Equipment obtained by appraising spoils can come with special skills attached. There are 161 of these across every weapon and armor piece. They fall into three groups: skills that unlock the most advanced form of a weapon skill, tiered passives, and single passives.
How relic special skills are assigned
Special skills appear on equipment obtained by appraising spoils, and on certain other special pieces of gear. The skills are handed out randomly during appraisal. Appraising rarer spoils, and spoils of a higher level, tends to yield rarer special skills and sometimes more of them on a single piece.
To monitor your rolls, set storage and inventory filters to display gear with special skills, then sort those pieces by skill quality. Appraised items can also be filtered according to the level and rarity of their source spoils.
Special skills that unlock a weapon skill’s most advanced form
Forty-four of these skills carry the name of a weapon skill’s third and most advanced form. Having that skill on a piece of gear is only half of it. To actually use the third form, you must equip both the item with the special skill and the second-level version of the same weapon skill. One more, Elemental Pact, works the same way but applies to the Mage’s three Affinity spells instead of a single weapon skill, which brings the group to 45.
You know it worked when the third-tier skill becomes usable on your bar once both pieces are slotted. If you only have the gear, or only the second-level skill, the advanced form stays locked.
The applicable second-level weapon skill must be equipped with the special-skill gear. For three of the most common upgrade chains, here is exactly which skill to equip, what it costs, and the vocation rank you need to buy it.
| Relic skill (3rd form) | Equip this 2nd-level skill | Discipline | Rank / vocation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudfall Strike | Cloudward Slash | 1,300 | 5 (Fighter) |
| Detonate and Dash | Draw and Quarter | 2,500 | 8 (Thief) |
| Diluvian Tremor | Diluvian Strike | 2,000 | 7 (Warrior) |
Here is the full set of 45 and what each advanced form adds.
- Argent Solace — Advanced Argent Succor. Lengthens the continuous Health recovery and speeds Stamina recovery for a time.
- Bataille Lich — An advanced Bataille Idole. Its shade endures longer and covers more distance, then closes its flurry with a powerful blow that launches smaller foes.
- Beguiling Bridge — Advanced Tricky Terrace that conjures up to three platforms at once.
- Cataract Shot — Advanced Tempest Shot that fires faster and finishes with a powerful final shot.
- Cloudfall Strike — An advanced Cloudward Slash. From the ground, it delivers repeated vertical blows, dealing greater damage to foes who are airborne, jumping, or launched.
- Corkscrew Arrow — Advanced Spiral Arrow that adds more hits to the barrage and ends with the arrow exploding.
- Deific Bolt — Advanced Exalted Bolt. Summons extra divine spirits that fire more spellshots, all piercing multiple targets.
- Detonate and Dash — Advanced Draw and Quarter. Sets off an explosive as you withdraw, flinging you clear of danger.
- Diluvian Tremor — Advanced Diluvian Strike. Damages nearby foes when the blade hits the ground and tosses smaller foes upward as it is pulled free.
- Dragoun’s Pounce — Advanced Dragoun’s Foin that can be chained again if it connects.
- Dwelling Effigy — Advanced Binding Effigy usable without a created simulacrum. The simulacrum survives a miss and gains a temporary Health boost while possessing.
- Eagle Arrow — Advanced Kite Arrow that fires more arrows.
- Effortless Kill — Advanced Masterful Kill. Lands extra hits and widens the window to trigger the counter.
- Elemental Pact — Boosts Lightning, Fire and Ice Affinity, granting the enchantment to the whole party.
- Eviscerating Skewer — Advanced Gutting Skewer. More stabs, faster, and smaller foes are pinned for certain.
- Fanged Rupture — Advanced Fanged Rift with more explosions and greater harm.
- Figmental Facade — Advanced Illusive Divider that conjures up to three walls at once.
- Fortifying Arrow — Advanced Recovery Arrow. Heals or revives more pawns at once and briefly raises revived pawns’ Defense.
- Glacial Bolt — Advanced Arctic Bolt that charges faster and pierces multiple targets when fired at full charge.
- Gliding Gauze — Advanced Vitalizing Vapor. Once given to a simulacrum, it briefly stops that simulacrum’s Health from falling.
- Grand Brontide — Advanced High Brontide. Greater harm, and the lightning whip lashes faster across successive hits.
- Grand Decanter — Advanced High Decanter that also drains Health from foes near the target and refills the caster’s loss gauge.
- Grand Hagol — Advanced High Hagol that adds ice shards for greater harm and longer frostbite and ice-bound.
- Grand Halidom — Advanced High Halidom that cures an ally of frostbite, caught fire, sleep, unconscious, blighted, drenched, tarred, torched, ice-bound, silence, petrification and mind control.
- Grand Salamander — Advanced High Salamander that can launch smaller foes, with fire occasionally blazing from the remaining flame.
- Grand Seism — Advanced High Seism. More stone eruptions, leaving behind boulders you can pick up and throw.
- Grand Spellhold — Advanced High Spellhold that does not slow Stamina recovery while the spell is stored and does not cost extra Stamina to cast.
- Magike Sperebaliste — Advanced Magike Speregonne. Greater harm, with the blast creating an explosive wave of magick that can launch smaller foes.
- Myriad Shot — Advanced Manifold Shot that fires even more arrows.
- Plenilune Slash — Upgrades Full Moon Slash with a spinning flurry of attacks, followed by a powerful sweeping blow.
- Powder Barrage — Advanced Powder Blast with more explosions, adding to the unconscious value of foes hit.
- Pungent Alarum — Advanced Fragrant Alarum that also detects Seeker’s Tokens, Norgan Ducats and other rare items, pawns with dragonsplague, and Obelisk locations.
- Punishing Counter — Advanced Vengeful Slash that tosses smaller foes into the air after the counter.
- Ravening Coil — Advanced Ravening Lunge. More damage when crashing foes into walls, and it can continue into a spinning strike mid-charge.
- Razing Ruin — Advanced Razing Sweep that lands additional strikes.
- Sagittate Whiteout — An advanced Sagittate Avalanche. Pressing the button again after firing sustains a stream of magickal arrows.
- Seching Flete — Advanced Seching Storm that conjures more blades, each piercing multiple targets.
- Shadesnare Bolt — Advanced Shadefetter Bolt that also slows foes near the target on impact.
- Shearing Wind — Advanced Cutting Wind. The second attack hits harder, and holding the button pins the target.
- Shockchain Stake — Advanced Boltchain Stake that adds to the unconscious value of affected foes.
- Skiedragoun’s Edacite — An advanced Skiedragoun’s Feste. A shockwave follows the dive and reaches farther.
- Stampede Shot — Advanced Cascade Shot that fires even more arrows.
- Tidal Rage — Advanced Tidal Wrath. More strikes, less Stamina to activate, and a wider counter window.
- Titanic Cleave — Advanced Steel Cleave with an upward slash that lands extra hits and greater harm.
- Tornadic Strike — Advanced Hurricane Strike with greater range and greater harm.
Tiered passive special skills
These 44 passives scale through numbered ranks. They run from I up to II or III, and Battle Frenzy reaches IV. The higher the number, the stronger the effect.
Each Counter skill listed here (Abomination, Beast, Corrupted Foe, Demon, Humanoid, Saurian, Spirit and Winged Beast) also increases pawn damage against foes under a simulacrum’s possession.
| Special skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| Abomination Counter I | Slightly more damage to abominations |
| Abomination Counter II | More damage to abominations |
| Abomination Counter III | Greatly more damage to abominations |
| Battle Frenzy I | Slightly more damage dealt and taken |
| Battle Frenzy II | More damage dealt and taken |
| Battle Frenzy III | Greatly more damage dealt and taken |
| Battle Frenzy IV | Damage dealt and received rises significantly |
| Beast Counter I | Inflicts extra damage on wolves and ogres, as well as minotaurs, giants and chimeras. |
| Beast Counter II | Inflicts extra damage on wolves and ogres, as well as minotaurs, giants and chimeras. |
| Corrupted Foe Counter I | Brine-corrupted foes take slightly more damage |
| Corrupted Foe Counter II | Brine-corrupted foes take increased damage |
| Corrupted Foe Counter III | Brine-corrupted foes take substantially more damage |
| Demon Counter I | Slightly more damage to demons |
| Demon Counter II | More damage to demons |
| Demon Counter III | Greatly more damage to demons |
| Fiendish Ward I | Wicked creatures inflict slightly less magick damage |
| Fiendish Ward II | Wicked creatures inflict less magick damage |
| Fiendish Ward III | Wicked creatures inflict substantially less magick damage |
| Fire Resistance I | Slightly higher Fire Resistance |
| Fire Resistance II | Higher Fire Resistance |
| Health Boost I | Slightly higher maximum Health |
| Health Boost II | Higher maximum Health |
| Health Boost III | Greatly higher maximum Health |
| Humanoid Counter I | Cyclopes, goblins, stragglers and beorcans take more damage |
| Humanoid Counter II | Cyclopes, goblins, stragglers and beorcans take more damage |
| Ice Resistance I | Slightly higher Ice Resistance |
| Ice Resistance II | Higher Ice Resistance |
| Lightning Resistance I | Slightly higher Lightning Resistance |
| Lightning Resistance II | Higher Lightning Resistance |
| Saurian Counter I | Provides a small damage boost against saurians and similar creatures. |
| Saurian Counter II | Increases damage against saurians and similar creatures. |
| Slashing Resistance I | Slightly higher Slashing Resistance |
| Slashing Resistance II | Higher Slashing Resistance |
| Spirit Counter I | Slightly more damage to unworldly beings |
| Spirit Counter II | More damage to unworldly beings |
| Stamina Boost I | Slightly higher maximum Stamina |
| Stamina Boost II | Higher maximum Stamina |
| Stamina Boost III | Greatly higher maximum Stamina |
| Striking Resistance I | Slightly higher Striking Resistance |
| Striking Resistance II | Higher Striking Resistance |
| Swift Strike I | Charged attacks take slightly less time to prepare |
| Swift Strike II | Charged attacks require less time to prepare. |
| Winged Beast Counter I | A small damage boost against griffins and harpies |
| Winged Beast Counter II | Increased damage against griffins and harpies |
Standalone passive special skills
A handful sharpen a specific core skill, several are tied to one weapon type, and a few carry an enhanced version that is stronger again.
- Adventurous Appetite — Immune to item poison. Some items restore your Health and heal nearby party members slightly.
- Aggressive Recovery — Dealing damage may restore Health; the chance and amount depend on weapon type.
- Airborne Reflexes — Less damage from attacks that hit you in mid-air.
- Animated Recovery — Natural recovery from sleep, ice-bound and unconscious happens faster.
- Arcane Wisdom — Grimoires have a chance to deal greatly increased damage; tome enchantments affect every party member.
- Battering Shield — Shield attacks deal much greater damage.
- Blighted Retort — Adds to foes’ poison value whenever you damage them while blighted.
- Blighting Strike — Adds to a target’s blighted value on each hit; the amount depends on weapon type.
- Bolstered Outset — Defense and Magick Defense rise briefly when battle begins.
- Breakneck Toss — Tusk Toss (fighter core skill) charges faster and hits harder.
- Breath Resistance — Less damage and less debilitation buildup from enemy breath attacks.
- Carnivore — After you eat meat, Stamina use is suspended briefly.
- Chaotic Strike — Chance to inflict ice-bound, caught fire, sleep or silence when dealing physical damage.
- Climber’s Agility — Climbing enemies or other surfaces uses less Stamina.
- Critical Shot — Hits on weak points deal greater harm; applies to bows only.
- Cushioned Fall — Greatly reduces fall damage.
- Debilitating Bolts — Raises added unconscious, caught fire and ice-bound values while a magickal bow is equipped.
- Deflect Strike — The attack after a True Deflect hits harder.
- Deflected Impact — A True Deflect damages the attacker.
- Desperate Evasion — While downed or crawling, incoming attacks are spread among your party instead.
- Elusive — Escape movement-binding enemy attacks faster.
- Endless Caper — Running jumps no longer cost Stamina.
- Enduring Defense — Less Stamina spent using Defend.
- Enduring Grip — Grabbing foes or holding on to them consumes less Stamina.
- Enhanced Burst — Boosts Knockdown Power of Bursting Bolt (sorcerer core skill); the enhanced version also raises its damage.
- Enhanced Jump — Higher jumps and a chance to raise ranged or mid-air physical attack damage (not spells).
- Equanimity — While you are knocked off balance or staggered, each successive hit reduces the damage you take further.
- Extended Burst — Magick bursts from Magike Cut (Mystic Spearhand core skill) hit harder and reach further.
- Extended Dash — Less Stamina spent while dashing.
- Extended Recovery — Lengthens the continuous recovery of Anodyne (mage core skill).
- Forceful Strikes — Boosts Knockdown Power.
- Fortified Invocation — Incanting reduces incoming damage and makes knockdowns less likely.
- Frosted Edge — Imbues the weapon with ice archmagick.
- Frozen Soul — Nullifies hailstorm damage and sometimes magick damage, reduces dragonkin damage, and adds to attackers’ ice value.
- Full Bend — Puncture Dart (archer core skill) hits harder.
- Full Thermal — Sets your thermal value to 100.
- Gigantus’s Vim — Greatly raises maximum Stamina, but greatly lowers your Magick damage and greatly raises Magick damage you take.
- Hailproof — Nullifies hailstorm damage.
- Hill Strider — Keeps movement speed up even on steep slopes.
- Homing Instinct — Lets you use Ferrystones even during whiteouts.
- Ice Elemental — Sets thermal value to 100 and increases ice magick damage; during hailstorms and whiteouts, Def and Mag Def rise greatly.
- Imperiled Reflexes — Chance to instantly recover from being knocked off balance or staggered.
- Improved Efficacy — Items that restore Health and/or Stamina have a slightly stronger effect.
- Improved Empale — Empale (fighter core skill) hits harder.
- Improved Odds — Raises Defense when five or more foes surround you.
- Intact Fortitude — Less damage taken while Health is full.
- Knockout Strike — Dealing damage may knock the target unconscious; the chance depends on weapon type.
- Leaping Strike — Standard attacks hit harder while jumping.
- Mighty Chain — Mighty Sweep hits harder and chains more readily if Chain of Blows (warrior core skill) is learned.
- Molten Spirit — Sets thermal value to 100, nullifies hailstorm damage, takes no fire damage, but takes more lightning damage.
- Moribund Frenzy — Once Health drops below a set threshold, all stats increase greatly for a limited time.
- Moribund Recovery — When near death, you get back on your feet or recover from crawling sooner.
- Nimble Tread — Faster climbing; applies to daggers only.
- Perdurable Illusion — Boosts the durability of your own conjured simulacrums.
- Phantasmal Tome — Grimoires have a chance to remain after use. This skill works only with censers.
- Piercing Escalade — Greater harm from attacks while clinging to foes; applies to daggers only.
- Precipitate Revival — When an attack knocks you down, there is a chance to revive instantly.
- Prone Defense — Halves damage taken while downed or crawling.
- Provoking Aura — Foes are more likely to target you in battle.
- Relic Hunter — Chance for one extra spoils drop when you gain spoils (not from treasure chests).
- Resilient — Survive with a sliver of Health when a hit would exceed your full maximum Health.
- Restorative Bolts — Boosts the Health recovery of all Magick Archer weapon skills.
- Riotous Magick — Chance to greatly raise magick damage dealt to a target.
- Shadowbound — Raises Defense and Magick Defense at night and in darkness, but lowers them in the light.
- Siege Hardened — Briefly raises Defense and Magick Defense after taking damage; does not stack.
- Snatching-Beast’s Foil — Lowers Weight Carried by one level and stops foes stealing your items; the enhanced version lowers it by two levels.
- Spectral Feint — Lowers maximum Health but gives a chance to nullify physical damage.
- Survival Instinct — Greatly slows loss gauge buildup.
- Thawing Shield — Blocking ice breath with Defend prevents it from inflicting frostbite or ice-bound.
- Vertiginous Strike — Winding Cut’s (Mystic Spearhand core skill) finishers hit harder at maximum spin speed.
- Wicked Knight — Faster charge for charged close attacks and slightly less damage from wicked creatures; the enhanced version makes those attacks stronger and faster.
- Wind Rider — Longer jumps with a tailwind, more mid-air damage, and nullifies headwinds.
Which special skills land on a given piece depends on the appraisal roll, so the fastest way to use this set is to keep filtering your inventory by special skill after each trip to Jiera. The 45 advanced-form skills are the ones worth checking against your current loadout, since each only pays off once you also own and equip the matching second-level weapon skill.
