Can You Put a Small Cluster Jewel in a Large Socket? A Comprehensive Guide
The short and definitive answer is: Yes, you absolutely can put a Small Cluster Jewel in a Large Jewel Socket in Path of Exile. However, understanding the intricacies of how Cluster Jewels work is crucial to optimizing your character build. While a Small Cluster Jewel fits into a Large socket, it doesn’t mean you can socket any jewel into any socket. There are very specific rules that dictate what can go where. Let’s delve into the details to clarify this and other common questions surrounding Cluster Jewels.
Understanding Cluster Jewel Mechanics
Cluster Jewels are unique items in Path of Exile that allow players to significantly customize and extend their passive skill tree. These jewels come in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. Each size offers different characteristics, including the number of nodes and notable passive skills. They are a key element for advanced character customization and powerful builds.
Small Cluster Jewels
Small Cluster Jewels are the most basic and fundamental of the three. They offer a limited number of passive skills, typically including 1 notable passive skill, and often focus on providing specific attributes or minor bonuses. These are ideal for fine-tuning a build, patching up weaknesses or enhancing very specific playstyles. The key thing to remember is Small Cluster Jewels fit in any standard jewel socket.
Medium Cluster Jewels
Medium Cluster Jewels represent the next level of customization. They provide more passive skill nodes than small jewels, including up to two Notable Prefixes. These jewels allow players to create more extensive skill clusters with broader bonuses, often focusing on specific types of damage or defenses. They also have a crucial restriction: Medium Cluster Jewels can be placed into Medium or Large Jewel Sockets on the Passive Skill Tree.
Large Cluster Jewels
Large Cluster Jewels offer the most substantial extension to the skill tree. They boast the highest number of passive nodes, allowing for up to three Notables, including Suffix Notables. This opens up the possibility for extremely potent and diverse builds, often revolving around specialized playstyles. Large Cluster Jewels have their own restriction: Large Cluster Jewels can only be placed into a Large Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. They cannot be socketed into Medium Jewel Sockets.
Socketing Rules Overview
- Small Cluster Jewels can be placed in any available jewel socket on the passive skill tree. This includes regular sockets, Medium Jewel Sockets, and Large Jewel Sockets.
- Medium Cluster Jewels can be placed in Medium or Large Jewel Sockets on the passive skill tree.
- Large Cluster Jewels can only be placed in Large Jewel Sockets on the passive skill tree.
This understanding is crucial to fully grasp your options when planning your skill tree. The sizes dictate what can be socketed, not the level of the character or any other metric.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cluster Jewels
Here are some frequently asked questions related to Cluster Jewels, designed to help you better understand their mechanics and usage in Path of Exile:
1. Can I place a Large Cluster Jewel in a Medium socket?
No, you cannot. Large Cluster Jewels are specifically designed to fit only into Large Jewel Sockets found on the outer edges of the passive skill tree. Attempting to place a Large Jewel into a Medium socket will not work.
2. Do Item Levels matter on Cluster Jewels?
Yes, item levels are important when acquiring Cluster Jewels. Higher item levels unlock more powerful passive skills, especially Notable Passives. For example, item levels ranging from 50-67 are particularly good for acquiring more passive skills.
3. Can Cluster Jewel notables stack?
Yes, Cluster Jewel notables can stack. They are one of the few types of notables that can stack. For example, having two of the same notable on different jewels will increase their effect if they are unique effects, which is usually the case.
4. Can Small Cluster Jewels have 2 notables?
No, Small Cluster Jewels can only have 1 Notable Prefix. Both Medium and Large Cluster Jewels can have 2, and Large Cluster Jewels can even have a third, Suffix Notable. This is a key distinction.
5. Where do you put cluster jewels?
Cluster Jewels are socketed in the outermost jewel sockets on the passive skill tree, which are found around the perimeter of the main character class areas. These sockets, and the skill nodes that lead to them, must be unlocked using passive skill points.
6. How many notables can a Small Cluster Jewel have?
A Small Cluster Jewel can only have a single notable passive skill, which is always a prefix.
7. What is a Large Jewel Socket in PoE?
Large Jewel Sockets are a type of passive skill node that contains a jewel socket, located on the outer regions of the passive skill tree, between the areas for each default character class. They are not notable passive skills themselves.
8. Does the Fortress Covenant notable work with Cluster Jewel passives?
The Fortress Covenant notable transforms nearby passive skills. While you can place a jewel with Fortress Covenant into a Medium/Large Cluster Jewel socket, the transform will not apply to the cluster notable, effectively rendering it a negligible downside.
9. How do I socket a Jewel?
To socket a Jewel, it must match the shape of the available socket. Select the Jewel and click “Affix.” This will add the Jewel to the socket and grant the associated stats and abilities.
10. How do I equip a jewel?
First, you must allocate a passive skill node on the tree that is a jewel socket. Then you will need to click the now-available empty jewel socket to affix a jewel from your inventory.
11. Where does the Split Personality unique jewel drop?
The Split Personality unique jewel has restricted drop conditions. It can only drop in the Simulacrum after completing a wave that spawns Kosis or Omniphobia. It cannot be chanced.
12. Is a jewel socket a notable passive skill?
No, a jewel socket is its own distinct node and is not considered a notable or any other type of passive skill.
13. What can be placed in a basic jewel socket in PoE?
Basic Jewel Sockets can fit base jewels (cobalt, crimson, viridian), abyss jewels (ghastly, hypnotic, searching, murderous), and cluster jewels. However, only base jewels, small cluster jewels and abyss jewels can be placed in regular sockets.
14. Can I use more than one Timeless Jewel?
No, you cannot equip more than one Timeless Jewel at a time. Each unique Timeless Jewel version also includes the tag “Limited to: 1 Historic.”
15. How can I get a Blessed Rebirth on a Cluster Jewel?
Blessed Rebirth is a notable passive skill that can only appear on Cluster Jewels. This notable is acquired randomly by socketing cluster jewels that have been generated randomly by using specific methods (e.g. fossil crafting). You cannot just add it to an existing jewel with a specific type of currency.
Conclusion
Understanding the intricacies of Cluster Jewels, including their size restrictions, notable capabilities, and placement rules, is crucial to optimizing your character in Path of Exile. While Small Cluster Jewels can fit into any jewel socket, this flexibility is offset by their limited capabilities compared to their larger counterparts. By utilizing the information in this guide, you can make informed decisions and tailor your character to achieve maximum effectiveness. Remember to experiment with various Cluster Jewel combinations to discover the synergistic benefits that best suit your playstyle.