Difference between revisions of "Skill"

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m (→‎The Skill Screen)
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'''Skills''' are the many particular aspects of the adventurer's trade that your character will need if they intend to survive. Like [[experience level]]s, they are gained automatically as you earn [[experience]] through the killing of monsters. While gaining experience levels provides general boosts to your character, gaining skill levels only provides benefits for the narrow sections of adventuring that they pertain to. Like character levels, the highest level a skill can reach is [[27]].
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'''Skills''' represent your character's ability to perform several different offensive, defensive and magical activities. Starting skill levels depend on character [[species]] and [[background]].  As characters earn [[experience]], XP is spread across different skills according to the distribution specified on the Skill Screen ('''m'''), with bonuses based on species [[aptitudes]]. Skill levels are capped at [[27]].
  
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Focusing your skill progression on skills that A) your [[species]] has a natural [[aptitude]] for and that B) you'll actually use can make or break a character. Every species has an aptitude ranging from -5 to +5 for each individual skill, a measure of how easily they can learn it. While you aren't necessarily restricted from branching into skills you have a bad aptitude for, training them will take longer and you may not be able to acquire enough experience to keep your character effective as you go deeper into the [[Dungeon]].
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Skill management is central to strategic play.  Focusing your skill points to align with your [[aptitudes]], available [[equipment]], and play style will make or break a character.  
  
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Characters start the game with access to a small selection of skills. More can be acquired over time.
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Every species is rated from -5 to +5 in each skill, with higher scores giving faster skill progress. Training low-aptitude skills is possible, but may leave characters under-prepared for [[Dungeon]] and [[Branch]] content.  
  
 
==Skill Types==
 
==Skill Types==
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Skills are roughly divided into five categories:
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Skills are divided into three categories:
  
 
'''Offense'''
 
'''Offense'''
 
*[[Fighting]]: Improves your damage in melee, increases your max [[HP]].
 
*[[Fighting]]: Improves your damage in melee, increases your max [[HP]].
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*[[Unarmed Combat]]: Improves your damage, accuracy, and attack speed when making melee attacks without a weapon, and allows you to make auxiliary unarmed combat attacks.
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*Weapon Skills: Improve your damage, accuracy, and attack speed with a specific weapon group.  [[Cross-training]] between certain weapons skills provides a +4 [[aptitude]] bonus.
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*Individual Weapon Skills ([[Short Blades]], [[Maces & Flails]], etc.): Improves your damage, accuracy, and attack speed when using the weapons each skill covers. Some weapon skills cross-train, allowing you to learn their associated, lower-level skills at a faster rate (+4 to the corresponding aptitude, roughly 2× normal speed).
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**[[Axes]]: Axes.  ''x-trains:'' [[Maces & Flails]] and [[Polearms]]
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**[[Bows]]: Bows.  ''x-trains:'' [[Crossbows]]
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**[[Crossbows]]: Crossbows. ''x-trains:'' [[Bows]]
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**[[Long Blades]]: Swords. ''x-trains:'' [[Short Blades]]
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**[[Maces & Flails]]: Blunt instruments.  ''x-trains:'' [[Axes]] and [[Staves]]
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**[[Polearms]]: Spears, tridents, etc. ''x-trains:'' [[Axes]] and [[Staves]]
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**[[Short Blades]]: Stabbing knives.  ''x-trains:'' [[Long Blades]]
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**[[Slings]]: Slings.  ''x-trains:'' [[Throwing]]
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**[[Staves]]: Staffs.  ''x-trains:'' [[Maces & Flails]] and [[Polearms]]
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**[[Throwing]]:  Thrown weapons & blowguns. ''x-trains: [[Slings]]
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**[[Unarmed Combat]]: Use without a wielded weapon.  [[Auxiliary attacks]] are '''not''' improved.
  
 
'''Defense'''
 
'''Defense'''
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*[[Dodge]] - Improves your [[evasion]] (more effective when wearing lighter [[armour]]).
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*[[Armour (skill)|Armour]]: Improves the [[AC]] bonus armour gives (more effective with heavier armour).  Reduces the impact of armour [[EV]] penalties.
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*[[Armour (skill)|Armour]] - Improves the [[AC]] bonus armour gives you (more effective when wearing heavier armour), reduces the impact of armour EV penalties.
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*[[Dodge]]: Improves [[EV]].  More effective with lighter [[armour]].
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*[[Shields (skill)|Shields]] - Improves the [[SH]] bonus [[shields]] gives you, reduces the impact of shield EV penalties.
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*[[Shields (skill)|Shields]]: Improves the [[SH]] bonus [[shields]] gives you. Reduces the impact of shield [[EV]] penalties.
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*[[Stealth]] - Reduces the likelihood of unaware monsters detecting you.
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*[[Stealth]]: Reduces the likelihood of unaware monsters detecting you.
  
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'''Thievery'''
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'''Magic'''
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*[[Stabbing]] - Adds a damage multiplier when you attack an enemy that is not yet aware of you (more effective with certain weapons).
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*[[Spellcasting]]: Slightly increases the [[spell power]] of any spell you cast, reduces the [[spell hunger]] generated, increases your max [[MP]], and grants you extra spell levels to memorize more spells.
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*[[Traps]] - Increases the likelihood of you finding nearby [[traps]] as well as your ability to disarm mechanical traps.
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*[[Invocations]]: Improves the effectiveness of powers granted by the [[gods]], increases your max [[MP]].
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*[[Evocations]]: Improves the effectiveness and safety of using magical items. Increases your max [[MP]].
  
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'''Spellcasting'''
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The highest of your [[Spellcasting]], [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] skills will determine your [[MP]] bonus.
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*[[Spellcasting]] - Slightly increases the [[spell power]] of any spell you cast, reduces the [[spell hunger]] generated, increases your max [[MP]], and grants you extra spell levels to memorize more spells.
 
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*There are many individual skills for the many magic schools you can study. These include styles such as [[Conjurations]] (direct attack magic) and [[Charms]] (magic to enhance your abilities), as well as [[element]]al schools such as [[Fire Magic]] or [[Poison Magic]]. All of these skills have the same general effect, however: to improve the spell success rate and spell power of their associated spells (though some schools have other minor benefits as well, such as improved prowess while wielding an elemental staff). Be aware that some elemental schools are opposed (Fire/Ice, Earth/Air). If you've already gained skill in one school, you'll find it much harder to train the other (-4 to the corresponding aptitude, roughly 1/2 normal speed).
 
  
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'''Alternative Magic'''
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*[[Spell School]] Skills: Improve [[spell power]] and success rate.  Casting a single spell may rely on more than one skill.  Trying to train opposed schools causes a -4 cross-training malus.
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*[[Invocations]] - Improves the effectiveness of powers granted by the [[gods]], increases your max MP.
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**[[Air Magic]]: ''opposes:'' [[Earth Magic|Earth]]
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*[[Evocations]] - Improves the effectiveness and safety of using magical items. Increases your max MP.
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**[[Conjurations]]: Direct attack magic.
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**[[Charms]]: Magic to enhance your abilities.
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Note that of the three different skills that contribute to your maximum MP value, only the highest skill will contribute -- you will not receive the bonuses from each.
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**[[Earth Magic]]: ''opposes:'' [[Air Magic|Air]]
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**[[Fire Magic]]: ''opposes:'' [[Ice Magic|Ice]]
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**[[Hexes]]: Magic to weaken enemies.
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**[[Ice Magic]]: ''opposes:'' [[Fire Magic|Fire]]
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**[[Necromancy]]
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**[[Poison Magic]]
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**[[Summonings]]
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**[[Translocations]]: Move yourself, enemies or objects.
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**[[Transmutations]]: Transform yourself, enemies or objects.
  
 
==The Skill Screen==
 
==The Skill Screen==
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Pressing '''[[m]]''' will bring up the Skill Screen, allowing you to select which skills you'd like to train and how you'd like the game to invest your XP. It also shows you your character's current skill levels and aptitude for each skill, complete with adjustments made for cross-training and opposed magic schools. You can switch between displaying only those skills you can train/have trained and all skills with the '''*''' button.
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Pressing '''[[m]]''' will bring up the Skill Screen, allowing you to select which skills you'd like to train and how you'd like the game to invest your XP. It also shows your character's current skill levels and aptitude for each skill, complete with adjustments made for cross-training and opposed magic schools. You can switch between displaying only those skills you can train/have trained and all skills with the '''*''' button.
  
 
You can select which skills to train by either clicking on its name in the list or pressing the key associated to it. Any skill that you haven't selected will have its name displayed in dark gray, and it will not improve. You can also choose to focus certain skills, causing them to gain twice the amount of experience they'd normally receive. Focused skill names are displayed in white, and their tiles icon will display with a blue glow.
 
You can select which skills to train by either clicking on its name in the list or pressing the key associated to it. Any skill that you haven't selected will have its name displayed in dark gray, and it will not improve. You can also choose to focus certain skills, causing them to gain twice the amount of experience they'd normally receive. Focused skill names are displayed in white, and their tiles icon will display with a blue glow.
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==History==
 
==History==
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Prior to [[0.12]], some skills had inherent bonuses or penalties to training, regardless of your aptitude. Spellcasting was penalized, requiring 130% of standard XP to gain each level. Invocations, Evocations, and Stealth were easier, however, requiring only 80%.
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*[[0.13]] - Removed [[Stabbing]] and [[Traps]] skills.
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*[[0.12]] - Equalized all skill costs.  Formerly, [[Spellcasting]] cost 130%; [[Invocations]], [[Evocations]], and [[Stealth]] 80%.
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Prior to [[0.10]], the Stealth skill training bonus was even better. Each level required only 50% of the XP needed for other skills.
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*[[0.10]] - [[Stealth]] cost changed from 50% to 80%.
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*[[0.10]] - Equipment impact on skill training standardized from skill level 0-27.
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Prior to 0.10, skills only required particular equipment or spells for the first level, and those first levels could only be gained by using those skills while gaining XP.
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*[[0.9]] - Change to current skill system.  Formerly, [[XP]] was saved when earned, then applied to skills as they were used, resulting in repetitive and annoying [[victory dancing]] designed to funnel the [[XP]] appropriately.
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Prior to [[0.9]], XP functioned very differently: instead of automatically being assigned to skills, it would go into an experience pool. This XP was then applied to skills as they were used, resulting in repetitive and annoying "[[victory dance]]s" designed to funnel the XP appropriately.
 
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 
*[[Complete list of skills]]
 
*[[Complete list of skills]]
 
*[[Skill titles]]
 
*[[Skill titles]]

Revision as of 22:37, 25 October 2013

Version 0.13: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Skills represent your character's ability to perform several different offensive, defensive and magical activities. Starting skill levels depend on character species and background. As characters earn experience, XP is spread across different skills according to the distribution specified on the Skill Screen (m), with bonuses based on species aptitudes. Skill levels are capped at 27.

Skill management is central to strategic play. Focusing your skill points to align with your aptitudes, available equipment, and play style will make or break a character.

Every species is rated from -5 to +5 in each skill, with higher scores giving faster skill progress. Training low-aptitude skills is possible, but may leave characters under-prepared for Dungeon and Branch content.

Skill Types

Skills are divided into three categories:

Offense

Defense

  • Armour: Improves the AC bonus armour gives (more effective with heavier armour). Reduces the impact of armour EV penalties.
  • Dodge: Improves EV. More effective with lighter armour.
  • Shields: Improves the SH bonus shields gives you. Reduces the impact of shield EV penalties.
  • Stealth: Reduces the likelihood of unaware monsters detecting you.

Magic

  • Spellcasting: Slightly increases the spell power of any spell you cast, reduces the spell hunger generated, increases your max MP, and grants you extra spell levels to memorize more spells.
  • Invocations: Improves the effectiveness of powers granted by the gods, increases your max MP.
  • Evocations: Improves the effectiveness and safety of using magical items. Increases your max MP.

The highest of your Spellcasting, Invocations and Evocations skills will determine your MP bonus.

The Skill Screen

Pressing m will bring up the Skill Screen, allowing you to select which skills you'd like to train and how you'd like the game to invest your XP. It also shows your character's current skill levels and aptitude for each skill, complete with adjustments made for cross-training and opposed magic schools. You can switch between displaying only those skills you can train/have trained and all skills with the * button.

You can select which skills to train by either clicking on its name in the list or pressing the key associated to it. Any skill that you haven't selected will have its name displayed in dark gray, and it will not improve. You can also choose to focus certain skills, causing them to gain twice the amount of experience they'd normally receive. Focused skill names are displayed in white, and their tiles icon will display with a blue glow.

The skill screen also allows you to choose whether to divide your XP in auto or manual mode by pressing the / key. Auto mode adjusts the XP division so that skills you use more will receive the greatest share of new XP, while those you rarely use receive less. In manual mode, each active skill receives a perfectly equal share of gained XP, while focused skills receive double that. Most veteran players advise always using manual mode, as it is far easier to control where your XP goes using it. Furthermore, you can ensure your XP is split between fewer skills, which is generally good strategy.

Skill Requirements

In any case, you'll notice that you do not have access to all skills from the very beginning of the game. This is because many skills require associated equipment to become available:

  • You must have an appropriate weapon in order to train its weapon skill.
  • You must be wearing a shield or be able to create a magical shield to train Shields
  • You must have a spell of a particular school memorized to train that school's skill.
  • You must worship a god who grants invocable powers to train Invocations
  • You must have an evocable item in your inventory to train Evocations

Removing these items, forgetting these spells, or abandoning these gods will cause you to no longer be able to train their skills, but you will not lose the progress you've made thus far. Be aware that when quaffing a potion of experience or drawing an experience card, you will immediately be asked which skills you'd like to improve. Make sure you have access to the skills you want to put this into!

Experience Required

The chart below shows how many total skill points must be allocated to a skill for it to reach each skill level:

Level Total skill points Level Total skill points Level Total skill points
1 50 10 2,800 19 12,300
2 150 11 3,450 20 13,950
3 300 12 4,200 21 15,750
4 500 13 5,050 22 17,700
5 750 14 6,000 23 19,800
6 1,050 15 7,050 24 22,050
7 1,400 16 8,200 25 24,450
8 1,800 17 9,450 26 27,000
9 2,250 18 10,800 27 29,750

These amounts are then adjusted based on your character's aptitudes. An aptitude of n means you'll need 2^(-n/4) times as much XP to advance as a character with an aptitude of zero for that skill would.

Aptitude +5 +4 +3 +2 +1 +0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5
XP Multiplier 2.38 2.0 1.68 1.41 1.19 1.0 0.84 0.71 0.59 0.5 0.42

These amounts are also themselves significantly increased as your character gains more and more skill experience. At higher levels, the amount of actual experience required to produce the same increase in skill levels reaches as high as 265 times the amount of experience a character with no skill experience would require. However, mobs in the late game give drastically more experience, so this effect is not too difficult to overcome.

History

See Also

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