneye of Sarn, Far Shot, Implicit modifiers of various monsters
Everlasting Sacrifice	Mahuxotl's MachinationMahuxotl's Machination Steel Kite ShieldChance to Block: 26% Armour: (146-167) Energy Shield: (30-35) Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 46, 60 Str, 60 IntCorrupted Soul Divine Flesh Eternal Youth Everlasting Sacrifice Immortal Ambition Vaal PactThe Banished Architect sought to employ all the darkest secrets of the Vaal... at the same time.
Battlemage	Nycta's LanternNycta's Lantern Crystal SceptreSceptre Physical Damage: (87.5-105) to (130-156) Elemental Damage: (76-98) to (161-176) Critical Strike Chance: 6.50% Attacks per Second: 1.25 Weapon Range: 1.1 metresRequires Level 41, 59 Str, 85 Int30% increased Elemental Damage(150-200)% increased Physical Damage Adds (76-98) to (161-176) Fire Damage 50% increased Light Radius BattlemageLeft in her tomb by the lynch mob, the flame inside still blazed bright after her death, and so did hers., Martyr of InnocenceMartyr of Innocence Highborn StaffStaff Physical Damage: 48-145 Elemental Damage: (315-360) to (450-540) Critical Strike Chance: 6.50% Attacks per Second: 1.15 Weapon Range: 1.3 metresRequires Level 52, 89 Str, 89 Int+18% Chance to Block Attack Damage while wielding a StaffGrants Level 15 Vengeance Skill +(12-16)% Chance to Block Attack Damage while wielding a Staff 100% increased Fire Damage Adds (315-360) to (450-540) Fire Damage Battlemage Damage Penetrates 15% of Fire Resistance if you have Blocked Recently Immune to Freeze and Chill while IgnitedYou have been found guilty. Let the fires cleanse you of your sins., DisintegratorDisintegrator Maelström StaffWarstaff Physical Damage: (291-311) to (417-447) Critical Strike Chance: 6.80% Attacks per Second: 1.25 Weapon Range: 1.3 metresRequires Level 64, 113 Str, 113 Int+25% Chance to Block Attack Damage while wielding a StaffAdds (220-240) to (270-300) Physical Damage +1 to Maximum Siphoning Charges per Elder or Shaper Item Equipped 25% chance to gain a Siphoning Charge when you use a Skill Adds (12-14) to (15-16) Physical Damage to Attacks and Spells per Siphoning Charge Gain 4% of Non-Chaos Damage as extra Chaos Damage per Siphoning Charge 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction from Hits per Siphoning Charge 0.2% of Damage Leeched as Life per Siphoning Charge Take 150 Physical Damage per Second per Siphoning Charge if you've used a Skill Recently BattlemageBlurred is the boundary between creator and destroyer., Cadigan's CrownCadigan's Crown Runic CrownWard: (164-189)Requires Level 68, 66 Str, 66 Dex, 66 IntNever deal Critical Strikes BattlemageCadigan the Third ruled dispassionately through the iron might of artifice., Instruments of Virtue

Far Shot

Main page: Far Shot

Far Shot is a keyword that grants Projectile Attack Hits deal 20% less Damage to targets at the start of their movement, dealing up to 60% more Damage to targets as the projectile travels farther.

Everlasting Sacrifice

Main page: Everlasting Sacrifice

Everlasting Sacrifice grants When you reach full Energy Shield, Sacrifice all Energy Shield to gain +5% to all Maximum Resistances for 4 seconds.

Battlemage

Main page: Battlemage

Battlemage is a keyword that grants Gain Added Spell Damage equal to the Damage of Your Main Hand Weapon.

Hexproof

Main page: Hexproof

Hexproof is a keyword that grants Unaffected by Hexes. Curses that Hexproof negates will have their floating Curse icons above the entity replaced by lock symbols. Hexproof monsters with these lock symbols are still considered cursed even if the curses have no effect.

Hex Reflection

Main page: Hex Reflection

Hex Reflection causes hexes inflicted upon the hexed to be reflected back to the hexer.

Recently

Main page: Recently

Recently is a keyword that defines the period of the past 4 seconds.

Savage Hit

Main page: Savage Hit

Savage Hit is a keyword that defines a hit that removes at least 15% of the target's maximum life. Damage to energy shield, mana and ward are not counted toward the savage hit threshold.

Transfiguration of Body

Main page: Transfiguration of Body

Transfiguration of Body is a keyword that grants Increases and Reductions to Maximum Life also apply to Attack Damage at 30% of their value.

Transfiguration of Mind

Main page: Transfiguration of Mind

Transfiguration of Mind is a keyword that grants Increases and Reductions to Maximum Mana also apply to Damage at 30% of their value.

Transfiguration of Soul

Main page: Transfiguration of Soul

Transfiguration of Soul is a keyword that grants Increases and Reductions to Maximum Energy Shield also apply to Spell Damage at 30% of their value.

Version history

Version	Changes
2.2.0	Recently, Savage Hit, Maim and Elemental Conflux are added as keywords.
Unknown	Introduced to the game.