Class Skills

Class Skills are abilities associated with the Class a person accepts from the System. The Startup Message refers to Class Skills as:

"...the methods by which you can use Mana to express and grow [Class-related] abilities..."

In terms of role-playing game convention, Class Skills are equivalent to class-specific spells and abilities. Some Class Skills appear to be unique (or nearly so) to a given Class (e.g. James's "Suggestion" and "Indirect Suggestion" skills, which are Mesmerist Class Skills) and some appear to be more widely available (e.g. "Mana Bolt," which the System Messages note is learnable by "every wizard.")

Some Class Skills are active and must be deliberately activated, and some are passive and are in effect at all times. For instance, James' Mana Bolt must be cast each time he wants to use it, using a certain amount of Mana, but Anthony's "Remember Rule One" Class Skill, which enables him to damage any target with his preferred weapon, even if it would normally be too heavily armored or require magical effects his weapon does not have, is in effect at all times and requires no activation or ongoing Mana usage. (Note that Anthony's Class Skill is not named in the book: the Author has confirmed that this is the name of that particular skill.)

Class Skills level up with use, and Class Skill slots awarded with certain Level achievements can also be used to upgrade some of them. The Trade Centers can help level some Class Skills, but cannot grant them: only the System can do that.

The System also allows for the use of Special Skills and Spells. Although Class Skills are distinct from Spells, both the characters and the System Messages refer to using Class Skills that look like magic spells as "casting" them.