The Witcher 2 skills guide will walk you through various skills and abilities of the characters, character development, and talent trees. You can use this guide to effectively use different abilities and upgrades that you will have access to in The Witcher 2.
You can’t survive with the starting character Geralt as the difficulty of enemies increase. Once you have accumulated enough experience points, you will level up your character. For each level, you will be awarded specific number of talent points. Which you can invest in to improve various abilities of Geralt.
The Witcher 2 Skills
You can meditate anywhere in The Witcher 2, once you are in the meditation mode, you can access Alchemy, the use of mixtures, and the rest of character options. The ability tree in The Witcher 2 is divided in four different paths: Training, Swordsmanship, Alchemy, and Magic.
Each ability branch includes a number of specific skills. Use of abilities is subjected to conditions you will come across. You can invest talent points as long as you meet the prerequisites. You should intelligently use the talent points since you can’t unlearn the abilities in Witcher 2.
There are two level upgrades per ability. The most powerful ability bonuses come at the end of each ability branch. There won’t be enough talent points available to get all the abilities to maximum so you should definitely think twice before taking any route.
Since not enough talent points to develop all the ability paths to the maximum, you should definitely think twice about how much talent lies in her ability which branch.
This guide will help you decide which ability you should invest in, what are the benefits of using that ability and how you can effectively make the best use of available talent points.
Training
Before you go on to invest in swordsmanship, magic or alchemy, you need to invest minimum of six talent points in training branch of skills tree.
| Ability | Level 1 | Level 2 |
| Energy Regeneration | Energy regeneration out of combat +25 percent | Energy regeneration out of combat +25 percent |
| Endurance | Vitality +10 | Vitality +50 |
| Parry | Allows you to parry blows from all sides | Reduces damage while blocking 100 percent |
| Dagger Throwing | Lets throw dagger | + 20 Dagger damage + 20 |
| Arrow Redirection | Enables redirection arrow | Arrow allows redirection to the shooters |
| Courage/Fortitude | Energy regeneration in combat + 10 percent | Vigor + 1 |
Swordsmanship
If you are more of an impulsive guy who likes to throw himself into the combat and rely on aggression to get things done, you should most probably go all in, and invest all your talent points in Swordsmanship.
It will increase the damage of the swords in combat, increase the effectiveness of hand-to-hand combat, blocks will be more efficient, and greatly enhance the probability of landing the critical hit on opponents.
| Ability | Level 1 | Level 2 |
| Position | Damage taken by back stab: 150 percent | Damage taken by back stab: 100 percent |
| Riposte/Counter Attack | Allows retaliation | Chance of Instant Kill by backlash: 50 percent |
| Footwork | Distance by dodging + 100 percent | Distance by dodging + 200 percent |
| Violence | Heavy Chadians + 5 percent | Heavy Chadians + 20 percent |
| Whirl | Lets cause damage to multiple opponents to free additional opponent received 50 percent damage | Additional opponents receive 100 percent damage |
| Guard | Energy required to block – 25 percent | Energy required to block – 50 percent |
| Tough Guy | Damage taken reduced by 5 percent | Damage taken reduced by 40 percent |
| Schemer | Energy regeneration in combat + 10 percent | Energy regeneration in combat + 40 percent |
| Resilience | Vitality +25 | Vitality + 100 |
| Precision | Chance of critical bleeding + 10 percent | Chance of critical bleeding + 20 percent, heavy Chadians + 20 percent |
| Sudden Death | Chance of Instant Kill + 2 percent | Chance of Instant Kill + 5 percent |
| Finesse/Aptitudes | Opportunity to all critical effects + 5 percent | Opportunity to all critical effects + 15 percent |
| Invincible | Vitality + 50, Damage taken reduced by 10 percent | Vitality + 150, Damage taken reduced by 30 percent |
| Combat Acumen | Allows groups finisher, activation during adrenaline-filled bar, which allows generation of adrenaline by sword blows | Damage + 20 percent, Damage taken reduced by 10 percent |
| Whirlwind | By sword blows generated adrenaline + 10 percent, all resistances + 10 percent chance of all critical effects + 10 percent | By sword blows generated adrenaline + 30 percent, all resistances + 20 percent chance of all critical effects + 20 percent |
Alchemy
Alchemy as we know it is the mixture of different potions. The Witcher 2 Alchemy guide will provide you a closer look on different mixtures you can create and acquire in The Witcher 2 and also tell you the effectiveness of each mixture you create.
Using Alchemy Geralt can fight through potions and mutagens. The more talent points you invest in Alchemy, the more effective will be the effects of mixtures and time they will retain their effect will also greatly increase.
| Ability | Level 1 | Level 2 |
| Alchemist | Bomb Damage + 10 percent, falling damage + 20 per cent | Bomb Damage + 20 percent, falling damage + 20 per cent |
| Synthesis | Vitality +10 | Vitality +50 |
| Side effect | Chance of producing a mutagen as a by-product of alchemy + 2 percent | Chance of producing a mutagen as a by-product of alchemy + 10 percent |
| Specialization: Potions | Effect of soaking time + 10 percent | Effect of soaking time + 40 percent |
| Harvester | Harvest alchemical ingredients + 50 percent | Harvest alchemical ingredients + 100 percent |
| Catalysis | Effect of drinking intensity + 15 percent | Effect of drinking intensity + 35 percent |
| Specialization: Oils | Effect duration of oils + 10 percent | Effect duration of oils + 40 percent |
| Transmutation | Effect intensity of oil + 15 per cent | Effect intensity of oil + 35 per cent |
| Impregnation | Effect intensity of mutagens + 15 percent | Effect intensity of mutagens + 35 percent |
| Taster | Allows consummation of an additional potion | Damage by while poisoned +15% Damage reduction while poisoned +10% |
| Condensation | Energy regeneration poisoning + 15 percent | Energy Regeneration poisoning + 35 per cent |
| Metathesis | Damage Done poisoning while 10 per cent | Damage Done + poisoning while 30 percent |
| Berserker | Chance to instant-kill while poisoning + 1 percent | Chance to instant-kill while poisoning and 3 percent |
| Mutant | Allows Berserker mode, activation by adrenaline-filled bar, which allows generation of adrenaline poisoning | Poisoning generated by adrenaline + 25 percent |
| Amplification | Poisoning generated by adrenaline + 15 percent, while poisoning Damage Done + 10 percent, while poisoning Damage taken reduced by 10 percent | Poisoning generated by adrenaline + 50 percent, while poisoning Damage Done + 30 percent while poisoning Damage taken reduced by 30 percent |
Read our detailed The Witcher 2 Alchemy Guide through the link.
Magic
Magic branch of ability tree allows sorcerers characters to improve their abilities. In addition to improving your abilities, you can unlock additional effects such as numbness, cremation or damage reflection.
There are five basic characters, which are based on the elements: Aard (air – telekinetic wave), Axii (water – manipulation), Igni (Fire – Flame wave), Yrden (merger – Fallen) and Quen (Earth – protection).
The Magic Path also grants you access to a sixth sorcerer character –
heliotrope – which enables you to influence time and space. It creates a barrier that slows down your opponent, which can prove very handy in combat.
| Ability | Level 1 | Level 2 |
| Enhanced Aard Sign | Toggle Level 2 for the free sign Aard sign Aard caused damage on the enemy, sign damage: 1, string-range + 2 meters | Unlocks Aard Sign level III. Aard Sign deals damage to opponents. Sign damage: 6. Aard Sign has an area effect. Sign range +6m |
| Destructive magic | Sign damage + 5 | Sign damage +10, vigor +1 |
| Enhanced Axii Sign | Toggle Level 2 for the character Axii free Bewitched opponent gets: Vitality + 20 percent, 20 percent damage dealt + | Unlocks Axii Sign level III. Hexed opponent gets: Vitality +50%, Damage dealt +50% |
| Enhanced Quen Sign | Toggle Level 2 for the Quen sign free Quen reflects 20 percent damage, character duration: 20 seconds | Unlocks Quen Sign level III. Quen deflects 50% damage. Sign duration +60s |
| Intensification Magic | Drawing strength + 1 | Sign power +2, Damage reduction +10% |
| Venting/Relief | Quen transferred the reflected damage to two opponents | Quen transfers reflected damage to three enemies. |
| Fatal attraction | Allows the character Axii two opponents to bewitch | Enables to hex up to three opponents with Axii Sign. |
| Magical Vigor/Magic Energy | Energy + 1 | Vigor +2 |
| Enhanced Igni Sign | Toggle Level 2 for the character Igni free opportunity for the cremation of the enemy, character range and 3-meter | Unlocks Igni Sign level III. Igni Sign has an area effect Sign range +6m |
| Enhanced YrdenSign | Toggle Level 2 for the character Yrden free, made possible the establishment of two cases | Unlocks Yrden Sign level III. The player can set three traps |
| Glyph enhancement | Yrden traps are linked, opponents can not move through between the glyphs | The glyph it creates deals damage to opponents: 5 damage/s |
| Energy Flow | Chance of critical effect of a sign + 5 percent | Critical effect chance of Signs +25% |
| Magic Life Force | Vitality +50 | All resistances +5% |
| Magical Sense | Turns characters heliotrope free activation with adrenaline-filled bar allows the generation of adrenaline by signs | All resistances +5%, Adrenaline generation through Signs +50% |
| Power Control | All resistances + 20 percent, drawing Damage + 30 percent, generated by signs adrenaline + 10 percent | All resistances +5%, Sign damage +10%, Adrenaline generation through Signs +65% |
Mutagens
Mutagens are powerful mutation-triggering agents. They allow you to raise your abilities even further. Mutagens can be acquired in two ways: you can loot one from a defeated enemy or you can create one as a byproduct of alchemy. To undergo mutation, enter meditation, and then select the ‘Character’ option and find an ability
that has a mutagen slot.
The mutation cannot be reversed. Mutagens usually take one of three forms: lesser, basic and greater. Each of these forms raises the character’s statistics, but by a different amounts.
Mutagen Variants
Critical effects mutagen
Increases the chance of causing critical effect.
Range mutagen
Increases the range of the Aard, Igni and Axii Signs.
Vitality mutagen
Increases vitality.
Power mutagen
Increases sword damage.
Strength mutagen
Increases damage reduction.
Concentration mutagen
Increases Sign damage.
Feel free to ask any questions or provide feedback about this guide. If you find anything missing, point out and we will add that in this guide.
