Skills play an important role in Underkeep because they determine how your characters perform during combat. Every class has its own abilities, including powerful attacks, defensive buffs, healing spells, and skills that apply negative effects to enemies. Choosing the right abilities can make a big difference when fighting difficult enemies.
In this Underkeep Skills Guide, we will go through the skills available to all seven classes: Warrior, Paladin, Thief, Ranger, Wizard, Voidcaller, and Blood Mage. I’ll explain what their abilities do, how their mechanics work, and which types of skills you should consider when building your party.
If you are unsure which skills to unlock or how to use your skill points, this guide will help you understand each class’s strengths and build a more effective team. We will also cover important mechanics such as weapon requirements, Zeal, auras, blood magic, and free-action abilities.
Underkeep Skills Guide – All Classes and Abilities Tips
Before choosing abilities, you should understand how the skill system works.
Each hero earns one skill point per character level. You can spend these points to unlock and improve abilities.
Here are the important rules:
- Each skill can be upgraded through five ranks.
- Active skills need to be assigned to the active skill slot next to your basic attack.
- Passive skills provide their benefits automatically once unlocked.
- Some skills require a specific weapon type.
- Certain powerful abilities become available at higher character levels.
- Some abilities are free actions and do not consume your normal combat action.
Active Skills vs Passive Skills
Active Skills: These abilities must be selected and used during combat. They include attacks, healing spells, buffs, and crowd-control abilities.
Passive Skills: These abilities provide bonuses automatically. You do not need to activate them during combat.
Check Weapon Requirements
Some class skills only work with specific weapons.
For example, certain Warrior abilities require a sword, axe, mace, two-handed weapon, or shield. Before spending skill points, check the weapon requirements so you do not unlock an ability that your character cannot use with their current equipment.
Use Free-Action Skills
Some abilities can be activated without using your hero’s normal action.
These are particularly valuable because you can use them before performing a basic attack or another active skill. When building your character, pay attention to abilities that provide useful effects without consuming your main action.
1. Warrior Skills Guide
The Warrior is a physical damage dealer that specializes in weapons, frontline combat, taunts, and party buffs.
Most Warrior builds focus on Strength, but your weapon choice also determines which attacks you can use.
Warrior Active Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Flurry Thrust | A sword-based attack that allows the Warrior to perform multiple thrusting strikes. |
| Skull Rattle | A mace-based attack that can stun enemies. |
| Slice and Dice | An axe-based attack that can ignore enemy armor. |
| Cleave | A powerful attack associated with two-handed weapons. |
| Riposte | A counterattack ability that works with a one-handed weapon. |
| Shield Bash | A shield-based attack that can stun an enemy and provides an additional defensive option. |
| Champion’s Grip | A free-action buff that improves the Warrior’s combat performance. |
| Provoking Shout | Taunts enemies and encourages them to target the Warrior. |
| Battle Roar | Provides a beneficial buff to the party. |
Warrior Passive Skills
Flow of Life: This passive improves the Warrior’s HP and resistance, helping the character survive longer in frontline combat.
How to Build Your Warrior
The Warrior’s main advantage is flexibility. You can change your combat style depending on the weapon you equip.
If you prefer controlling enemies, Skull Rattle and Shield Bash are useful options because they can stun targets. If you want to deal with heavily armored enemies, Slice and Dice provides an armor-ignoring attack.
For a more defensive Warrior, use abilities such as Provoking Shout to draw enemy attention while your back-row characters deal damage.
My recommendation: Choose skills that match your weapon instead of unlocking abilities randomly. Keep a useful buff and a defensive option available alongside your main attack.
2. Paladin Skills Guide
The Paladin combines frontline defense, healing, and damage. It uses a special resource called Zeal, which makes its skill rotation different from other classes.
Understanding Zeal
Paladins generate one Zeal by performing a basic attack. Zeal can build up to five stacks.
Some Paladin abilities consume all available Zeal to provide stronger effects.
This means you should not spend Zeal immediately every time you generate it. Sometimes it is better to build several stacks before using a powerful finishing ability.
Paladin Active Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Righteous Strike | A free-action ability that strengthens the Paladin’s next attack and generates additional Zeal. |
| Judgment | A powerful ability that spends accumulated Zeal to deal damage. |
| Lay on Hands | Uses Zeal to provide healing. |
| Divine Guard | Provides additional armor when Zeal is spent. |
Paladin Passive Skills
Zealous Resolve: Improves damage based on the amount of Zeal the Paladin is holding.
Sacred Bulwark: Converts Wisdom into additional armor, making Wisdom useful for defensive Paladin builds.
How to Build Your Paladin
The Paladin is particularly effective when you understand how to manage Zeal.
Start by using basic attacks to generate Zeal. Once you have accumulated enough, use Judgment when you need damage or Lay on Hands when a character requires healing.
Righteous Strike is especially useful because it is a free action. You can use it to prepare your next attack without wasting your normal combat action.
Divine Guard and Sacred Bulwark are useful defensive options for a Paladin that needs to protect the frontline.
My recommendation: Do not waste all your Zeal on every opportunity. Keep track of your party’s health and decide whether your next Zeal spender should deal damage or restore HP.
3. Thief Skills Guide
The Thief focuses on Dexterity, evasion, critical hits, and applying negative status effects.
It becomes particularly dangerous when attacking enemies that are already affected by Bleed, Poison, or other harmful effects.
Thief Active Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Evasive Roll | Improves the Thief’s evasion capabilities and raises the evasion cap. |
| Shadow Lunge | Deals stronger damage against enemies affected by Bleed or Poison. |
| Smoke Bomb | Blinds enemies, reducing their ability to hit. |
| Mark the Dead | Marks an enemy so it takes additional damage from attacks. |
| Nightshade Mastery | Applies a random negative effect, such as Poison, Bleed, Blind, or Burn. |
Thief Passive Skills
Backstab the Weak: Improves critical-hit performance against enemies affected by negative status effects.
How to Build Your Thief
The Thief works best when you combine status effects with high-damage attacks.
Start by applying a negative effect through Nightshade Mastery or another available ability. Then use Backstab the Weak and Shadow Lunge to take advantage of the weakened target.
Smoke Bomb is useful when you need to reduce the accuracy of dangerous enemies.
Evasive Roll is also worth considering because the Thief relies on evasion to survive frontline combat. Remember that normal evasion has a maximum limit, so increasing it beyond the standard cap requires the appropriate skill.
My recommendation: Focus on Dexterity and build around critical hits, evasion, and status effects. The Thief is especially effective when another party member can help apply negative effects before it attacks.
4. Ranger Skills Guide
The Ranger is a ranged physical damage dealer that specializes in marking targets, accurate attacks, and elemental arrows.
Unlike frontline classes, the Ranger is generally better positioned in the back row.
Ranger Active Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Hunter’s Prey | Marks a nearby enemy so your party can focus its attacks on the target. |
| Execution Shot | Deals additional damage against a marked enemy. |
| Skirmisher’s Step | A free-action ability that helps the Ranger reposition. |
| Runebound Arrows | Adds a random elemental effect to the Ranger’s arrows. |
How to Build Your Ranger
The Ranger’s main strength is focused ranged damage.
Hunter’s Prey is particularly useful because it marks an enemy and helps your party concentrate its attacks. You can then use Execution Shot to take advantage of the mark.
Skirmisher’s Step is valuable because it is a free action, allowing you to use it without giving up your normal attack.
Runebound Arrows provides additional elemental damage, which can be useful when fighting enemies with different weaknesses.
My recommendation: Keep your Ranger in the back row and use Hunter’s Prey on dangerous enemies. Coordinate your party’s attacks around the marked target instead of spreading damage across several enemies.
5. Wizard Skills Guide
The Wizard is a magical damage dealer that uses Fire, Ice, and Lightning spells.
It can deal powerful elemental damage while also controlling enemies through effects such as Freeze and Paralysis.
Wizard Active Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Fire Spark | Deals Fire damage and applies Burn. |
| Ice Shard | Deals Ice damage and can Freeze an enemy, causing it to skip a turn. |
| Static Shock | Uses Lightning damage against an enemy. |
| Fireball | A powerful Fire-based attack. |
| Storm Chain | Uses Lightning magic to attack enemies. |
| Ice Tower | Provides an Ice-based ability that can help control combat. |
| Arcane Lock | Paralyzes a target. The affected enemy can still attack, but cannot move. |
| Invisibility | Hides the party until an action is performed. |
Wizard Passive Skills
Dragon Arcana: A passive ability that improves the Wizard’s magical capabilities.
Feel the Flow: Another passive option that supports the Wizard’s magic-focused playstyle.
How to Build Your Wizard
The Wizard is most effective when you choose spells according to the enemy you are fighting.
Fire Spark is useful for applying Burn, while Ice Shard can be used to Freeze an enemy and prevent it from taking its next turn.
Lightning abilities provide another damage option, giving you more flexibility when dealing with different enemies.
Arcane Lock is useful when you need to restrict an enemy’s movement. However, remember that Paralyze does not prevent the target from attacking.
Invisibility is a useful utility ability because it hides your party until an action is performed.
My recommendation: Focus on Wisdom and keep a mixture of elemental damage and control abilities. Ice Shard is particularly useful when you need to stop a dangerous enemy from taking its next turn.
6. Voidcaller Skills Guide
The Voidcaller is a support class that specializes in healing, barriers, debuffs, and auras.
It is one of the most useful classes for a balanced party because it provides additional ways to recover from dangerous encounters.
Voidcaller Active Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Void Mend | Heals a character and can remove different negative status effects as it is upgraded. |
| Void Lance | Deals magical damage while ignoring enemy defenses. |
Void Mend Upgrade Effects
Void Mend becomes more useful as you improve it.
| Void Mend Rank | Additional Effect |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Provides healing. |
| Level 2 | Can remove Bleed. |
| Level 3 | Can remove Burn. |
| Level 4 | Can remove Poison. |
| Level 5 | Can remove Stun. |
These additional effects make Void Mend an important ability for dealing with status effects during difficult battles.
Voidcaller Auras
Voidcaller can use auras that provide benefits to the party.
However, only one aura can be active at a time.
One important feature is that upgrading an aura levels all auras, rather than requiring you to level each one separately.
Aura of the Void is a safe general-purpose option because it provides a useful defensive approach for your party.
How to Build Your Voidcaller
The Voidcaller should generally focus on Wisdom and remain in the back row.
Void Mend is one of its most important abilities because it provides healing and eventually removes several dangerous status effects.
Void Lance gives the class an offensive option when your party does not need immediate healing.
Choose your aura based on the situation, but remember that you cannot activate multiple auras simultaneously.
My recommendation: Keep Void Mend available and upgrade it to access its additional cleansing effects. This makes the Voidcaller much more useful when your party starts encountering enemies that apply Bleed, Burn, Poison, and Stun.
7. Blood Mage Skills Guide
The Blood Mage is a magical damage dealer that uses blood magic and bleeding effects.
Unlike the Wizard, the Blood Mage has additional resource requirements. Its spells consume bones and HP, so you need to manage its resources carefully.
Understanding Blood Magic
Blood Mage spells normally cost one bone and some HP.
If you do not have bones available, casting spells costs additional HP. This makes collecting bones and skulls important throughout your adventure.
You should avoid wasting blood magic abilities when your character is already low on health.
Blood Mage Active Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Blood Lance | A blood magic attack that deals reduced damage against Undead enemies. |
| Bloodfall | A blood magic attack that also deals reduced damage against Undead enemies. |
| Exsanguinate | Improves the damage dealt by existing Bleed effects. |
| Leechcraft | Restores a portion of the damage dealt through blood magic as HP. |
Leechcraft Upgrade Effects
Leechcraft becomes available at character level 5.
As you upgrade it, it restores a larger percentage of the damage dealt through blood magic as HP.
Its healing increases through the following ranks:
| Leechcraft Rank | HP Restored From Blood Damage |
|---|---|
| Rank 1 | 10% |
| Rank 2 | 20% |
| Rank 3 | 30% |
| Rank 4 | 40% |
| Rank 5 | 50% |
How to Build Your Blood Mage
The Blood Mage requires more attention than most other magical classes because its abilities consume HP.
Collect bones and skulls during exploration so you have resources available for casting spells.
Leechcraft is particularly useful because it allows the Blood Mage to recover HP based on the damage it deals.
Exsanguinate is another important ability when fighting enemies affected by Bleed. Instead of simply applying another negative effect, you can use it to improve the damage from an existing Bleed effect.
One important weakness is that Blood Lance and Bloodfall deal 30% less damage against Undead enemies. Keep this in mind when choosing your attacks.
My recommendation: Build around blood magic and Bleed, but do not ignore your health. Leechcraft can help with recovery, while collecting bones reduces the additional HP cost of casting spells.
8. Best Skill-Building Tips for Beginners
Choosing skills is not only about selecting the abilities that deal the most damage. You also need to consider your party composition, enemy types, and the resources each class requires.
Here are some useful tips to remember.
Do Not Unlock Skills Randomly
Every hero receives one skill point per character level, so you should spend points carefully.
Before unlocking a skill, check whether it fits your character’s role and equipment.
For example, there is little reason to invest in a Warrior ability that requires a weapon you do not plan to use.
Upgrade Skills That You Use Frequently
Instead of spreading points across every available ability, focus on improving the skills that are important to your build.
A stronger main attack, reliable healing ability, or useful defensive passive can provide more value than several abilities you rarely use.
Keep Both Damage and Utility Skills
A good character should not always focus on damage.
For example:
- Warriors benefit from taunts and party buffs.
- Paladins can provide both damage and healing.
- Thieves can use Blind and other status effects.
- Rangers can mark targets for the party.
- Wizards can Freeze or Paralyze enemies.
- Voidcallers can heal and remove negative effects.
- Blood Mages can use Bleed and recover HP through Leechcraft.
Having utility abilities available gives you more ways to handle difficult encounters.
Pay Attention to Unlock Requirements
Some abilities become available only after reaching a particular character level.
For example, Hunter’s Prey becomes available at level 5, while Leechcraft also unlocks at level 5.
Other powerful abilities become available at higher character levels, so do not assume every skill can be unlocked immediately.
Check Enemy Weaknesses
Do not use the same attack against every enemy.
Some enemies have armor, elemental resistance, or other defensive properties. Choose skills that work well against the enemy you are fighting.
For example, Warrior abilities that ignore armor can be useful against armored enemies, while Paladin abilities are particularly useful against Undead.
Use Free Actions Before Your Main Attack
Abilities such as Righteous Strike, Champion’s Grip, and Skirmisher’s Step are valuable because they are free actions.
Whenever possible, use these abilities before spending your normal combat action.
Underkeep has seven different classes, and each one offers a different way to approach combat. Warriors and Paladins are useful on the frontline, Thieves and Rangers focus on physical damage, Wizards provide elemental magic, Voidcallers support the party, and Blood Mages use health and bones to power their abilities.
For beginners, I recommend focusing on a few important abilities instead of trying to unlock everything immediately. Build your characters around their main roles, check weapon requirements, and remember that healing, defensive buffs, and crowd control can be just as important as damage.
Once you understand how each class works, you will have a much easier time creating a balanced party and handling the more dangerous enemies in Underkeep.
