Learn the Basics of Itemization in Path of Exile 2

Beginner’s Guide to Item Modifiers in PoE 2

This Path of Exile 2 item guide covers the essential mechanics of items, their functionality, and the types of modifiers they can have.

Understanding these fundamentals is crucial for grasping the game’s intricate crafting system. If you’re new to PoE 2, this guide will provide a clear and concise introduction to item mechanics. The explanations are simplified to ensure accessibility and to avoid overloading you with complex details.

Bases

The term “base” refers to any equippable item that can be used for crafting. While bases are often assumed to be of Normal Rarity, they don’t have to be. Most equippable items your character can wear can be crafted on, with the exception of Unique items.

Modifiers (aka. “Stats” or “Affixes”)

The text you see on items is commonly referred to as “modifiers,” or “mods” for short. Some players also call these “affixes” or “stats,” so you’ll recognize those terms as well.

"Here is an example of an item. The highlighted yellow section displays the modifiers of the item."

Explicit and Implicit Modifiers

Modifiers are categorized into two groups: explicit and implicit.

Implicit Modifiers

Implicit modifiers are inherent to an item and exist regardless of its rarity. These mods always appear above the explicit mods. For instance, a Topaz Ring will always have Lightning Resistance as its implicit modifier.

Unlike explicit modifiers, implicits are intrinsic to the item type and are generally unaffected by most crafting Currency, such as Chaos Orbs or Orbs of Alchemy. While not all items have implicit modifiers, they are common on jewellery and many weapon types.

Explicit Modifiers

Explicit modifiers are the affixes found below the implicit modifiers on an item. Unlike implicits, explicit mods can be altered through crafting.

For instance, if you identify 10 rare Topaz Rings, they will all have the same implicit modifier (Lightning Resistance), but their explicit modifiers will differ.

"The yellow section marks the implicit modifiers of the item, and the red section marks the explicit modifiers."

When crafting, explicit modifiers can be added or changed using Currency. For example:

• Using an Orb of Alchemy on a Normal item transforms it into a Rare item with four random explicit modifiers.
• A Chaos Orb can then replace one or more existing explicit mods with new random ones.

To keep things simple, players often refer to explicit modifiers as "mods" and reserve the term "implicits" for implicit modifiers.

The Mod Pool

Every item in Path of Exile 2 has a list of possible explicit modifiers that can appear on it, which is referred to as the “mod pool.” The mod pool differs based on the item type.

For instance, an Axe can roll modifiers like increased Physical Damage, which would never appear on a body armour. Conversely, body armour can roll modifiers such as “10% increased Armour,” which an Axe cannot.

While this guide won’t delve into the complexities of the Weight system, it’s worth noting that modifiers have varying chances of appearing on items. Some mods are rarer than others, and this likelihood is referred to as the modifier’s “Weight.” When you craft or identify an item, the Weight determines how often a particular mod can appear.

Prefixes and Suffixes

The mod pool is divided into two categories: prefixes and suffixes. Some modifiers are always prefixes, while others are always suffixes.

This distinction plays an important role in crafting, as it prevents items from having too many mods of one type, like Resistances or damage modifiers.

Example:
Resistances are typically suffixes. If body armour could have four suffixes, it might provide an overpowered amount of Resistance. To balance this, rare items are limited to a maximum of three suffixes, meaning only three Resistance modifiers can appear on an item.

How to Identify Prefixes and Suffixes:

There’s no intuitive way to know whether a mod is a prefix or suffix without learning through experience. A useful method is to enable the Advanced Mods option in your UI. Navigate to Options -> UI, check the “Advanced Mods” box, and press Alt while hovering over an item to view its mods.

(Note: This guide was written before the release of Path of Exile 2, so the wording of this option may vary.)

Next, let’s explore item rarity.

Item Rarity

The rarity of an item determines how many explicit modifiers it can have:

Normal (White)

Items of Normal rarity have 0 explicit modifiers.

Magic (Blue)

Magic items can have a maximum of 2 explicit modifiers: 1 prefix and 1 suffix.

Rare (Yellow)

Rare items can have up to 6 explicit modifiers: 3 prefixes and 3 suffixes.

Unique (Orange)

Unique items cannot be altered using crafting Currency and may sometimes have more than 6 modifiers, depending on their design.

Local and Global Modifiers

Local Modifiers

Some modifiers boost player stats, like Life or Resistances, but they can also directly influence the base stats of the item itself. This scaling can enhance the natural damage or defense values of the item, making some bases more valuable than others.

Explicit modifiers that adjust base stats are called local modifiers. When a local modifier affects a base stat, the stat's text changes from white to blue.

Example 1: Physical Weapon

This is a Quarterstaff with four modifiers:

• Blue Section: Base stats on the item.
• Yellow Section: Explicit modifiers.

At the top, the base Physical Damage is displayed. Normally shown in white text, these numbers turn blue when influenced by local explicit modifiers.

Example:

Imagine a Staff with a base Physical Damage of 10-20. If it rolls a modifier like:

• “100% increased Physical Damage”

The item's Physical Damage changes to 20-40, and the text turns blue.

In this example, any Lightning Damage displayed comes from an explicit modifier and is shown in yellow to signify its elemental nature.

If there are no modifiers affecting Critical Strike Chance or Attack Speed, these base stats remain at their default values and are displayed in white. Additionally, modifiers like “11% Increased Stun Duration” extend the duration of stuns inflicted with this weapon.

Example 2: Base Defenses

In this example, the modifier “48% increased Evasion and Energy Shield” adjusts the item's base Evasion and Energy Shield values.

It’s important to note that this modifier does not directly increase your total Evasion or Energy Shield. For instance:

• If you have 1000 Energy Shield and equip an item with this modifier, your total Energy Shield will not jump to 1480.
• Instead, the base Energy Shield on the item will be increased, and this value can then be further scaled by global modifiers to Energy Shield, such as those from the Passive Tree.

Understanding the difference between local and global modifiers ensures you can better evaluate item upgrades and crafting potential.

Global Modifiers

Global modifiers affect a character’s overall stats rather than those of a specific item. These include any modifier that isn’t localized to an item’s base stats. Examples of global modifiers are “+10 to Dexterity” or “+50 to Maximum Life”, as they directly enhance your character’s attributes or defenses.

Sometimes, modifiers explicitly indicate their global nature, such as “50% increased Global Critical Strike Chance.” This modifier would enhance your Critical Strike Chance across all attacks and spells, regardless of their source.

By contrast, a modifier like “50% increased Critical Strike Chance” found on a weapon is local. It would only affect the base Critical Strike Chance of that specific weapon, increasing the chance to deal critical strikes for attacks made with it alone.

Item Level and Modifier Tiers

Modifier Tiers

Modifiers in Path of Exile 2 are organized into tiers, which determine the strength of each modifier. You can think of tiers as “levels” for mods:

• A low-tier Life modifier might grant 10-20 Life.
• A high-tier Life modifier could grant 80-90 Life.

The value of a modifier can only vary within the range of its tier. It’s important to note that you cannot increase a mod’s tier through crafting. For instance, if an item has the correct modifiers but low-tier values, it would be inefficient to use an expensive Currency item like a Divine Orb to improve the rolls. A Divine Orb only adjusts the value within the mod's current tier and will not push it to a higher tier.

Understanding this system helps players avoid wasting valuable crafting Currency on items that might not be worth the investment.

Item Level

The tier of modifiers that can appear on an item is directly influenced by its Item Level. Items with a higher Item Level have the potential to roll modifiers from higher tiers.

Item Level is determined by the level of the area in which the item is found. As you progress further in the game, you will encounter items with increasingly higher Item Levels, unlocking access to stronger modifiers and higher-tier rolls.

Why Does Any of This Matter?

Understanding how items work is essential for making informed crafting decisions. In Path of Exile 1, this was especially important because of the Crafting Bench and advanced crafting methods like Meta Crafting. However, the Crafting Bench hasn’t been confirmed for Path of Exile 2. GGG has stated it won’t be included, but given its importance in crafting, it wouldn’t be surprising if it eventually returns.

This beginner’s guide to PoE 2 items was kept as simple as possible, but it’s important to note that the item system in this game is incredibly intricate. While it may seem overwhelming at first, learning about itemization in Path of Exile 2 is both fascinating and rewarding.

After the release of PoE 2, I plan to release more advanced guides to help players dive deeper into the system and improve their understanding. Plus, you can expect some crafting videos as well!

If you’re interested in learning about Currency and how it can be used for crafting, check out our full PoE 2 Currency Guide.