PoE Link Skills - Protective Link

Level Skill Name Description Tag
34 Protective Link Protective Link Targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, they copy your block chance and recover life when they block. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines. Spell, Duration, Link
34 Flame Link Flame Link Targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, they deal additional fire damage based on your life. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines. Spell, Duration, Link, Fire
34 Intuitive Link Intuitive Link Targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, their hits can trigger your supported spells. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines. Trigger, Spell, Duration, Link
34 Vampiric Link Vampiric Link Targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, they get recovery from your life leech instead of you. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines. Spell, Duration, Link
34 Destructive Link Destructive Link Targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, they use your main hand critical strike chance. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines. Critical, Spell, Duration, Link
34 Soul Link Soul Link Targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, your Energy Shield will intercept some of the damage they would take. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines. Spell, Duration, Link

Links are active skills that create a bond between your character and a specific party member, providing a benefit to them while they stay in range. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. Link skills cannot be triggered or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines.

  • Multiple Links: It is possible for a character to link to multiple targets. Two characters cannot both simultaneously be linked to each other. Casting a new link on a target will replace your previous links on that target.
  • Duration: Modifiers to duration will affect the duration of the link. Links will break prematurely if the target leaves their range or line of sight for 4 seconds.
  • Cost: Link skills have a mana cost per second for their duration, that is affected by modifiers to costs. If the character is unable to pay this cost, the link will break.
  • Minions: The Minion Defence Mastery allows the character to link to damageable minions. Minions linked this way expiring naturally by running out of duration or if being resummoned count as them dying and thus will cause the caster to die. An exception however are Dancing Dervishes summoned by The Dancing Dervish. The player running out of rampage causes the Dancing Dervishes to vanish which does not count as them dying.

The Soulbound Unique Ring is the perfect puzzle piece for those experimenting with Link skills.

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Protective Link skill gem – Path of Exile

Protective Link Protective Link targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, they copy your block chance and recover life when they block. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines.

Targets an allied player to apply a buff which links you to them for a duration. While linked, they copy your block chance and recover life when they block. If the target dies while linked, you will also die. This skill cannot be triggered, or used by Totems, Traps, or Mines.You are sharing your chance to block attacks with the linked target.You recover life on block and your chance to block attacks is equal to the link source.

Spell, Duration, Link. Level: 1–20. Cost: 15–32.67 Mana per second. Cast Time: 0.50 sec. Requires Level 34.

  • Base duration is (8–9.9) seconds
  • Linked target Recovers (31–297) Life when they Block
  • Linked target"s Chance to Block Attack Damage is equal to yours
    Linked target"s Maximum Chance to Block Attack Damage is equal to yours
  • Link breaks if target leaves range or line of sight for 4 seconds
    Maximum 1 Link from any source per target
    You die if Linked target dies

Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.

NameAdditional Effects From QualityWeight

Related Gems

PoE Protective Link Build

Let’s take a level 1 gem as an example:

  1. It is useful for party play. It can link one party member.
  2. The base duration is 8 seconds.
  3. It grants your target a chance to block attacks equal to yours and also grants 31 life gain on block to them.
  4. The obvious use of this skill is to allow you to specialise in Block and use it to protect an ally that has specialised in something else, like damage.
  5. Glancing Blows keystone passive doubles your block chance but changes it so that you still take some damage from blocked attacks. In conjunction with Protective Link though, your target will receive your doubled block chance but won’t receive the drawback.
  6. It cannot be used by Totems, Traps, or Mines.
  7. Cannot normally be used with your minions. Minion Defence Mastery(Link Skills can target Minions) passive skill allows you to use this skill with them. However, this has a high ongoing mana cost that is difficult to stay on top of.
  8. Note that if your party member die, you will die.

Link Mastery

Link Mastery is a mastery passive skill.

  • Enemies inflict Elemental Ailments on you instead of Linked targets
  • 20% increased Damage per Linked target
  • Your Lined Targets take 5% reduced Damage
  • Enemies near your Linked targets have Fire, Cold and Lightning Exposure

Level Effect

LevelRequires LevelStrengthIntelligenceCostLinked target Recovers 31 Life when they BlockBase duration is 8 secondsExperience
1345035900318252,595
2365336960368.1314,394
33855381030418.2388,734
44058401080488.3477,437
54260421140548.4583,786
64463441200608.5710,359
74666461250718.61,355,511
84868481310808.71,138,877
95071491380888.81,368,233
1052745114401048.91,638,338
11547653149011691,956,648
1256795515501289.13,655,184
1358825716101509.23,017,327
1460845916801679.33,576,232
1562876017301839.49,164,731
1664906217902079.517,861,428
1766926418502349.646,032,386
1868956619002649.787,248,039
1969966719402819.8157,972,052
2070986819602979.9
2172203032210
2274209034710.1
2376214037210.2
2478220039610.3
2580226042110.4
2682233044610.5
2784238047110.6
2886244049510.7
2988250052010.8
3090255054510.9
3191259055711
3292261057011.05
3393265058211.1
3494268059411.15
3595270060711.2
3696274061911.25
3797276063211.3
3898279064411.35
3999283065611.4
40100285066811.45

Item acquisition

Protective Link can drop anywhere. Drop level: 34.

Recipes

Protective Link can be created from the following recipes:

Amount Part Description
13 The Cataclysm Random corrupted level 21 Spell gem
6 The Fox Random level 20 gem
8 Dying Anguish Random level 19 gem with 19% alternative quality
8 The Hook Random corrupted level 21 gem with 23% alternative quality
3 Gemcutter's Promise Random gem with 20% quality
1 Gemcutter's Incubator Random gem with 1–20% quality
1 The Void Random divination card set exchange

Vendor reward

This item can be bought at the listed NPC vendors, after completing the following quests:

Class → Witch Shadow Ranger Duelist Marauder Templar Scion
Quest ↓
Breaking the Seal
Act 4
Petarus and Vanja		 ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Fallen from Grace
Act 6
Lilly Roth		 ✓

Related helmet enchantments

The following helmet enchantments affect Protective Link.

Name Level Labyrinth Stats Spawn Weighting
Enchantment Protective Link Duration 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth 20% increased Protective Link Duration helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Protective Link Duration 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth 30% increased Protective Link Duration helmet 100
default 0

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