These extensive character development options are well supported by the skill system. Your character's abilities aren't unlocked on the levelling board, they take the form of skill gems that drop when you kill enemies and complete quests. You can use a skill in the field as long as you have the relevant gem slotted into your weapons or armour. Linked equipment slots enable you to use support gems to adjust your skills. For example, my Duellist's area-of-effect Cleave ability is in a slot connected to a support gem that infuses it with extra frost damage POE currency trade . These crystals gain levels along with you, becoming more powerful the longer you have them installed.
The formation of slots gouged into each piece of equipment is as important as the stat boosts they convey to your character, but these can be rearranged with one of Path of Exile's large selection of, wait for it, orbs. Orbs reshuffle the magical properties of an item, re-roll the number and formation of the slots it has and upgrade ordinary items to uncommon or rare ones. Orbs ensure that every piece of equipment that drops can potentially be useful to your build, and are the centrepiece of Path of Exile's barter economy. There is no money here. You exchange items for orb fragments that can combine to make functional item modifiers.
The cleverness behind this rethink of staid action-RPG systems extends to your health and mana potions. No longer must you hoard them in hundred-high stacks. Instead you carry five magical flasks that refill with every kill. Inevitably, these flasks can have magical properties of their own, which increase the amount of health regenerated and the speed at which it regenerates.
Beaten track
Path of Exile strives against the influence of its recent competitors. The muted locales and exquisite claustrophobia of its dungeons reject Torchlight's exuberant visuals. The intensive, detailed levelling options defy Diablo III's relatively straightforward choices. Path of Exile is well placed to capture gamers alienated by Blizzard's new direction, although like its controversial older brother it still requires an internet connection to play POE currency for sale .
