Innate Skills Guide

A discussion of innate level-up skills and how useful they are.

Introduction

Every other level-up your characters have a chance to learn a new skill or improve one they already have. These innate skills are sometimes overshadowed by those granted by weapons, but they can still be extremely useful, and they really shine in conceptual challenges where you can't even use equipment.

I've organized this guide based on what stat drives a particular skill. That way you can figure out the best choices for certain builds.

Current status: Not complete in the slightest. I'm only adding things as I encounter them in game because I'm too lazy to try and extract the icon images. Things I know I still need to add are Rain of Frogs and racial skills besides goblin and demon. I'll add them next time I encounter them.

Strength-based

These skills scale with the strength stat, at least in one challenge.

Blunt Attack

Restrictions: Front-row only

It's the basic attack every character starts with, unless they are a scavenger or scoundrel, in which case they get Trash Attack instead. Although this attack can be used in all challenges, it's based on a different stat in each and as such it's almost useless to level up. In addition, in many cases if you have another innate attack it will replace Blunt Attack so you can't even use it.

Trash Attack

Restrictions: Scoundrels and Scavengers only, Front-row only

This replaces Blunt Attack for Scoundrels and Scavengers. It's actually slightly better because it increases gathering too, so it's possibly worth leveling up.

Line Charge

Restrictions: Warrior only, Red challenges only, Front-row only

This is a decent attack with vertical splash but it's really slow and there are better skills for your warrior to invest in, such as Headbutt.

Bite

Restrictions: Beasts only, Red challenges only, Front-row only

This attack replaces Blunt Attack, so it is worth leveling up, and your rats don't have that many options anyway.

Poison Throwing Dagger

Restrictions: Red/Yellow challenges only

It's poison damage and it's fast and it can go in any row. All in all not bad, but overall it tends to be on the weak side and it's only strength-dependent in red challenges, so usually there's a better choice.

Poisonous Bite

Restrictions: Non-human only, Red challenges only, Front-row only

I have only seen this skill so far (on my characters) on Vihur, the tornado demons. And they tend to have better perception than strength, so usually if you get the chance you'll want to invest in those skills instead for red.

Headbutt

Restrictions: Warriors/Bandits only, Red/Yellow challenges only, Front-row only

This is by far one of the best innate attacks you can get that's strength-based. It's fast, it stuns, and if you get it to level 2 or higher it's usually stronger than most weapons until you start getting into high-tier crafted ones. Headbutt is almost always the right choice.

Perception-based

These skills scale with Perception, the secondary physical stat.

Hunter's Mark

Restrictions: None

On any high-perception character, Hunter's Mark is a great investment. It slows down your chosen enemy and debuffs them, but the thing about this debuff is that it's across the board, so if they show up more than once it debuffs them ALL. Moreover, it persists and stacks, so if the enemy survives another round they will still be weakened. Highly recommended, although perhaps not on your witch.

Two Flying Daggers

Restrictions: Red challenges only, Back row only

This is a pretty decent skill. It's fast, and if there's no enemy in the front row ahead of you, it hits two instead of one. There are better things out there, but for your hunter in red conceptual challenges this can be a real life-saver.

Counter Attack

Restrictions: Warriors/Bandits only, Red/Purple challenges only

The ability to counter every time you get hit is a wonderful thing. The only caveat is: your warriors and bandits tend to have not-so-hot perception. So in practice unless you level it up a couple times, you're only going to be getting 1-2 damage each time. It can make a difference, but there are better options out there, usually.

Dive Attack

Restrictions: Vily/Vihur demons only, Red challenges only

The evil attack of the crows can work in your favor. It's a bit slow but you can target any enemy on the field with no restrictions. Definitely a worthy skill, especially for your Vihur.

Guardian Demon's Energy Disturb

Restrictions: Guardian Demon only?

Most of the time Energy Disturb is only for your Yellow/Purple challenges, and only based on Wisdom/Destiny. However on your village's guardian demon, it can also be used in red challenges and in that situation it is perception-based. It's nice enough, but I'll often find that there's a better choice to invest in than this.

Intelligence-based

Skills that scale based on the primary mental stat.

Blunt Attack

Restrictions: Front row only

This is your basic default skill when you don't have any others. There's almost no situation where you'd want to bother with this rather than something else.

Trash Attack

Restrictions: Scoundrel/Scavenger only, Front-row only

Replaces Blunt Attack for these two classes. Slightly better as it also gives you a gathering boost, but still not usually a good choice.

Poison Throwing Dagger

Restrictions: Red/Yellow challenges only

It's a decent skill because it's fast and poison, but usually you'll pick this up as a child and once you grow up there will be better options.

Headbutt

Restrictions: Warriors/Bandits only, Red/Yellow challenges only, Front row only

This is a wonderful skill and you should invest in it pretty much every time you can. But you won't be using it nearly as much in yellow challenges, because that's not what your fighters are made for.

Showing Off

Restrictions: Yellow challenges only, Front row only

If you've got high int, such as being a healer or zerca, this can be a very nice skill to invest in. It's also a big winner on rats, since it's one of the only yellow attacks they can get.

Convincing Voice

Restrictions: Magic Users/Demons only, Yellow/Purple challenges only, Front row only

One of very few innate skills that do true damage. If you get the chance to pick this up you almost certainly will want it.

Inspire

Restrictions: Zerca/Vily only

This is pretty much one of the best support skills you can get. Also obtainable as a skill from codexes, but as an innate skill you can level it up to make it even better. It buffs your chosen ally and speeds them up. Significantly. This skill is pretty much my main reason to pursue Zerca over other similar classes.

Wisdom-based

Skills that scale based on wisdom, the secondary mental stat.

Demon

Restrictions: Racial skills, demons only

This skill comes with an Energy Disturb subskill that you can improve by leveling up. For most demons it's only Yellow/Purple and wisdom only influences the yellow, but the guardian skschack gets red/perception too.

Reliable Argument

Restrictions: Yellow challenges only, Front row only

This skill cracks me up. Apparently money is the best logic. It's a solid addition and easy to get, but there are better options.

Corruption

Restrictions: Magic Users/Demons only, Yellow/Purple challenges only, Front row only

One of very few double poison innate skills. It usually seems a little slow to me in comparison to other options but for poison you might debate that that's a good thing. This is good stuff.

Will Drain

Restrictions: Magic Users/Demons only, Red/Purple challenges only

This one is a bit of an odd duck. It's based on a yellow skill but can be used in the other two challenges only. That being said, it's a leech skill so that makes it automatically a strong choice, and it can be used from the protection of the back row.

Divine Word

Restrictions: Magic Users/Healers/Zerca only, Yellow/Purple challenges only

This skill comes with two subskills: Energy Disturb, and Self-Protection, which will automatically add shielding to your character after using said Energy Disturb if they have less than full HP. Great for Healers, still useful for the others but for them it has more competition. It's probably not as strong as the energy disturbs you can get from weapons, though, unless you invest in it heavily.

Summon Wild Beast

Restrictions: Witch only, Red challenges only

This is one of three total innate summoning skills I've encountered, and it's the only one that summons two instead of one. That makes it great, but the red only restriction and being tied to a non-spiritual stat often makes this one less useful in practice than Summon Demon, so if your witch gets the option of both on a level-up I'd take demon every time.

Weakness

Restrictions: None

Out of the two weakening innate skills (the other being Hunter's Mark) I usually find this one more desirable. It is not quite as strong a base in either the debuff or the delay, but it hits two instead of one and I tend to end up with high-wisdom characters more often than high-perception ones. Probably the best commonly-available wisdom-based innate skill, though there's not much competition.

Mysticism-based

Skills that scale with mysticism. There's not actually a lot.

Blunt Attack

Restrictions: Front row only

No, just no. There are so many better options.

Trash Attack

Restrictions[/h1]: Scoundrels/Scavengers only, Front row only

Slightly better than Blunt Attack because it increases gathering skill too, but still very seldom a good choice.

Summon Shaman Minion

Restrictions: Shamans only

The only summon that's mysticim-based. This skill is awesome.... for the like, one character that can get it.

Destiny-based

Skills that scale with destiny, the secondary spiritual stat.

Demon

Restrictions: Demons only

Gives you an Energy Disturb that's Destiny-based in purple challenges. Pretty useful.

Divine Word

Restrictions: Magic User/Zerca/Healer only, Yellow/Purple challenges only

Same as Demon but you also get Self-Protection.

Soul Tear

Restrictions: Purple challenges only

A nice, solid choice. Probably not the best skill, but more commonly available than other more powerful attacks.

Summon Demon (Witch ver)

Restrictions: Witch only

You can get the ability to summon a demon from other sources but this one is specific only to witches, and it is badass. If this is one of my choices I will probably never choose anything else. Ever.

Child (Goblin ver)

Restrictions: Goblin children only

Goblin children have the ability to summon a low-level demon. You can't level this skill up and it disappears when they grow up, but I thought I'd mention it.

Energy Explosion

Restrictions: Magic Users only, Yellow/Purple challenges only

A powerful attack that hits everyone else on the field besides yourself. Very useful if you're planning to be the only one on your side of the field except maybe summons, but otherwise not so much. Also VERY slow.

Stat-Independent

These innate skills have flat amounts based on their internal level and not on your character's stats.

Child

Restrictions: Children only

You really should know what this one is. Every child has it, and when the countdown reaches 0, they grow up. Besides that it reduces their carry capacity. See Destiny-based section for Goblin version. This skill cannot be leveled up.

Goblin

Restrictions: Goblins only

This increases the ritual stat and the research stat. Since there's only one ritual and research tasks aren't even implemented yet it's not worth leveling up, but I expect that will change. Eventually.

Protective Word

Restrictions: Yellow/Purple challenges only

Stackable increase in shielding for one ally. Moderately useful, but there will often be a better option. I recommend if you're going to go for a shielding, pick one of the options and invest solely in that one.

Battle Orders

Restrictions: None

Stackable increase in shielding for two allies (yes you can double up on the same person if they're on the field more than once). More applicable than Protective Word because it works in red challenges too, but not as strong even when doubling up.

Parry

Restrictions: None

Passive shielding boost to yourself. Probably the best of the innate shielding options, since it is always on and doesn't require being used, but it can't be transferred, of course, so not as ideal on a support character who is less likely to be on the field.

Toughness

Restrictions: No children

Passive boost to your max red and purple hp, 5 points per level. Combines well with everything else, and all in all a pretty good choice.

Dizziness Powder

Restrictions: None

Gives you a slowdown for 2 seconds per level, with horizontal splash. Useable on any challenge. One of my top choices for kiddo level ups.

Gatherer & Master Gatherer

Restrictions: Master Gatherer is only available on Gatherers, go figure

Increases your gathering skill. Very useful early game, but less so later, and it obviously doesn't help you in battle whatsoever.

Craftsman & Master Craftsman

Restrictions: Master Crafter is only available on craftsmen

Increases your crafting skill. Pretty much the same as Gatherer, but I find that Craftsman is less useful early game and more useful later by comparison.

Strength of the Swarm

Restrictions: Scoundrel/Scavenger/Rat only

If you do not have this skill on your qualifying character, GET IT ASAP. It makes it so that every time a character besides you is added to your side of the battlefield, your damage increases, and it persists from round to round. This is literally one of THE BEST skills in the game, hands down. However, once you have it, I'm not sure if it's worth leveling up further, because it advertises only a boost in lowering time delay, which is not a thing that happens at all anyway as far as I can tell.

Master Healer

Restrictions: Healers only

First level is free when you grow up to be a Healer, but get every level up you can. This skill increases your healing rate in red (and there's talk that it might be buffed to do yellow as well) and reduces your death chance. Best Healer skill ever.

Lucky Sod

Restrictions: None

Yes that is really what it's called. Increases your luck stat, but since it's not entirely clear to me exactly what that influences, I'm not really sure how useful this actually is. Maybe a good idea for kiddos if it increases your chance of getting the good grow up options or succeeding at them.

Hurry Up!

Restrictions: None

I do not like this skill. It gives you a one-second speedup per level to one character, but there are so many more alternate ways to get the same effect, and most of them do it better. If my child started with it I might level this up instead of Blunt Attack, but that's pretty much the only scenario in which I'd choose it.

Stigma of the Forefathers

Restrictions: Goblin Tainted Shaman Only

You don't want this skill and you can't level it up anyway. It's a temporary nerf to keep the Goblin-Tainted Shaman from steamrolling the game too early. I'm mentioning it for the sake of completeness.

[TheBruJoyBull]

Luck increases your XP gain (it's not 1:1 which would be way too powerful, but it certainly adds up). It also helps with growing up rolls, and I'm pretty sure it helps with a lot of other events (if it's programmed to use it, which I think all apart from early created events do).

[Robtzu]

luck increases your xp gain.

[Lampros]

Hey, friend, could you update this a bit? ;) I see some skills missing.

[Lampros]

I wish I read this guide before I started playing :(

[tiamats4esgares]

@Zeca Ralhos: I realize this is a few months late, but the Goblin Tainted Shaman skill reduces your stats by a ton (like maybe 60% or something, can't remember exactly). It has a 150 (I think?) turn timer so after that, I imagine, it goes away and you get MASSIVELY buffed lol.

[lukazil]

Spider's get the skill Strength of The Swarm. or at least my spider queen does

[Ymser]

Good one !
Can you add the Race skills ?
For ORC / ELF / DWARF / UNLIVING ....

[Zeca Ralhos]

What does the goblin tainted shaman skill do?

[tim]

The enemy will try not to line up in front of a warrior with Line Charge, but will try to line up in front of anyone with Two Flying Daggers, so they make a nice double team - one will get the benefit.

Thanks for the listing and agree with your ratings. Wish Strength of the Swarm was better explained in game, will have to try that out more now I understand from you what it is doing better.

[magi_nagi]

Thank you, this is very useful!