Does your ruler or heroes just gain certain skills at high level?

[BigFatJuicyMonkeys]

I recently finished a game using a base ruler, Gloom Hooknail. I noticed near the end she had the Domination skill. She's lv. 15. I've unequipped all her gear and reset all her skills yet she still has Domination. So are there certain levels where your hero or ruler just gain a good skill that the game doesn't mention anywhere? Is the skill you get based on their ambition? Is it unlocked after completing their major ambition?

[Syrris]

Completing a major ambition will add a new trait. Certain quests or events can also add one.

If you've previously won with and ascended Gloom then she will also have her ascended ability from the get-go.

[Anastriana]

As the poster above said, that skill is from your ruler's ambition. In this instance, Gloom Hooknail by default has the Dominator ambition. which gives the skill Domination if you complete her major ambition requirement of "Recruit or raise a tier IV+ unit after combat".

The game shows ambition info on the tooltip when hovering over a leader in the faction/pantheon library, and on the finalize section when creating or editing a faction. In-game, ambitions are shown on the left side of a ruler/hero's inventory screen, which also keeps track of their current renown level and experience.

When a ruler/hero gains a level of ambition, there will also be a notification on the right side of the game screen, where things like "Set production of City Name" and "A ruler has denounced you" type info goes. It would say something like "Gloom Hooknail has just completed a major ambition" in your case.

[BigFatJuicyMonkeys]

So I was right. Is there a list that shows what skills are unlocked based on the ambition? The game certainly makes no mention of this or that skills will unlock at all.

On that note, how do you complete the major ambition where you have to defeat an army 500 power more stronger than you? That seems comparatively extremely difficult.

edit: I just checked another of my recent games and another base ruler, Meshara the Radiant had the Crusader ambition, which is to defeat a Tier 4+ undead unit. The major/minor ambition was complete, her renown full, and she doesn't seem to have any extra skill even with all gear removed and skills reset.

[Xcorps]

Here's the list from the wiki

https://aow4.paradoxwikis.com/Ambitions

[Anastriana]

The tooltip for hovering over an ambition will mention what skill that ruler/hero would gain upon completing the major ambition portion of it.

Not every ambition gives a skill you can activate like Dominator does. In fact, Dominator appears to be one of only two that does - the other being Demolitionist from the Conqueror ambition.

Crusader grants Preacher: "While army leader, units in the army have Faithful, reducing their upkeep by 10%, and Zeal, granting them +2 Spirit damage on attacks, and the ability to deal double damage to Condemned units."

Passive skills like Preacher generally show on the unit card on the right side of the inventory screen, below the unit's attacks and mixed in with unit enchantments and racial passives.

[ASMR gaming]

One hidden layer in many 4X or strategy RPG systems is that certain hero developments aren’t explicitly tied to gear or skill points, but rather to overarching narrative triggers—like ambitions or hidden “milestone” achievements. It’s possible your ruler acquired Domination not just by reaching a high level, but also by fulfilling conditions related to Gloom Hooknail’s personal storyline or ambition. Here’s what might be happening:

Ambition-Linked Unlocks
Some rulers have a “personal ambition” that, when completed, grants a unique skill—often unlisted in the typical skill tree. It could be triggered by certain empire-wide milestones (e.g., controlling a certain territory or forging an alliance) rather than just raw XP. If you completed Gloom Hooknail’s major ambition, that might have silently unlocked Domination as a reward.

Narrative or Event Triggers
Alternatively, you might have triggered a hidden event chain—something as simple as defending a specific location, encountering a certain artifact, or fulfilling a quest line. These events often grant permanent hero upgrades that don’t show up in the normal leveling menu.

Level Milestones Beyond the Visible Tree
Some games include “prestige” perks at certain high levels (like 10, 15, or 20) to reward late-game progress. Domination might be one of those advanced abilities that doesn’t appear in the skill tree, but auto-applies once you cross a particular level threshold. Given that Gloom Hooknail hit level 15, that could explain why the skill is locked in.

Hero-Specific Traits
If Gloom Hooknail is a unique or legendary ruler, she might have special traits coded into her character data. These can manifest as hidden abilities that activate once she’s powerful enough or has met certain game conditions, separate from general hero skill selections.

What to Check

Review the in-game codex or any lore entries on Gloom Hooknail—sometimes there’s a clue hinting she gains a “crowning power” or something similar at higher levels.
Look at any empire-wide accomplishments you might’ve just completed (major expansions, quest lines, or “victory condition” thresholds).
See if other heroes share a similar phenomenon—sometimes there’s a pattern like “all Warlock-type heroes gain a necromancy skill at level 15.”
Overall, Domination being permanently fixed to your ruler suggests a one-time “narrative trigger” or a hidden milestone skill. It’s not just a random bug; it’s more likely part of the game’s attempt to reward long-term development or story-based achievements, even if the UI never explicitly states that’s going to happen.

[BigFatJuicyMonkeys]

I appreciate the essay but the question has been answered by others here.