The way I choose builds is to decide if I want to play human or non-human and then I pick what my primary offense (a weapon, sorcery, or necromancy). After that, you can pick an I will pick a secondary offense (another weapon, sorcery, necromnacy, or divinity), defenses (tactics or block), and/or utility (magery, traps, sanctity, bonecrafting, traps, stealth). Some skills fall into multiple classes. Finally I will determine if I need/want healing in my build (50 necromancer for soul transfer, 30 piety for mani, or 20 sanctity for heal).
Below are some simple build ideas that are pretty new player friendly. I choose 30 piety a lot for self heal but if use potions, go vampire, use vamp weapons, or heal another way, put the points somewhere else.
Current featured builds
All around fighter - Human - 90 longswords, 100 traps, 100 divinity, 80 sanctity, 30 piety, 25 tactics (snake aspect + barbed claymore VF)
Fighter (Dual wield) - Half-Troll - 40 Maces, 90 Longswords, 100 Divinity, 90 Tactics, 30 Piety
Fighter (Boss killer) - Skeletun - 40 Polearms, 90 Axes, 100 Divinity, 90 Tactics, 30 Piety
Fighter (Fighter treasure hunter) - Skeletun - 40 Maces, 90 Longswords, 90 Divinity, 100 Traps, 30 Piety
Mage (Bruiser) - Human - 95 Staves, 100 Sorcery, 100 Tactics, 100 Magery, 30 Piety
Monk (Stealthy) - Shadowfolk - 90 Unarmed, 100 Sanctity, 90 Tactics, 40 Divinity, 30 Piety
Necromancer (Off-tank) - Human - 100 Necromancy, 100 Block, 100 Tactics, 95 Hexblades, 30 Piety
Necromancer (Hexblade user) - Bloodkin - 90 Hexblades, 100 Divinity, 100 Piety, 60 Tactics
Priest (Crafter) - Dwarf - 40 Maces, 90 Longswords, 90 Divinity, 100 Bonecrafting, 30 Piety
Rogue (Stealth) - Gnome - 90 Shortswords, 100 Stealth, 100 Traps, 30 Tactics, 30 Piety
Rogue (Foils) - Draconian - 100 Foils, 100 Tactics, 100 Block, 50 Necromancer
Rogue (Musket spec) - Half-Orc - 90 Ranged, 100 Divinity, 70 Sanctity, 50 Necromancy, 30 Piety, 10 Tactics
Some basic builds
- non-human / 90 blessed maces / 100 divinity / 100 bonecrafting / 30 tactics / 30 piety
human / 95 blessed maces / 100 divinity / 100 block / 100 tactics / 30 piety
non-human / 90 maces / 90 longswords / 100 divinity / 30 tactics / 30 piety
human / 100 maces / 95 longswords / 100 tactics / 100 block / 30 piety
non-human / 90 polearms / 90 axes / 100 tactics / 40 divinity / 30 piety
human / 100 polearms / 95 axes / 100 tactics / 100 block / 30 piety
non-human / 100 axes / 100 tactics / 100 block / 30 piety / 20 sanctity
non-human / 100 axes / 100 divinity / 100 traps / 40 piety / 10 tactics
human / 90 axes / 100 divinity / 100 traps / 95 tactics / 40 piety
human / 95 axes / 100 tactics / 100 block / 100 divinity / 30 piety
non-human / 100 longswords / 100 tactics / 100 block / 30 piety / 20 sanctity
human / 95 longswords / 100 tactics / 100 block / 100 divinity / 30 piety
non-human / 90 unarmed / 100 sanctity / 100 tactics / 30 tactics / 30 piety
human / 95 unarmed / 100 sanctity / 100 tactics / 100 divinity / 30 piety
non-human / 100 foils / 100 tactics / 70 sanctity / 50 necromancy / 30 piety
human / 100 foils / 95 tactics / 100 block / 100 divinity / 30 piety
non-human / 90 shortswords / 100 steatlh / 100 traps / 30 tactics / 30 piety
human / 90 shortswords / 90 foils / 95 stealth / 70 sanctity / 50 necromancer / 30 piety
non-human / 90 ranged / 100 divinity / 70 sanctity / 50 necromancy / 30 piety / 10 tactics
human / 95 ranged / 100 divinity / 100 tactics / 100 block / 30 piety
non-human / 90 hexblades / 100 divinity / 100 piety / 30 tactics / 30 piety
human / 95 hexblades / 100 divinity / 100 tactics / 100 block / 30 piety
non-human / 100 necromancy / 100 divinity / 70 magery / 50 tactics / 30 piety / 10 tactics
non-human / 100 necromancy / 90 hexblades / 70 magery / 50 block / 30 piety / 10 tactics
non-human / 100 necromancy / 90 staves / 70 magery / 60 tactics / 30 piety
human / 100 necromancy / 100 block / 100 tactics / 90 magery / 30 piety / 5 hexblades
human / 100 necromancy / 100 divinity / 100 magery / 95 tactics / 30 piety
human / 100 necromancy / 95 staves / 100 magery / 100 tactics / 30 piety
human / 100 necromancy / 95 hexblades / 100 magery / 100 tactics / 30 piety
non-human / 100 sorcery / 90 staves / 70 magery / 60 tactics / 30 piety
human / 100 sorcery / 95 staves / 100 tactics / 100 magery / 30 piety
non-human / 90 staves / 100 divinity / 100 traps / 40 piety / 20 tactics
human / 90 staves / 100 divinity / 100 traps / 95 tactics / 40 piety
skill (useful break points) - Usefulness of skill on NG server.
blessed maces (90) - Not as good as Maces since you can't use tank stance or berserk stance.
maces (90) - Not bad, consider getting 90 in longswords as well for Flurry.
polearms (90) - Bloodbolt is a weak special, get 90 in axes for Cleave.
longswords (90) - Flurry is a good special especially when paired with a barbed weapon.
axes (90) - Cleave is very good special that can be used to kill very strong single targets.
unarmed (30, 60, 90) - Lots of special abilities and fast attacks make unarmed a very nice skill but can't be used with shields/block.
staves (90) - Usually paired with sorcery or necromancy because of MR Cleave but can't be used with shields/block.
ranged (50, 90) - Lots of special abilities and a variety of weapons makes this a very nice skill.
foils (50, 90) - Parry/riposte and useful specials makes foils a nice skill.
shortswords (50, 90) - Dual wield for everyone, useful specials, and backstab damage if you level up stealth makes shortswords a great skill.
hexblades (90) - The specials give bonus damage based off of Int, bone hexblades increase magic and physical damage, and they can be used with shields/block.
necromancy (50, 80, 90, 100) - 50 skill gives you soul transfer and bonus hp with bone equipment regardless of Int, above that requires int for high damage spells.
sorcery (60, 70, 80, 90, 100) - Lots of variety of high damage spells that all require high Int to be useful.
divinity (40, 80, 100) - 40 gives AMT (bleed spell), 80 gives summon sword golem and banish (gets rid of summons/clones), 100 gives VAMT (AOE bleed). Int not required.
piety (30, 40, 80, 90, 100) - 30 gives the very useful heal self, 40 gives heal other, above that isn't that recommended unless a dedicated healer. Int not required.
magery (50, 60, 70, 90, 100) - Unlock, speed, paralyse, lighter load, summon dragon require Int. Soul trap, greater light, recall, invisibility, greater invisibility, clone, polymorph, summon daemon don't require Int.
sanctity (20, 60, 70, 100) - 20 gives you heal, 60 gives yeti aspect for slows, 70 gives seize, all of it is useful and doesn't require Int.
tactics (any) - This is a good skill to put extra points in, helps reduce damage and increase attack strength.
block (50, 100) - 50 block gives shield bash and higher up helps block physical damage and reduce magic damage, doesn't work well with staves or unarmed.
locks (none) - I don't recommend this since there are skull keys, bone skull keys from bonecrafting, unlock spell, and weapon bash ability to unlock.
traps (none, 100) - If you want to survive cartography, phase beast chests, and dungeon chests, you can take 100 traps, eat blue dragon meat, or find other creative solutions like town portals.
stealth (100) - I can only recommend stealth with shortswords at the moment since it gives backstab damage, the movement is slow until 90/95/100 though.
bonecrafting (100) - You could make a non-hunting alt that has this to gear all of your characters with bone warez.