Skill

Skills are abilities that are used to make characters stronger. Each of the four classes has one active ability and three skill trees, each of which have seven skills in them. All known skills in the trees are passive, meaning that their effects are automatic.

When the player levels up, they are awarded with a single skill point. The first skill point is gained at level 5, and is used to acquire the active skill for the character's class. Each skill, aside from the active skill, can be upgrade 4 times (reaching a maximum level of 5). Assuming there are no other sources of skill points, the player will have accumulated 46 skill points by the time they reach the current maximum level, 50.

Skill Tree Structure
As stated previously, each class has a single active skill and three skill trees, each of which contain seven skills. These seven skills are further divided into four tiers. The first three tiers have two skills each. The last tier only contains a single skill, presumably the most powerful one. To advance to a lower tier, the player must first invest five skill points into the tier that is currently the lowest one (excluding the first tier, which is unlocked after putting a single skill point into the active skill). These skills can be invested in any combination of the skills of the current tier. While maxing a single skill is possible, it is not required to advance. For example, advancement is possible if a player invests two skill points into Skill A and three points into Skill B.

Players are not required to dedicate themselves to a single skill tree. Players can spend points however they want. If the player make a mistake, the player can spend money at a registration (New-U) station to respec, or redistribute his skill points as he fit. This costs money, and the cost is positively correlated with the number of skill points the player is respeccing. It is not confirmed if the player can respec only the skill points he wants to move, or if he must reallocate every skill points.

Because there are forty five skill points, it is possible for a player to gain access to every skill except one fourth-tier skill by investing their five points in a 1-4 or 2-3 distribution among each of the first three tiers in all three trees, and then taking two skill points from one third-tier tree skills and giving one each to the fourth-tier skills in the other two trees. Because no single skill is given many points, especially the later skills, this build may be weaker than the other builds. It is also possible for a player to max out every skill in a single tree, with ten points left over to allocate freely.

Active Abilities

 * See article: Active Abilities, for info.

Each character has a single Active ability. This is the first skill that is learned, and it is learned at level 5.

Brick
Brick's active ability is the Berserk Rage. While in this state, Bricks vision becomes clouded with blood, he starts laughing manically, and he puts his guns away in favor of using his fists to pummel enemies. His melee damage is increased, he takes less damage from enemy attacks, and he regenerates health in battle.

Lilith
Lilith's active ability is the Phasewalk. When Lilith uses Phasewalk, she turns invisible and can move quickly. Randy Pitchford has frequently compared it to the Lord of the Rings, saying that it is similar to when Frodo puts on the ring. However, unlike when Frodo takes off the ring, when Lilith comes out of Phasewalk, there is a small shockwave that damages enemies in the area of effect.

Mordecai
Mordecai's active ability is the ability to send an alien pet, a falcon-like bird named Bloodwing, out into the fray to deal massive damage to enemies.

Roland
Roland's active ability is the ability to place a Shield Turret. This is a turret that attacks enemies while providing cover for the team.

Skill Trees
Each class has three skill trees. A known skills in these trees are passive skills that either activate under special conditions (e.g., when Mordecai scores a headshot, when Roland dies), or is a permanent buff (e.g., +12% maximum health for Brick's "Hardened" Skill).

Brick
Bricks skill trees are Brawler, Tank, and Blaster.

Known Skills

 * Hardened: Increases Maximum Health
 * Safeguard: Increases Strength of your shield.
 * Bash: Gives your melee attacks a chance to Daze enemies, slowing them down and reducing their accuracy.
 * Heavy Handed: Killing an enemy greatly increases your damage for a few seconds.
 * Short Fuse: Decreases Cooldown of Berserk.
 * Prize Fighter: While Berserk is active your melee attacks have a chance to spawn cash prizes.

Lilith
Lilith's skill trees are Assassin, Elementalist, and Controller.

Known Skills

 * Death Cry: Skill effect unknown.

Mordecai
Mordecai's Skill trees are Rogue, Gunslinger, and Sniper.

Roland
Roland's skill trees are Infantry, Support, and Medic.

Known Skills

 * Healing Bullets: When shooting at allies, the allies are healed for health equal to the amount of damage the gun delivers (not an official summary of the skill).