1Rarity: white → blue → yellow
Every item has a rarity, and crafting is mostly about climbing it. Higher rarity = more modifier slots.
| Rarity | Prefixes | Suffixes | Max mods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal (white) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Magic (blue) | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2 |
| Rare (yellow) | 0–3 | 0–3 | 6 |
| Unique | — | — | fixed |
Unlike PoE1, items in PoE2 cannot be scoured back to white. Plan your steps before you spend — there's no undo.
2Prefixes & Suffixes
A Rare item has two separate pools: up to prefix three prefixes and up to suffix three suffixes. They fill independently — so "6 mods" really means "3 + 3".
- Prefixes are usually the "how much" mods: maximum Life, added/percent damage, defences, spell damage.
- Suffixes are usually the "how" mods: resistances, attributes, attack/cast speed, critical stats.
This split is why omens like Sinistral (prefix-only) and Dextral (suffix-only) matter — they let an Exalt or Annul target the right pool so it can't touch the other.
3Item Level & mod tiers
Every base has a hidden item level (iLvl) set by where it dropped. Higher-tier versions of a mod require a higher iLvl to appear. A +life roll on an iLvl 80 base can hit far higher numbers than on an iLvl 20 base.
The practical rule: craft on high item-level bases (ideally 80+) so the best tiers are in the pool. Greater and Perfect currencies also enforce a minimum iLvl for exactly this reason.
4Quality & corruption
Quality(added with Whetstones on weapons, Armourer's Scraps on armour) boosts a base's core stats up to 20%. Always quality a base before crafting — it multiplies your result.
Corruption (Vaal Orb) is the end of the line: it makes one unpredictable change and then locks the item forever — no more crafting. Only ever corrupt a finished item you can afford to lose.
The mental model
- 1. Start clean. A high item-level, quality white base.
- 2. Guarantee what you must have. Use an Essence to lock in the one mod you can't live without.
- 3. Open it up. Regal to Rare, then fill slots with Exalts — steered by Omens.
- 4. Clean up & perfect. Annul/Chaos bad mods (with omens), then Divine to max the numbers.