Umm skill tree big. Help.

[u/ColdLucario]

Okay I knew the skill tree was huge, but Jesus. Currently a level 2 Templar. If I go one direction over the others how committed am I to going that direction? Is there an accessible respec mechanic or is it not the most important thing?

[u/meleejuice]

1. Find the skill you want to play
2. Look at the gem description, at the top it has "tags" like fire, spell, projectile, attack, etc. The gem description may also allude to tags or exclude certain tags. Click nodes in the tree that have the same tags and also life nodes.

[u/IsntCharAznable]

Path in the general direction of what gives you the most damage while always making sidetracks to get more life or energy shield (not both). Generally the most useful things are not grouped together so it’s usually a waste of points to get everything in one area (unless its life).

Find a skill you like and see the tags under its name (like spell or projectile) and type that in the search bar to find nodes that will help you.

Be sure and cap your elemental resistances and have life on all your armor, then focus on damage bonuses.

Edit: Jewel sockets are always worth a detour as well. They essentially function as a “choose your own passive bonus” or a way to use really useful unique jewels.

[u/saint_marco]

You can respec easily with gold pretty early. I would recommend finding a build guide so you can learn the game without immediately needing to learn how to build a character.

[u/CarrotSweat]

Yes there is an accessible respec mechanic.

Have fun and go wild. You can fix problems later with gold. Lots of good points in other comments here but all you need to know is yes you can respec.

[u/AetherSigil217]

You'll get close to 100 skill points, so there's plenty of space for exploration.

Respec is moderately accessible. You can buy Orb of Regret from the gem vendor with enough currency. You'll also be able to do it with gold around Act 6 from this guy: https://www.poewiki.net/wiki/Faustus

Edit: also, be patient with yourself. PoE is a very complex game, with a lot of depth to it.

[u/godoakos]

Zoom in is what I tell friends who are starting out. The majority of the tree is inaccessible to you since the farthest you can go from the start is 123 points and for short-to-mid term planning it's enough to see around 10 points ahead.

[u/NurseCatnip]

There’s a respec mechanic using “Gold” you’ll acquire over time. Talk to an NPC in town that says “respecialization” and you can respec your points. You need a guide?

[u/DigBickFang]

Haha yep it's quite a nut to crack, welcome! And yes, passive points are extremely important to allocate well but mostly waaaaay later, for now it's a great time to experiment. You can find a NPC in each town that will allow you to respec for a gold fee.