Best early skills
The best opening investment is a dependable defensive loop, not a high-cost finisher. Manuals gate the trees, while one shared XP/skill-point pool means every purchase competes with the other disciplines.
Recommended first route
- Swordmastery: unlock a directional block or Perfect Riposte upgrade first. It works day and night and is the safest answer to early human elites.
- Witchcraft: take one low-cost control, utility, or defensive spell from Anca’s prologue lessons. Save larger damage spells until a manual and upgrade point are available.
- Vampirism: unlock a movement/escape tool after your first reliable feeding route. Add sustain only after you can manage corruption without breaking a quest chain.
When to respec your priorities
Before Ambrus, favor blocks, stamina recovery, and a quick finisher. Before Bakir’s Lunar Game, bring a sword-only setup because Vampiric abilities are forbidden in the maze. Before Xanthe, add mobility and a control spell for blood-orb waves. Before Brencis, reserve burst and healing for the Anachora transition.
Resource rules
Do not buy every passive immediately. Keep one skill point for a newly found manual, and make a save before consuming named boss blood. The official Skills & Power bulletin confirms that Swordmastery and Witchcraft require world manuals, while Vampirism grows through feeding and corruption.