Path of Exile 2 introduces a massive Passive Skill Tree with over 1,500 nodes to choose from, that allows you to craft personalized and powerful character builds. As exciting as it is to get into it and experiment, you would find yourself picking skills that don’t quite fit your playstyle or overall strategy. Maybe you’ve changed weapons, discovered a new build idea, or simply want to fix a few early-game mistakes.
The good news is you don’t have to live with those choices forever. Respeccing your passive skill points is an easy process once you’ve unlocked the right NPC and saved up some gold. Here’s everything you need to know about how to respec your passive skills in Path of Exile 2.
How to Unlock Respec in Path of Exile 2
Respec mechanic is not available right at the start, so don’t worry if you’re not happy with your early passive skill choices—you’ll be able to fix them soon enough. To unlock the ability to respec, progress through the campaign, and complete specific quests in Act 1. The NPC who handles all your respeccing needs, The Hooded One is unlocked after completing these quests:
- Reaching Clearfell
- Treacherous Ground
- Secrets In The Dark
- Sorrow Among Stones
- The Mysterious Shade
The important quest here is The Mysterious Shade, which tasks you with defeating mini-bosses like Asinia and Draven and then killing the main boss to recover two keys. Once the mission is complete, return the item you acquire to Una in the Clearfell Encampment. It will awaken The Hooded One, who will now remain in town as a permanent NPC.
How to Respec Passive Skill Points
After unlocking, you’ll find The Hooded One in the Clearfell Encampment or other major towns as you progress. These NPCs become your source for respeccing and other helpful services throughout the game ahead.
To respec, speak to The Hooded One and select the option “Refund Passives.” This will bring up your Passive Skill Tree listing all the unlock nodes. Hover over the nodes you’d like to refund. Each of them will mention a gold cost for refunding it. If you can afford it, simply confirm your choice and the skill point will be refunded.
Important: You can only refund skill points at the “end” of a branch. If a node you want to refund has others further along the branch, you’ll need to unallocate those first. Essentially, you’ll have to work backward, removing skills in reverse order.
Once refunded, the skill points go back into your pool the same as when you level up. You can either spend them right away on different skills or receive them for later use when you have made up your mind for better use.
Beyond respeccing passive skills, The Hooded One comes with another useful service in the game: Item Identification. With that, you won’t need to waste valuable Scrolls of Wisdom to identify your items. Simply bring your unidentified items to the character, and they’ll handle it for you at no cost.
How Much Does It Cost to Respec in Path of Exile 2?
You can refund skill points in PoE 2 by spending gold currency. Regarding how much it costs depends on your character’s level and the number of points you are going to respec. Although it doesn’t seem a big deal at first, the price can increase if you plan to completely overhaul your build.
These are a few tips that help you to better manage gold costs:
- Gold can be farmed and earned through selling spare loot. You’ll naturally get more gold as you progress, especially if you’re not playing in solo or hardcore mode.
- Ascendancy skill points cost five times as much gold to refund compared to regular skill points. So, be careful to avoid expensive mistakes later.
- If you decide to respec an entire branch of nodes, it’s best to save up plenty of gold first. Refunds are costly, and you’ll want to avoid multiple back-and-forth adjustments.
When to Consider Respecing Your Passive Skill Points
Respecing is a very useful tool in Path of Exile 2, but due to its higher gold cost, it’s not something you’ll want to do on a whim. That said, there are plenty of situations where it becomes worth the investment and can make a lot of difference in your playthrough.
One common reason to respec is when you switch weapons or playstyles. Each class in PoE 2 can wield a variety of weapons, such as the Mercenary’s Crossbow or the Cleric’s Staff, and each weapon typically has unique skills and synergies. If you find a weapon better suited to your preferences or strategy, it’s better to adjust your passives to complement your new playstyle.
Another key situation to respec is to correct mistakes. If you’re new to the game—or just experimenting—it’s easy to invest points into nodes that don’t give value to your build. Instead of restarting your character from scratch, you can refund skills to undo those choices and redirect your points into skills that align better with your goals. Finally, respecing gives you a free hand to experiment with many new builds. If you’re curious about a different playstyle or skills combination but don’t want to start a new character, respecing lets you explore new options.
