Guide › Skills

Dagger Fighting

Trained by landing blows with a dagger.

Damage Melee

Discovered byThe first time you land a blow with a dagger.

Trained byLand a blow with a dagger; land a blow with a knife; cast a dagger spell.

Levels1 to 100

A starting skill ofCutthroat

What each level is worth

dagger damage: 0.5 per level, up to 50
max stamina: 0.5 per level, up to 40
carrying: 7 per level, up to 700

Abilities

Ability	From level	Costs	Does
Backstab A quick stab: a little of the dagger's damage at once, and the wound bleeds for four seconds.	1	6 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 2 (+1 a level); DamageOverTime Damage 1 (+0.2 a level) for 4 s
Stab A quick stab: seven tenths of your dagger's damage. Ready again with the next breath.	1	1 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 0 (+0.2 a level)
Open Vein Deraku's form: in, and turn. Half the dagger's damage at once and a bleed for six seconds; if the foe dies still bleeding, what is left of the bleed runs on to the nearest creature within six metres, and on again.	1	10 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 2 (+1 a level); DamageOverTime Damage 2 (+0.4 a level) for 6 s
Never Home Deraku's form: you never go home -- you go back to where you stood three seconds ago, and every creature fighting you keeps only half its anger. Not just after a waystone, a door or a fall. Once every 30 seconds.	1	30 s cooldown
Cheap Trick The Cutthroat's low blow: a little of the weapon's damage, and the foe is dazed for two seconds. Once every 12 seconds.	1	12 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 1 (+0.5 a level); Daze 0 for 2 s
Venom Edge A nick with a poisoned edge: a light cut, then venom for eight seconds (venom is Blood: Venom Tolerance resists it, an Antidote cures it).	5	12 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 1 (+0.5 a level); DamageOverTime Blood 2 (+0.4 a level) for 8 s
Kidney Shot A stab low in the back: your dagger's damage, and the foe is stunned for a moment and a half.	10	15 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 2 (+1 a level); Stun 0 for 1.5 s
Shadowstep The Cutthroat's step: you are at the back of the foe you aim at, up to fifteen metres off, facing it -- at its side when there is no room behind it. Once every 20 seconds.	20	20 s cooldown
Gouge A thumb and a blade at the eyes: a light cut, and for three seconds the foe's blows go wide and its steps wander.	20	15 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 2 (+0.8 a level); Disorient 0 for 3 s
Garrote The Cutthroat's wire: half the dagger's blow, the foe silenced for four seconds -- no spell, no cry -- and bleeding three a second for eight seconds, a little more with your Dagger Fighting. Once every 25 seconds.	30	25 s cooldown, your weapon	Damage Damage 2 (+0.5 a level); Silence 0 for 4 s; DamageOverTime Damage 3 (+0.4 a level) for 8 s

Evolution branches

Each counts one way of using the skill; at its milestones you evolve, hold or sacrifice.

Cutthroat

counts kills with a dagger

250Light Grip: each finished job restores 18% of your stamina

1000Opened Vein: your blows leave a bleed: 12% of the blow every second for 4 s (combines as Bleed)

3000Bloodied Edge: 9% of the damage you deal comes back as health (combines as Drain)

Cornered Rat

counts kills with a dagger while below 30% health

125Desperate Edge: +15% damage while you are below 30% health

600Hard to Kill: each finished job restores 15% of your health while you are below 30% health (combines as Bleed)

1500Last Edge: +45% damage while you are below 20% health (combines as Drain)

First Cut

counts opening blows with a dagger on a fresh target

250Sharp Start: +4.5% damage

1000Heavy Opening: +22.5% damage against a target above 80% health (combines as Bleed)

3000Drinking Deep: 9% of the damage you deal comes back as health (combines as Drain)

Deeper Cut

counts uses of Backstab

250From Behind: +15% damage against a target above 80% health

1000Longer Bleed: your blows leave a bleed: 9% of the blow every second for 4 s

3000Bloodied Knife: 7.5% of the damage you deal comes back as health (combines as Bleed)

Dirty Fighter

counts uses of Cheap Trick

250Dirty Fighting: your slows, roots and the rest last 22.5% longer

1000Cheap Shot: each finished job restores 12% of your stamina

3000Below the Belt: +22.5% damage against a target above 80% health (combines as Suppress)

Behind You

counts uses of Shadowstep

250Out of Shadow: +15% damage against a target above 80% health

1000Quiet Steps: each finished job restores 12% of your stamina

3000Knife in the Dark: your blows leave a bleed: 9% of the blow every second for 4 s (combines as Stealth)

Tight Wire

counts uses of Garrote

250Thin Wire: your blows leave a bleed: 7.5% of the blow every second for 4 s

1000Choked Breath: your slows, roots and the rest last 22.5% longer

3000Last Breath: +22.5% damage against a target below 40% health (combines as Suppress)

Low Blow

counts uses of Kidney Shot

250Deep Jab: your stuns last 22.5% longer

1000First Blood: +15% damage against a target above 80% health

3000Lights Out: your stuns last 37.5% longer (combines as Stun)

Quick Knife

counts uses of Stab

250First Prick: +12% damage against a target above 80% health

1000Small Wounds: your blows leave a bleed: 6% of the blow every second for 4 s

3000Red Blade: 4.5% of the damage you deal comes back as health (combines as Bleed)

Running Blood

counts uses of Open Vein

250Deeper Vein: your blows leave a bleed: 7.5% of the blow every second for 4 s

1000First Cut: +15% damage against a target above 80% health

3000Red Harvest: 7.5% of the damage you deal comes back as health (combines as Bleed)

Long Way Round

counts uses of Never Home

250Light Feet: each finished job restores 12% of your stamina

1000Back for More: +7.5% damage

3000Out of Nowhere: +22.5% damage against a target above 80% health (combines as Stealth)

Envenomed

counts uses of Venom Edge

250Thicker Venom: +7.5% damage

1000Slow Poison: each finished job restores 12% of your stamina

3000Venom Master: +12% damage (combines as Bleed)

Low Trick

counts uses of Gouge

250Deeper Gouge: your slows, roots and the rest last 22.5% longer

1000Long Blindness: +7.5% damage

3000Gouge Master: your slows, roots and the rest last 37.5% longer (combines as Obscure)

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