Passive skill
Every character in Path of Exile has access to the passive skill tree. The passive skill 'tree' is a large network of stats and raw attribute increases for the player's character. All classes use the same tree, but start in different places. When a character levels up or completes certain quests, they gain one skill point. A skill point allows the player to allocate a node on the skill tree, provided that it is already connected to an allocated node. This is how the character's passive 'path' is formed.
An interactive version of the passive skill tree can be viewed on the official Path of Exile website.
Mechanics
Characters can accrue 99 passive skill points from levels, 22 skill points from quests, with 2 more if they Deal with the Bandits by killing them all. Players can refund skill points placed using Orbs of Regret or the 20 skill refund points from quests.
Players that choose the Scion as their character may also gain up to 5 additional passive skill points, depending on the choices they make in their Ascendancy.
While the passive tree may seem complicated, it actually only has two parts. It can be thought of as a map with suburbs and roads.
The clusters of related passive nodes that boost a specific area (swords, spells, damage types, evasion, etc.) are like suburbs. These will form the bulk of a character's build. The pathways between these clusters, comprised entirely of nodes that give +10 to a certain attribute, are like roads. Some of these roads can cover a great distance much quicker than if the player detours through the suburbs: what may look like a short path with passive boosts could be much longer than taking the +10 to attribute path.
Pressing 'c' in-game and hovering over each of the three attributes will show what these do. Anything the attributes don't do, such as increase ranged damage or attack speed, will likely be handled by passive nodes on the skill 'tree'.
Layout
The character classes and their approximate starting position on the tree
- The tree can be divided into three primary sectors of equal size, one-third of the relatively circular tree, surrounding a central wheel. They are the north or blue sector, the southwest or red sector, and the southeast or green sector.
- The north or blue sector is also known as the magic sector; passives there boost intelligence, elemental damage, energy shield, wand damage, minion stats, etc. Everything related to magic and the skills normally found on blue gems.
- The southwest or red sector is also known as the melee sector; passives there boost strength, armour, physical damage, and nearly every known aspect of melee combat, as well as all skills normally found on red gems.
- The southeast or green sector is also known as the Ranged sector; passives there boost dexterity, ranged projectile damage, evasion, most known aspects of ranged combat, and all skills normally found on green gems.
- As the player moves to the borders between sectors, the passive skills available there become more hybridized between the two.
- Each character starts at the border of the inner wheel of the tree at a different location. The Witch, for example, starts at the due-north border of the inner wheel, smack in the middle of the blue sector showing her preference for magic. The wheel of character images (on the right) shows which position each class starts in and therefore their preferred method of combat; the Marauder starts in the middle of the red sector showing a preference for melee combat, and the Ranger starts in the middle of the green sector for ranged combat, with the other characters starting in a position to put them in more of a hybrid role to start.
- While nothing hinders players from immediately leaving the starting area to make, say, a Melee Witch, such a player would have a hard time acquiring the melee skill gems early in the campaign (they would have to trade for them or buy them with other characters). Also, none of the witch Ascendancies would really support such skills.
Passive nodes
There are several types of passive skills.
Small passives
Small passive skills only grant attributes or minor bonuses to the character.
Notable passives
Notable passive skills grant notable improvements to the character.
Some notables are only acquired via cluster jewels and anointment. Cluster jewels provide a unique set of notables, while every notable on the main skill tress can be anointed, plus an additional 11 notables that exclusive from anointment.
Passive masteries
When you allocate a cluster's Notable passive skill through the normal method (that is, traveling there through the skill tree), you may allocate a Mastery passive on that cluster. Masteries are present in all clusters outside of the class's starting area, and allocating it lets you acquire one passive effect within the cluster category, indicated by their icons, e.g. health, two-handed weapons, curses. The set of mastery passives offered are shared among their respective cluster categories. Once you select an option from a category, you cannot select that option again by taking the mastery passive of another cluster of the same category.
Notable passives not connected to your tree (From Anointing or 
Intuitive LeapIntuitive Leap
Viridian JewelRadius: SmallPassives in Radius can be Allocated without being connected to your treeThe carpenter who picks up a blade is not mad.
He's ambitious.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
) will not let you allocate a Mastery passive.
Keystone passives
Keystone passive skills significantly alters how the character functions. Some of them are granted exclusively from unique cluster jewel and unique Timeless Jewel.
Jewel sockets
Jewel sockets are passives that can be filled with jewels. By default, they are empty and don't grant any bonuses. There are currently 21 sockets distributed around the tree, 15 of which are small and 6 are Large Jewel Sockets.
Ascendancy passives
Every character has an opportunity to gain a subclass called Ascendancy class that grants access to an Ascendancy skill tree specific for the character class chosen.
Planning your build
With the number of nodes on the skill tree, the variety of starting positions, the number of passive skill points you can gain and the variety of available Jewels, the number of possible configurations of skill builds on the tree is so large it can for all intents and purposes be considered infinite. Planning a good build in this tree can be a daunting task for many players, but there are ways to make it much easier.
There is a VERY effective Search function at the top of the passive tree viewing window. If you put a word, or even part of a word, into this search function, every single passive node in the entire tree that has this word either within its name or its main effect description sentence will be highlighted by a pulsing glow, easily visible even with the tree view zoomed out to the maximum. You can then quickly hover your mouse over that node for more details on what it specifically does, and compare its position to the parts of the tree you have already allocated points to.
To then proceed with an effective build design, do the following:
- Think of an effect that you want, such as a specific Passive listed within another page on the Wiki that sounded attractive, or a more general concept such as passives that affect Shields.
- Type a corresponding key word into the search function, such as part of the name of the specific Passive you're looking for or a concept word like Shield.
- Zoom out the tree view and find the corresponding glowing nodes, and hover your mouse over them to check the corresponding direct effects
- Compare the positions of these passive clusters with the node path you've already unlocked, and determine the most efficient path that uses the lowest number of Passive points to get you to the desired nodes and/or puts you nearby/through other nodes with other effects that will also greatly help you in other ways later.
- Get the passive skill points through the normal means, and apply them according to plan.
With a bit of work you should be able to plan out an extremely effective character design using the above process.
Unique Jewel interactions
Some unique jewels can grant different bonuses depending on the specific socket they are socketed into and/or the other passive skills that have or have not been allocated.
Inspired LearningInspired Learning
Crimson JewelRadius: SmallWith 4 Notables Allocated in Radius, When you Kill a Rare monster, you gain 1 of its Modifiers for 20 secondsIf you do not learn from a won battle
then you have already lost the war.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
- Grants a 
HeadhunterHeadhunter
Leather BeltRequires Level 40+(25-40) to maximum Life+(40-55) to Strength
+(40-55) to Dexterity
+(50-60) to maximum Life
(20-30)% increased Damage with Hits against Rare monsters
When you Kill a Rare monster, you gain its Modifiers for 60 seconds"A man's soul rules from a cavern of bone, learns and
judges through flesh-born windows. The heart is meat.
The head is where the Man is."
- Lavianga, Advisor to Kaom
-like effect if at least 4 notable passive skills are allocated within its radius. Multiple instances of Inspired Learning stack.
- Intuitive LeapIntuitive Leap
Viridian JewelRadius: SmallPassives in Radius can be Allocated without being connected to your treeThe carpenter who picks up a blade is not mad.
He's ambitious.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. - Allows the allocation of passive skills within the jewel's radius without them having to be connected to the tree. May be useful in a jewel socket with several desirable notable passive skills in its radius without having to spend to passive skill points to allocate their less desirable prerequisite points.
Might of the MeekMight of the Meek
Crimson JewelRadius: Large50% increased Effect of non-Keystone Passive Skills in Radius
Notable Passive Skills in Radius grant nothingEnough mice can kill a wolf.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
- Increases the effect of non-Keystone passive skills (effectively travel nodes and small nodes) within its radius with the downside of also disabling the notables.
Pure TalentPure Talent
Viridian JewelLimited to: 1While your Passive Skill Tree connects to the Duelist's starting location, you gain:
1% of Attack Damage Leeched as Life
While your Passive Skill Tree connects to the Ranger's starting location, you gain:
7% increased Movement Speed
While your Passive Skill Tree connects to the Shadow's starting location, you gain:
+0.5% to Critical Strike Chance
While your Passive Skill Tree connects to the Witch's starting location, you gain:
0.5% of Mana Regenerated per second
While your Passive Skill Tree connects to the Templar's starting location, you gain:
Damage Penetrates 5% Elemental Resistances
While your Passive Skill Tree connects to the Scion's starting location, you gain:
+25 to All Attributes
While your Passive Skill Tree connects to the Marauder's starting location, you gain:
Melee Skills have 25% increased Area of EffectThe skilled know how to learn.
The talented know who to learn from.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
- Provides different bonuses depending on whether your passive skill tree connects to the starting locations of various character classes. These bonuses stack if your tree connects to more than one.
Unending HungerUnending Hunger
Cobalt JewelLimited to: 2
Radius: MediumMinions have (6-8)% increased Area of Effect
With at least 40 Intelligence in Radius, Raised Spectres have a 50% chance to gain Soul Eater for 20 seconds on KillThey roamed, they fed, they grew,
Killing as they went,
Conquer though they may,
Their hearts will never be content.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
, the three Combat Focus jewels, 
Spirit GuardsSpirit Guards
Viridian JewelLimited to: 1
Radius: MediumMinions deal (8-12)% increased Damage
With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Animate Weapon can Animate up to 20 Ranged WeaponsLong after the Karui passed through,
the whispers of those who stood their ground
at Lioneye's Watch could be heard amongst the rubble.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
, and 
Endless MiseryEndless Misery
Cobalt JewelLimited to: 1
Radius: Medium(7-10)% increased Elemental Damage
With at least 40 Intelligence in Radius, Discharge Cooldown is 250 ms
With at least 40 Intelligence in Radius, Discharge deals 60% less Damage
With at least 40 Intelligence in Radius, Discharge has 60% less Area of EffectThe sky, the land, the people burned.
What little still stood soon faced wild, battering storms. Winter arrived suddenly and stayed for a generation. Civilisation was not simply halted, but reversed, erased.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
- All Threshold jewels, these jewels provide specific bonuses only if a certain amount of a specific attribute is allocated in the nodes of the jewel's radius.
Unnatural InstinctUnnatural Instinct
Viridian JewelLimited to: 1
Radius: SmallAllocated Small Passive Skills in Radius grant nothing
Grants all bonuses of Unallocated Small Passive Skills in Radius"I don't know how I know,
I just know that I know."Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
- Instead of allocated nodes granting their bonuses and unallocated nodes granting nothing, Unnatural Instinct reverses it into unallocated nodes granting their bonuses and allocates nodes granting nothing. Has no effect on notable nodes.
Split PersonalitySplit Personality
Crimson JewelLimited to: 2This Jewel's Socket has 25% increased effect per Allocated Passive Skill between
it and your Class' starting location
<Two random modifiers>CorruptedYou need not go looking for a second opinion.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
- Grants greater bonuses the further the allocated socket is from your class's starting location on the tree is. May encourage less "efficient" pathing to grant greater bonuses.
Passive skill points as quest rewards
Several quests in the storyline reward characters with points to spend on the passive tree. Players can use the command /passives in-game to get a list of passives quests they have already received on that character.
Listed below are all the quests that reward passive tree points. There are 22-24 total, depending on your choices during the Bandit quest.
- Act 1 : The Dweller of the Deep
- Act 1 : The Marooned Mariner
- Act 1 : The Way Forward
- Act 2 : Deal With The Bandits (+2 if the player kills all bandits)
- Act 3 : Victario's Secrets
- Act 3 : Piety's Pets
- Act 4 : An Indomitable Spirit
- Act 5 : In Service to Science
- Act 5 : Kitava's Torments
- Act 6 : The Father of War
- Act 6 : The Puppet Mistress
- Act 6 : The Cloven One
- Act 7 : The Master of a Million Faces
- Act 7 : Queen of Despair
- Act 7 : Kishara's Star
- Act 8 : Love is Dead
- Act 8 : Reflection of Terror
- Act 8 : The Gemling Legion
- Act 9 : Queen of the Sands
- Act 9 : The Ruler of Highgate
- Act 10 : Vilenta's Vengeance
- Act 10 : An End to Hunger (+2)
Passive skill refund points as quest rewards
Several quests in the storyline reward characters with passive refund points (or known as passive skill respec point) which allows the character to deallocate passive points in a similar fashion to 
Orb of RegretOrb of RegretStack Size: 40Grants a passive skill refund pointRight click on this item to use it.
.
Listed below are all the quests that reward passive respec points. There are 20 passive respec points total from quests.
- Act 1: A Dirty Job (+2)
- Act 2: Through Sacred Ground (+2)
- Act 3: Victario's Secrets (+2)
- Act 4: An Indomitable Spirit (+2)
- Act 5: Kitava's Torments (+2)
- Act 6: Fallen from Grace (+2)
- Act 7: Kishara's Star (+2)
- Act 8: Love is Dead (+2)
- Act 9: Fastis Fortuna (+2)
- Act 10: No Love for Old Ghosts (+2)
See also
Version history
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With the removal of the difficulty system meant that most quest rewards got reworked. Characters that killed Merciless Malachai prior to the release of 3.0 will typically have 10-12 of the possible 22-24 available passive quest points. Certain quests from part two were already "completed" for legacy characters created before 3.0. These are:
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