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If you've played a lot of Diablo 3 and/or Diablo 2/LOD (or any other ARPG), here's a quick and dirty guide that will get you playing Path of Exile in no time!

Pay model
Path of Exile is free to play and is supported by microtransactions and supporter packs. Microtransactions do not provide direct in-game advantages. The items available in the store are nearly all cosmetic, the only exceptions being additional/utility stash tabs and character/guild slots. Supporter packs can be considered to be similar to Kickstarter backer tiers, with various tiers offering different rewards, such as microtransaction points, unique pets, the ability to work with the developers to create a unique item, etc.

Skill gems
Skills in Path of Exile take the form of gems to be socketed into items. The skills in PoE aren't class-specific -- any class may use any skill, but a skill gem must be socketed into an equipped item in order to use that skill. Gems are either an active skill gem or a support gem. Active skill gems represent skills you actively use, while support gems augment those active skill gems when linked.

Examples:
 * linked with and  fires multiple fireballs that explode in a larger than normal AoE
 * Link to  gem to regain life for every enemy hit by Cleave.
 * Combine with  to have a totem which casts the spell for you so you can focus on other things.
 * Link with  and  to fire multiple ice projectiles which freeze enemies and have the freeze effect spread to nearby foes.

Early on, you'll mainly get active skill gems as quest rewards or as purchases through the accessories vendor (sell page 2) after completing certain quests. You'll also find them as a normal item drop. Even though any class can use any gem, the selection of gems offered to you as a reward or for purchase will depend on your chosen class.

As you fight, both active skill gems and support gems gain experience and can be leveled up to increase the gem's potency. Gems stop gaining experience at level 20, and pushing them higher will require more exceptional means, like Vaal Orbs or. Gems must be socketed into an equipped item in order for them to gain experience when you fight.

You may also choose not to level up a gem in some cases:
 * You are not yet able to satisfy the increased stat requirements of the higher gem level.
 * You cannot yet support the increased mana cost of the higher gem level.
 * The active skill gem has a linked support gem with a max supportable gem level requirement.
 * You want to pass it on to another character which might be lower level.

There are three overarching categories, represented by colors, of active skill and support gems: red colored gems, which require mostly strength to use; green colored gems, which require mostly dexterity to use; and blue colored gems, which require mostly intelligence to use. As the gems level up, their respective attribute requirement amounts will increase as well.

Each support gem has a set of conditions associated with it. These conditions are listed in the green text of the gem's description, when you mouse over it. You can use these to determine which support gems are able to affect which active skill gems. For example, supports any skill that hits enemies and causes those skills to penetrate enemy resistances. deals fire damage by hitting enemies. This means that the Fire Penetration support gem will affect the active skill Fireball, and will improve Fireball's fire damage. Support gems do not directly affect other support gems.

Attack skills take weapon damage into consideration. Spells, traps, spell-casting totems, and mine skills do not, (like Diablo 2).

There are many skill and support gems, and more are added periodically!

The maximum number of possible linked sockets is six. This means one active skill gem can normally be supported by a maximum of five support gems. Six-linked items are expensive and hard to come by. Most support gems raise the mana cost or mana reservation of the active skill(s) they are linked with.

For future reference: some keystone passive skills are also available as support gems if you want their effect for only some of your skills, for example,.

Classes
There are currently seven base classes of exile to choose from. As mentioned, abilities are not tied to classes, unlike Diablo: however, the class chosen will impact the supporting bonuses the character is able to provide to their abilities. Due to the amount of ability customisation, there's little guidance on the "best" way to play a class (many people have posted their builds on the Path of Exile forums, however, and it's a good place to start).

The main differences between classes are: how your hero looks, what their starting attributes are and their position in the passive skill tree (more on that next up). Note: the Scion must be unlocked in Act 3 in order to select her during character creation.

Starting (HP, Mana, Evasion Rating) = (50, 40, 53) for all classes. Each level up gives a passive skill point but also

The most exclusive difference between the classes is their choice of Ascendancy class. In later acts, completing The Labyrinth will allow you to choose one of three Ascendancy sub-classes. Each of these classes grant access to powerful and unique passives to ultimately specialize your characters. While the choices in each Ascendancy are still versatile enough for any build to take advantage of, it's advisable to take a look at them first if you have a certain type of build in mind. Unlike base class, it is possible to switch Ascendancies, although it takes a fair amount of effort.

The level cap is 100, but a maximum of 122 Passive skill points can be obtained. However, most builds are made using between 90 and 100 skill points, and making a build hinging on using all 122 points is not a good idea. Leveling past the storyline content is arduous, and your character will need to be more or less complete to navigate the endgame.

Passive skill tree

 * The official website provides an overview of the skill tree.

Characters gain a passive point per level, with which they can select nodes containing statistical bonuses. However these nodes are organised into a large sequential tree – quite unlike the Paragon Level system of Diablo 3. The tree may seem a little intimidating at first, but it may make things easier to realize that there are a few main types of node:


 * Class Starting Areas: These areas are where you'll be starting your character. The nodes where you begin are often very powerful, and there's absolutely nothing keeping you from heading toward another class's nodes later on! It's not a bad idea to scan your neighbors' starting nodes to see if they'll be useful for your build.


 * Clusters: Some nodes are grouped together in clusters, on a carved stony disc. All the nodes on the disc share a common theme, sometimes indicated with a central icon.


 * All clusters also have a notable passive, a special node rimmed in gold that is more powerful than normal nodes. Due to these powerful bonuses, they are important targets of a character build. Together with the other passives leading up to them they can become quite powerful.


 * Paths: Approximately 30% of the skill tree is composed of nodes that grant +10 to one of the three base stats. Calculate efficient paths around the tree to reach clusters and Keystones, as these are relatively useless and any savings on pathing will help put more points into the other types of node. Even if this makes the initial route to some groupings rather circuitous, every single passive point counts.


 * Keystones: Special and very powerful nodes that change a game mechanic for your character. For example:
 * Resolute Technique: Your hits can no longer be evaded, but you'll no longer deal Critical strikes.
 * Elemental Equilibrium: Rewards you for alternating between different types of Elemental damage, punishes you for using the same element consistently.
 * Acrobatics: Provides attack Dodge, but reduces Armour, Energy shield, and Block.

Every class has a specific starting area on the skill tree. Starting at the top and working clockwise, there's the Witch, the Shadow, the Ranger, the Duelist, the Marauder, the Templar, and finally the Scion at the center. Most characters usually spread themselves out from one area to another, depending on the nodes available and the bonuses relevant to that player and the abilities they have chosen to play with.

Plan ahead, for there are no full respecs in Path of Exile (except when a major patch changes the skill tree). Respec points are available through completing quests and spending currency items, but these are pricey. If you find yourself built in a corner, it can sometimes be quicker and easier to just reroll (start over).

Jewels
There are some nodes in the passive tree that can socket Jewels once allocated. They generally won't be a major part of your build early on. They can provide both ordinary and jewel-only passives. Some unique jewels affect or are affected by nearby passive nodes within a specified radius. There are also threshold jewels that can augment specific skills, for example improves.

Resource management
Flasks are idiosyncratic to Path of Exile. While they resemble refillable potions with multiple doses, that wouldn't explain the differing way they are used in this game. Flasks mainly refill when each enemy is killed, unlike the purchased stacks of potions in Diablo 2 or the cooldown in modern Diablo 3. Flasks work over time and can be used in combat. This means it is possible to sustain flask usage if enough monsters are killed quickly enough.

Flasks can replenish life and mana over time, as to be expected, but certain flasks provide offensive, defensive, or speed bonuses for a period of time instead. As Flasks store multiple doses there is some flexibility in the timing of their use.

Finally, as Flasks are permanent items, so they can be modified to give them special bonus modifiers like other equipment and gear. For example, you can expand their storage, give a life potion the ability to heal instantly, or add other bonuses such as gaining immunity to ailments while they're active - one of the easiest way to combat them.

Treat your flasks as gear, and be sure to be choosing, upgrading, and crafting your flasks as you go.

Regeneration
Each character starts with and no life regeneration. Life and mana leech has a maximum rate cap, which prevents healing more than 20% of your maximum life/mana per second without upgrades.

There is also energy shields that act as a health buffer that regenerates after not taking damage for a short time. Energy shield is the preferred method of defense for Intelligence-based characters. Chaos damage will bypass energy shields, however.

Currency items
There's no gold in PoE. Items are sold to and bought from players and NPCs by trading for a variety of currency items.

Any loot you find but have no use for can be sold to a vendor. Vendors will trade you, , or  for it, depending on the rarity of the sold loot. These shards and fragments are of low value, but can be combined into orbs and scrolls that have a use in crafting items. See the vendor recipe system for more information.

These are the most important currency items for beginners to know about:

There are many more currency items, see the currency page for a full list. It is advised not use any currency until you know its value, since the more valuable currencies can be traded to other players in exchange for items. Trading with players is done most commonly with the valuable s and s.

The best items in the game are often crafted with the use of currency. The most valuable/rare piece of currency in the game is a.

Attributes and stats
Attributes (STR, INT, DEX) are gained only from item affixes and passive nodes. Leveling up gives no stat bonuses.

Each additional 10 attribute points give:

The defensive stats are:

The offensive stats are:

Body armour and shields can have movement penalties (typically the heavier ones).

Dual wielding grants:

Maximum block chance is normally capped at 75%, but this cap can be overcome to a certain extent, with certain items. If you would've been stunned, there's a blocking animation, otherwise the block is "free". Only Attacks can be blocked or evaded, unless you have Spell Block from passives or an item - for example,.

Buffs & debuffs
There are various types of status effects in Path of Exile:

Charges
Charges grant stackable bonuses. By default, a character can have three of each charge, but the maximum number of charges can be increased. There are also certain skills that consume charges and skills that gain additional bonuses to charges.


 * Endurance charge - Grants.
 * Frenzy charge - Grants.
 * Power charge - Grants.

Ailments
Ailments are a secondary effect that is applied on hit and has its effect scales with the type of damage associated with it. Damaging ailments have a separate damage modifier and critical strike multiplier and scale off the base damage of the hit.

Fire, cold, and lightning damage each have an element ailment associated with them. The non-damaging ailments have their effect proportional to the percentage of life the elemental damage did. There are passives and items that grant a chance to apply these effects, and will always be applied on critical strike.


 * Ignite - Deals a damage over time that deals 200% of Fire damage dealt from the hit that applied it over 4 seconds. Comes from Fire damage.
 * Chill - Slows down animation speed. Chill is always applied with Cold damage.
 * Frozen - Effectively a stun. Frozen enemies shatter when they die, leaving no corpse behind. Comes from Cold damage.
 * Shock - Target takes increased damage. Comes from Lightning damage.

These ailments aren't automatically applies on critical strike, only certain skills and item bonuses will apply these.


 * Bleed - Deals damage over time equal to 350% of the Physical damage dealt from the attack that applied it per second over 5 seconds. While moving, bleed deals triple the damage per second.
 * Poison - Deals 30% of the damage dealt from Physical and Chaos damage that applied it over 2 seconds in Chaos Damage. Poison can stack multiple times, and each stack has a separate 2 second timer.

Curses
Curses are powerful debuffs with varying effects, such as reduced elemental resistances, granting the attacker life and mana leech, and so on. Normally only one Curse can be applied at a time, but this can be increased through a notable passive and some unique items.

Curses are split into two categories: Hexes, which are applied in an area and gain increased effect when manually cast, and Marks, which can only affect one target at a time.

Stuns
Stuns are handled differently from other ARPGs. Instead of applying it for a set time, its length depends on the stun duration modifier.

When you play you’ll notice that your attacks interrupt enemies (or vice versa), which is actually considered a stun; the default duration is 350 ms.

Check out the stun page for more information.

Instances
All areas in Path of Exile are instanced. When you enter an area, a new instance is created. Once you leave the area, the instance will remain in its current state for 15 minutes for main areas - if 15 minutes passes with no players entering the instance, it will be closed. Entering the same area again will create a new instance with a new randomly generated map. Areas without side areas attached (any area with two or fewer exits) has a shorter timer and will only last 8 minutes while empty.

Instances you create are private and cannot be entered by other players unless they join your party. However, once a player has entered an instance, that instance remains associated with the player even if they leave the party. So it is possible to share an instance with non-party members in some circumstances. The exception to this is towns, which are always public, and cut-throat leagues, where all instances are public - meaning anyone can enter your instances at any time.

Those 15m/8m timers are subject to technical limitations. Those times may be lower on open weekends when the servers are rushed by more players than usual.

You can force the creation of a new instance by Ctrl+clicking on the entrance, or map waypoint, while interacting with a waypoint.

Game modes
There are currently 10 acts of increasing difficulty in the game. Acts are split into two parts, with Part II revisiting Wraeclast in a changed environment.

Whenever you create a new character, you specify what league you want them to join, which is essentially the game type.

Currently there are four permanent leagues: Standard and Hardcore plus the Solo Self Found variants.

A new 'challenge' league split into 4 leagues will be created every three months or so. One challenge league always follows standard death rules, the other always follows hardcore death rules and the last two are the same as the two before but with no partying and trading (Called Solo Self Found, or SSF). These challenge leagues always have their own unique rule sets on top of the standard or hardcore death rules. When these challenge leagues end (usually after three months), the characters in these challenge leagues always return to their respective 'base' league type (standard, hardcore or the SSF variants) - along with all their inventory and stash items. Characters in the hardcore challenge league are moved to the basic standard league when they die (just like in normal hardcore). Characters in the standard challenge league remain in that challenge league after they die (they are not moved to the regular standard league until the current standard challenge league ends).

Solo Self Found characters can be transferred to their base league by a click of a button.

Characters can be moved between leagues (usually towards the Standard league) when certain events happen. Usually at the end of a ladder race/reset, characters are moved back to Standard so they can keep being played after the event. There are prizes for events, usually in-game currency or items with alternate art/model and higher item levels.

Masters
There are five Master NPCs: Einhar, Niko, Alva, Jun, and Zana. Sometimes zone can contain master-related content, which has you perform a task for rewards.

Einhar's missions will have you hunting special beasts. Einhar will assist you in combat and capture weakened beasts. Captured beasts are taken to the Menagerie, where they can be used for special crafting recipes via beastcrafting.

Niko's missions will have you finding and harvesting caches of Voltaxic Sulphite. Sulphite is used to delve in the Azurite Mine, an infinitely scaling dungeon. The Mines can contain special loot like fossils and resonators for modifiable crafting.

Alva's missions will have you go into incursions into the Temple of Atzoatl in the past. Incursions have a short time limit which is extended by killing enemies. You can find Stones of Passage to open paths and kill architects to change or enhance a room. After 12 incursions, you can enter the Temple of Atzoatl in present time to loot it.

Jun's missions will have you dispatch members of the Immortal Syndicate. The encounter depends on the member's division. Once defeated, Syndicate members can be interrogated for intelligence of their safehouse's location, bargained for a reward, have them betray another member, or killed to raise their rank. Raise their ranks and shuffle their positions to maximize the reward you can get from raiding their safehouse. Syndicate members also drop Veiled items which contain a mystery modifier that can be unveiled to unlock crafting recipes.

Zana's missions will have you enter another map of your choosing and perform a task in it. Zana is an important NPC in the post-game, who will help you obtain maps, progress in the Atlas, and give access to previous challenge league content.

Endgame content
Towards the end of the game, you may find maps. Maps are used in a Map Device to open randomly generated high-level areas. Maps can also be modded like you can any other item in PoE, making it more difficult and more rewarding.

Once you complete Act 10, you will be able to obtain your own map device. After completing your first map, you will also be provided the Atlas of Worlds. The Atlas visualizes the player's progress through the map content, with paths indicating what new maps can be discovered. Players are encouraged exploring the Atlas as each map you complete adds a permanent bonus to map drops. By further exploring the Atlas, you will encounter the Conquerors, wandering bosses in the Atlas that can drop special item bases and Watchstones. Watchstones can be socketed into a Citadel to upgrade the maps in each region to increase their map tier and unlock new map bases. They can also be modified with sextants to add additional modifiers to maps in that region. Watchstones can freely be swapped out and between Citadels.

In addition, by progressing through the Atlas you will obtain the Maven's Beacon. With the Beacon activated, the Maven will witness the map boss fight and empower them, adding it to her collection when you defeat it. Once the Maven has witness enough unique bosses within an Atlas region, you will obtain a Maven's Invitation, which takes you to an arena where you must fight all the previous bosses at once. Once you are victorious, you will obtain Atlas passive skill points for that region, which enhance various master and challenge league content rewards.

There are a many endgame challenges to face as well. Exploring corrupted zones or maps could let you find map pieces that open a realm to Queen Atziri, an optional, challenging boss. Defeating Atziri opens up a chance to obtain fragments used to face an even tougher version of Atziri. There are a few unique items that exclusively drop from Atziri, with the Uber version dropping some of the most powerful unique items in the game.

There is also the fourth difficulty of the Lord's Labyrinth. Unlike the first three Labyrinths, the trials for the endgame version are found in maps. Completing a trial once grants you one admission to the Eternal Labyrinth, with a tougher and deadlier layout and an even stronger Izaro. Completing this version of the Labyrinth grants two additional Ascendancy skill points, as well as valuable treasure and the most powerful enchantments.

By collecting and slotting Watchstones, the Atlas gains an Awakening Level, increasing boss health and added chance for special item and map drops. Completing maps at their highest tier while at a high enough Awakening Level adds Awakened Atlas completion bonuses, increasing the power of map mods and overall item yield. After collecting enough Watchstones and defeating the Conquerors, the Awakener, leader of the Conquerors, can be challenged. Defeating the Conquerors can earn you a chance to obtain powerful crafting items that add influences to items and Awakened Support Skill Gems, enhanced versions of support gems with power beyond their originals.

Maps can also drop as a Shaper or Elder influenced map. At higher tiers, these maps can have the boss be replaced with one of the Guardians of the Void or Elder Guardians. They can be defeated to obtain key fragments leading to a fight with the Shaper or the Elder, and defeating them drops fragments that lead to a fight with both of them, for a chance to acquire exclusive item bases and powerful uniques.

Many end-game challenges from previous challenge leagues can be pursued as well, such as the Pale Court, hidden bosses in the Azurite Mine, the Syndicate Mastermind, the Breachlord's domains, a 4 or 5-way battle between the Legions in the Domain of Timeless Conflict, and Synthesis bosses.

The Maven has special Invitations that require her to witness special boss fights. Completing these especially difficult Invitations grants Atlas tree points to the Uncharted Realms, which is universal to the Atlas. End-game Invitations also drop craftable Watchstones that add more modifiers to the Atlas and Crescent Splinters, which can be collected to challenge the Maven herself.