Path of Exile 2 Damage Conversion Overview

In Path of Exile 2 (PoE2), the mechanics of damage conversion have been reworked significantly, introducing changes that impact how players build and scale damage. This new system reshapes both how conversion works and how damage can be scaled, adding complexity but offering more defined limits to power growth, which affects both build diversity and overall game balance.

In PoE2, damage conversion still comes in two primary forms, but they have different roles in how damage is transferred from one type to another:

Converted Modifiers: These modifiers transform a portion of one damage type (e.g., physical) into another (e.g., fire). When a portion of physical damage is converted to fire, for instance, that damage is no longer treated as physical, only fire.

Gained as Extra Modifiers: These modifiers allow one type of damage to “gain as extra” another type. For example, a character might gain an additional portion of physical damage as extra fire damage, without changing the original type.

These two forms of conversion only flow in a single direction and cannot loop back. For instance, physical damage can be converted into elemental damage (like fire or cold), but chaos damage cannot be converted into elemental types.

The most impactful change is that damage conversion no longer retains its original type. In PoE1, converted damage retained a “memory” of its original type, allowing players to apply modifiers for both the original and the converted damage types. For example:

In PoE1, physical damage converted to fire could be scaled using both physical and fire modifiers, resulting in highly efficient damage stacking. However, in PoE2, converted damage can only be scaled based on its final type:

Physical damage converted to fire in PoE2 can only be scaled using fire modifiers, not physical modifiers. This means the efficiency of damage scaling for converted builds is significantly reduced, as players can no longer rely on scaling modifiers from both the original and the converted type.

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Damage conversion operates on a priority system, with certain conversions taking precedence over others:

Skill-Type Conversion: Conversions that are part of a skill or support gem (e.g., Smite or Physical to Lightning Support) take the highest priority. These are applied first and will always meet their full conversion amount before any other sources of conversion.

Other Modifiers: Modifiers from gear (like Rim Sorrows gloves, which convert physical to cold damage) or the passive skill tree are applied afterward. If skill gems already convert all physical damage to lightning, as in the example above, additional physical-to-cold conversion from gear would have no effect.

This prioritization ensures that skill-linked conversions take precedence, limiting the impact of other sources when conversion reaches or exceeds 100%.

The inability of converted damage to retain its original type in PoE2 introduces some important limitations but also opens new strategies:

Scaling Limitations: Previously, players could boost damage using both the original and converted modifiers, but PoE2 restricts this to only the converted type. This change will require players to rethink how they approach damage scaling in conversion-based builds, potentially lowering the overall damage output and limiting some of the stronger scaling methods from PoE1.

Extra Damage Gained Before Conversion: Despite the new limitations, “gained as extra” modifiers can still be very strong as they apply before conversion takes place. For example, a modifier that grants extra chaos damage based on each non-chaos type in a damage chain can still offer significant bonuses. This provides an avenue for complex, multi-type damage builds, but requires careful planning to maximize potential gains before the conversion process begins. 

The rework in damage conversion mechanics provides developers with more control over the game's balance:

Easier Damage Scaling Control: With fewer scaling options through conversion, developers can more easily balance damage outputs across various builds. Previously, converted builds could escalate in power rapidly, requiring specific limitations to prevent overpowered interactions.

Conversion Order: In PoE1, conversion followed a strict order that prevented loops, but it's uncertain whether PoE2 will retain this same order or introduce changes. It's possible GGG may retain a similar ordering process to prevent conversion abuse while allowing more flexible conversion routes for certain builds. This could create new build opportunities and offer players a broader range of viable damage combinations.

In summary, damage conversion in PoE2 removes the retained original type, which affects how converted damage can be scaled, ultimately limiting some of the powerful scaling methods of PoE1. While this restriction reduces some of the flexibility previously seen in converted builds, it clarifies how damage can be amplified and balanced. Additionally, players can still find creative uses for “gained as extra” modifiers and conversion priority, allowing for strategic builds while respecting new scaling limits.

With these changes, PoE2 aims to provide a fresh landscape for build experimentation, balancing both simplicity in understanding conversion mechanics and depth in maximizing build potential.

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