Best skills in The Blood of Dawnwalker

Picking the best skills in The Blood of Dawnwalker is no easy task. There are three sprawling skill trees with a plethora of upgrades to pursue. To make matters more complicated, investing in perks and abilities requires not just skill points and corruption levels, but also uses time slots.

As such, having a strong plan of how you'll be investing your time slots and skill points is key to making smart decisions and not wasting your limited resources. If you're wondering what are the best skills in The Blood of Dawnwalker across all three skill trees, we've got you covered regardless of your own playstyle and preferences.

To see this content please enable targeting cookies.

Best Skills in The Blood of Dawnwalker

Skills in The Blood of Dawnwalker are separated into three categories: witchcraft, which are mostly for the day cycle, vampirism, which is exclusive to the night cycle, and swordmastery, which applies to both cycles.

From there, you have perks, which are passive bonuses, and abilities, which need to be slotted in your active abilities to make use of them. In addition, there are different ways of actually making these perks and abilities available. For witchcraft and swordmastery, you usually need to either find or buy manuals. For vampirism, you need to drink blood of humans or animals to increase your corruption level and, in some instances, drink the blood of specific vampires.

As daunting as this can sound, you'll find no shortage of manuals during your travels. As for your corruption level, make sure to always be drinking blood whenever you have the chance. When you're exploring the world, look for animals. During combat, use Voracious Bite often, which will also restore your health in the process.

You're never obligated to unlock abilities, and can hoard skill points for as long as you want. That being said, the further you progress into the story, the more you'll realise that grabbing a few abilities and perks every now and then will go a long way.

Regardless of your playstyle of choice, there are skills that are worth the time investment, especially if you can get them early. Note that aspects such as damage numbers commonly scale with your current level, so we excluded them from the descriptions below.

Blood Theft

This vampirism perk makes it so attacking restores recently lost vampiric health. Here are the requirements:

• Unlock requirements: Increase your corruption level and spend at least one point in Endless Hunger and Closing Wounds, which are Blood Theft's parent perks.
• First level: Gain access to the skill - requires corruption level 4, 1 skill point, and 1 time slot.
• Second level: The time window for restoring recently lost vampiric health lasts longer - requires corruption level 8, 2 skill points, and 1 time slot.
• Third level: The effect of Blood Theft is increased by 30 percent - requires corruption level 11, 2 skill points, and 1 time slot.

You know what they say, the best defense is a good offense. In a similar fashion to the health mechanic in the likes of Bloodborne, Blood Theft makes it so, whenever you're attacked and lost vampiric health, that lost segment will turn grey for a few seconds. If you manage to successfully attack an enemy during that period, you'll recoup the lost health. If you're someone who likes to play aggressively or would rather not have to be pursuing perfect blocks all the time, Blood Theft is definitely worth the investment.

Piercing Shriek

This vampirism ability has Coen letting out a shriek that stuns all enemies in front of him, weakening their defence and attack damage. Plus, blocking their attacks will reflect damage back at them. Here are the requirements:

• Unlock requirements: You have to complete Our Rotten Roots, which is one of Lacra's quests. You'll gain access to this ability regardless of the choice you make at the end of the fight.
• First level: You automatically get this upon finishing the quest.
• Second level: Damage to targets increases to 20 percent, and damage dealt by targets decreases 20 percent. Plus, blocking reflects 15 percent of damage back to the attacker, and perfect block reflects 60 percent instead. It lasts 35 seconds. This level requires corruption level 7, 1 skill point, and 1 time slot.
• Third level: Damage to targets increases to 25 percent, and damage dealt by targets decreases 25 percent. Plus, blocking reflects 20 percent of damage back to the attacker, and perfect block reflects 80 percent instead. It lasts 45 seconds. This level requires corruption level 11, 2 skill points, and 1 time slot.
• Fourth level: Damage to targets increases to 30 percent, and damage dealt by targets decreases 30 percent. Plus, blocking reflects 25 percent of damage back to the attacker, and perfect block reflects 100 percent instead. It lasts 60 seconds. This level requires corruption level 11, 3 skill points, and 2 time slots.

The benefits of Piercing Shriek are two-fold. Upon activation, it is a super useful ability, as causing a stun to all enemies in front of Coen will give you a moment of respite to reposition yourself, use a healing item, or capitalize on the stagger with follow up attacks.

Yet, the ability also comes with an array of interesting benefits. You'll gain increased damage, get less damage from enemies, and blocking will reflect damage back to the attacker. If you can perform a perfect block, that effect is further increased. Piercing Shriek is perfect to turn tough battles around.

Burning Blood

This witchcraft ability deals damage over time to a target, and can also transfer to different enemies on death. Here are the requirements:

• Unlock requirements: You have access to this ability by default. Subsequent levels require manuals, which can be found in the Curious House northwest of Svartrau City's cathedral, inside a chest of Boar's Back Tower, and by completing the Ancient Circle in Maragir Wealds. Alternatively, the likes of Uriash Matriarch, Anca, and Mevasser should have them up for sale.
• First level: This is a freebie.
• Second level: Damage is increased and lasts 12 seconds - requires 1 skill point and 1 time slot.
• Third level: Damage is increased and lasts 14 seconds. It also makes it so, on death, the effect is transferred to a different enemy. It requires 2 skill points and 1 time slot.
• Fourth level: Damage is increased and lasts 16 seconds. It also makes it so, on death, the effect is transferred to a different enemy. It requires 3 skill points and 2 time slots.

Burning Blood may sound simple on paper, but it's a highly effective ability. Whilst there are multiple debuffs to activate, this one cuts straight to the point and deals damage over time, rather than, say, weakening an enemy.

The latter can be useful, sure, but if Coen's attention is drawn somewhere else before he can exploit those weaknesses with attacks, the debuff isn't as effective. Here, even if that happens, you have the guarantee that the first foe will continue to take damage even if you're not actively piercing their body. In addition, later levels will make it so, once an enemy afflicted dies, the effect is transferred to a different nearby foe. That subtle upgrade further increases the effectiveness of this ability, especially during smackdowns with large groups.

Swiftness

This swordmastery ability increases attack speed after perfect blocks. With upgrades, it also increases critical hit chance, and ultimately makes it so critical hits no longer cost stamina. Here are the requirements:

• Unlock requirements: All four levels require a manual. These are found inside the chest of the Soldier Camp northeast of Tantari Woods, the one inside the Bandit Camp northwest of Stoneward Post in Briar Sloughs, or the chest inside Silts Tower in the same room where you fight Svetlana. Ocha, Drogos, and Swordmastery Teacher Constantin should have them up for sale, too.
• First level: Increases attack speed by 10 percent and lasts six seconds - requires 1 skill point and 1 time slot.
• Second level: Increases attack speed by 15 percent and lasts eight seconds - requires 1 skill point and 1 time slot.
• Third level: Increases attack speed by 20 percent and lasts 10 seconds, while also granting a 5 percent critical hit chance - requires 2 skill points and 1 time slot.
• Fourth level: Increases attack speed by 30 percent and lasts 12 seconds. It grants a 5 percent critical hit chance, while making it so critical hits cost no stamina. Requires 3 skill points and 2 time slots.

Since Swiftness is a swordmastery ability, it will apply to both day and night as long as it's equipped in the active abilities panel. The combat in The Blood of Dawnwalker unveils depth the further you progress into the story, but especially at first, it can feel a tad slow. For the low price of a perfect block, Swiftness will grant you that attack speed.

What's interesting is that this ability also increases your critical hit chance. There are quite a few perks in the game dedicated solely to this, so it makes for a good alternative, saving you time and points in the process. In addition, the fourth level, which makes it so critical hits cost no stamina, is a powerful tool to have, saving you that precious stamina for other actions.

Scarlet Shield

This vampirism ability grants a health regeneration chance after blocking an attack. Here are the requirements:

• Unlock requirements: As you make progress dismantling the vampiric court's forces, you'll eventually clash with Ambrus. Upon defeat, you'll be given the option to either deal a final blow or drink his blood. Choose the latter to unlock this ability.
• First level: Restores 20 percent of a health segment after a perfect block. There's also a 20 percent chance to also trigger the effect after a directional block, as well as a 10 percent chance after an omniblock. It requires 1 skill point to unlock.
• Second level: Restores 25 percent of a health segment after a perfect block. There's also a 20 percent chance to also trigger the effect after a directional block, as well as a 15 percent chance after an omniblock. It requires corruption level 6, 1 skill point, and 1 time slot.
• Third level: Restores 25 percent of a health segment after a perfect block. There's also a 20 percent chance to also trigger the effect after a directional block, as well as a 20 percent chance after an omniblock. It also makes it so the attack after a perfect block heals you for 10 percent of dealt damage. It requires corruption level 10, 2 skill points, and 1 time slot.
• Fourth level: Restores 30 percent of a health segment after a perfect block. There's also a 30 percent chance to also trigger the effect after a directional block, as well as a 25 percent chance after an omniblock. It also makes it so the attack after a perfect block heals you for 10 percent of dealt damage, and adds a 25 percent chance for any block to become a perfect block. It requires corruption level 13, 3 skill points, and 2 time slots.

Scarlet Shield can make for a powerful alternative or complement to Blood Theft. Whilst it revolves around blocking, it's quite generous in the sense of extending the effect chance to all forms of blocking and not just perfect ones. This makes it so, even if you fail a perfect block, there's still a possibility of triggering the effect either way.

Considering that blocking in The Blood of Dawnwalker is an action you'll be repeating time and time again, we highly recommend equipping Scarlet Shield the active abilities panel as soon as possible, so you can reap the benefit throughout the rest of the game. Considering you can fight Ambrus fairly early on, it's definitely a task worth prioritising.

As per upgrades, the third level already adds a cool bonus, making it so the attack after a perfect block heals you for 10 percent of dealt damage. Yet, it's the fourth level that brings this ability together. A 25 percent chance for any block to become a perfect block is an excellent benefit that, whilst costly, will turn you into a vampire likely to be regenerating health quite often during pretty much every combat encounter. Pair this up with Blood Theft, and you'll rarely have to worry about healing.

That's all for the best skills to get in The Blood of Dawnwalker! If you're looking for further assistance, make sure to check out our prologue quest order guide and the herbs recipe for Esme's medicine.