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Skills

Skills are the foundation of character development in New Dawn. This comprehensive guide covers all available skills.

Overview

In Ultima Online, your character is defined by skills rather than classes. You have 700 total skill points to distribute across many different skills.

Skill Categories

Skills are organized into several categories:

How Skills Work

Skill Points

  • Each skill ranges from 0.0 to 100.0
  • You have 700.0 total points to spend
  • Skills gain through use
  • Higher skills = harder to improve

Skill Gain

Skills improve when you:

  1. Successfully use the skill
  2. Attempt challenging actions
  3. Have skill gains unlocked (not capped)

Skill Gain Mechanics

  • Gains are checked after skill use
  • Higher difficulty = better gain chance
  • Skills near cap gain very slowly
  • Some skills gain passively during combat

Skill Locks

Control how skills change:

  • Up Arrow (↑) - Skill can increase
  • Down Arrow (↓) - Skill can decrease
  • Lock (→) - Skill is frozen

Skill Templates

Common skill combinations for specific roles:

Warrior

Core combat skills: - Weapon Skill (100) - Tactics (100) - Anatomy (100) - Healing (100) - Parrying (80-100) - Resisting Spells (80-100)

Mage

Magical specialist: - Magery (100) - Evaluating Intelligence (100) - Meditation (100) - Resisting Spells (100) - Wrestling (80-100) - Inscription (80-100)

Crafter

Item creation focus: - Crafting Skill (100) - Related Skills (100) - Magery (80) - Item Identification - Arms Lore

Skill Details

Combat Skills

Skill Purpose Paired With
Swordsmanship Sword weapons Tactics, Anatomy
Fencing Fencing weapons Tactics, Anatomy
Mace Fighting Blunt weapons Tactics, Anatomy
Archery Bows and crossbows Tactics, Anatomy
Wrestling Unarmed combat Tactics, Anatomy
Parrying Shield defense Combat skills
Tactics Damage bonus All combat
Anatomy Critical hits Combat skills

Detailed Combat Skills

Magic Skills

Skill Purpose Paired With
Magery Cast spells Eval Int, Meditation
Evaluating Intelligence Magic damage Magery
Meditation Mana regeneration Magery
Resisting Spells Magic resistance All templates
Spirit Speak Mana regeneration Necromancy

Detailed Magic Skills

Crafting Skills

Skill Creates Paired With
Blacksmithy Metal armor/weapons Mining, Tinkering
Tailoring Cloth/leather armor Camping
Carpentry Wood items Lumberjacking
Tinkering Tools and gadgets Mining
Alchemy Potions Inscription

Detailed Crafting Skills

Miscellaneous Skills

Skill Purpose
Healing Bandage others/self
Mining Gather ore
Lumberjacking Gather wood
Fishing Catch fish
Hiding Become invisible
Stealth Move while hidden
Tracking Find creatures
Detect Hidden Find hidden things

Detailed Misc Skills

Training Your Skills

Early Training (0-50)

Skills gain quickly:

  • Use training dummies (combat)
  • Practice on weak creatures
  • Craft basic items
  • Use skill on yourself

Mid Training (50-80)

Gains moderate:

  • Hunt appropriate monsters
  • Craft quality items
  • Join hunting groups
  • Use skill scrolls if available

Late Training (80-100)

Gains are slow:

  • Champion spawns
  • Difficult monsters
  • Master crafting

Skill Management

Tips for Success

Best Practices

  • Focus on 5-7 core skills
  • Keep related skills together
  • Use skill locks effectively
  • Don't spread points too thin
  • Check skill caps regularly

Skill Stone/Ball

Some servers offer items to:

  • Reset all skills
  • Copy skill template
  • Transfer between characters

Check with staff about availability!

Skill Effects Summary

Passive Benefits

Many skills provide passive bonuses:

  • Anatomy - Increases healing efficiency
  • Tactics - Improves damage output
  • Arms Lore - Better repairs
  • Item ID - See item properties

Active Abilities

Some skills have special moves:

  • Combat Skills - Special weapon attacks
  • Stealth - Move hidden
  • Stealing - Take items from others
  • Animal Taming - Control creatures

Master your skills, master the game!