BDO Succession & BDO Awakening: A Beginner Skill Guide

BDO Succession is an improvement upon the skill set you received when you first created your character. Succession skills are more powerful skills you have already learned and know.

At level 56, you can complete the Awakening quest line, which will open up Awakening skills to you and give you the option to switch between two completely different play styles and weapons.

BDO Succession vs BDO Awakening

Each class has their own Succession and Awakening, which are two unique skill sets that have their own seperate skill trees.

• Succession: focus on improving the skills you already know and use.
• Awakening: use a whole new set of skills with a new weapon.

You can mix skills and switch back and forth sometimes, but it’s not normally as smooth, because you have to switch weapon stances via your C key or a few select skills.

• Awakening and Succession quests are combined into one quest series per class.
  • Open the Quest (O) window, click on Main tab then find the section titled, “New Power.”
  • The Awakening quest line is completed first, for most classes, then the Succession quest line. (Sage, for example has Succession first.)

Note that some classes are odd balls. For example, the Archer gets an Awakening Weapon at beginning levels, but is limited to using that beginner weapon until he does the Awakening quest line. Sage also, is different. He gets Succession first and then Awakening quests open up after that.

BDO Awakening Core Skills

You can learn Core skills once you have reached Lv. 60, on the bottom of the Awakening Weapon tab in the Skill window (K).

“Core” Awakening skills further enhance existing skills the way Absolute skills do for Main Weapon skills, but their acquisition and roles differ.

• You may only select and learn one out of all Core skills.
• Only defensive effects, such as either Debuff Resistance or block effects will be added to the Core skills, without any additional damage or increased number of hits.

Source: November 18, 2020

Skill Enhancement (Rabam Skills)

Skill Enhancement is given at level 56, 57, and 58, for a total of 3 possible Skill Enhancements.

Skill Enhancement allows you to combine two skills to make an even more powerful skill.

• Select Skill Enhancement tab of the skill window to view your options.
• If you have reached the appropriate level, you can see three boxes with a “+” symbol on them.
• You will need to learn the prerequisite skills to learn the Enhanced Skill.
• If you have the required skills learned, you can click the gold “+” to learn the desired skill.
• If you do not have the required skills to create the Rabam’s skill you want, they will appear blacked out in the menu, and you will not be able to select the skill.

Skill Add-ons

You can improve skills by choosing addons from 24 add-ons (shared across all classes).

Skill add-on effects are grouped into 3 levels based on the skill’s cooldown time and utility. (For example, the amount of Monster AP increases, depending on the skill.)

BDO Skill Basics

Source: July 8, 2020

Major Update: Revamped Skill (K) Window

We’ve revamped the skill window with a new UI. We combined each skill’s levels together to present each class’ skills in a more intuitive structure and added the Skill Preset function you can use to save skill configurations before making any changes. Skill Presets even saves Skill Add-On settings, and completing Succession and Awakening quests will award one preset slot each, while completing Talent and Ascension quests will award two preset slots each. This means there is a maximum of two preset slots available per class. 

This new skill window is quite a big change from the previous version, and we fear you might find it awkward. Please share your feedback with us, so we can find ways to make any improvements, if needed.

• You can view skill demos whenever you wish in the new skill window. Select the skill on the right, which will display the skill demo on the left along with detailed skill descriptions. You can also always hover your mouse over the skill icon to read the text bubble with the skill description.
• Succession and Awakening skills can be accessed from the top right of the skill window once your character has completed their Succession or Awakening quests.

• ​​​​​​You can toggle displaying skill demos with the button on the bottom of the skill window.

• Main Weapon skills have been divided into Main Skills, Secondary Skills, and Passive Skills.
  • Click each tab to see the skills in each category.

• Skills are also divided into Main Weapon, Awakening Weapon, and Skill Enhancement categories.

• Press LMB on a specific skill icon to learn the skill.
• Hold Shift + LMB on a skill icon to learn the maximum level of that skill available to you.
• Characters below Lv. 56 can freely reset all the skills learned to free up their skill points.
  • Press RMB on a skill icon to reset each individual skill.
  • Hold Shift + RMB on a skill icon to reset the skill to its lowest level.
• Use the Toggle Black Spirit’s Rage function to toggle Black Spirit’s Rage skills.

• Use Skill Cooldown Slot function to set how your skills’ cooldowns will be displayed.

• Added the Skill Preset function.
  • Skill Preset saves all currently learned skills and Skill Add-ons so you can restore them later.
    • There is a maximum of two preset slots available per class.
  • You can save Skill Preset anytime, but to load Skill Preset you will either need a Secret Book of Old Moon and be in a Safe Zone, or go find a skill instructor.
    • Using a Secret Book of Old Moon to load previously saved Skill Presets will lock you to a 1 hour cooldown, while talking to a skill instructor only has a 10 minute cooldown.
    • When loading a Skill Preset, your character will act out a special motion.
    • You can reset your skills without a Secret Book of Old Moon or Armstrong’s Skill Guide item by clicking on a notification about skill reset if it pops up while you are saving or loading Skill Presets.
      • You cannot use the Skill Preset function if you do not reset your skills, so make sure to reset your skills by clicking on the notification.
• Added the item Skill Preset Coupon.
  • Two coupons are available per class.
    • You can obtain one Skill Preset Coupon when you complete a series of Awakening or Succession quests.
    • You will get two Skill Preset Coupons when you complete a series of Talent or Ascension quests.
    • Characters that have already completed their respective Awakening, Succession, Talent, or Ascension quests series can talk to the Black Spirit to obtain the coupons via the [Skill Preset Coupon] Using a Variety of Skills quests.

• Click <Here> for our BDO Wiki entry on skills.