Path of Exile 2: Types of gems, how to get them and improve skills

Path of Exile 2 showcases a distinctive and complex skill system that differentiates it from other action role-playing games (ARPGs). In this game, every character class has the ability to learn or create any skill through the use of gems. These gems are some of the most important items in the game, so it’s crucial to understand their features and how to obtain them.

This guide will explore how skills function in Path of Exile 2, detailing the various types of gems available, ways to acquire them, and tips for enhancing your skills from the beginning.

Types of Gems

In Path of Exile 2, players should be familiar with two main types of gems:

• Skill Gems: These gems enable players to acquire new abilities for their characters.
• Support Gems: These gems enhance the effects of skill gems when linked, offering passive bonuses and various modifications.

Each character class has access to at least nine slots for learning skills via uncut skill gems. Once a skill is learned, players can assign it to a shortcut for quick access during combat.

Skill gems can be associated with various combat styles, including melee, ranged, spells, or minion abilities. While any character can ultimately learn any skill, certain skills may require specific weapons or attribute levels for effective usage.

Support gems modify main skill gems and improve their effectiveness, but they do not provide standalone skills. Typically, each skill gem can have two slots for support gems, but this can be expanded to a maximum of five using orbs in the jeweler’s crafting interface.

It’s important to keep in mind that each type of support gem can only be used once per character, meaning multiple copies of the same support gem cannot be equipped. Additionally, these support gems may raise the attribute requirements for using the linked skill, so plan accordingly.

How to Acquire New Gems

Obtaining new uncut skill gems and support gems in Path of Exile 2 is relatively simple:

• Defeating monsters can yield new gems randomly.
• The gems dropped by enemies will correspond to the level of the area you are in.
• Completing quests can also reward players with gems.
• Opening chests scattered throughout the game world is another way to find gems.

Improving Skills with Gems

In addition to enhancing abilities through support gems, players can also level up their skills using uncut skill gems. This means that uncut skill gems can be used to either create new skills or upgrade skills that have already been learned and equipped.

To enhance your skills, follow these steps:

• Select one of your uncut skill gems from your inventory.
• Open the skill crafting menu.
• Go to a section labeled “Improvement” to view your learned skills that can be leveled up using the gem.

It’s essential to understand that if you have a skill at level 3 and want to upgrade it to level 4, you can only do so with a level 4 or higher uncut skill gem. For example, if your gem allows for skills up to level 8, you can enhance a skill only up to that limit.

Ultimately, if your aim is to strengthen the skills already in your build instead of learning new ones, using extra uncut skill gems in your inventory for this purpose is highly advisable.