If attributes and the distribution of attribute points sketch out your character in broad strokes, skills are where you apply the finely painted detail to your heroic creation. You can check out all of the skills your character currently knows by hitting the K key or going to the main menu and selecting Skills. You can equip up to eight skills at once, creating a unique character “build” ready to handle most any situation. Most skills are linked to a particular attribute, and also carry a subtype such as Stance, Spell, Hex, or Shout.

Your hero can only equip skills or move those skills around on the Skill Bar when in a town. But when you’re in town, your entire array of skills is available to choose from. The skill list is sort-able by a variety of options, including the attribute the skills are attached to, so you can be sure to select skills that fit the hero’s key abilities. If your Necromancer has all available attribute points in Blood Magic and none in Curses, selecting a Curse skill is probably not the way to go.