Omniscience in Path of Exile is a powerful and unique pseudo-attribute that fundamentally changes how a character's stats scale, primarily benefiting elemental damage builds. It is a distinctive mechanic that has reshaped character building possibilities within the game.
Understanding Omniscience
Omniscience is not one of the core attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence) but rather a special statistic that derives its value from them. It functions similarly to how "Devotion" works with the "Militant Faith" unique Timeless Jewel, representing an alternative way to gain power and utility.
How is Omniscience Gained?
Currently, the only way for a player to gain Omniscience is by equipping a specific unique amulet: Crystallised Omniscience. Without this item, the pseudo-attribute of Omniscience cannot be acquired.
The Mechanics of Crystallised Omniscience
When you equip Crystallised Omniscience, a profound transformation occurs in your character's attributes:
- Attribute Conversion: All sources of Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence on your character, including those from your passive tree, gear, and gems, are converted into Omniscience. This means you no longer gain the inherent benefits typically provided by these individual attributes.
- Omniscience Benefits: Instead, each point of Omniscience provides two crucial bonuses:
- Elemental Resistance Penetration: A percentage of elemental resistance penetration against enemies. This is highly effective for increasing elemental damage output, as it effectively reduces enemies' defenses against your fire, cold, and lightning spells or attacks.
- Elemental Resistances: A small amount of elemental resistance, helping to cap your character's defenses against elemental damage.
| Input Attribute | Normal Benefit (Lost with Crystallised Omniscience) | Contribution to Omniscience |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Melee Physical Damage, Maximum Life | Yes |
| Dexterity | Attack Speed, Evasion Rating, Accuracy Rating | Yes |
| Intelligence | Maximum Mana, Energy Shield | Yes |
Building with Omniscience
The existence of Omniscience through Crystallised Omniscience creates a unique build archetype focused on stacking attributes.
- Attribute Stacking: Players aiming to maximize Omniscience will prioritize gear, passive tree nodes, and jewels that grant large amounts of Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence, regardless of their usual benefits. The goal is simply to accumulate as many attribute points as possible, which then all contribute to a single, powerful Omniscience score.
- Elemental Damage Focus: Due to its elemental resistance penetration bonus, Omniscience is predominantly used in builds that deal significant elemental damage, such as elemental attack builds (bows, swords, axes) or elemental spellcasters.
- Defensive Adjustments: Since the normal defensive benefits of Strength (life), Dexterity (evasion), and Intelligence (energy shield) are lost, Omniscience builds often need to find alternative ways to secure their defenses. This might involve investing heavily in pure life or energy shield from other sources, utilizing defensive auras, or incorporating robust defensive layers like spell suppression or block chance.
Key Considerations
- Uniqueness: Omniscience is a rare and powerful effect, tied exclusively to one specific unique item, making it a build-around item rather than a generic stat.
- Build Diversity: It offers a distinctive way to scale character power, encouraging players to think differently about attribute allocation and gear choices beyond traditional methods.
