Character development has been given one of the largest makeovers, with an all-new skill system that provides a more organic feel to your character's growth. You no longer select a class, instead choosing which direction to take as you level. As you progress, you are given a tree of skill choices, each leading to a more detailed definition of where you're going. There are two base skill options: combat and magic. Each of these splits multiple times into more detailed versions of the basic attribute, giving you a total of 38 different skill choices. These aren't mutually exclusive either, so a mix-n-match fighter/magic-user is easily obtained with some careful decisions. As an example of how this all works, if you wished to sculpt a quick and deadly dagger-fighter, you would choose combat, then light combat, light combat arts, light weapons, and finally, dual-wield daggers. These all have ranks as well, allowing you to specialize in certain skills over others. Think of it somewhat as "Jack of all trades, master of none" or "deadly dual-wielding assassin for hire." Most of the weapons and armor in the game have skill requirements that interlock with this tree system as well, so the best stilettos would require you to be focused on more than just light combat arts.