The "Deal with the Bandits" quest in Path of Exile is one of the most crucial decisions players face in the second act. It offers a choice between gaining an extra Passive Skill Point or receiving a unique buff from one of the three bandit leaders: Kraityn, Alira, or Oak. Your decision will have a lasting impact on your character's power and performance, so it's essential to choose wisely based on your build and playstyle.

Starting the Quest

Location: Act 2, The Forest Encampment

NPC to Start: Speak with Eramir to initiate the quest.

Eramir will inform you about the bandits causing trouble in the region, and you'll need to make a key choice: either kill all three bandits for a Passive Skill Point or side with one of them for a specific buff.

Bandit Locations and Their Rewards

There are three bandit leaders, each located in different areas of Act 2. Killing them grants their amulet while helping them gives you a permanent bonus.

Helping Kraityn

Location: Broken Bridge (accessible via Crossroads).

Bonus: +8% Movement Speed, +6% Attack and Cast Speed, +3% chance to Dodge Attacks.

This bonus offers increased speed and evasion, making it great for classes that rely on mobility or attack speed. However, once you reach the endgame, the 8% movement speed may be outclassed by other buffs.

Helping Alira

Location: Western Forest (accessible via Riverways).

Bonus: +15% to All Elemental Resistances, +5 Mana Regeneration per second, +20% Critical Strike Multiplier.

This bonus is one of the most popular choices because elemental resistances are crucial in Path of Exile. At the end of the campaign, characters suffer a -60% penalty for resistance, making it difficult to cap them. Alira's reward helps overcome this issue, and the mana regeneration is helpful for sustaining.

Helping Oak

Location: The Wetlands (accessible via Riverways).

Bonus: +40 Maximum Life, +2% Life Regeneration per second, +20% Physical Damage Reduction.

Oak's Buff is excellent for life-based characters who need survivability. The flat life and regeneration offer great durability, especially for melee or tanky builds. However, if you already have sufficient life and resistance, Oak's bonus might be less appealing compared to the utility of the other bandits.

Killing All Bandits

If you choose to kill all three bandits, you'll receive an additional Passive Skill Point. To do this, kill each bandit and collect their amulet. Then, return to Eramir in the Forest Encampment, hand him the amulets, and he will reward you with the point. Additionally, you'll receive The Apex quest item, which is needed to complete the Ancient Pyramid and finish Act 2.

Reward: +1 Passive Skill Point (can be used on any passive node in the tree).

This is the most flexible option, especially for min-maxers or those who want to complete their passive tree efficiently. The extra point can provide more versatility in build customization and is preferred in many endgame-focused setups.

Which Choice Is Best?

The best choice depends on your build and playstyle:

Alira's elemental resistance is usually the go-to option for many players because resistances are critical in both mid-game and endgame. Having 15% resistances frees up gear slots and reduces the stress of capping your resistances.

Kraityn's movement speed and attack speed are best suited for zoomy builds that value mobility, but this falls off in utility in later stages of the game.

Oak's life boost is useful for tanky characters, especially those who rely on life over energy shields or other defensive mechanics. The extra flat life is very attractive for melee fighters or builds without good access to life nodes.

Killing all bandits is ideal for players looking for flexibility in their passive skill tree and prefer to min-max their build later on.

How to Change Your Decision (Vendor Recipe)

If you change your mind later in the game, there's a vendor recipe that allows you to reset your bandit choice. This recipe requires:

20 Orbs of Regret

The respective bandit leader's amulet (Kraityn's Amulet, Alira's Amulet, or Oak's Amulet).

Once you have these Path of Exile items, sell them to a vendor, and you will receive a Book of Reform, allowing you to change your bandit reward decision. Note that this is quite expensive, so it's not recommended early in a league.

Checking Missing Passive Points

At any point, you can check if you've missed any Passive Points from quests by typing the command /passives in the chat window. This will display how many quest rewards you're missing.

Path of Exile Currency and Items

To enhance your performance during this quest and the overall game, it's essential to gather powerful Path of Exile currency and items. Here's how they play into the Deal with the Bandits quest:

Currency: Use Orbs of Regret if you need to respec points after choosing a bandit reward.

Gear & Items: Acquiring gear with high elemental resistances is crucial, especially iis crucial, especially if you don't help Alira. Prioritize equipment that boosts resistances, life, or movement speed, depending on your decision.

Conclusion: The "Deal with the Bandits" quest offers meaningful choices that impact both early and endgame builds. Deciding between extra passive points or a powerful buff is a critical decision, so consider your character's progression and playstyle before committing.