What you can do is decided by your skills. You learn by doing: cut trees to become a woodcutter, swing an axe to become an axeman. Each skill has a mastery tree whose nodes open as the skill rises.
Unarmed fighting, and dodging blows while unarmed.
Dexterity
Tactics
Raises the damage you deal with every weapon.
Strength
Magic
Sorcery
Attack spells; improves every time you cast.
Intelligence
Healing
Healing spells and bandages.
Intelligence
Nature
Plant and animal spells.
Intelligence
Focus
Raises spell power and lowers the chance a hit breaks your casting.
Intelligence
Meditation
Speeds up mana regeneration; does not work in metal armour.
Intelligence
Every skill runs from 0 to 100. All combat and magic skills together are capped at 800 points, gathering and crafting skills at 500.
How skills rise
Success. When your skill equals a task’s difficulty you succeed 60% of the time. 25 points above it you always succeed; 25 points below, only 5%.
Learning band. You learn fastest from work within 10 points of your skill. Work more than 25 points below your skill teaches nothing, and work far above it teaches at 70% of the full rate.
Chance to learn. Each try in the band has a 50% chance to teach you something, slowing as the skill climbs (table below). A failed try counts for 50%.
Never stuck. After enough tries without a gain (8 at skill 0, 16 at 50, 24 at 100), the next try is sure to give 0.1.
Gathering skill pays. At 100 you gather 35% faster and have a 25% chance of an extra piece.
Skill
Learning rate
Each gain
Wait between gains
0–49
×1
0.1–0.3
—
50–69
×0.5
0.1–0.2
—
70–79
×0.5
0.1–0.2
2 min
80–89
×0.2
0.1
3 min
90–100
×0.2
0.1
5 min
Mastery trees
A node opens when the skill reaches the number beside it. Where two nodes share a number, you pick one of them.
Axe
0
Heavy Strike
A slow but hard blow.
Unlocks Heavy Strike
5
Rend
The blow opens a wound; the target bleeds for five seconds.
Unlocks Rend
10
Axe Storm
Spins and strikes everyone around you.
Unlocks Axe Storm
20
Keen Edge
Axe blows cut deeper.
+8% damage
35
Bloody Axe
The wounds you open bleed longer.
Bleeding lasts 50% longer
or
Heavy Arm
Heavy Strike lands harder.
Heavy Strike +25% damage
50
Battle Breath
More breath in a fight.
+10 max stamina
70
Storm Master
Axe Storm can be used more often.
Axe Storm cooldown −25%
or
Axeman
Every axe blow is harder.
+10% damage
90
Clan Champion
The best axe of the clan.
+10% damage
Defence
10
Firm Stance
You parry blows more often.
+5% parry chance
25
Thick Hide
You last longer.
+10 max health
50
Reflexes
Your parry chance rises clearly.
+10% parry chance
or
Hardy
Your health pool grows.
+20 max health
75
Iron Will
Every blow you take is a little lighter.
−10% damage taken
Woodcutting
10
Skilled Cut
A chance of extra wood with every cut.
+10% chance of an extra piece
25
Black Oak Lore
Hard trees come down more easily.
+10% success on hard nodes
50
Quick Axe
You cut faster.
15% faster gathering
or
Rich Harvest
More wood drops.
+15% chance of an extra piece
75
Forest Master
Your axe wears more slowly.
−30% tool wear
Mining
10
Skilled Strike
A chance of extra stone with every strike.
+10% chance of an extra piece
25
Iron Vein Lore
Hard veins crack more easily.
+10% success on hard nodes
50
Quick Pick
You dig faster.
15% faster gathering
or
Rich Ore
More stone drops.
+15% chance of an extra piece
75
Deep Dig
Your pickaxe wears more slowly.
−30% tool wear
Weapon abilities
Opened by the Axe mastery tree and used from the Q, W and E keys.
Key
Name
Effect
Cooldown
Stamina
Q
Heavy Strike
A slow but hard blow: 80% more damage, +20 to hit.
6 s
8
W
Rend
The blow opens a wound: 2.5 bleed damage per second for 5 seconds.
9 s
6
E
Axe Storm
Spins and strikes everyone within 2.4 m (90% damage).
