Character Training

After acquiring experience or glory, Heroes increase their understanding in various skills, from Strength training to Dirty Tricks to Focus. Following is an explanation of the leveling and training system in the different Risen games, including a list of skills within each game, cost to increase those skills, and any prerequisites prior to training.

Risen

The system of training in Risen is fairly simple. Usually a skill will have no prerequisite, with exceptions including faction limitations (e.g., only mages of the Order of the Holy Flame can use runes), statistical limitations (the Seal skill requires 200 Wisdom), and limitations on access to certain trainers (who only become available later in the game). Skills and attributes are increased as follows.

The Castaway seeks to improve his skills by learning from an expert.

Visit an appropriate trainer. Any NPC who can train you will present a dialog option implying this (such as "I'd like to train" when speaking with Ukkos or asking Phil "Can you teach me some thieving skills?"). Meet any prerequisites. When choosing a dialog option to train, you will be presented with specific types of training that NPC can provide. If you do not meet a prerequisite, the trainer will inform you. Pay the training cost. Hover over the training option to see details on what the training will cost. Usually this will require learning points and gold. Any cost you can meet (e.g., you have enough gold) will be shown in green; any cost you cannot currently pay (e.g., you have too few learning points) will be shown in red.

Attribute Increases

Although most training will be in skills, certain attributes can also be increased through training. Note that certain items increase statistics as well, so you can save LPs by using these items instead of or in addition to standard training. Many attributes can be trained individually, but two increase automatically with level.

Learning Points (LPs)

The Nameless Hero gains 10 LPs with each character level, which can then be spent to increase other attributes or skills. Trainable attributes can be advanced in 1- and 5-number increments, and their level is indicated by a numerical value in the top left of the character screen (press C to open this screen). Skills can only be increased one level at a time, and some skills have only one level (i.e., you either know the skill or you don't). Skills are listed on the bottom half of the character screen, grouped by type. A skill's current level is indicated by the number of filled in (green) circles below its name; untrained levels are represented by any empty circles below a skill's name.

Hit Points (HPs)

The character skills screen at level 1 in Risen.

With each level increase, the character gains 12 HPs automatically. This statistic also has two values: a current value and a maximum value. If undamaged, the current value will be equal to the maximum value; as the Hero is injured, the current value will drop. If at any time damage is taken equal to or exceeding the character's current HP value, death results.

Mana

This is the first trainable attribute. For every LP you spend, the attribute increases by 10. The higher your total mana, the more spells you are able to cast. See Magic for further details. Like HPs, mana has a current and total value. When the current mana remaining is less than the mana required to cast a spell, that spell cannot be cast. If mana drops to 0, no spells can be cast.

Other Trainable Attributes

The following attributes can all be trained during the course of the game. Although you can train these either 1 or 5 points at a time, there is no discount for training 5 at once; the cost is the same as training 1 point five times in a row.

• Strength
• Dexterity
• Wisdom

Attribute Training Costs

Each attribute increase (a 1-point increase in Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom; a 10-point increase in Mana) costs 1 LP. The gold cost, however, is equal to the new value of the attribute. For instance, a character begins with 10 Strength. Increasing this to 11 Strength costs 11 gold. Increasing this to 15 Strength costs

Skill Increases

Skills each have different levels available, indicated by empty circles. These are filled from left to right as the level within a skill are increased. Note that some skills have fewer total levels of advancement available. Skills that can become available to a player include:

Skills and Skill Types

Combat	Crafting	Crystal Magic	Rune Magic†	Thievery
Sword fighting Axe fighting Staff fighting Archery Crossbow	Alchemy Smithing Prospect ore Gut animals	Magic bullet Fireball Frost	Seal Create scrolls	Open locks Pickpocket Acrobatics Sneak

^†Must join Order of the Holy Flame first.

Only available at 200 Wisdom.

As your level increases, skill training becomes more expensive in both gold and skill points. The scaling increase can be seen in the following table.

Risen 2: Dark Waters

With the release of Risen 2, the training system became a bit more complex. While certain skills remain associated with either of the two available factions, meeting certain attribute prerequisites became necessary for all skills, rather than only for a limited few.

Risen 3: Titan Lords

The system used in Risen 2 is followed again in Risen 3, with only minor adjustments — particularly what skills are available — being made.