How to dual spec in Path of Exile 2

Chucking spells around or hitting enemies with a quarterstaff in Path of Exile 2 is fun—but what if you could do both at the same time? Dual specializations aren’t always accessible in ARPGs, but thankfully, this game has a neat system to let you customize your experience.

Here’s how to set up dual specs in PoE 2, including a breakdown of what dual specializations actually mean in this game, how to access the mechanic, and how you can respec your character during Act 1 of the game.

How to set up dual specializations in Path of Exile 2

The term “dual specs” in Path of Exile 2 refers to a dual weapons spec instead of something like a rogue-mage or druid-tank dual-class option that you might find in another game. It’s not as simple as swapping between two talent trees, but it is a powerful feature that can make the endgame a breeze.

Firstly, you’ll need to pick out which weapons you want your character to have access to. Our Witch had weapon set I dedicated to a wand and staff, for example, letting her shoot spells and summon the undead, while weapon set II featured a two-handed mace instead. (This isn’t an entirely viable combo, admittedly, but it was fun to play with and helped the Witch spec to feel more durable if an enemy got too close for comfort.)

Once you’ve picked out your weapons and assigned them to the weapon set slots in your inventory, open up your Skills tab to see which abilities are associated with your weapons.

Next to each ability, you can see I or II, indicating which weapon set is relevant. For example, in our image above, Chaos Bolt comes from weapon set I with the wand and Mace Strike, unsurprisingly, comes from weapon set II with the mace.

Hit the little arrow next to the DPS stat to open up the independent Skill tab when you want to change the abilities associated with each weapon set.

At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see “Used with weapon set” and two check boxes that you can tick or untick as needed.

You’ll also be able to switch between both weapon sets when looking at your Passive Skill trees. Check the top right-hand corner of the screen for more information about which Skills are tied to your weapon sets, and look into redoing your spec choices if you want to change them up.

Remember to sort out your bindings before taking your dual spec character into a battle so that you can easily tab between your abilities as needed. It’s worth experimenting on some lower-level enemies to see how your rotation feels before taking it into a boss battle.

You won’t need to manually change weapon sets to use abilities, providing you’ve bound everything as needed. There is a manual weapon set change button if you want it, though, which is X on PC.

One of the best things about PoE 2 is the level of freedom and customization that it gives to players, and this dual weapons spec system is second to none. It can help you cover more resistances or prepare for a nasty boss fight while also making combat feel more fun and engaging, too.

How to respec in Path of Exile 2

If you’re hoping to change your Passive Skill choices during your PoE 2 run, it is possible to respec for a small fee—provided you’ve made significant progress with Act 1 and unlocked The Hooded One NPC in the Clearfell Encampment.

To unlock The Hooded One, you’ll need to follow along with the main storyline, clearing out both of the tomb boss fights and paying particular attention to the Mysterious Shade quest. It’s worth spending some time on the minibosses in the area as you do this to gain extra EXP and loot.

You’ll need to defeat the Lachlann of Endless Lament boss fight to progress with unlocking The Hooded One.

We’d suggest being in the realm of level 13-15 for this fight—this boss might be slow in places, but he hits hard and can one-shot an underprepared character. The arena for this fight is fairly small, with a large pillar in the middle.

Defeating Lachlann requires a fair amount of kiting and quick reaction times. If you’re a ranged character, you’ll be able to kite him around the room and continue to attack while dodging his spectral attacks, but melee will need to be quicker with their responses, focusing on boss positioning.

On top of this, Lachlann has frost-related attacks, which leave frost trails on the floor. Standing in these will freeze your character, slowing them down, letting the boss quickly catch up and get a few extra hits in. Where possible, dodge these and roll around the edges.

Don’t lose sight of Lachlann during the fight, even if you use the pillar to dodge his attacks. Some of the ranged spectral attacks he sends out need to be dodged precisely, so keep him on your screen and pivot as necessary so you don’t get a bite taken out of your HP pool.

When you’ve beaten the Lachlann of Endless Lament boss encounter and turned in the Mysterious Shade quest, you’ll be able to find The Hooded One near the entrance to Clearfell. Speak to them and ask to unallocate your Passive Skills to respec your PoE 2 character.

Here, you’ll see your Passive Skill tree. To redo your specialization choices, simply click on your chosen Passive Skill to spend a small sum of gold and remove it from your tree. The amount of gold you have in total will be shown up in the top right so you can budget.

Save and exit when you’re finished removing your specs. You’ll be able to change your mind at almost any point throughout Path of Exile 2, so don’t worry if you end up regretting getting rid of a Passive Skill. Just portal back to Clearfell and speak to The Hooded One to do it all over again.

It’s not just respec support that The Hooded One offers, either. They can help you identify weapons and armor in your inventory, which is crucial for saving resources as you make your way into the trickier stages of the game.