https://www.lastepochtools.com/planner/QJ8GOgqo
Here’s a basic passive setup if you’re going for Cold Damage. Otherwise move the points from Cold Passives in Sorc’s tree into the Fire or Lightning branches.
The goal is to get to the breakpoint of the passives (5 point bonus, for example) while progressing the tree as much as possible. If there’s nothing useful in that tier of passives, just backtrack and add more points.
I like to progress passives in sets of 5 until I reach the final tier. So I’d spend 5 points in the first tier to unlock the second, I’d check if any of these nodes are worth using and if yes, spend 5 points there, otherwise backtrack to the previous tier. Repeat until I’ve unlocked all the tiers and the rest of the passives points are spent to fill out the tree or cross-class
Edit:
To elaborate with examples. I built this tree with this mindset:
- Spend the 20 minimum points to get to Sorcerer’s tree.
- Tier 1: Arcane Momentum needs 2 points for the follow-up and Mana Shell has a 5 points bonus. Put 2 points into Arcane Momentum and 3 points into Mana Shell. 5 points spent in Sorcerer.
- Tier 2: both Essence of Celerity and Wisdom have 6 point bonuses. Pick one and spend 5 points. 10 points total.
- Tier 3: Pick an elemental path, spend 1 point in it to unlock the follow-on, spend 1 point in the passive from tier 2. Spend the remaining 3 points in the other passive. 15 points total.
- Tier 4: nothing here is something I want to use. Spend 3 points to get the remaining bonus from Tier 2 and then put the final 2 points to get the bonus from Mana Shell. 20 points total.
- Tier 5: Spend 5 points in the Elemental follow-on for the leech and penetration. 25 points total.
- Tier 6: Spend 5 points for the bonus if Fire/Cold, or spend 5 points for the Crit Chance in the bottom mode. 30 points total.
- Tier 7: nothing here I’m interested in, unless I went the Crit Chance node. In which case one point into Arcane Obliteration. Otherwise one point into Arcane Momentum for cast speed. 31 points total.
This is 20 in Mage, 31 in Sorcerer for your 51 passive points.
I’d continue this mentality until reaching tier 10 at 45 points invested at which point I’d go back and fill out the tree or pick a tier 10 node that I want to cap first (aka, Archmage.)
Edit 2; just want to emphasize that this is how i do passive trees. It’s likely not optimal, but i like the feeling of progressing up the tree and don’t like optimizing the fun out of everything.