# Training & Skills

Character level is only one part of your growth. Training develops your base combat stats, while study and skill trees provide lasting benefits for the activities you enjoy.

## Spend Energy at the Training Grounds

Choose the stat you want to improve and how much Energy to spend. The training panel shows your **base** battle stats, without equipment or guardian bonuses.

- **Power** supports stronger attacks.
- **Defense** helps absorb damage.
- **Accuracy** helps attacks connect.
- **Evasion** helps you avoid incoming attacks.

Intellect improves training efficiency. Review the bonuses shown on the training screen before spending a large amount of Energy. You cannot train while dead or exhausted; recover first.

A balanced foundation is a useful starting point. Later, your combat logs, class and preferred activities can guide where you invest more heavily.

## Study at the Academia

The Academia of Astreus offers courses with Gold costs, study times and prerequisites. Select a course to inspect its effects and any earlier courses it requires. You can have one course in progress at a time.

Its branches cover Battle Gains, the Slayers Guild, Crafting Stations, and Politics & Trading. Studying is a way to improve more than your immediate fighting strength: read each course's description to see which part of your routine it supports.

## Develop your skill trees

Your personal skill tree provides another way to shape your character. Inspect a node's current and next-rank effects, point cost, Gold cost and prerequisites before buying a rank. Some choices have requirements or exclude competing options.

Where a reset is available, open its preview before confirming. It explains the cost, refunded points and any ranks that must remain.

## Do not overlook your class

Class advancement is separate from character level and training. Check for pending class level-ups so your class XP can keep progressing. See [Guardians & Classes](guardian.md), then put your build to work in [Combat](combat.md).