Kingdom Come Deliverance: Character progression Kingdom Come Deliverance Guide & Walkthrough

This page of the Kingdom Come guide offers tips regarding character development, unlocking new abilities, and how equipment influences Henry’s statistics.

Last update: 27 October 2022

Character progression system in Kingdom Come: Deliverance differs slightly from many other RPGs. However, it is not extremally complicated. What is more, your character improves in the fields that you show the biggest interest in (e.g. melee combat). On this page of the guide you can find the most important information and tips for character progression and learn how to avoid potential problems related to this topic.

• General information and tips
• Attributes and abilities - development
• Ability teachers
• Equipment and its influence on hero's statistics

General information and tips

1. In Kingdom Come: Deliverance you don't get the traditional experience points that are later spend on getting higher levels. Instead, the character progression system is similar to, e.g. games from The Elder Scrolls series - you improve your character by performing actions connected to certain attributes and skills. For example, using a sword can increase your Strength, Vitality and sword combat skill. Stealing treasures from guarded locations can increase your Lockpicking and Stealth skills.
2. Performing actions related to a given attribute or ability fills up the progression bar located in the character screen. When the bar gets full you increase that stat by 1 and your hero becomes better in that field (the game informs you about that by displaying an information in the upper left corner of the screen - see the picture). For example, increasing Strength gives you a bigger weight limit and more melee damage.
3. Certain weapons and pieces of armor can have stats requirements (e.g. 5 Strength and 5 Agility). Don't use these items if Henry's stats aren't at that level yet. Otherwise, their effectiveness will be much worse. Use weaker items until you raise your stats.
4. Charisma, Visibility, Conspicuousness and Noise function in a different way than the rest of the attributes. These stats change constantly either for better or worse. For example, you can improve your Charisma by wearing expensive clothes but you can also lower it when your hero is dirty and covered in blood. Don't ignore them and try to adjust these stats to suit your needs, e.g. reduce your Noise if you plan on sneaking into a location.

1. Every few levels you can choose an additional perk. Different levels give you different perks and they are unique for each of the attributes and skills. Perks have unique properties, e.g. they can increase effectiveness of bandages, give you a better stamina regeneration or make your character to be more difficult to detect while sneaking. Each time you can choose one from a few perks so it is important to choose the one that would be the most useful to you (check out the FAQ page for a list of recommended perks). Which perks should I unlock first? page offers recommendations what perks to choose.

1. In Kingdom Come: Deliverance you don't get the traditional experience points that are later spend on getting higher levels. Instead, the character progression system is similar to, e.g. games from The Elder Scrolls series - you improve your character by performing actions connected to certain attributes and skills. For example, using a sword can increase your Strength, Vitality and sword combat skill. Stealing treasures from guarded locations can increase your Lockpicking and Stealth skills.
2. Performing actions related to a given attribute or ability fills up the progression bar located in the character screen. When the bar gets full you increase that stat by 1 and your hero becomes better in that field (the game informs you about that by displaying an information in the upper left corner of the screen - see the picture). For example, increasing Strength gives you a bigger weight limit and more melee damage.
3. Certain weapons and pieces of armor can have stats requirements (e.g. 5 Strength and 5 Agility). Don't use these items if Henry's stats aren't at that level yet. Otherwise, their effectiveness will be much worse. Use weaker items until you raise your stats.
4. Charisma, Visibility, Conspicuousness and Noise function in a different way than the rest of the attributes. These stats change constantly either for better or worse. For example, you can improve your Charisma by wearing expensive clothes but you can also lower it when your hero is dirty and covered in blood. Don't ignore them and try to adjust these stats to suit your needs, e.g. reduce your Noise if you plan on sneaking into a location.

Attributes and abilities - development

Below you can find tips that can teach you about activities that should be performed in order to increase particular attributes and abilities. Remember that many of the stats are connected to each other so, e.g. you can increase your Stealth by breaking into someone's house.

Attributes:

1. Strenght - Participate in battles as often as possoble. This can be a battle with real opponents or a training match with Captain Bernard in the training arena in Rattay (preferably with real weapons). During a skirmish it is necessary to use a weapon with the strength as the main attribute (you can check it after displaying the weapon statistics).
2. Dexterity - You can increase this attribute by relying on a white weapon which basic attribute is dexterity (you can check it after displaying weapon statistics - these include short swords or sabres). Another good method is to use the bow regularly - use it to attack wild animals or enemies (do not train yourself by shooting at the target, because then the parameter will not increase!). Beside that make dodges and move during combats.
3. Vitality - Sprint as frequently as possible even while you are exploring the world freely. Look for opportunities to climb higher objects, jump over hurdles and avoid damage during fights.
4. Speech - Speak with every NPC you come across and always use all of the available dialogue options.. Try to choose unique dialog lines connected to, e.g. persuasion or intimidation. Also, remember about haggling with traders.

Abilities:

1. Defence - Block a lot (preferably by using perfect blocks) and use dodges. You should also rely more on shields.
2. Warfare - Participate in as many fights as possible.
3. Mace - Use this melee weapon a lot (preferably when you are facing an enemy vulnerable to blunt damage).
4. Bow - Use bows to hunt down wild animals and kill enemies. You can also practice on shooting ranges with a teacher (don't do this alone, otherwise the stat won't increase!).
5. Sword - Use this melee weapon a lot (you can choose a one-handed or a two-handed sword).
6. Axe - Use this melee weapon a lot.
7. Unarmed - Deal damage with your fists. Many enemies in the game fight with a melee weapon so look for quests where you can fight with someone with your fists. You can also participate in practice fights.
8. Alchemy - Create potions. You can only receive skill points if the potion was done correctly.
9. Reading - Note: You have to learn this ability first - visit a scribe in Uzhitz during a side quest called Mightier Than The Sword. From now on you can look for books (found in the world or bought from traders). Read them in places that offer you bonuses to reading, e.g. in a room with your character's bed.
10. Pickpocketing - Note: You have to learn this ability first - speak with a miller called Peshek in Rattay during a side quest called The Good Thief. From now on you can pickpocket NPCs. The only way to get skill points is to steal an item (opening the pickpocketing menu and browsing through your victim's items won't reward you with any XP).
11. Horsemanship - Note: You have to get your own horse first which happens after completing The Prey main quest.
12. Maintenance - Repair your weapons (by using grindstones) and pieces of armor (various repair kits).
13. Hunting - Hunt (preferably with a bow) wild animals (rabbits, does, boars etc.).
14. Drinking - Drink alcohol and potions - you can either find them or buy from traders/alchemists. You can also increase this skill by drinking Saviour Schnapps and saving your game.
15. Stealth - Use stealth in locations where your hero can be detected and attacked or where he can alarm citizens (e.g. after breaking into someone's house). Stunning NPCs (preferably those who are sleeping) gives you BIG bonuses to this skill. This can be done by using Takedown perk. You can also kill characters with a dagger (Stealth Kill perk).
16. Pickpocketing - Use lockpicks to open locks. At the beginning of the game you should focus only on easy locks but later you can look for more challenging ones.
17. Herbalism - Collect herbs while you are exploring the world (e.g. nettles). You can find them in forests, glades or near roads.

Ability teachers

Increasing abilities can take you a lot of time or it can be a bit problematic, e.g. when you don't have repair kits that you need to repair pieces of armor. The solution to that problem are teachers. Thanks to them you can "use a shortcut" and quickly increase a particular stat. Sadly, there are a few serious complications related to them:

1. You have to find each one of the teacher. They aren't marked on the world map but it is probable that, e.g. a blacksmith will teach Henry how to maintain armor. Their list can be found on a separate page called Skill trainers (locations) of our guide.

1. Each teacher specializes only in one field. For example, a hunter can only teach Henry how to hunt. This means that you will need to spend some time on finding a teacher that interests you the most.
2. Training offered by them is never free. Even learning the lowest levels of a skill can cost you several dozens of Groschens and more advanced trainings can cost you a few hundreds of coins. Remember to sell useless items to traders to get money or train only in those fields that have a top priority.
3. Each ability has four levels of training - basic, intermediate (your skill needs to be at level 5), advanced (your skill needs to be at level 10) and master (your skill needs to be at level 15).

Equipment and its influence on hero's statistics

Henry's effectiveness is determined not only by his attributes and skills but also gear. Equipment has impact on the following factors:

1. Melee weapon damage - Notice that weapons can deal three types of damage - stab, slash and blunt. Adjust them to your needs, e.g. a blunt weapon works better on heavily armored enemies.
2. Ranged weapon damage (bows) - Your damage is determined by both your bow and your arrows.
3. Head, body, arm and leg armor - They are all separate values because the game gives you multiple equipment slots where you can put different parts of armor (e.g. gloves, a helmet, a breastplate, boots). You can have them unified or you can change each of the pieces so they would be more suitable for an upcoming fight, e.g. wear a full helmet if your next battle will be full of enemy archers. Also, remember about the damage types (stab, slash, blunt). Scout an enemy location and choose your gear accordingly to enemies' weapons.
4. Visibility, Conspicuousness and Noise - These three stats play an important role in stealth. Change your armor to become less visible or even remove certain parts so will create less sound while moving.
5. Charisma - A valuable ring or nobleman's clothes can boost your Charisma. It can also go down if you are dirty, wear low-quality clothes and are stained with blood (remember to visit bath houses regularly).