

PATH OF EXILE SKILL GEMS MODS
Incursion has been slowed down, so the time bonus from kills and Incursions has been permanently increased, but the mods have been removed from the items, including from the tier 3 rooms. Beasts no longer drop unique items, so the only reward from sacrificing them is a Talisman base type, which can be quite underwhelming. Currency rewards are very rare and the Sanctified Relics are even rarer. Sanctum is one of the biggest pieces of content and it has been heavily altered in Ruthless. You must also be strategic about how and when you use your flasks, as flask charges cannot be gained while the flask is in use. Maps no longer get increases to pack size from the mods rolled on them, and the map drop rate can be quite low. You must also be careful when progressing to higher-tier content, as your gear might be lacking. Leveling in Ruthless mode can be a challenge, as there are no support gems, and you must find the gems yourself. The aura gems you find while playing in Ruthless mode are also super exciting, as they are the main way to shape your character's power. The rarity of items also makes the choices between damage, defense, and item acquisition rolled on your equipped items much more than nuanced and interesting. Crafting benches are not available in your hideout, and you cannot use Harvest essences and fossils to reroll items. Alchemy orbs, alteration orbs, and chaos orbs are all rare, and it can be difficult to find a four-link item with useful sockets. The scarcity of items makes the decently rolled items so coveted, and it forces players to create and gear up their characters in different ways. One of the most enjoyable aspects of playing in Ruthless mode is the unique experience it provides. This presents a challenge to new players who are trying to progress through the story, and it will affect the builds you can create. You cannot use normal Path of Exile loot filters, and you cannot find any movement skills throughout the game.

The lack of movement skills is also very noticeable in this mode. Jewelry and belts cannot be purchased from vendors. There are changes to how items give currency shards when sold to merchants, as well as changes to the prices of the items. Quest rewards that normally give support gems now may give you the choice of a magic item. These changes are very present from the start, as no support gems are given to the player in any way other than them dropping. If you choose the Ruthless mode on the character creation screen, you will experience several changes to the normal Path of Exile game.
