The passive tree

One tree for every class

All seven classes share one passive tree. Your class only decides where you start. Each passive you take is a permanent bonus, and every level after the first gives you a point to spend.

❧The gold rings are the seven starting points.

123 points in all

You get 99 points from levels, 23 from quests and 1 from Deal with the Bandits in Act 2. That's 123. The tree has far more nodes than that, so every point is a choice.

Deal with the Bandits

In Act 2 you meet three bandit leaders. Kill all three and Eramir gives you a passive point. Or save one and kill the other two to get that bandit's reward instead.

• Kill all three

  Eramir gives 1 passive point.

  Pick it when: You aren't sure, or your guide says kill all.

  You give up: No bandit reward.

• Save one bandit

  That bandit gives their own reward.

  Pick it when: Your build guide names a bandit.

  You give up: You don't get the extra point.

Take nodes next to ones you have

You can only take a passive that's joined to one you already have. So you walk roads out from your start toward the clusters your build wants.

❧Tap a node to read it. The gold road runs from the Scion's start to Constitution.

Small passives and notables

Small passives give small bonuses, like 5% increased maximum Life. Notables are the bigger nodes with stronger effects, usually at the heart of a cluster.

❧Tap the picked-out nodes to compare a small passive with Constitution.

Keystones change the rules

Keystones are the biggest nodes. They change how your character works, often with a catch. Take one only when your build is made for it.

Masteries

Once you take a Notable in a cluster, you may allocate that cluster's Mastery. Each Mastery has a list of effects and you pick one.

❧Tap the Life Mastery to read its choices.

Jewel sockets

A jewel socket does nothing until you put a jewel in it. Then you get the jewel's stats. The tree has 21 of them.

❧Six are large sockets that also take cluster jewels.

Taking points back

Each refund point takes one passive back so you can spend it again. You get them from Orbs of Regret and some quests. You can also pay Gold to an NPC in town to refund passives.

❧Refunding an Ascendancy point costs 5 refund points.

• Orbs of Regret

  Each orb gives one refund point.

  Pick it when: You're fixing a few points.

  You give up: They're currency you could trade.

• Gold at an NPC

  Pay Gold to refund passives.

  Pick it when: You have Gold to spare.

  You give up: It spends Gold you could use elsewhere.