Talent

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ToME Version: 1.7.6

Talents are all of the skills and spells your character can learn. Most are available based on your class or race, although some can be learned from escort quests or other quests.

Learnable talents are divided into two broad groups: Class talents and Generic talents. Class talents are specialized skills that only specific classes may learn; Generic talents represent more general knowledge and are usually available to several classes. Some (but not all) Generic talents may be purchased in stores, or acquired as quest rewards. Racial talents are also Generic.

Certain equipment may bestow a talent on you, including talents not available any other way (for example, Block). These talents exist only while you have the item equipped.

Using Talent Points

For every character level gained, a character receives:

  • 1 Class talent point and 1 Generic talent point that can be used to increase Class or Generic talents, respectively. At intervals of five levels (levels: 5, 10, 15 ...) you will receive instead 2 Class talent points and zero generic talent points.

Talent points are used to gain new abilities and skills, or to increase to power of those skills. Most talents have requirements of character level or stats which much be met in order to train that skill further. For example, the common talent Heavy Armour Training requires Strength 16 for level 1, Strength 26 for level 2, and on up to Strength 44 for level 5.

Each talent point can be used to increase the Talent level of one particular talent. Only Generic points can be used for Generic talents, and only Class points for Class talents. Increasing the level of a talent will increase the effects of that talent, or unlock new abilities for that talent. All talents start at zero talent level and have a maximum level of five. There are a few special exceptions to this rule.

Mastery

Talent categories have a mastery value applied to them, which increases or decreases the effective talent level for all talents in that category. Your class and race will determine additional the mastery multipliers which can increase or decrease the final effective talent level - and therefore effectiveness - of your talents. Some pieces of equipment can also increase your mastery value for a specific category or set of categories when worn/wielded.

For example, a Brawler has access to the Combat Training tree with a x1.0 multiplier. One point invested in any skill in this tree will make an effective talent level of 1.0. With five points invested, the effective talent level is 5.0. Meanwhile a Berserker has a x1.3 multiplier for the Combat Training tree. With five points invested, the effective talent level for the Berserker in any of those skills would be 6.5.

Raw vs effective talent points

Raw talent level is the number of talent points that you have explicitly allocated to a talent during level-ups. Effective talent level is a modified raw talent level. The most common modification is the mastery described above, but there are other ways to increase the effective talent level - the Prodigy Adept being one. (Adept adds 1.5 extra effective talent level wherever you already have at least one raw talent point)

Certain talents will become better at certain levels - sometime this is the raw talent level (such as for Alchemist protection) but it can also be the modified level (such as for Phase door).

Using Category Points

During the game, characters will receive Category Points that can be used to learn new Talent Categories (grey in the talent list until learned) as well as to increase the mastery of a known category by x0.2 (only once per category).

Note that using category points for talent categories reduce the available infusion/rune slots.

Prodigies

At characters levels 25 and 42, a character may learn Prodigies. These are separate from talents and do not cost any type of talent points.

Maximum Points

The typical maximums that can be reached by a character in the main campaign are as follows:

Base Stat Points: 232
  • 60 base points from 10 points in each of six stats at start
  • 9 points from class modifiers at start
  • 3 points from level 1 available to distribute at start
  • 147 points for leveling up to level 50
  • 10 bonus points upon reaching level 50
  • 3 points from consuming the Heart of the Sandworm Queen, or its corrupted counterpart
  • Not included in total above: 9 points on average from consuming the Wyrm Bile
Class Talent Points: 70
Generic Talent Points: 50
  • 2-6 points from new character at start (depending on class and race)
  • 39 points for leveling up to level 50
  • 3 bonus points upon reaching level 50
  • 2 points from The agent of the arena quest in Derth
You may select a party member to receive this reward
Category Points: 4
  • 1 at level 10
  • 1 at level 20
  • 1 at level 34
  • 1 for consuming the Wyrm Bile
  • Not included in total above: 1 from start if Cornac
Prodigy Points: 2
  • 1 at level 25
  • 1 at level 42

Note: There is a small possibility that earning 2 class talent points from the Alchemist Quest will prevent the quest from ever rewarding you with 2 generic points, and vice versa.

Additional Talents and Talent Categories

Many talents or talent categories can be acquired by characters even if they do not initially have access to them. For the Age of Ascendancy and Infinite Dungeon campaigns, escort quest rewards are listed on the Escort page. For the Embers of Rage campaign, the rewards available from the Mystery of the Yetis quest are listed on its page. Prodigies can be learned by any character that can meet their requirements. There are also special traps that are shown on the Trap Mastery page. Some talents also come with associated talents when learned. All other means of learning talents or talent categories are detailed below:

Antimagic

Age of Ascendancy:

Complete the Antimagic trial in Zigur.
If category was hidden or locked, unlock it at mastery level 1.0 and gain 1 free point in Resolve
If category was unlocked, increase its mastery level by 0.1

Infinite Dungeon:

Drink the Antimagic Wyrm Bile Extract
Unlock category at mastery level 1.0 and gain 1 free point in Resolve

Antimagic Adept

Age of Ascendancy:

Complete the Storming the city quest through Zigur, requiring you to be Antimagic.

Chemistry

Age of Ascendancy:

As reward for the Tinker Escort quest, you will be told the location of an Ancient Cave with some monsters and an Ancient Automated Teacher.
It will sell you, for 500 gold and a Category Point, Steamtech / Physics and Steamtech / Chemistry both at 1.00 mastery. You will also receive 1 free generic point into Smith and Therapeutics.

Embers of Rage:

Purchase for 100 gold at the Kruk Pride tinker store.
Unlock category at mastery level 1.0, and gain 1 free point in Therapeutics.

Combat Training

Age of Ascendancy:

Purchase for 50 gold at any Last Hope weapon store
Unlocks category at mastery level 1.0

Embers of Rage:

Purchase for 50 gold at the Kruk Pride heavy armor store.
Unlocks category at mastery level 1.0

Infinite Dungeon:

Drink the Potion of Martial Prowess
Unlocks category at mastery level 1.0

Cursed Aura

Any campaign:

While playing as an Afflicted class, an Adventurer, or a Wanderer, and knowing Unnatural Body, step onto a weapon on the ground, while there are no visible enemies within range 10.
This gives you a one-time-only choice of whether to release your hate upon the weapon.
If you do, you unlock category at mastery level 1.0, and gain 1 free point in Defiling Touch, but you lose 2 Willpower.
There is code to trigger the choice if you know Dirge Acolyte (instead of Unnatural Body), but this cannot be triggered, because none of the eligible classes can learn Dirge Acolyte. (This is a remnant of how Fallen was an Afflicted class when it was an addon, before it was made official as a class evolution for Sun Paladin, which is a Celestial class.)

Flame

Age of Ascendancy:

Read the Tome of Wildfire while not knowing Flame.
Grants Flame at talent level 3.
(If you already know Flame, it instead increases your mastery of Fire and Wildfire by 0.1 each.)

Fungus

Age of Ascendancy:

Complete the Storming the city quest through Zigur, requiring you to be Antimagic.
If category was hidden, reveal it as locked at mastery level 1.0
If category was locked, unlock it
If category was unlocked, increase its mastery level by 0.1

Harmony

Age of Ascendancy:

Eat the Heart of the Sandworm Queen
If category was hidden, reveal it as locked at mastery level 1.0
If category was locked, unlock it
If category was unlocked, increase its mastery level by 0.2

Hexes

Age of Ascendancy:

Complete the fall of Zigur quest
If category was hidden, reveal it as locked at mastery level 1.0
If category was locked, unlock it
If category was unlocked, increase its mastery level by 0.2
You may select a party member to receive this reward, but currently this is bugged for Hexes and you get the reward instead of whoever you selected

Ice Storm

Age of Ascendancy:

Read the Tome of Uttercold while not knowing Ice Storm.
Grants Ice Storm at talent level 3.
(If you already know Ice Storm, it instead increases your mastery of Water and Ice by 0.1 each.)

Mindstar Mastery

Age of Ascendancy:

Purchase at mindstar store in Zigur
Pay 100 gold to reveal category as locked at mastery level 1.0 (never do this)
Pay 500 gold to unlock category at mastery level 1.0 if it was previously hidden or locked.
Pay 750 gold to increase mastery level by 0.2 if it was previously below 1.2
Betray Alchemist escort to Zigur to reveal category as locked at at master level 1.0

Infinite Dungeon:

Drink the Potion of Martial Prowess
If category was hidden, reveal it as locked at mastery level 1.0

Physics

Age of Ascendancy:

As reward for the Tinker Escort quest, you will be told the location of an Ancient Cave with some monsters and an Ancient Automated Teacher.
It will sell you, for 500 gold and a Category Point, Steamtech / Physics and Steamtech / Chemistry both at 1.00 mastery. You will also receive 1 free generic point into Smith and Therapeutics.

Embers of Rage:

Purchase for 100 gold at the Kruk Pride tinker store.
Unlock category at mastery level 1.0, and gain 1 free point in Smith.

Relentless Pursuit

Age of Ascendancy:

After going east, talk to High Sun Paladin Aeryn in Gates of Morning and ask for help.

Shoot

Age of Ascendancy:

Purchase for 8 gold at any Last Hope weapon store.

Embers of Rage:

Purchase for 8 gold at the Kruk Pride heavy armor store.

The Arena:

Learned at the start.

Infinite Dungeon:

Drink the Potion of Martial Prowess

Staff Combat

Age of Ascendancy:

Purchase at the staff store in Angolwen
Pay 100 gold to reveal category as locked at mastery level 1.0 (never do this)
Pay 500 gold to unlock category at mastery level 1.0 if it was previously hidden or locked.
Pay 750 gold to increase mastery level by 0.2 if it was previously below 1.2

Infinite Dungeon:

Drink the Potion of Martial Prowess
If category was hidden, reveal it as locked at mastery level 1.0

Stoning Poison

Age of Ascendancy:

If you know Poisons, and have 40 Cunning and Level 25, purchase from the Lost Merchant (after saving him in the Trapped! quest) for 1500 gold.

Vile Life

Age of Ascendancy:

Eat the Corrupted heart of the Sandworm Queen
If category was hidden, reveal it as locked at mastery level 1.0
If category was locked, unlock it
If category was unlocked, increase its mastery level by 0.2

Talent Types

Talents are organized into trees (or category) and category types. A 'tree' is a set of four talents which have a similar mastery level (how effective the player is with those talents) and which have a similar focus. A 'category type' is a collection of talent trees with similar themes, usually for use by a particular class or group of classes.

For example, the 'Chronomancy' category type contains the trees: Age-manipulation, Chronomancy, Energy, Gravity, Matter, Paradox, Spacetime-folding, Spacetime-weaving, Speed-control, Temporal-combat, Timeline-threading and Timetravel.

All Category Types


Categories not directly accessible by players:

Talent Use Mode Details

There are three basic ways of using talents, often called "use mode": Passive, Active and Sustained.

  • Passive talents are always in effect once you know them; you don't have to do anything to make them work, and they cannot be deactivated by enemies. An example of a passive talent is Combat Accuracy.
  • Active talents have to be triggered, either by pressing a hotkey or clicking an icon on the talent/hotkey bar at the bottom of the screen. There is often (but not always) a resources cost to activate the talent, and a cooldown period before the talent can be used again.
Most active talents cost 1 turn to activate, but some are instantaneous (notably, wild infusions and shielding runes and most of the basic racial talents). Some active talents affect only the character using them (e.g. healing, teleport, shielding, ...), while others are targeted at a single opponent (Dirty Fighting, Assault), or a selectable area of the map (Fire Breath), or the tiles around the character (Death Dance), etc. Some of them produce effects that linger for a while (on the map, or on characters); others are resolved immediately. Each talent is different.
  • Sustained talents are triggered like active talents, but they remain in effect until deactivated. Most of them produce an effect that benefits the character using them; for example, Icy Skin gives armour and cold retaliation damage. Most sustained talents have a resource cost associated with them, which decreases the total available pool of that resource for as long as the talent is in effect. For example, Blur Sight is a sustained talent with a Mana cost of 30. If your character has a pool of 200 Mana, activating Blur Sight will decrease your Mana pool to 170. Stamina-using sustained talents work similarly.
Sustained talents that use Equilibrium or Paradox work a little bit differently, since those resources operate in reverse. Icy Skin has a sustained Equilibrium cost of 30. Normally, your Equilibrium level will drop toward 0 when Meditating or walking on the world map. When Icy Skin is in effect, your Equilibrium level will not drop below 30. Likewise, Weapon Folding has a sustained Paradox cost of 12. When it's in effect, your Paradox level cannot drop below 12. Sustained talents, and effects obtained from active talents, can sometimes be deactivated by enemies. Be careful out there!

For more details on how talents work see Talent mechanics.

Trivia

  • There is code to give the player an additional category point every 30 levels after level 34 (e.g. levels 64, 94, and so on). This code is unused in practise because the player can only level up beyond level 50 in the Infinite Dungeon campaign, which overwrites that part of the default level-up code with its own version.

External links

  • tometips.github.io - A more comprehensive and updated resource on Talents in case some of the details on this wiki are out of date
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