Skills

Skills in Underrail represent your character's competence and knowledge in specific topics.

Each skill has two values on the Character Sheet S menu: a base value and an effective value. Effective value is displayed in parentheses after the base value and is visible only if it differs from base value. The base value is the number of skill points invested in that skill. The effective value is the actual skill value with all skill modifiers^[1] counted in. (Eg. bonuses from related base abilities, skill synergies, and certain items.) The base values of skills are used in requirements for learning new feats and abilities, while effective values are used for everything else.

^[1] Note: Dodge and Evasion are not only skills, but also defensive stats. Some effects apply directly to the defensive stats instead of the skills. Combat Stats C menu shows their values as used in combat calculations.

You gain 40 skill points every level, except at character creation where you have 120 points to spend. You cannot increase any given skill beyond its maximum for your current level, which is 10 + 5 per level. This means you can max 8 out of the 22 available skills each level, or split your skillpoints into more skills.

Related base abilities

Each skill is affected by one of your character's Base Ability Scores, but the amount of points you may invest in any skill is not restricted by them. Every point in base ability above 4 increases the effective value of dependent skills by 8.5%, while every point below 4 decreases it by 10%.

Skill synergies

Some skills also benefit from others through skill synergy, increasing their effective skill value by a percentage of the synergistic skill. Synergies cannot boost skills beyond their maximum base value for your current level.

Offense

Offense skills, along with psi skills, define your character's primary means of attacking.

Guns

Main article: Guns
“Increases your precision and damage with any type of pistol, SMG or rifle. This includes both firearms and energy weapons. Also, the higher your skill level, the more advanced weapons you can wield effectively.” —In-game description Guns skill includes all kinds of firearms and chemical/energy weapons as well. Crossbows have their own skill.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Perception None

Throwing

Main article: Throwing
“Increases your precision with all throwing weapons and utilities, including grenades.” —In-game description Throwing is a support skill, rather than a primary weapon skill you can rely on all the time. Also increases damage with throwing knives.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Dexterity None

Crossbows

Main article: Crossbows
“Increases your precision and damage with crossbows.” —In-game description Crossbows can fire various special bolts and their relatively low impact speed (compared to firearms and energy weapons) helps pierce energy shields.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Perception None

Melee

Main article: Melee
“Increases damage with melee weapons and unarmed attacks and helps you overcome your target's dodge rating.” —In-game description Melee includes all sorts of close combat weapons — unarmed, fist weapons, knives and sledgehammers. Underrail: Expedition adds spears and swords.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Strength or Dexterity (whichever is higher) None

Defense

Defense skills are a part of your character's defensive abilities. They let you completely avoid some attacks. They can reduce chance to hit by up to 60% (if effective evasion/dodge skill is twice the attacker's effective attack skill)[1]

They are related to agility.

Dodge

Main article: Dodge
“Increases your chance to avoid melee attacks.” —In-game description Dodge skill primarily helps you avoid all sorts of melee attacks.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Agility Evasion 10%

Evasion

Main article: Evasion
“Increases your chance to avoid a ranged attack. Reduces damage you receive from area of effect attacks.” —In-game description Evasion skill helps you avoid most ranged attacks, except psionics. It also reduces damage from AoE attacks such as grenade/mine explosions and pyrokinesis.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Agility Dodge 10%

Subterfuge

Subterfuge skills are skillset of a thief and a spy. They allow you break & enter into various secured areas and steal from NPCs. Stealth also plays a large part in combat with feats such as Ambush and Cut-Throat.

Stealth

Main article: Stealth
“Decreases the chance that you'll be spotted while in stealth mode. Also affects numerous aspects of stealth combat.” —In-game description Stealth skill allows you to successfully stay hidden from others in Stealth Mode.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Agility None

Hacking

Main article: Hacking
“Allows you to hack all kinds of computer devices, such as electronic locks, cameras, sentry turrets, etc.” —In-game description Hacking skill is used to hack into computer terminals and open electronic locks with haxxors.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Intelligence Electronics 10%

Lockpicking

Main article: Lockpicking
“Allows you to pick mechanical locks and dismantle other mechanical barriers such as ventilation shafts.” —In-game description Lockpicking skill is used to open mechanical locks with lockpicks and ventilation shafts with Omni-Tool.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Dexterity Mechanics 10% Traps 10%

Pickpocketing

Main article: Pickpocketing
“Allows you to steal items from other characters.” —In-game description Pickpocketing skill is used for the Pickpocket ability, stealing directly from someone's pockets. Stealth, lockpicking and hacking can be used to steal from (locked) containers.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Dexterity None

Traps

Main article: Traps
“Allows you to plant and disarm increasingly more powerful traps. The higher your skill is the harder your traps are to spot and disarm. Also increases your chance of spotting traps.” —In-game description Traps skill allows you to both use traps as a weapon and spot/disarm enemy traps. See Traps for details.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Dexterity Lockpicking 10% Mechanics 10%

Technology

Technology skills are the crafting skills of Underrail. They also have varying uses outside of item crafting.

All of them are related to intelligence.

Mechanics

Main article: Mechanics
“Represents your knowledge of mechanics. This skill is primarily used in crafting various items, such as weapons, armors and traps.” —In-game description Mechanics skill represents your ability to understand and repair mechanical devices. Used in most crafting recipes that use metal and mechanical components, including metal armors and firearms.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Intelligence None

Electronics

Main article: Electronics
“Represents your knowledge of electronics. This skill is primarily used in crafting various items, such as various electronic utilies and energy weapons.” —In-game description Electronics skill represents your ability to understand and repair electronic devices. Used in crafting recipes that use electronic components.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Intelligence None

Chemistry

Main article: Chemistry
“Represents your knowledge of chemistry. This skill is primarily used in crafting various items, such as explosives.” —In-game description Chemistry skill is used in crafting recipes related to chemistry, such as chemical weapons and explosives.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Intelligence Biology 10%

Biology

Main article: Biology
“Represents your knowledge of biology. This skill is primarily used in crafting various items, such as healing and psi restoring concoctions. It also enables you to extract useful substances from plants and animals.” —In-game description Biology skill is for crafting medicine items and processing plants or animal remains into useful chemicals.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Intelligence Chemistry 15%

Tailoring

Main article: Tailoring
“Represents your skill in tailoring leather and cloth materials into pieces of armor.” —In-game description Tailoring is used to craft various lightweight armor items from leather and cloth.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Intelligence None

Psi

Various psionic powers your character can learn during the game.

All of them are related to will.

Thought Control

Main article: Thought Control
“Ability to influence the minds of other living creatures through mental suggestion and domination. Also the ability to focus and enhance your own mental processes and to take greater control of your body.” —In-game description Thought Control psi abilities deal with crowd control and other ways to affect the minds of organic targets.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Will Psychokinesis 10% Metathermics 10% Temporal Manipulation 10% E

Psychokinesis

Main article: Psychokinesis
“Ability of the mind to exert mechanical force, as well as to emit electric currents and project electromagnetic fields.” —In-game description Psychokinesis psi abilities deal with melee enhancement, electricity damage and other electromagnetic manipulation.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Will Thought Control 10% Metathermics 10% Temporal Manipulation 10% E

Metathermics

Main article: Metathermics
“Ability of mind to initiate and control rapid temperature changes and harness exothermic and endothermic energies.” —In-game description Metathermics psi abilities consist various ways to directly deal fire and cold damage to your enemies.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Will Thought Control 10% Psychokinesis 10% Temporal Manipulation 10% E

Temporal Manipulation

This page contains content from Underrail: Expedition expansion.

Main article: Temporal Manipulation
“Ability of mind to manipulate time or time perception on very local level, including partial time suspension, reversal and recurrence.” —In-game description New skill in Underrail: Expedition, Temporal Manipulation psi abilities primarily feature delayed damage and buffing/debuffing.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Will Thought Control 10% Psychokinesis 10% Metathermics 10%

Social

Social skills affect your dialogue options and the quality of deals you can make with the various traders and other NPCs found in Underrail.

Persuasion and intimidation are related to will, which also unlocks some dialogue options. Mercantile is related to intelligence.

Persuasion

Main article: Persuasion
“Your ability to convince the other party to see things your way through non-violent means.” —In-game description Persuasion is often used to resolve difficult situations with peaceful dialogue.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Will Mercantile 20%

Intimidation

Main article: Intimidation
“Your ability to make someone act out of fear.” —In-game description Intimidation is the less friendly way to resolve situations by speech. Can be increased by wearing menacing looking gear like Bullet Strap Belts and Balaclavas.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Will Persuasion 10%

Mercantile

Main article: Mercantile
“Your ability to work out favorable prices in a business transaction.” —In-game description Mercantile is not only good for trading with merchants, but also for negotiating better quest rewards. See Merchants for more information.	Related Base Ability Skill Synergies Intelligence Persuasion 20%