From what I have seen, all quests can be solved from a character with no cross-class skills. Getting another skill merely provides an extra solution to solve the puzzles. However, sometime that extra solution might be faster, or require a lower skill check.
In fact, for one specific quest of the Rogue, namely the
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×workshop cleanup
quest, not using the Rogue's solution will deprive him of one useful item whose effect cannot be replicated otherwise.
Beside quests, skills can also be used to have an easier time fighting monsters, getting gold and traveling quicker.
Here is a short analysis of each of the skills:
Acrobatics
Native class uses: lodge discovery, getting Snorri’s blackbird, end sequence
Quest uses: Svartalfheim chasm crossing
With Stealth: Supply bag
Non-quest uses: Poison, Landing on Feet against one boss (?), enter Wizard Tower, avoid getting knocking down in battles
Cross-class potential: Fair
Comment: Acrobatics for a non-rogue has only a few uses outside combat, and they are all very disappointing. In combat however, it really helps recover quickly from blows.
Animal Ken
Quest uses: Supply bag, blizzard, lost cat
Non-quest uses: Animal pelt (non-sorceror only), food (fish and rabbit), learn Berserk skill (not usable with dagger or staff)
Cross-class potential: Mediocre
Comment: For non-sorceror, early animal pelt is the best thing about this skill, and it is not much. By the time the animal ken skill is high enough to get food reliably you probably have more than enough supplies for the rest of the game. The Berserk skill is useless for sorcerors, but it may be helpful for the rogue if you like fighting with the repaired Golden Sword.
Climbing
Native class-uses: End sequence
Quest uses: Chasm, lake tower, ice flower, golden apple, Heime in cage
Non-quest uses: city walls, ice wall
Cross-class potential: Good (before Blink) to Mediocre (after Blink)
Comment: Climbing is very helpful to get over city walls (until much later when the sorceror gets Blink). Ice wall is also far easier to climb over than to dispel with Disrupt.
Fast-talk
Quest uses: Bridge toll, lake tower, Eitri escape, frozen man
Non-quest uses: Discount at shops
Cross-class potential: Fair
Comment: Can save a lot of money with fast-talk, but otherwise rarely useful
Herbalism
Quest uses: Slightly easier time getting Mugwort herbs, getting food on day 1
Non-quest uses: Potion making (Stamina, Health and Mana)
Cross-class potential: Mediocre to Good
Comment: The usefulness of this skill depends squarely on how much you want extra potions. A rogue will likely have lot of potions already from stealing and by exchanging them for stolen loot, but a fighter might have some good use from this.
Magic
Native class-uses: Chasm crossing, lake tower, blizzard, wings, valkyrie, siege, bridge toll, faster travel (Blink), end sequence
Quest uses: Frozen man, lodge, workshop cleanup, Heime in cage, cat, invisible treasure, Haugbui
Non-quest uses: Warming up (Flame aura), escaping fights (Shadow), finding treasures (Sixth sense) getting red gemstone, combat magic, getting temple potion
Cross-class potential: Excellent (Dart, Flame Aura, Shadow, Artic Wind, Shield, Sixth Sense)
Comment: Magic helps with tons of quests, and has multiple uses for surviving and for finding items. No other skill has this much versatility.
Parrying
Non-quest uses: Adds the “parry” command to non-staff combat
Cross-class potential: Fair
Comment: Can be sort of useful, but ducking and sidesteps are likely to be more than sufficient. Gets much better if you get the Riposte skill. Note that this will replace the Fire Aura spell when welding a staff.
Stealth
With throwing: Castle rescue
With acrobatics: Supply bag
Non-quest uses: Lower encounter rates
Cross-class potential: Mediocre to Good (when combined with thieving)
Comment: Avoid random encounter through stealth is very slow, takes stamina and is unreliable. Casting Shadow is a much more convenient way to deal with unwanted encounters. Only get this together with Thieving.
Thieving
Quest uses: Helgi
- With throwing: robbing Eitri (Flowers, Cursed Bracelet, Rune staff)
- With stealing: Alviss rescue, steel key, workshop cleanup, chest
Non-quest uses: Breaking into Sigrun’s house
- With stealth: Figurine, breaking into Liff, pickpocketing many treasures and items
Cross-class potential: Near useless to Good (when combined with thieving)
Comment: This skill can get you a lot of loot, free items, and can also help with a few quests. Breaking-in properties at night is probably one of the most fun aspect of the game and should definitely be experienced at least once. Just make sure you also get stealth.
Throwing
Quest uses: thief's lodge, Heime's cage.
- With stealth: Castle rescue
- With acrobatics: Supply bag
- With thieving: Robbing Eitri (Flowers, Cursed Bracelet, Rune staff)
Non-quest uses: dagger combat (Warrior and Rogue only), getting temple potion
Cross-class potential: Near useless
Comment: Almost no uses for the Warrior and the Sorcerer. One of the worst skills to buy. For a Rogue however, throwing daggers is likely their most powerful attack, so training this skill is an excellent idea.
Summary:
Excellent skills: Magic
Decent skills: Acrobatics, Climbing, Fast-talk, Herbalism, Parrying, Stealth/Thieving (together)
Bad skills: Animal Ken, Stealth/Thieving (separate), Throwing
[Last edited by Merudo at 01-17-2014 12:59 AM]