Path of Exile 2 changes how the passive skill tree shapes your character, and I write from years of play: the tree decides your power and playstyle. If you made early allocation mistakes or want to pivot to a different archetype, you’ll need to reset points. I’ve noticed players waste time guessing; planning first saves currency and frustration.
Why reset passive skills? 🔄
New players often grab attractive nodes and later realize they don’t fit. Honestly, I did that on my first Marauder—felt strong at level 10, then hit a wall at 60. The meta shifts too: balance patches on 03 June 2024 changed several cluster bonuses and, oddly enough, made some previously useful paths worse. So you adapt, or you suffer.
Want to experiment without making a new character? You can. Want to optimize for a specific boss or mapping strategy? That’s valid. There are exceptions—some minor builds won’t need a full respec—but for most serious endgame characters a thoughtful reset becomes necessary.
How to get respec points (practical)
Primary source: Orb of Regret. One orb = one passive refund point. They drop in maps, from strongboxes, and via vendor recipes. I’ve noticed drop rates climb in higher-tier content; farming T15–T16 maps yields more orbs than early campaign runs.
| Method | Cost / Return | Availability | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orb of Regret | 1 orb → 1 point | Common in maps | Small adjustments |
| Quest reward points | Free | Finite (about 20–24 total per character) | Early fixes |
| Vendor recipe | Specific items → Orbs | Controlled by you | Stockpile reliably |
Remember: you must remove nodes in reverse order because pathing dependencies block forward removals. That constraint forces planning. Why? Because the tree treats connections like locked chains—remove the last link first.
Vendor recipe and a quick how-to 🛠️
By the way, vendor recipes force you to trade items deliberately instead of relying on luck. Between us: that’s the most reliable way to farm regrets if you don’t want to run maps all day.
// Typical vendor recipe (example)
Sell:
- 1x Orb of Scouring
- 1x Rare item with 6 affixes
To any vendor
Receive:
- 1x Orb of Regret
(This doesn’t always work in every league due to economy shifts, but the recipe itself is stable.)
Practical tips I use
Short tip: plan before you spend. Use Path of Building or similar tools to mock the tree. I’ve built templates for common archetypes and reuse them.
Longer advice: don’t respec blindly. If you’re looking at a full rebuild at level 90, expect roughly 100–120 Orbs of Regret to redo a whole tree. That’s sizable. Why conserve? Every orb you save can buy a better craft, a useful unique, or be invested in sockets and links. We found that players who planned saved hundreds of chaos worth over a season.
- Partial respec: remove only nodes that block the new path.
- Keep clusters that still give value (damage per point, defenses).
- Use quest points for the earliest, most expensive fixes.
- Buy regrets in bulk during market dips (if you trade).
Costs, economy and a candid opinion đź“Š
At current markets (checked 26 November 2025), exact prices vary wildly by league. Don’t assume a fixed chaos value. Instead, measure cost in orbs needed. Controversial take: buying Orbs of Regret directly is often a waste unless you’re impatient; farming and recipes usually win long-term. Some players will disagree—fine—people value time differently.
Another debatable point: relentless respecs aren’t always smart. You can chase an ideal tree forever and neglect gear and craft work that actually raises clear speed. Counterintuitive? Yes, sometimes less tinkering yields faster progress.
“Plan the path first. You’ll spend less currency and feel less foolish later.” — practical advice I repeat to new guildmates
Why these tips work (the why, not just the what)
If you plan, you avoid pathing dead-ends that force multi-point refunds. Why does that matter? Because refunds cost orbs and time, and wasted currency is opportunity cost—those orbs could be a weapon upgrade instead. To be fair, some builds need mid-course corrections as you find unique items. That’s expected. This system exists to let you adapt, not to trap you.
Rhetorical question: want to hit maps faster or chase the perfect passive? Decide that first. If you want speed, optimize for clear speed nodes and resistances. If you want boss damage, stack single-target multipliers. These choices explain why I pick specific nodes when respeccing.
Extra notes, odd tips, and a tiny confession
Surprisingly, some small clusters you ignore can multiply obvious bonuses if paired with a unique item—think of the tree like a river network: a tiny tributary can flood the whole valley if conditions align. I once left a two-node cluster alone and then found a belt that made those nodes crazy strong. So don’t dismiss small picks outright.
Stumble moment: you can respec quickly—it’s easy to forget that—well, sometimes the UI bugs out, I’ve seen it, and you might have to relog. Annoying, yes. But rare.
Final practical checklist (short):
- Mock the tree first (Path of Building).
- Use quest points early.
- Prefer vendor recipe for steady orbs.
- Spend orbs only after confirming gear synergy.
Happy hunting, Exile 🎮. If you want, I’ll show one of my late-2025 respec templates—just ask and I’ll paste it (or we can nerd out together).
