Mastering Skill Progression in The Elder Scrolls Online: A Comprehensive Guide

Leveling skills in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is a multifaceted process involving earning experience points (XP) to advance skill lines, spending skill points to unlock abilities and passives, and morphing abilities to customize their effects. This progression system allows for deep character customization and specialization, empowering players to tailor their builds to specific playstyles.

Understanding Skill Lines

Every skill in ESO belongs to a specific skill line. These lines are categorized into:

• Class Skills: Unique to each of the six classes (Warden, Dragonknight, Necromancer, Templar, Nightblade, and Sorcerer), these lines define the core identity of your character.
• Weapon Skills: Determined by the weapon you wield (e.g., One-Handed and Shield, Dual Wield, Bow, Destruction Staff, Restoration Staff, Two-Handed). Using a weapon unlocks its skill line, and earning XP with that weapon equipped levels the line.
• Armor Skills: Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor skill lines. Wearing armor pieces of a specific type levels that respective skill line.
• Guild Skills: Unlockable through joining guilds like the Fighters Guild, Mages Guild, Undaunted, and Thieves Guild. These offer unique abilities and passives.
• Racial Skills: Passive bonuses based on your chosen race, providing subtle but important advantages.
• Crafting Skills: Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Clothing, Enchanting, Jewelry Crafting, Provisioning, and Woodworking. Leveling these lines involves crafting, deconstructing, and refining materials.
• World Skills: Includes Soul Magic and Werewolf/Vampire skill lines, offering powerful and transformative abilities.
• Alliance War Skills: Acquired through participating in PvP in Cyrodiil.

Earning Experience and Leveling Skill Lines

The most fundamental way to level skill lines is by earning experience points. XP is primarily gained through:

• Completing Quests: Main quests, side quests, and daily quests all reward XP.
• Defeating Enemies: Killing monsters and bosses provides a steady stream of XP.
• Exploring: Discovering new locations and points of interest can grant XP bonuses.
• Completing Dungeons and Trials: Group content offers substantial XP rewards.
• Participating in PvP: Engaging in player-versus-player combat in Cyrodiil and Battlegrounds grants XP.

Important Note: Skill lines level independently of your character level. To level a specific skill line, you must have skills from that line actively slotted on your skill bar. The more skills from a particular line you have equipped, the faster that line will level. Even if you don’t actively use the skills, simply having them on your bar when earning XP is enough.

Skill Points: Your Key to Unlocking Power

As you level your character (up to level 50), you earn skill points. These points are crucial for unlocking new abilities and passive bonuses within your leveled skill lines. However, leveling is not the only way to acquire skill points. You can also earn them by:

• Discovering Skyshards: Hidden throughout the world, each region contains Skyshards. Collecting three Skyshards grants you one skill point.
• Completing Quests: Specific main quests, guild quests, and zone story quests award skill points.
• Completing Group Dungeons: Completing the main quest within a dungeon for the first time typically rewards a skill point.
• Leveling in PvP: Reaching certain ranks in the Alliance War skill lines grants skill points.

Spending Skill Points and Unlocking Abilities

To spend your skill points, open the skills menu (press “K” on PC/Mac or navigate through the Main Menu on console). Each skill line displays a tree of unlockable abilities and passives. Abilities often have prerequisites, requiring you to level the skill line to a certain rank before they can be unlocked.

Abilities are active skills that you can use in combat or for other purposes. They cost resources like Magicka, Stamina, or Health.

Passives are always active bonuses that enhance your character’s stats, abilities, or crafting skills.

Morphing Abilities: Customization and Specialization

Once an ability reaches Rank IV, it can be morphed. Morphing transforms the ability into one of two more powerful versions, each offering different advantages. This is a key element of character customization.

For example, the “Puncture” ability (from the One-Handed and Shield skill line) can be morphed into “Ransack,” which increases armor and generates ultimate, or “Pierce Armor,” which debuffs the target’s armor, making them more vulnerable.

Morphing allows you to fine-tune your skills to perfectly match your playstyle and the needs of your group.

Champions Points: Leveling Beyond 50

After reaching level 50, you begin earning Champion Points (CP). CP are applied to three constellations: The Warrior (red), The Thief (green), and The Mage (blue). These constellations offer passive bonuses that significantly enhance your character’s power and versatility.

While the CP system is technically uncapped, there’s a “soft cap” around 1,500 CP, beyond which the performance increase per point diminishes.

Optimizing Skill Leveling

To maximize your skill leveling efficiency, consider the following tips:

• Focus on the Skill Lines You Want to Level: Equip skills from the lines you want to level on your active skill bar.
• Utilize XP Buffs: Use experience scrolls, potions, or participate in events that offer bonus XP. All XP buffs stack with each other, with the exception of Psijic Ambrosia and the Crown Experience Scroll.
• Join a Grinding Group: Grouping with other players in designated grinding spots can significantly increase your XP gain.
• Complete Daily Quests: Many daily quests offer substantial XP rewards for relatively little effort.
• Prioritize Zone Story Quests: Zone story quests not only provide XP but also often award skill points upon completion.

Crafting Skills

Crafting is an essential part of ESO. You need to level up your crafting skills and you do that by doing these things:

• Crafting: Creating items levels the respective crafting skill line.
• Deconstruction: Breaking down items grants experience in the corresponding crafting skill line, as well as valuable materials.
• Refining Materials: Refining raw materials (e.g., ore, wood) into usable ingots or planks levels the crafting skill line.
• Completing Crafting Writs: Daily crafting quests (Writs) provide significant experience and valuable rewards.

Leveling crafting skill lines requires a significant investment of skill points, as you’ll need to unlock passives that improve your crafting efficiency, material gathering, and item quality.

Joining Guilds

Guilds are an important part of ESO as they offer a community and their own skill lines.

• Fighters Guild: Level up by killing undead, daedra, and werewolves.
• Mages Guild: Level up by finding lorebooks.
• Undaunted: Level up by completing dungeons.

Mastering the skill system in The Elder Scrolls Online is crucial for creating powerful and versatile characters. By understanding how skill lines work, how to earn skill points, and how to effectively spend them, you can tailor your build to your preferred playstyle and excel in all aspects of the game.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many skill points do you get from leveling up in ESO?

You receive 64 skill points from leveling up to level 50, plus one additional skill point for completing or skipping the tutorial, for a total of 65 skill points earned through leveling.

2. How does leveling work after level 50 in ESO?

After reaching level 50, you no longer level your character in the traditional sense. Instead, you earn Champion Points (CP) by gaining experience. These CP are spent in the Champion Point system, providing passive bonuses to your character.

3. Can you max out skills in ESO?

Yes, it is possible to max out all skills in ESO, but it requires a significant investment of time and effort. You’ll need to collect all Skyshards, complete all relevant quests, and utilize other methods of acquiring skill points.

4. Do you unlock all skills in ESO?

No, you will not unlock all skills in ESO. There are many skill lines and abilities, and you won’t have enough skill points to unlock everything. You’ll need to prioritize and focus on the skills that are most relevant to your build.

5. What is the max skill lines in ESO?

Racial, Class, and Weapon skill lines usually go up to level 50. The Soul Magic skill line goes up to level 6, and the Undaunted skill line goes up to level 9. For example, you can level some skills (such as Fighters Guild or Werewolf) up to 10.

6. Do you still get skill points after level 50?

No, you do not earn skill points through leveling after reaching level 50. However, you can still earn skill points by collecting Skyshards, completing specific quests (Main Quest, Guild main quest, zone main quest, and Dungeon questlines the first time you complete it).

7. What is the max CP in ESO?

The Champion Point system is technically uncapped at 3,600 points, but there’s a “soft cap” on performance at or around 1,500 CP. Beyond this point, the increase in performance per point diminishes.

8. What level should I start doing dungeons in ESO?

You are recommended to reach at least level 10 to start doing dungeons in ESO. A group of 4 players is also recommended.

9. Does XP stack in ESO?

Yes, all XP buffs stack with each other, with the exception of Psijic Ambrosia and the Crown Experience Scroll.

10. Is there a one-handed skill line in ESO?

Yes, there are two one-handed weapon skill lines in ESO. If you equip a shield in your off-hand you will unlock the One-Handed and Shield Skill line. If you equip another one-handed weapon in your off-hand, you will unlock the Dual Wield skill line.

11. How many free characters can you have in ESO?

By default, you can create up to eight unique characters per Megaserver in The Elder Scrolls Online. Players automatically get one free character with the purchase of the Necrom Chapter.

12. Does ESO Plus give you everything?

ESO Plus membership provides numerous benefits, including access to all DLC game packs in the Crown Store, 1650 monthly crowns, unlimited storage for crafting materials, and more. However, it does not include everything in the game. Some items and content may still need to be purchased separately.

13. What are some good ways to level skills fast in ESO?

Some of the best ways to level skills fast in ESO include equipping multiple skills from the desired skill line on your active skill bar, utilizing XP buffs, joining a grinding group, completing daily quests, and focusing on zone story quests.

14. How do I morph an ability in ESO?

Once an ability reaches Rank IV, you can morph it by going to the skills menu and selecting the ability. You’ll be presented with two morph options, each offering different enhancements. Choose the morph that best suits your playstyle and spend a skill point to unlock it.

15. Are there any external resources to further improve my understanding of the leveling mechanics in ESO?

Yes, numerous online guides and communities provide in-depth information and strategies for optimizing your leveling process in ESO. Another fantastic resource for all things gaming and education is the Games Learning Society, where you can find research and insights into the intersection of games and learning. Check out GamesLearningSociety.org for more information.