In Path of Exile 2, the voluminous passive skill tree gives several ways in which one can customize one's character. However, as far as you get in the game, the more you notice that certain necessary readjustments are required in your created build, mainly for better performance or trying to use another way around. 

This brings us to one important feature in-game: respec-ing. Commonly known elsewhere as "refund," it is responsible for taking away the already spent passive-skill points—an end.

Activating the Respec Feature

The ability to respec in Path of Exile 2 opens as soon as you play through the main storyline of The Hooded One. He can only be encountered once you complete some specific quests within Act 1:

• The Mysterious Shade: This quest requires killing the boss, Lachlann of Endless Lament, who's situated in the Cemetery of the Eternals. The point where the player goes in is around levels 7 through 12.
• Sorrow Among Stones: With the previous quest in mind, you will have to resurrect The Hooded One at the Clearfell Encampment.

Once these quests are complete, The Hooded One becomes available to offer respec services in Clearfell Encampment. In addition, you will be able to contact The Hooded One to identify your items.

How to Respec Passive Skill Points

With The Hooded One in your possession, follow the following steps to respec your passive skill points:

• Talk to The Hooded One: In the Clearfell Encampment, go up to The Hooded One and select "Refund Passives".
• Refunding Points: The Passive Skill Tree will open, whereby hovering over and selecting the nodes in which you want to refund, with each point refunded going back into the available pool for reallocation.
• Respeccing Costs: Refund passive skill points into gold scales with your character's level and the depth of the node in the skill tree. Early-game respecs are pretty cheap; the costs ramp up significantly as you progress. You'll need to be very deliberate with your gold resources, especially since gold is shared across all characters if you're not playing hardcore or solo self-found.

Respeccing Ascendancy Skill Points

Ascendancy classes grant significant power boosts to your character but respeccing these points is considerably more costly:

• Higher Costs: Refunding an Ascendancy skill point costs fivefold the amount of gold it takes to refund a regular passive skill point. It will be very expensive to recover one and forces a lot of critical thought into choosing Ascendancy skills so as not to make mistakes.
• Irreversible Ascendancy Class Choice: As of the current status of early access, once you have chosen an Ascendancy class, it is irreversible. Individual Ascendancy skill points can be respecced, but class choice cannot be switched.

Strategic Considerations for Respeccing

With how expensive respeccing is, you'll need to plan your character build in advance:

• Use Build Planners: Before spending your points, it is highly recommended to use one of the many online build planners to plan your path on the skill tree.
• Experiment Early: Early-game respecs are cheaper, allowing one to experiment with different builds and strategies without the stress of a high price.
• Gold Reserves - One thing you should always be cognizant of is your gold reserve especially when you're looking towards major changes to your build since you can afford the needed respecs.

Conclusion

Respeccing in Path of Exile 2 will be quite handy for adaptability or experimenting with different builds. By comprehending the process and associated costs involved, you will be able to make informed decisions that will be to your advantage in gaming. Make a strategic approach so that respec may exploit the depth and complexity offered by Path of Exile 2.