It is a Support Gem.
Support
Chaos
Tier: 3
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Dex
Supports any skill that Hits enemies, causing it to deal less damage but inflict more potent Poison.
Place into a Skill’s Support Gem socket in the Skills menu to apply its effects to that Skill. You cannot have multiple copies of the same Support Gem socketed at the same time.
The Deadly Poison Support Gem is a Tier 3 gem that significantly boosts the Poison damage output of Chaos-based skills in Path of Exile 2. It focuses on making Poison more potent at the cost of reduced hit damage, making it a great option for Poison-based builds that rely on damage over time effects. This gem allows you to specialize in Poison damage, making it a valuable tool for players who wish to amplify the effect of their Chaos attacks while reducing the need for direct damage from hits.
The Deadly Poison Support Gem specializes in enhancing Poison damage over time, particularly for Chaos-based attacks that hit enemies. While the gem causes your skills to deal less damage with Hits, it makes up for this by significantly increasing the Effect of Poison that the skill applies. This makes your Poison much more potent and more effective in wearing down enemy health over time.
25% Less Damage with Hits:
Supported skills suffer a 25% penalty to their direct hit damage. This drawback means that the skill itself will not deal as much immediate damage when it hits an enemy. However, this is typically a minor trade-off for Poison-based builds that focus on damage over time rather than instant burst damage.
75% More Effect of Poison:
The key benefit of this gem is the 75% increased Effect of Poison. This means the Poison damage applied from supported skills will be significantly more potent, causing enemies to suffer more damage over time. For Poison-focused builds, this can be a game-changer, drastically improving the effectiveness of Poison damage on your enemies. The increased effect will apply to the Poison duration, making it more lethal as your enemies are slowly whittled down.
Poison in Path of Exile 2 is a damage-over-time effect that occurs when you apply Poison to an enemy. Poison deals Chaos Damage over time and can be scaled through various means like increasing its damage, duration, or effectiveness. Unlike instant damage from hits, Poison works over a period of time, applying consistent damage that can stack, leading to prolonged effects on enemies.
Poison builds often focus on applying multiple layers of Poison to increase the total damage output, making the Deadly Poison Support Gem an excellent choice for players focusing on this playstyle.
Chaos Poison Builds:
The Deadly Poison gem is especially powerful for Chaos Poison builds. If you’re playing a Chaos-based attack build that focuses on applying Poison, such as Poison Blade Vortex or Poison Spectral Throw, this gem will significantly amplify the Poison damage dealt. The increased Effect of Poison helps ensure that your enemies suffer large amounts of damage over time, making them easier to defeat.
Spell-based Poison Builds:
For spellcasters who rely on Chaos Spells that apply Poison—such as Contagion or Bane—this gem can greatly increase the Poison damage of those spells. The Poison Effect bonus will stack with other modifiers that increase Chaos Damage over time, leading to more efficient Poison builds.
Dot (Damage over Time) Focused Builds:
If your character is built around Damage over Time (DoT) mechanics, the Deadly Poison Support Gem will synergize with other Poison damage and Chaos damage scaling nodes in the passive skill tree. The 75% increased Effect of Poison will enhance all Poison-related damage modifiers in your build, making your attacks more efficient in the long run.
Hybrid Chaos Damage Builds:
Some hybrid builds may focus on applying both Poison and other types of Chaos damage (e.g., Corruption or Chaos DoT effects). The Deadly Poison gem can boost the overall Poison efficiency within such builds, making the build both effective and flexible.
Increased Poison Effect:
The gem provides a significant boost to Poison damage over time. By increasing the Effect of Poison by 75%, it allows you to maximize the damage potential of Poison skills even though they deal less hit damage.
Synergy with Chaos Skills:
This gem works best in Chaos-based builds where you can combine the Poison boost with other Chaos damage modifiers. The result is a build that delivers powerful damage over time that can continue ticking even after the enemy has moved away or after the initial hit has landed.
Perfect for Bossing:
Many bosses in Path of Exile 2 have high health pools, and Poison damage is a great way to consistently deal damage without having to rely on burst damage. Deadly Poison will let you keep dealing damage over time, which is especially effective for longer fights where you can continuously apply and refresh Poison.
Scales Well with Additional Poison Mods:
When combined with other Poison-related modifiers on your gear or passive tree, Deadly Poison can scale extremely well. You can further amplify Poison damage with items like The Green Nightmare or Viridians, making this gem a key component of high Poison DPS.
Reduced Hit Damage:
The 25% reduced damage with Hits is a notable downside for this gem. This penalty means that your attacks will not deal as much immediate damage when hitting enemies, which might be problematic if you rely on burst or single-hit damage in your build.
Not Ideal for Non-Poison Builds:
If your build does not revolve around Poison or Chaos damage, then this gem will not be as effective. The Deadly Poison gem is specifically designed for Poison-based builds and may not provide value in other playstyles.
Slower Kill Speed:
Since Poison deals damage over time rather than in an instant, kills will be slower compared to builds that focus on high burst damage. For players who prefer faster kills, this gem may feel less rewarding.
Leverage Poison Scaling:
Make sure your build is optimized for scaling Poison damage. Use items, passive skill tree nodes, and other gem supports that increase Poison Effectiveness and Chaos Damage over time.
Combine with AoE Poison Skills:
Pair Deadly Poison with Area of Effect (AoE) skills that deal Poison damage to maximize your Poison output across multiple enemies. Skills like Contagion or Bane benefit greatly from the Poison Effectiveness boost.
Monitor Enemy Health:
Since Poison damage works over time, it’s important to monitor the duration of your Poison effects. Keep applying more Poison stacks as the previous ones expire, ensuring that the Poison damage remains constant.
The Deadly Poison Support Gem is a powerful tool for Chaos-based Poison builds in Path of Exile 2. With the massive 75% boost to Poison Effect, this gem enhances the damage over time aspect of your Poison attacks, making it a fantastic addition for any build that focuses on Poison as its primary source of damage. While it reduces hit damage in exchange for the Poison effect, it is an indispensable gem for players looking to scale Poison damage to its maximum potential. Whether you’re building a Chaos caster or a physical attack Poison build, the Deadly Poison gem offers significant benefits for long-lasting damage and effective crowd control.