Skills

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Abilities & Skills[edit]

Abilities[edit]

Main Article: Abilities

Abilities are the backbone of the skills system; a character's Skills are capped if the corresponding Abilities are too low. Conversely, if the abilities are raised sufficiently, then the other skills can be raised to the cap for that Title Level. Additionally, abilities determine what armor and implants a character can use. The exact cost for each skill can be found at the Skill Costs Chart, either below or at its own page. Additionally, raising abilities will directly improve all of their dependent skills by 25% for free (e.g. raising Stamina by 4 points will raise Body Dev by 1 point for free - i.e. without any additional Improvement Points cost, because Body Dev is related only to Stamina).

  • Strength: Improves most melee weapon skills and many ranged skills.
  • Agility: Improves evades, most ranged and many melee skills.

Breed Characteristics[edit]

Ability Maximum By Breed[edit]

See Main Article: Ability Maximums for Title Caps

Below are the numbers for Abilities increased to their maximum for Classic AO (and the level at which each is reached) / for character level 220 for each Breed.

Breed \ Abil Strength Agility Stamina Intelligence Sense Psychic Total
Atrox 512 (lv167) / 912 480 (lv159) / 780 512 (lv169) / 912 400 (lv134) / 600 400 (lv134) / 600 400 (lv134) / 600 2704 / 4400
Nanomage 464 (lv155) / 664 464 (lv155) / 664 448 (lv150) / 748 512 (lv167) / 912 480 (lv159) / 780 512 (lv169) / 912 2880 / 4680
Opifex 464 (lv155) / 764 544 (lv178) / 944 480 (lv159) / 680 464 (lv154) / 764 512 (lv169) / 912 448 (lv150) / 748 2912 / 4812
Solitus 472 (lv157) / 772 480 (lv159) / 780 480 (lv159) / 780 480 (lv159) / 780 480 (lv159) / 780 480 (lv159) / 780 2772 / 4572


Breed Ability Maxes
Equipped items and Nanos, with both direct enhancement and synergy and greater values overall, can have a far greater total effect on the value of any skill than choice of breed. However, because of the Synergy discussed elsewhere on this page, it can be demonstrated that choice of breed irrevocably affects the absolute maximum of any and all skills. This is less relevant to hybrid professions, notably Metaphysicist, that commonly use both, skills primarily related to physical abilities, and skills primarily related to mental abilities. It is more relevant to Soldiers and the like, that mainly use physical skills, and Nanotechnicians, that almost exclusively use mental skills.

Ability Point Costs by Breed[edit]

The ability maximums per breed are inversely proportional to the IP cost for abilities. For example, Atrox, with the highest Stamina maximum, spends fewer Improvement Points (IP) to increase Stamina points than all other breeds, Opifex spends fewer IP on Agility, etc. The left part of the below table shows ability IP costs by breed.

Nano Cost Reduction Percent[edit]

This stat is the effective maximum you can get in the stat that reduces your nano cost for nano formulas and is shown in the middle part of the table below.

Health and Nano Pool[edit]

While the actual amount of a Body Development Skill and Nano Pool Skill a character may buy is dependent on their profession, their breed determines how many points of health or nano energy are added to their pools per point of skill. To find the base health of a character, take their Body Dev. or Nano Pool skill value and multiply it by their breed "Benefit" multiplier from the right-hand-side part of the table below.


Breed Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Max Nano Cost Reduction Body Dev. Benefit Nano Pool Benefit
Atrox 1 2 1 3 3 3 45% 4 2
Nanomage 3 3 2 1 2 1 55% 2 4
Opifex 2 1 3 2 1 2 50% 3 3
Solitus 2 2 2 2 2 2 50% 3 3

Skills Costs[edit]

Skill costs are defined by profession and vice versa. This is particularly evident in costs for weapon skills and Special Attacks. Ranged Weapon Soldiers and Melee Adventurers are far and away the most flexible at choosing weapons within those ranges. Other professions have a couple of weapons, or even one, that is cheap to increasse.

It is well worth looking at the Skill Costs Chart, either below or at its own page, for non-combat skills. The color code used in game is quite misleading when it comes to costs; most are quite affordable. Because the chart here has made use of multiple additional colors, rather than sticking with the color code used in AO, the costs for skills can be seen at a glance. There are also some potentially surprising advantages, e.g., how cheaply Traders can buy skill points in Pharma Tech, and Fixers, Concealment. Whether the player decides to bite the bullet and pay the price for combat skills out of profession guidelines, or whether choosing which non-combat skills to increase, the Skill Costs Chart offers advantages over the listing in game.

This is a caveat to players who want to get creative with novel combinations; Funcom made the storytelling/roleplaying choice to maintain uniform profession types at the cost of viable player profession choices. A Nano Technician with an Assault Rifle? An Engineer with Sneak Attack or even a Keeper with 2H Blunt? Funcom wanted to keep such characters to a minimum, and made sure of it, and you will have to pay a high price in skill points to play one.


Skill Dependencies[edit]

Every skill is related to one, at 100%, or usually more than one ability, at a total of 100%, synergy. Every four points in the ability or abilities raises the related skill one point. Or to put it another way, each point in an ability raises skills .25 points multiplied by the synergy percentages shown. All abilities and skills start at a base of at least 5, to which the synergies are immediately added; because the totals are calculated on the fly, starting characters will always have at least 6 points in all skills (with the extra 1 point coming from the related abilities).

They are also called "dependencies" in the in-game GUI because skills require a minimum value in their associated abilities before Improvement Points can be added.

Likewise, adding ability points with equipped items or enhancement Nanos immediately affects skills. For example, casting Composite Attribute Boost, which add 12 points to all Abilities, or Agility Boost plus Sense Boost, which add 12 points to each Ability, will add three points of Pistol Skill.

This has major implications for the use of equipment for characters as they progress. For one, equipment with requirements that a character has never spent skill points in, can be equipped, especially when bonuses from Nano Programs and Implants are added. This combination of bonuses is the primary factor enabling the use of Buff Weapons, and the associated increase in abilities, Buff Armor, although a given profession will always be better at equipping some buff weapons than others, and a given race, buff armor. Equipping the lowest QLs with the maximum benefit, known as the items' Breakpoints, facilitates this process.

Every skill has these dependencies, shown as percentages, e.g., Pistol, "Dependencies: 60% Agility, 40% Sense". Four points to both skills is needed to raise Pistol one point. Raising Agility four points will raise Pistol a hidden .6 skill points that is not displayed. However, this may result in a whole number increase, because such fractions are added 'on-the-fly'. Because such fractions are added continuously, existing fractions may combine with bonuses from Nano Programs and other buffs, rounding up to a whole number.

To the right of the dependencies the value of the skills for all breeds are shown that result from purely investing the breed-specific maximum possible improvement points at level 200 into the dependency abilities alone. For example, at level 200 an Atrox would get 107.8 points of Nano Pool purely from investing Atrox's maximum points into its dependencies of Stamina (512), Intelligence (400), Sense (400) and Psychic (400), while a Nanomage at level 200 would get 130.6 points of Nano Pool by investing Nanomage's maximum points into those abilities (448, 512, 480, 512).

In-game Ability percentages on Trap Disarmament add up to 110%. This is because of a typo for agility influence on this skill, which reads "30%", but should read "20%". Nano Resist's synergy percentages previously totaled similarly to a value other than 100%, but were since corrected.

Skills with higher values cost more Improvement Points (IP) than those with lower values.
Skills cost an increment more IP each level, the amounts of the increments are shown below.
For example, an Adventurer has spent 1000.8 IP on skills. This will have deducted 1001 IP points from the total remaining, but the remaining .2 IP still remains to be counted. The adventurer improves Riposte skill by four skill points, from, say, 17 to 21. If the cost of raising from 17 to 18 is 23 IP, leaving .4 IP, then it will cost 26 IP to raise from 18 to 19, leaving .6 IP, and 29 to raise from 19 to 20, leaving .8 IP. Since the adventurer now has .8 IP to be spent that is not visible on the Skill Improvement screen, raising the skill from 20 to 21 will appear to cost only 2 additional IP, or 31 IP.

Atr = Atrox, NaM = Nanomage, Opi = Opifex, Soli = Solitus

Adv = Adventurer, Age = Agent, Bur = Bureaucrat, Doc = Doctor, Enf = Enforcer, Eng = Engineer, Fix = Fixer, Kee = Keeper, MA = Martial Artist, MP = Meta-Physicist, NT = Nano Technician, Sha = Shade, Sld = Soldier, Tra = Trader


Body & Defense Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy   Atr NaM Opi Soli   Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Body Dev. 100% 133 117 125 125 1.2 2.4 2.4 2 1 2.4 1.8 1.2 1.5 2.4 2.4 2.6 1.1 2
Nano Pool 10% 10% 10% 70% 107.8 130.6 119.8 125 1.6 1.2 1.4 1 2 1.8 1.6 2.2 1.6 1 1 2.5 2 1.2
Evade-ClsC 50% 20% 30% 115 124.6 134.6 125 1.8 2.4 2.4 3.2 1.5 4 1.6 1.4 1 1.6 3.2 1 2 1.9
Dodge-Rng 50% 20% 30% 115 124.6 134.6 125 1.6 2.1 2.4 2.4 2 2.5 1 1.6 1 1.6 2.4 2.4 1.5 1.9
Duck-Exp 50% 20% 30% 115 124.6 134.6 125 1.6 1.6 2.4 2.4 2 2.2 1 1.6 1 2.4 2.4 1.2 1.8 1.9
Nano Resist 20% 80% 105 133 117.8 125 2.4 1.6 1.6 1.2 2.2 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.6 1 1.5 2.2 1.6
Deflect (Parry) 50% 20% 30% 123 122.2 128.6 124 1.5 1.6 3.2 2.4 1.4 4 2.4 1 1.5 4 3.2 1.4 2.5 2.5
Melee Weapons Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
1h Blunt 50% 10% 40% 132.2 119.4 124.6 124 1.5 1.6 3.2 2.4 1 2.4 2.5 3.2 2.5 2.6 4 4 2.5 1.8
1h Edged 30% 40% 30% 129.8 119.8 130.2 124.4 1 2 4 2.4 1 3.2 2 3.2 2 4 4 4 2 3.2
Piercing 20% 50% 30% 129 119.8 132.2 124.6 1.5 2.5 4 2.4 1 3.2 2.5 3.2 2 3.2 4 1 2.5 2.5
2h Blunt 50% 50% 133 119 123 124 1.5 2.5 4 3.2 1.4 3.2 3.2 3.2 2 4 3.2 4 2.5 2.5
2h Edged 60% 40% 133 119.4 122.6 123.8 1.5 2.5 4 3.2 1 3.2 2.5 1 2 2.5 2.5 4 2.5 2.5
Melee Ener. 50% 50% 119 125 123 125 1.5 3.2 4 3.2 1.8 4 3.2 3.2 3 4 3.2 4 2.2 2.5
Martial Arts 20% 50% 30% 120.6 124.6 129.8 124.6 2.8 1.6 2.8 2 1.6 2.8 2.8 3 1 2.8 2.8 1.6 2 2
Mult. Melee 30% 60% 10% 128.2 120.6 133.4 124.4 1.4 2.5 4 3.2 1 4 2.5 3.2 2.5 4 4 1 2 3.2
Melee. Init. 10% 10% 60% 20% 107 127 129.4 125 1.8 1.6 4 3.2 1 3.2 2.5 1 2 3 3.5 1 2.4 3.2
Physic. Init 10% 10% 60% 20% 107 127 129.4 125 1.6 1.6 2 2 1.6 3 2.4 3.8 1 3.2 3.2 3.4 2.4 3.2
Melee Specials Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Sneak Atck 80% 20% 105 126.6 129.8 125 1.5 1 2.4 3.2 2 4 3.9 4 3 4 3.2 1 3 4
Brawling 60% 40% 133 119.4 122.6 123.8 2.4 2.8 3.2 2.8 1 2.4 1.8 2 1.2 2.8 2.8 4 2 2
Fast Attack 60% 40% 117 122.6 137.8 125 2 2.5 4 2.4 1.5 4 2.5 1 2 4 3.2 1.4 2.4 3
Dimach 80% 20% 105 126.6 129.8 125 4 1.6 3 4 4 4 4 1.3 1.2 2.5 2.5 1 4 4
Riposte 50% 50% 115 123 137 125 3.2 3 3.2 3.2 1.2 3.2 2.4 1 1 3.2 2.4 1.4 2.4 3.2
Ranged Weapons Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Pistol 60% 40% 117 122.6 137.8 125 1 1.8 1.6 1.6 3 1.5 1.6 4 3.5 2.4 1.6 4 1 2
Bow 20% 40% 40% 118.6 122.6 133.8 124.6 1.8 2 4 4 4 4 2.4 4 1 2.5 4 4 2.4 4
MG / SMG 30% 30% 30% 10% 127.8 120.2 129.4 124.4 2.5 2.5 3.2 3.2 2.5 3.2 1 4 3 3.2 3.2 4 1.5 2.4
Assault Rif 10% 30% 40% 20% 125 120.2 131 124.8 1.6 3 4 4 3.5 3 2.8 4 4 4 4.5 4 1 4
Shotgun 40% 60% 128.2 121 133 124.2 2.4 3.2 3.2 2.4 2.5 3.2 1.8 4 4 4 3 4 1.5 1.5
Rifle 60% 40% 117 122.6 137.8 125 1.7 1.3 4 4 4 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 2 2.8
Ranged Ener 20% 40% 40% 105 129.8 124.2 125 2.4 2.5 4 4 4 3 2.5 4 4 4 4 4 1 3
Grenade 40% 20% 40% 113 125 133.8 125 1.6 1.6 4 3.2 2.5 2 2.2 4 2.4 4 2.4 4 1.6 2.4
Heavy Weapons 40% 60% 128.2 121 133 124.2 3 3 4 4 2.5 2 2.5 4 4 4 4 4 1 4
Multi Ranged 60% 40% 117 125.8 133 125 1.5 1.8 4 4 4 4 2 4 4 2.5 4 4 2 2.5
Ranged. Init. 10% 10% 60% 20% 107 127 129.4 125 2 1.6 3.2 3.2 3 3.2 1.6 3.8 2.4 4 3 4 1 2.5
Ranged Specials Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Fling Shot 100% 125 121 141 125 1 3.2 4 2.4 3.5 3.2 1.6 4 3.2 4 4 4 1 2.5
Aimed Shot 100% 105 125 133 125 2.2 1.1 4 3.2 3.5 4 2.5 4 3 4 3.2 4 1.8 2.5
Burst 30% 50% 20% 129 120.2 131.8 124.4 1.8 3.2 4 3 3 3 1.5 4 4 4 4 4 1.5 3.5
Full Auto 60% 40% 133 119.4 122.6 123.8 2.4 4 4 4 3 3 2.2 4 4 4 5 4 1.5 3.5
Bow Spc Att 10% 50% 40% 117.8 122.6 135.8 124.8 1.6 2 4 4 2 3.5 2 4 1 2.5 4 4 2 4
Sharp Obj 20% 60% 20% 122.6 121.8 135.4 124.6 1.6 1.2 3.2 3.2 1.6 3.2 2.5 4 1 3.2 2.4 1.6 1.6 2.4
Nanos & Casting Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Matt. Metam 80% 20% 105 133 120.2 125 1.8 1.2 1.6 1 2.5 1 2.4 3.2 2 1 1 3.2 2 1.6
Bio Metamor 80% 20% 105 133 120.2 125 1.5 1.6 1 1 2.5 2.4 3.2 1.8 1.6 1 1 1.9 2.4 1.8
Psycho Modi 80% 20% 105 131.4 123.4 125 1.8 1.6 1 1.6 2.5 2.4 2.4 1.6 2 1.6 1 1.4 2 1.5
Sensory Impr 20% 80% 110.6 130.6 121 124.6 1.6 1.6 1 1.6 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 1.6 1.6 1 1.6 2.4 1.8
Time&Space 20% 80% 109 130.6 125 125 1.8 2.4 1.6 1.6 2.5 1 3.2 1.4 1.6 1 1 1.9 3.2 1.5
Matter Crea 20% 80% 110.6 129.8 121.8 125 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.6 2.5 1 2.5 3.2 2.4 1 1 3.2 2.5 1.5
NanoC. Init. 40% 60% 113 123.4 136.2 125 2 1.6 1 1 2.4 1.6 2.4 3.2 2.5 1 1 2.8 4 1.5
Exploring Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Vehicle Air 20% 20% 60% 109 125.8 132.2 125 1 2.4 2 2.4 1.6 1.6 1 2.4 3 2.5 2.4 3.2 1.6 1.4
Vehicle Ground 20% 20% 60% 109 125.8 132.2 125 1 2.4 2.4 1.6 1 1.6 1 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 3.2 1 1.4
Vehicle Water 20% 20% 60% 109 125.8 132.2 125 1 2.4 2.4 2.4 1.6 1.6 1 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 3.2 1.6 1.4
Run Speed 20% 40% 40% 129.8 119.4 130.6 124.6 1 1.6 2.4 2.4 2.4 2 1 2 1 2.4 2.4 1 2 1.9
Adventuring 20% 50% 30% 129 119.8 132.2 124.6 1 3 2 2 1.5 2 2 1.8 1.6 2 2 1.6 1.5 1.4
Combat & Healing Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Perception 30% 70% 105 127.4 129.4 125 1.6 1 1.6 2.4 2.4 2.4 1 1.2 1.6 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 1.4
Concealment 30% 70% 111 123.8 135.4 125 1.7 1 2.4 2.4 2 3.2 1.5 3.2 1.5 2.5 2.5 1 2 1.8
Psychology 50% 50% 105 129 127 125 1.6 1 1 2.3 1 2.4 1.5 1 1.6 1.6 2.4 2.4 1.5 1
Trap Disarm. 20% 20% 60% 109 125.8 132.2 125 1.6 2 2.4 2.4 2.4 1.6 1 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.4 1.8 2.4 2.4
First Aid 30% 30% 40% 111 126.2 131.8 125 1.2 2 2 1 1.6 2 1.2 1.2 1.6 2 2 2.5 2 1.6
Treatment 30% 50% 20% 111 127.8 129.4 125 1 2 2 1 2 1.6 1.2 1.8 2 2 2 1.5 2 1.6
Trade & Repair Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Mech. Engi 50% 50% 115 127 131 125 1.2 1.5 1.8 2 2 1 1.5 3.2 2.4 2 2 3.2 2 1.2
Elec. Engi 30% 20% 50% 116.6 126.2 127.8 125 1.6 2 2.4 1.6 1.8 1 1.5 3.2 3.2 2 1.6 3.2 2.4 1
Quantum FT 50% 50% 105 133 119 125 1.6 2 2.4 1.6 3.2 1 1.5 3.2 3.2 2.4 1.6 1.4 2.4 1.2
Chemistry 50% 50% 119 125 123 125 1.6 1.5 2.4 2 1 1.2 2 3.2 2.4 2 2 3.2 2.4 1.3
Weapon Smt 50% 50% 119 127 121 124 1.6 4 2.5 1.5 1.5 1 1.3 2 2.4 2.5 3.2 3.2 1.5 1
Nano Progra 100% 105 133 121 125 4 2.4 1.6 1.6 2.4 1.2 2 3.2 2.4 1 1 4 2 1.4
Tutoring 70% 20% 10% 105 131.4 123 125 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Break&Entry 40% 30% 30% 113 125.8 131.4 125 2 1.5 2 2 2 1.6 1 2.4 2 2.4 2.5 1.6 2 1.8
Comp. Liter 100% 105 133 121 125 1.6 1.6 1 1 1.6 1.3 1 2.4 2 1 1 2.4 2 1.5
Pharma Tech 20% 80% 109 130.6 125 125 2.4 1.6 2.4 1 1.6 1.5 1.5 3.2 2.4 2 2.4 1.8 2 1
Disabled / Legacy Str Agi Sta Int Sen Psy Atr NaM Opi Soli Adv Age Bur Doc Enf Eng Fix Kee MA MP NT Sha Sld Tra
Swimming 20% 20% 60% 131.4 118.6 127.4 124.6 1 1.6 2 2 2 2 2 1.8 1.4 2 2 1.4 1.5 1.5
Map Navig. 40% 50% 10% 105 129 126.6 125 1 1.6 2 1.6 1.6 1.6 2 1.2 2 2 1.6 2.4 1.6 1.3

Skill Maximum by Title[edit]

Characters' base skills, before being augmented by equipment, implants or nanos, are capped by title level. IP cost for skills determines the cap value. At low levels, this is only evidenced for green skills; the others rise too slowly to hit the cap.

IP Cost Per Level Title Level 1 (1-14) Title Level 2 (15-49) Title Level 3 (50-99) Title Level 4 (100-149) Title Level 5 (150-189) Title Level 6 (190-204)
1.0 'lime' -
1.4 'malachite'
5 60 200 360 490 550 600
1.5 'turquoise' -
2.4 'electric blue'
4 50 180 330 450 500 540
2.5 - 3.2
'ultramarine blue'
4 40 160 300 410 450 480
3.3 - 4.0
'(cyan font) blue'
3 30 140 270 370 400 420
4.1 - 5.0
'(white font) blue'
3 20 120 240 330 350 360

Sources[edit]

The original chart was derived with numbers available in game, but made use of the following sources. The color coding was 100% by AO Devs Wiki editors, with the numbers coming from and the only conceivable use for them being Anarchy Online, of course.

See Also[edit]