Unlocking the optimal skill progression in The Blood of Dawnwalker can be a daunting task, as skill points cannot be reallocated once spent. The game features three distinct skill trees: swordmastery, witchcraft, and vampirism, each offering a mix of passive perks and active abilities. Swordmastery skills are always active, while witchcraft abilities function only during the day, and vampirism skills at night.
Skill points are earned through leveling up and completing quests. Perks are generally passive bonuses, while abilities include both active combat moves and passive effects that must be equipped. Players can equip up to four abilities at a time, with witchcraft and vampirism each having three "locked" abilities that cannot be unequipped but can be upgraded.
Unlocking new skills in the witchcraft and swordmastery trees requires finding skill manuals, either as loot or from vendors. For vampirism skills, players must increase their corruption by consuming blood. An ultimate skill for each tree becomes available after spending 35 skill points in swordmastery and witchcraft, or reaching corruption level 15 in vampirism. The inability to respec makes careful selection of skills crucial.
Best Swordmastery Skills
For swordmastery, focusing on perks that enhance blocking is highly effective. Perfect Block, which restores stamina and activation charges, and Perfect Riposte, which grants critical damage and a bonus after a successful perfect block, are essential. Counterattack provides bonus damage after a perfect block and can unlock a bleed chance, while Sharp Eye offers a chance to weaken enemies. Endless Effort increases stamina, and Sustained Focus grants additional activation charges. Master Fencer increases the number of available swordmastery ability slots.
Among active abilities, Artery Strike is a powerful single-target attack with a chance to decapitate enemies, especially those already suffering from bleed. Adrenaline Rush boosts attack damage after using active abilities, Swiftness enhances attack speed and critical hit chance post-perfect block, and Walking Fortress restores activation charges and reduces cooldowns on perfect blocks. The ultimate skill, Sword Sage, resets active ability cooldowns upon defeating an enemy, synergizing well with the other choices.
Best Witchcraft Skills
Mercurial Fervour is a recommended early unlock for faster exploration. Forbidden Sigils increases the number of witchcraft ability slots, and Aether Flow reduces cooldowns, allowing for more frequent use of spells. Soul Stigma offers a significant critical hit chance and damage boost against a target, with the effect transferring to other enemies upon the target's death. This ability, costing 35% HP, pairs well with Unholy Vitality, which regenerates health after using active abilities, particularly benefiting from critical hits at higher levels. Cycle of Ruin extends the duration of active witchcraft abilities with subsequent attacks and blocks, further enhanced by critical hits. Ravenous Flock provides guaranteed critical hits for a duration and deals area-of-effect damage. Frugal Witchcraft can help restore health when defeating enemies with witchcraft abilities.
The ultimate skill, Aether Cascade, grants increased witchcraft ability damage based on the number of abilities used, offering a substantial boost in combat, especially against bosses.
Best Vampirism Skills
Shapeshift, a movement ability allowing transformation into a wolf for increased travel speed, is a key early vampirism skill. Endless Hunger increases health segments, and Vrakhiri Might expands the number of available vampirism ability slots.
Scarlet Shield provides health regeneration after a perfect block, making players exceptionally resilient. This synergizes effectively with Crimson Rush, which amplifies active ability damage based on current health. Shred increases bleed chance and damage, complementing swordmastery abilities like Artery Strike. Blood Surge is a potent vampirism attack that deals area-of-effect damage or massive single-target damage to bosses.
The ultimate ability, Sanguine Renewal, resets all active ability cooldowns when the mandatory Voracious Bite ability is used, enabling rapid deployment of powerful vampirism skills.