In Path of Exile, skill gems allow players, regardless of class, to use various skills and abilities. Provided, of course, that they are inserted into the corresponding socket in the piece of equipment worn by the character. There are a huge number of them in the game (at the moment there are 322 different active skill gems and 205 support skill gems available) and they allow you to create unique combinations of not only builds but even the skills themselves. Therefore, it will be important for new players to know where and how you can buy or get various active skill gems in order to be able to try new skills themselves, as well as their combinations with support skill gems.
All skill gems can be divided into those that are given for quests and sold by vendors, and those that can only be obtained by special methods, such as vendor recipes, corrupting a regular skill gem, or random drop from monsters, chests and strongboxes.
Quest rewards and vendors
Players receive most of the gems as quest rewards for completing the storyline. By choosing one of them, you will still have the opportunity to get others that were shown in the list of awards, and even more! At the same time, for the same quest, each class is given different gems, and accordingly, the vendor will not have all the skill gems available for a given level. However, do not rush to get upset, later in the game, there will be vendors who sell all skill gems that are given to players as a reward for completing a quest. Here is the list of skill gems rewarded from quests.
As for the vendors, they are also of two types – those that sell leveled skill gems (they are located in the cities of I-IV acts) and those who sell unleveled skill gems. The first category includes vendors who expand their assortment of gems every time you complete quests, for which you will receive skill gems. Therefore, be sure to check what new gems are available from them because they can sell even those gems that you did not see among the quest rewards. Here is a list of these vendors:
Act 1 (Lioneye’s Watch): Nessa – Next to the player’s stash.
Act 2 (Forest Encampment): Yeena – Inside the encampment, on the left side.
Act 3 (Sarn Encampment): Clarissa – Left to the notice board.
Act 4 (Highgate): Petarus and Vanja – Next to the bridge to the town’s Waypoint.
The game also has two vendors who sell all available unleveled skill gems, regardless of class. You will meet the first such vendor in Act III – Siosa. It’s in The Library, not far from the waypoint. He will enable players to buy gems after they have completed his quest. However, he does not sell gems that can be unlocked for Act IV quests. To be able to buy any gem that vendors have, you have to find Lilly Roth. She will meet you more than once as you progress through the storyline, but only in three places she sells skill gems:
- Lioneye’s Watch (Act 6)
- Oriath Docks (Act 10)
- Oriath (Epilogue)
Vendor recipes
Several vendor recipes are associated with skill gems, some give the opportunity to get an item in exchange for skills gems, others give completely new skill gems as a reward for a set of things. There are 3 universal recipes that change the level or quality of skill gem (but do not work with Corrupted gems):
- skill gem + Orb of Scouring = decrease level of skill gem by 1;
- skill gem + Orb of Regret = decrease level of skill gem to 1;
- level 20 skill gem + Gemcutter’s Prism = 20% quality skill gem.
As for the skill gems themselves, which can only be obtained through a recipe, there are only 2 of them:
- Block Chance Reduction Support (sell any dexterity shield with 20% quality + Puncture skill gem)
- Elemental Penetration Support (you need to sell Replica Bitterdream and three level 20 gem – Fire Penetration Support, Cold Penetration Support and Lightning Penetration Support)
Drop-only gems
There are also skill gems that can only be obtained as loot from monsters. Those are:
- Empower Support
- Enhance Support
- Enlighten Support
- Portal
This list also includes a special type of support gems – Awakened Support Skill Gems. These are enhanced versions of existing support gems that are available as loot from end-game bosses that you can meet in the end-game map system – Sirus, Awakener of Worlds, as well as Al-Hezmin, the Hunter, Veritania, the Redeemer, Drox, the Warlord and Baran, the Crusader.
Vaal skill gems
Some active skill gems have an alternative version, Vaal skill gems. This is a corrupt skill gem that, in addition to the base version of the skill, has a Vaal version of the skill, which is significantly different from how a regular skill gem works. However, to activate the enhanced version of the skill gem, souls are required, which can be obtained by killing enemies damaging Rare or Unique enemies. At the same time, after using the skill, a timer is hung on him, and the souls will have to be collected again, so it will not work to spam him.
You can get one of the available vaal skill gems in different ways:
- from Vaal Vessel in Vaal side area;
- from a strongbox with a suffix “of Corruption”;
- by using Vaal Orb on an existing skill gem (but there is no 100% chance).
The Portal gem has a corrupt version – Vaal Breach. It can be obtained by using a Vaal Orb on a Portal gem while in a map with the Zana Breach league mod from the Map Device.
Alternate gem quality
Using Gemcutter’s Prism on a non-corrupted skill gem will upgrade a gem’s quality. This will add additional properties or enhance the current qualities of the gem. However, with the release of the Heist League, gems had up to three alternative quality effects – “Anomalous”, “Divergent”, or “Phantasmal”. Skill gems with alternate quality effects can be found in Grand Heists or when using Prime Regrading Lens or Secondary Regrading Lens.
Path of Exile 3.12 Alternate Quality Passive Support Gems List
Path of Exile 3.12 Alternate Quality Active Skill Gems
Divination cards and skill gems
Divination Cards are a special way to obtain skill gems, which is guaranteed to produce gems of a certain type, level and quality. Full list of divination cards granting skill gems.
Removed gems
There is also an Item Quantity Support gem that has been removed from the drop table. It can only be obtained by trading in the permanent leagues.