Critique my character pleeeeease!!!

Just got PoE yesterday.
I did extremely minor research about the game prior to jumping in.

The main thing that i find that sucks is skill gems seem kinda random (other than rewards), so how can you plan a build you want without relying on rng for gems?

Mainly, I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong. My gear seems ok for my level, and i know that my skill tree is probably very bad.

my life is trash at 772, my dps seems ok at 560.
But honesly i dont really like the way my active skills are setup, and i have almost 0 res's..

What should I be doing to set myself up better?

1. Dump the Vaal Pact notable skill point. Only need it for certain builds at the end game.

2. Get yourself a four link item. Depending on your main offensive skill, link the skill gem with some support gems.

3. By looking through your character briefly, I assume you are doing a physical attack/life based build. Check the forum duelist section. Choose a build guide (any titles that interest you), follow the guide's skill point's path and you should be fine progressing through the some low/mid tier end game mapping.

4. If you are using a sword or any weapons, be sure to pick up any rare that drops and identify them to check if it got higher dps than your current one/ones (if dual wielding). You can download and use "poetrademacro" to help you check the item's dps quickly (and it does lot more than that!).

5. Have fun and don't burn yourself out too quickly!

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Percial wrote:

Just got PoE yesterday.
I did extremely minor research about the game prior to jumping in.

I think that´s a good thing playing a bit before checking any guides or so.

"

Percial wrote:

The main thing that i find that sucks is skill gems seem kinda random (other than rewards), so how can you plan a build you want without relying on rng for gems?

You can buy lots of gems (according to your quest progression) from different NPC. Join Nessa and see her offer ("Purchase items" - the second slot)

"

Percial wrote:

Mainly, I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong. My gear seems ok for my level, and i know that my skill tree is probably very bad.

my life is trash at 772, my dps seems ok at 560.
But honesly i dont really like the way my active skills are setup, and i have almost 0 res's..
What should I be doing to set myself up better?

First of all I should say don´t except your first char(s) being very good but that´s a normal thing in PoE.

Keep an eye on your elemental resistances and life (having 300 life per act is common rule) but you have just started so don´t worry.

I can recommend to read new thread with links with good guides and tools but don´t get overwhelmed.


GL Exile!

Your pathing in the skilltree is a bit weird. Generally speaking, taking the "+10 strength/dex/int" nodes is only for pathing to "good" nodes. You should'nt try to aim for a good cluster of nodes and take the most efficient path to that node.

Also, melee physical damage sounds nice at first glance but is mostly weaker than attack speed later on. Consider this in you choice of nodes.

Than, as allready mentioned, use support gems.
You have one called "Added fire Damage". You could put that to your "Elemental Hit" in you Mainhand weapon and push your DPS quiet a bit.

Also, focus on either Attacks or Spells and don't use to many different ones. Focus on 1-3 attacks/spells and support them as good as possible.

For gear: Just pick up rares and ID them. You will eventually find good enough leveling gear.

For more help, a beginner's guide could be great for you!

The others already told you, your problem depends on too many ideas instead following consequent on one.
For me the only idea of having a melee character wearing a ranged weapon like a bow would be to level gems for the next twinks in second weapon slot or for only movement affairs like in the lab, to get from here to there with the bow gem- But as you mentioned to use both for your fights makes very small sense.
From passive nodes at the tree you will have to chose where to go or what to use. There are not enough passive points to use for having both melee and ranged notes, because most of the passive nodes will be needed to get enough life, mana and maybe resistances or juwel slots.
Have a look at your passive tree and by using online passive tree apps like path of building feel free to play around with it. You will see where are the nodes for each kind of weapon, for elements dmg or resi and of course life, as long you are not going CI.
Then have a look at the profiles from others, why and what did they taken for passive nodes. With some time you will find out, what it is behind this big tree and why not all nodes are worth to go for, if you do not need it.
We have not so many sockets to go for everything, so chose wise.
Some slots are even used for basics like 3 red ones for defense cwdt setup, some needed for curse or aura, the more slots 5link or 6l are for the damage. Here yo also just need two skills. One for the big Area killing all effect and one for the single target when you meet the boss.
Also basic is a movement setup like shield charge or flame dash and others.

Knowledge is your best weapon