Path of Exile

[Chesspiece_face]

So I've started getting back into this game a bit. I don't think it will be something I delve too deep into just based on the (what I feel is incomprehensible) item/crafting system, but for now it is a minor distraction.

I've been continuing to play my ranger which I am building crit and focusing on Frenzy/Ice Shot.

A couple questions: What amount of skill points can you reasonably expect to get? The talent calculator lists 120 but if it's anything like D2 the upper range of those points will be fairly unattainable.

I've gone through all of normal difficulty with only one fight causing me a death (that being the bandit fight against the guy who just kept leap-smashing my face with this staff) until now in act 3 I find myself against Piety. I feel like everything else I go to fight in act 3 is a snorefest but going up against her I just get rocked. Is this normal? Is this something like WoW where I need to build a full set of lightning resist gear just for this one fight? If so, I think that prospect will kill off any desire I have to continue any further. It's hard enough to even build a default set of reasonably decent gear let alone having to put something together just for one fight.

Anyway, here's a general idea of the skills I was thinking of playing around with: Passive Tree

That's a full tree; which sections are the least needed and easiest to prune out? Is it a reasonable build? Are there better sections nearby that I can shift points into that I'm overlooking?

This is where I am now: Present Tree.

All the pros out there let me know what you think.