What to Pick After the Skill Reset in The Witcher 3 Remastered – First 30 Points

After update 5.0, every save got all of its skill points back. That makes it a good moment to spend them with a plan instead of by accident. In this guide we suggest an order for your first 30 points, roughly your first 30 levels if you skip Places of Power, and explain every pick using the rank descriptions from our calculator.

Rules worth remembering

• Every skill has three ranks, and each rank costs 1 point.
• Any purchased connected skill unlocks the next one, so you do not have to max the previous skill first.
• Every rank raises the tree's passive bonus, so even "stepping stone" points do something.
• Only the skills you actually use go into slots. The rest of your points work through passive bonuses and unlocks.

More about the system itself is in our article on the new skill tree.

Stage 1: points 1–10, survive and hit

Early on, fast-attack damage and defense matter most.

• Muscle Memory is a Combat starting skill. After a successful dodge or roll, your next fast attack deals 30% more damage, and at rank III the bonus covers three fast attacks in a row. It pairs perfectly with the dodging you do anyway.
• Exploding Shield makes a breaking Quen shield push enemies back, but above all it opens the way to Active Shield.
• Active Shield gives you an active shield, and absorbed damage restores vitality. It is the easiest way to survive hard fights early in the game.
• Wolf School Techniques: every piece of medium armor raises weapon damage and Sign intensity. If you wear light or heavy armor, take Cat School Techniques or Bear School Techniques instead.
• Three Strikes: your third fast or strong attack has a chance to empower the next attacks of the same type.

Stage 2: points 11–20, adrenaline and healing

• Razor Focus gives you 1 adrenaline point at the start of combat and faster adrenaline gain from hits.
• Refreshment makes every potion dose heal (10%, 20% or 30% vitality, depending on rank). It works great with Swallow.
• Undying is your second chance: when vitality drops to zero, it spends adrenaline to save you, once every 30 seconds.

Stage 3: points 21–30, dodging and Yrden

• Fleet Footed reduces damage taken while dodging. At rank III that is 100%, so dodging becomes completely safe.
• Sustained Glyphs extends Sign duration and area.
• Magic Trap turns Yrden into a magic trap that damages and slows enemies.
• Supercharged Glyphs: enemies inside Yrden lose vitality every second. This is where the path to Catalyst and Resonance begins, mixing magic with the sword.

Full 30-point order

The "Level" column assumes one point per level up. Every Place of Power lets you buy a point one level earlier. The button below the table opens exactly this order in the calculator, in the "Leveling order" panel, so you can tweak it freely.

Pt	Level	Skill	Tree
1	2	Muscle Memory I	Combat
2	3	Muscle Memory II	Combat
3	4	Exploding Shield I	Signs
4	5	Active Shield I	Signs
5	6	Muscle Memory III	Combat
6	7	Wolf School Techniques I	General
7	8	Three Strikes I	Combat
8	9	Three Strikes II	Combat
9	10	Active Shield II	Signs
10	11	Wolf School Techniques II	General
11	12	Razor Focus I	Combat
12	13	Razor Focus II	Combat
13	14	Three Strikes III	Combat
14	15	Refreshment I	Alchemy
15	16	Refreshment II	Alchemy
16	17	Active Shield III	Signs
17	18	Wolf School Techniques III	General
18	19	Razor Focus III	Combat
19	20	Undying I	Combat
20	21	Undying II	Combat
21	22	Fleet Footed I	Combat
22	23	Fleet Footed II	Combat
23	24	Refreshment III	Alchemy
24	25	Undying III	Combat
25	26	Fleet Footed III	Combat
26	27	Sustained Glyphs I	Signs
27	28	Sustained Glyphs II	Signs
28	29	Magic Trap I	Signs
29	30	Supercharged Glyphs I	Signs
30	31	Supercharged Glyphs II	Signs

Open in the calculator

Where to go after 30 points

At this point it is worth picking a direction:

• Sword: further into Combat through Whirl and Crippling Strike. A full example is the Bloodbath build.
• Signs: Catalyst, Focus and Resonance. Examples are the Magic Sensibilities and Conductors of Magic builds.
• Alchemy and Toxicity: Frenzy, Endure Pain and High Tolerance. The example is the Euphoria build, covered in a separate guide.

All ready-made builds are on the recommended builds list.

FAQ

What should I pick first after the skill reset?

Skills that keep you alive: fast-attack damage after a dodge (Muscle Memory) and the active Quen shield (Active Shield). Specialize in sword, Signs or alchemy after that.

Do I have to max a skill before taking the next one?

No. A single rank of a connected skill unlocks the next one. Sometimes it is worth taking rank I just to move further down the tree.

How do I save and share my leveling order?

Spend your points in the calculator and the order is recorded in the "Leveling order" panel. The "Copy build link" button includes the order too, so a friend sees exactly your plan.