Classes & Skill Trees
Skill Trees & Class Identities
All six launch classes. Equipment stats scale with Overall Level - you equip the best gear your level allows and it just works. Skill points go entirely into class abilities, which is where build identity lives.
Skill System Architecture
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Equipment vs. Skills
Weapons, shields, reactors, and engines scale with your OL automatically - a Tier III beam weapon at OL 45 performs better than a Tier I beam weapon at OL 10 because that's the level it was crafted for. No skill investment required to use gear effectively. The gear treadmill is the gear progression.
Skill points are spent only on class abilities - activated powers and passive traits that define how your ship fights, survives, and operates. This is where build decisions happen.
Skill Point Economy
| OL Range | Points per Level |
|---|---|
| OL 1–29 | +1 |
| OL 30–59 | +2 |
| OL 60–89 | +3 |
Total at OL 90: 179 points
Rank Cost Structure
Skill ranks get progressively more expensive:
| Rank | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 pt |
| 2 | 1 pt |
| 3 | 1 pt |
| 4 | 3 pts |
| 5 | 3 pts |
| 6 | 5 pts |
| 7 | 5 pts |
| Total to max (rank 7) | 19 pts |
Each class has 13 class abilities + 1 exclusive = 14 investable skills.
Cost to max all 14: 266 points.
Budget at OL 90: 179 points.
You can max roughly 9 of 14 skills at OL 90. The remaining 5 will sit at rank 3–5. Those choices define your build. The expensive jump at ranks 6–7 (5 pts each) means most players take their core 4–5 skills to rank 7 and everything else to rank 5 or below.
Respec is available at stations for credits + a cooldown. Builds aren't permanent but they aren't trivial to change.
Class Perk Cards
Every class has innate perks - passive advantages that exist outside the skill tree, shown at character selection. These aren't invested into; they're part of what you chose when you picked the class. See each class section for their perk card.
The Racial Mechanic
Each race has one mechanic shared across all their classes (Overcharge / Momentum / Void Resonance). This is a separate progression track - it does not cost skill points. It advances through use and combat level. Details in each class section.
Varath Classes
Who Has What
| Capability | Vanguard | Broker | Tempest | Wraith | Warden | Wayfinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revival (Jumpstart) | - | - | - | ★ rank 5 | ★★ rank 7 | - |
| Stealth / Suppression | - | - | - | Ghost (not true cloak) | Void Veil r5 | Phase Cloak r7 |
| Teleport | - | - | - | Wraith Step | Phase Step r7 | Void Step r5 |
| Area CC | Suppression Field | - | Lock Frame | Disruption Field | - | - |
| Target Isolation | Threat Broadcast | - | Blood Challenge | - | - | - |
| Group Buff | Command Presence | - | - | - | Sanctuary Aura | - |
| System Disable | System Override | - | - | Interference | - | - |
| Hull Repair (self) | Emergency Systems | Field Patch | - | - | Field Maintenance | - |
| Hull Repair (ally) | - | - | - | - | Field Maintenance r7 | - |
| Shield Restore (self) | - | Emergency Recharge | Reverse Polarity | - | Resonance Barrier | Void Leech |
| Nav Discovery | - | - | - | Void Survey | - | Void Survey r7 |
| Faction Standing | - | Diplomatic Contact | - | - | - | - |
| Market Access | - | Trade Protocols | - | - | - | - |
| Combat Companion | Fortify (turrets) | Broker escort | - | - | Summon Resonant | - |
| Portal / Wormhole | - | - | - | Phase Anchor (local) | Phase Step | Wormhole |
| Enemy Stat Read | - | - | Wound Assessment | Threat Read | - | Deep Scan |
| Crafting Bonus | +20% yield | Best sell prices | -25% materials | Fast craft | Exclusive recipes | Ancient recipes |
Why Every Class Is Wanted
- Vanguard: Only class with Fortify turrets and Threat Broadcast - true tank and zone control. System Override shuts down boss abilities that nothing else stops.
- Broker: Only class that can meaningfully accelerate faction standing. Corporate Charter accesses stations other classes are locked out of. Best economy margin.
- Tempest: Highest sustained DPS ceiling. Blood Challenge makes some boss content significantly easier. Best weapon crafting.
- Wraith: Only class with Interference (ability jam). Ghost Protocols + Disruption Field creates fighting conditions nothing else replicates. Phase Anchor is a group escape tool.
- Warden: Full-rank Jumpstart is irreplaceable. Summon Resonant + Sanctuary Aura makes hard content survivable. Only class that can craft psionic components.
- Wayfinder: Only class with true stealth. Only class that can open Wormhole - required for The Sanctum and cross-sector fleet repositioning. Highest exploration efficiency.
No pair of classes covers all of this. Groups always have a reason to want one they don't have.
Last updated: 2026-04-14