Stats and Mods II: What to Look Out For

Dealing Damage:

Character builds in Path of Exile are extremely varied, and which items and passives are important to a character is highly dependent on what that character is trying to achieve, but there are some things almost everyone should look out for.

Because of the properties of Fireball, this staff increases Fireball's damage by 66%.

Staying Alive:

Unless you're in a coordinated group, every character needs a way to kill monsters. Figure out how you plan to deliver damage and look for items that amplify that. If you plan to shoot arrows at monsters from afar, a high-damage bow, as well as passive skills that benefit your chosen weapon, are a must. If you plan to cast spells, look for weapons with 'increased Spell Damage'. If you're strictly dealing fire damage, look for things that boost your fire damage. A fire spell like Fireball benefits from i

Weapon-specific passives are often stronger than more generalised passives, but you lose some flexibility in which items you can use.

You can't kill monsters if you're dead, so you should also carefully consider your defences. Most characters will want some armour, energy shield or evasion, or some combination of the three. Sources of life and increases to it are a great way to extend your lifespan, but you'll also want to seek out ways to mitigate the damage before it ever touches your life pool. Fire damage, such as the fire from a cannibal's thrown torch, can be mitigated by sources of 'Fire Resistance'. Merveil's spells deal cold

Not too shabby! As you progress, you'll be able to fill some gaps using the crafting benches given to you by characters called Masters.