View source for Gem tag

{{for|a list of [[active skill gem]]s ordered by gem tags|List of active skill gems by gem tag}}
{{for|a list of [[support skill gem]]s ordered by gem tags|List of support skill gems by gem tag}}

All [[skill gems]] have '''gem tags''' (also called '''keywords''') listed in the first line of the mouseover description. They are used for dividing the skills into groups and to clarify which type a skill is.
They '''do not''' indicate which [[modifier]] (or [[stat]]s) apply to a skill however.<ref name=ref1></ref>

__TOC__
==Mechanics==
Gem tags only categorize skills into groups, so effects like {{c|mod|+x Level of Socketed &lt;gem tag&gt; Gems}} can apply to them.

In particular, there are common misconceptions about gem tags:
* gem tags are '''only''' granted by [[skill gem]]s, skills granted from items or threshold jewels '''do not''' modify gem tags in any way<ref name=ref2 />
* they '''do not''' describe which gems can support other gems and are not meant to<ref name=ref2 />, even if it often does line up
* they '''do not''' describe which [[stat]]s (and to that extend [[modifier]]s) apply to a skill<ref name=ref1 />

==Overview of gem tags==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Category
! Mainpage
! Description
|-
| [[:Category:AoE (gem tag)|AoE]] 
| [[Area of effect]]
| Skills that have some [[area of effect]] portion to them.
Note that some skills with the ''AoE'' tag may not be affected by [[area damage]] but only benefit from increases and reductions to the radius.
|-
| [[:Category:Arcane (gem tag)|Arcane]]
|
| Skills which care about the amount of mana you have or spend for the purposes of that skill or support
|-
| [[:Category:Attack (gem tag)|Attack]] 
| [[Attack Damage]]
| Skills that use a weapon.
|-
| [[:Category:Aura (gem tag)|Aura]] 
| [[Aura]]
| Skills that grant or modify [[aura]]s.
An aura is a permanent effect focused on your character that also affects nearby party members and minions. Most auras reserve a portion of the player's mana pool.
|-
| [[:Category:Blink (gem tag)|Blink]]
| 
| Skills that move the character and share the same cooldown.
|-
| [[:Category:Bow (gem tag)|Bow]] 
| [[Bow]]
| These skills require a bow to be used. They implicitly have the ''projectile'' gem tag.
|-
| [[:Category:Brand (gem tag)|Brand]] 
| [[Brand]]
| Brands attach themselves to an enemy and have some sort of effect while they are attached.
|-
| [[:Category:Cast (gem tag)|Cast]] 
| [[Cast]]
| Skills marked with the ''Cast'' tag deal [[secondary damage]]. Cast gems are not spells, and are therefore not affected by modifiers that would normally only modify spells.
|-
| [[:Category:Chaining (gem tag)|Chaining]] 
| [[Projectile#Chaining|Chaining]]
| Skills that have the ability to chain.
[[Support skill gem]]s with the ''Chaining'' can also be linked to [[active skill gem]]s with the ''Projectile'' tag.
|-
| [[:Category:Channelling (gem tag)|Channelling]] 
| [[Channelled skill]]
| Channelled skills are activated continuously as long as the respective keyboard button is pressed.
|-
| [[:Category:Chaos (gem tag)|Chaos]] 
| [[Chaos Damage]]
| Chaos is one of the five [[Damage#Damage Types|damage types]].
|-
| [[:Category:Cold (gem tag)|Cold]] 
| [[Cold Damage]]
| Cold is one of the five [[Damage#Damage Types|damage types]].
|-
| [[:Category:Curse (gem tag)|Curse]] 
| [[Curse]]
| These skills weaken enemies to make them less dangerous or easier to kill. 
|-
| [[:Category:Duration (gem tag)|Duration]] 
| [[Duration]]
| Certain skills have an effect over time or activate after the duration. In some cases, such as curses, reusing the skill will reset the timer. 
|- 
| [[:Category:Fire (gem tag)|Fire]] 
| [[Fire Damage]]
| Fire is one of the five [[Damage#Damage Types|damage types]].
|-
| [[:Category:Golem (gem tag)|Golem]] 
| [[Golem]]
| Golems are a type of [[minion]] that provides a direct [[Buff]] to the person who summoned them, but not to anyone else.
|-
| [[:Category:Guard (gem tag)|Guard]] 
| [[Guard Skill]]
| Skills with defensive buffs. These all share the same cooldown.
|- 
| [[:Category:Lightning (gem tag)|Lightning]] 
| [[Lightning Damage]]
| Lightning is one of the five [[Damage#Damage Types|damage types]].
|-
| [[:Category:Melee (gem tag)|Melee]] 
| [[Melee]]
| Some melee skills require certain weapon types. These skills all deal [[Damage#Melee|melee damage]].
|-
| [[:Category:Mine (gem tag)|Mine]] 
| [[Mines]] 
| Mines can be placed down have to be remotely detonated or triggered with {{il|Detonate Mines}}.
Using {{il|Remote Mine}} it is possible to turn any [[active skill gem]] into a [[mine]] and benefiting from any other support gems with the ''Mine'' tag.
|-
| [[:Category:Minion (gem tag)|Minion]] 
| [[Minion]]
| These skills let characters raise [[minion]]s to fight enemies.
|-
| [[:Category:Movement (gem tag)|Movement]] 
| 
| Skills that affect the movement of the character.
|-
| [[:Category:Prismatic (gem tag)|Prismatic]]
|
| Skills which pick a random element to attack with, avoiding choosing the same element twice in a row
|-
| [[:Category:Projectile (gem tag)|Projectile]] 
| [[Projectile]]
| Skills that emit projectiles.
|-
| [[:Category:Physical (gem tag)|Physical]] 
| [[Physical damage]]
| Physical damage is one of the five [[damage type]]s.

|-
| [[:Category:Spell (gem tag)|Spell]] 
| [[Spells]]
| Skills that do not require weapons to be used.
|-
| [[:Category:Strike (gem tag)|Strike]] 
| [[Strike]]
| Skills that strike a single target or all within melee swing range. Many proc secondary effects such as the blades from {{il|Frost Blades}} and are supportable with {{il|Ancestral Call Support}} to repeat the secondary effect on multiple targets. Can also be supported by {{il|Melee Splash Support}} to create overlapping aoe effects on each enemy within a melee swing radius.
|-
| [[:Category:Support (gem tag)|Support]]
| [[Support skill gem]]
| Tag exclusively used by [[support skill gem]]s.
|-
| [[:Category:Totem (gem tag)|Totem]] 
| [[Totem]]
| Totems are stationary summons that assist in battle. Note that many other skills can be turned into a totem with the {{il|Spell Totem Support}} or {{il|Ranged Attack Totem Support}} support gems. See [[Damage#Totem|totem damage]].
|-
| [[:Category:Trap (gem tag)|Trap]] 
| [[Trap]]
| Traps are skills that trigger when an enemy walks over it. Note that many other skills can be turned into a trap with the {{il|Trap Support}} support gem. See [[Damage#Trap|trap damage]].
|-
| [[:Category:Travel (gem tag)|Travel]]
| 
| Skills that move the character.
|-
| [[:Category:Trigger (gem tag)|Trigger]] 
| [[Trigger]]
| Certain skills can't be activated manually, and happen automatically when specific conditions are met. 
Getting hit by these skills does not activate any trigger effects, like {{il|Reckoning}} or the energy shield recovery of {{il|Aegis Aurora}}.
|-
| [[:Category:Vaal (gem tag)|Vaal]] 
| [[Vaal skill]] 
| Vaal skills need to be charged in order to use them, but are a lot more powerful than their regular counterparts.
|-
| [[:Category:Warcry (gem tag)|Warcry]] 
| [[Warcry]]
| Warcries are active skills that provide situational benefits to players and are typically aligned with melee characters, because they only affect nearby enemies and allies. Warcries are not spells therefore cannot be supported by support gems that specifically link with spells, such as {{il|Cast when Damage Taken Support}}. They all share a cooldown. 
|}

==Modifiers that increase level of socketed gems based on gem tags==

{{Query spawnable affix modifiers
|where=
  mod_stats.id LIKE "%socketed%gem_level_+"
  AND mod_stats.id != "local_socketed_gem_level_+"
|spawn_weights=1
}}

==Version history==
{{Version history table header}}
{{Version history table row|3.15.0}}
* Added Prismatic , Arcane gem tags
{{Version history table row|3.13.0}}
* Added Orb gem tags
{{Version history table row|3.12.0}}
* Added Hex and Mark gem tags
{{Version history table row|3.11.0}}
* Added Slam gem tag
* (Not documented in patch note) Added Stance gem tag
{{Version history table row|3.7.0}}
* Added Physical, Guard, Strike, Blink gem tags
{{Version history table row|?}}
* Introduced to the game
|}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="ref1">{{cite web|author=Mark_GGG|date=June 14, 2016|title=Mechanical Questions Thread|url=https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1676002/page/29#p13383914|publisher=Official Path of Exile Forums|accessdate=June 14, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="ref2">{{cite web|author=Mark_GGG|date=April 03, 2017|title=Some Mechanics questions answered by Mark |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/pathofexile/comments/634vc5/some_mechanics_questions_answered_by_mark/dfrk58b/|publisher=Reddit|accessdate=April 03, 2017}}</ref>
}}

[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Skills]]