Leveling up in Path of Exile 2 will reward you with a skill point, which you can use to invest in the Passive Skill tree. Unlike traditional RPGs, you don’t unlock actual skills within this tree but instead, stats that boost foundational stats to craft your build. In the beginning, you are bound to invest in nodes that you’ll regret investing in later.
Luckily, there is a simple method to respec passive skills in Path of Exile 2 that you’ll unlock pretty early in the game. Go through this article to discover this and revamp your build as you progress.
Passive Skills in Path of Exile 2
Uncut Skill Gems are your gateway to unlocking special skills that you’ll weave into your combat in Path of Exile 2. However, the insanely huge constellation-like Passive Skill tree is where you min-max the stats of your build to extract the most out of your character.
In the very early game, you’ll be investing in Passive Skills with each level up, but as you progress and your build starts to take shape, those previous investments might seem wasteful of precious skill points. You’d want to reinvest in other passive skills that synergize more with your overall build, equipment, and playstyle.
Fret not; there is a baked-in straightforward way of respeccing passive skills after just a few hours of going through the Path of Exile 2’s main quest. To do so, you must unlock The Hooded One NPC.
How To Respec Passive Skills in Path of Exile 2?
In order to find The Hooded One in Path of Exile 2 and start respeccing Passive Skills, you need to follow the steps below:
- Complete the “Secrets in the Dark” quest within Act I.
- Subsequently, proceed to the Grelwood waypoint in Act I to locate the Grim Tangle. Una will eliminate the roots obstructing this pathway, after which you must enter.
- Navigate through the Grim Tangle and take down the Rotten Druid until you discover the entrance to the Cemetery of the Eternals.
- Upon arriving at the Cemetery of the Eternals, initiate the “Sorrow Among Stones” quest, which is assigned by Lachlann the Lost, situated next to the Memorial Gate. Two Memorial Key Pieces are necessary to advance.
- The first piece is obtained by defeating Draven, the Eternal Praetor, at the Mausoleum of the Praetor.
- The second piece is secured upon defeating Asinia, Praetor Consort, at the Tomb of the Consort.
- After acquiring the pieces, proceed to defeat Lachlann of Endless Lament.
- Afterward, return to Clearfall Encampment and engage in conversation with Una. Following this discussion, you will observe The Hooded One has been revived within the town.
The Hooded One will be available at the hub in each town you visit. This NPC serves multiple functions, most notably the respeccing of passive skills and identifying items.
Interact with The Hooded One and select the “Refund Passive” option. This will bring up your Passive Skill Tree with all your unlocked skills. Now, all you need to do is hover over the passive skill you want to respec and press the refund button. This will return the point you invested to be put into any skill of your liking.
Do keep in mind that each refund costs a certain amount of Gold. The price will depend on your level and how far you are into the skill tree.
Fortunately, you can collect a ton of gold just by playing the game regularly. We recommend that you save some gold for respeccing passive skills for the later stages, where the prices of individual refunds are considerably high and you want to change up your build or optimize it more thoroughly.
Also, you can only refund the latest node you’ve unlocked on the passive skill tree and work your way down the tree. Skills that lie in the middle of the chain will force you to unallocate points from the farthest skills you’ve unlocked.
With the price paid, you’ll be refunded a skill point, and you can invest it in any other skill you prefer. Side tip: you can use the search feature in the Passive Skill tree to find the exact type of keyword in the skill. This allows you to invest in the right skills that better suit your build.
The best thing is that you can continue to visit the Hooded One and respec passive skills in POE 2 anytime. There are no restrictions whatsoever. All you need is Gold, and you are golden!
Respec Passive Skills in Path of Exile 2 is effortless thanks to the early NPC, the Hooded One, you find within just a few hours of starting the game. The price does get steeper as you level up, but gold is a very common resource that you’ll accumulate throughout your journey. Do not waste it on useless weapons; save it when you are ready to craft the ultimate build in POE 2.