Here's what i've learned about making the most of your skill points while keeping your character alive - the passive tree system is pretty unique and focusing on weapon synergies is going to be your best friend. When you're planning out your build, try to grab notable and keystone nodes that match your playstyle but watch out for those trade-offs, they can bite you if you're not careful.

Something really important to keep in mind is that defense works differently now. You'll want to stack your attributes smartly since they directly affect your defensive layers - strength builds up armor, dexterity helps with evasion, and intelligence boosts energy shield. Don't forget about keeping those resistances capped at 75% either, it makes a huge difference in staying alive.

The weapon set specialization is actually pretty cool, letting you allocate points separately for different weapon setups which opens up some interesting hybrid builds. When you're picking those small attribute nodes make sure they're actually helping you meet requirements for your gear and gems, and try to grab clusters that work together to boost your main damage type or defensive strategy. If things aren't working out the way you hoped, the hooded one can help you respec for some gold so don't stress too much about experimenting with different setups. The nice thing is you can always adjust and optimize as you go, especially once you get a better feel for how everything works together in actual gameplay.