Dungeon Settlers Skill Trees and Skills
Main skill trees
| Tree | Type | Role | Inherent skill | Other known skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sword | Weapon | Balanced attack and defence | Sweeping Cleave (2 hits of 80% ATK to up to 3 targets) | Vertical Slash (300% ATK), Charge Attack, Sword Counter, Chain Slash and Pommel Strike (level 4) |
| Blunt (clubs, maces) | Weapon | Endure hits and disrupt with stuns | Not documented | Stun charge and Hammering are named by players |
| Greatsword | Weapon | Area melee | Whirlwind Slash (250% ATK to everything adjacent, allies included) | Not documented beyond the inherent skill |
| Bow | Weapon | Ranged physical damage; snipes back-row enemies | Rapid Fire (basic attack becomes 3 hits of 60% for 8 seconds) | Sniping Shot, Steady Shot, Arrow Rain, Ankle Shot |
| Spear | Weapon | Added for Early Access; pairs with the Lycan | Not documented | A spear sub tree boosts attack speed at the start of fights, according to a player |
| Shield | Off-hand | Guard chance and barriers | Not documented | Battle Stomp and a barrier-on-debuff passive |
| Fire Magic | Staff | Stacks Burning, then cashes it in | Not documented | Explosion (400% MATK, 5 Burning), Fire Missile and Blazing Echo (2 Burning per hit), Fire Cloak, Incinerate |
| Nature Magic | Staff | Healing, stuns and plant turrets | Strange Seed (150% MATK knockback, heals adjacent allies 20% MATK per second) | Healing Touch (basic attack heals, 5 skill points), Solar Bloom, Seed Burst, Sunheart Bloom, Mucus Sprayer, Clinging Vines, Germinate |
| Water Magic | Staff | Shields and summons | Not documented | Embracing Wave (300 shield for 10 seconds), Bubbling, slime summons |
Skill data checked:
Sub skill trees
| Sub tree | What is known | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fortress | Grants a barrier worth about 5% of max health when you apply a debuff | Steam forum; Mythoe tips video |
| Guardian | Defensive taunt tree for tanks | 10 Advanced Tips video |
| Blitz | Sharp Shooter: +42% critical chance after 2,500 kills | Steam forum |
| Execution | Damage tree for finishing targets | 10 Advanced Tips video |
| Burst | +3% damage per Burning stack on the target and 4% health back when you apply Burning; Fire Battle Mage passive | Steam forum |
| Warrior | Appears as a sub tree option for bow users | Pete Complete |
| Harmony | Holds Healing Touch | Steam forum; Mythoe tips video |
Soul-stone skills from bosses
The first kill of some bosses drops a soul stone that teaches a unique skill.
| Skill | From | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Bloody Scratch | Red Monster Rat Soul Stone | Two hits of 80% ATK, Slow for 6 seconds and 3 Bleeding stacks; 16-second cooldown, no energy cost |
| Shell Hardening | Alpha Acid Slogel Soul Stone | Gain 10 Shell stacks when health drops below 30%, once per floor |
| Giant Stone Golem soul skill | Giant Stone Golem soul stone | Not documented |
How skill points work
- Main and sub points: a character sheet shows separate Main Skill Points and Sub Skill Points; level-ups add both.
- Aptitude changes cost: race and background aptitude change how many points a tree's skills cost, not how strong they are.
- Level-gated skills: some skills, such as the Sword tree's Chain Slash and Pommel Strike, unlock at level 4. Third-tier skills arrive with the level 7 cap in Update 5.
- Inscriptions can open trees: an Uncommon Sword inscription grants the Sword tree and 5 main points, a way to patch a party's weakness (see inscriptions).
Patch changes to skills since the demo
- Explosion (v0.4.17): 400% Magic Attack Power, now applies 5 Burning stacks for 10 seconds; cast time 2.88 to 1.88 seconds.
- Burning (v0.3.21): its own damage 5 to 3 per tick, maximum stacks 99 to 50; Fire Missile and Blazing Echo now apply 2 stacks.
- Embracing Wave (v0.3.21): shield 120 to 300, duration 3 to 10 seconds.
- Strange Seed (v0.3.21): cooldown 10 to 13 seconds, energy 5 to 7. Solar Bloom, Seed Burst, Mucus Sprayer and Sunheart Bloom cost 3 energy instead of 4; Clinging Vines 5 instead of 6.
- Healing Touch (v0.4.17): no longer overrides First Aid when you right-click a downed ally.
For party compositions built from these trees, see best party builds and the combat guide.
Skill questions
How do auto skills work?
Each settler can cast their skills automatically. Patch v0.4.19 added an in-game guide for Auto Skills. Players on higher difficulties turn auto off for key skills and cast them manually, because automatic casting can waste energy or fire at the wrong moment. The F key toggles skill use, which also saves stamina on easy floors.
How do I reset skill points?
With a Skill Reset potion. Since demo patch v0.3.21 they no longer drop in the dungeon, but players say they are easy to come by through other means. There is an in-game Skill Reset guide.
When do I get magic?
You need a staff, and staffs need research plus elemental materials such as fire or nature essence and mana stone powder. Most parties get their first staff after a few dungeon runs. Players rate a nature healer as close to essential.