1. Introdution
Many guides teach you how to level faster and where to go but this isn’t one of them, here we will get to understand how the class system works and how to use it in your favor for easier leveling without denying yourself from exploring the game and taking your time. As most traditional RPGs Tree of Savior has class advancements but the major twist is how you can advance up to 3 times and pick classes without being inherently related, in theory no class taken will prevent you from picking certain advancement and this itself opens up a lot of possibilities.
However the main concern players have when playing MMOs is how building their characters is a permanent act and taking a specific leveling strategy can either close up doors for more fun and wacky ways to play the game or impact the late game negatively, that isn’t the case with the class change system as it allows you to replace any of your character classes completely without any drawback.
The focus on this guide is to point out build directions that make use of the class change system in order for you to be able to reach the level cap as fast as you want and still have room to explore the game and its elements, there won’t be any direction that doesn’t provide options and as long as you understand the fundamentals it can be expanded at will.
2. Advancing into System Gaps
If you’re not familiar with the class system i’ll get you the details, classes are grouped into trees and each character advance to 3 of them but before that you must level the base class. Base class is the class you pick upon character creation and also is also the one that carries the tree name, if you want to play Sorcerer you need first to play Wizard as the class is in the Wizard tree. The first advancement is available once you complete the base class reaching class level 15 and from that point on you can pick any class you want with the exception of hidden classes, however not all classes are good as the first advancement and your base class skill points and attributes (money enhancements) won’t be refunded at all. As for other classes they have 45 levels each that when completed will unlock the next advancement in the same way as the first
Now the real deal with ToS is that it doesn’t lock you down to your class choices forever, this was implemented to solve issues with class releases as players needed their characters to be fully reseted to play new classes and relied completely in events to do so. That said you can replace classes any time you want as long as you play the game. In order to do so you need to open the advancement menu as in the picture bellow.
By clicking on the double arrow button under a class icon you can exchange classes by consuming 1.000 class points. You can earn up to 1.000 points weekly by playing the game which can be saved up to 3.000 for future class changes.
Point quantity and their acquisition methods are the following:
• Log in - 10 points + 5 points if in a guild + 5 points for owning a token
• Fishing - 1 point per item obtained
• Clearing Saalus Convent Mission - 15 points
• Clearing Velcoffer Nest - 20 points
• Clearing Earth Tower - 5 points per boss, only awarded if rewards are claimed
• Clearing Uphill Defense - 10 points
• Clearing Unique Raid - 20 points
• Clearing Level Dungeon - 10 points
• Clearing Mercenary Post Mission - 10 points
• Finishing Daily Quest - 10 points
The least effort default daily play, taking 3 dungeon runs, 1 saalus run and complete fishing, should provide a minimum of 65 points in a total of 455 per week. Any regular player doing the least activities can change one class every 2~3 weeks with ease and this allows the system to be used in favor of easy leveling. It’s possible to aim for a full PvP character and build it with farming classes such as Linker and Thaumaturge, harvest the rewards without committing to leveling with these classes. Before we get into the specifics we need two builds per character, however we need to know what the basic skills have to offer as they will be permanent unlike the classes used to level. Here are some interesting points about the base class skills:
Archer
Multi Shot - It isn’t stated in the skill but this is an AoE skill and can hit multiple enemies, however that isn’t an easy task as an archer. Doesn’t work with Rifle (Musketeer) nor Cannon.
Oblique Shot - Hits two enemies with a single attack, can be used both as raw damage and as a tool to lure enemies. Can be really handy when leveling at low levels if you can kill an enemy with 2~3 basic attacks. Recommended to take if planning for Musketeer or Cannoneer.
Swift Step - A skill that you can pick at level 1 to enable good kiting while walking, any further point is optional but is often one of the best skills to take as buffs don’t fall out compared to offensive skills. Recommended to take if planning for Musketeer or Cannoneer.
Swift Step - As the only single target skill in Archer it can be handy if your class desired build doesn’t have much boss oriented skills. Doesn’t work with Rifle (Musketeer) nor Cannon.
Concentration - Max it.
Cleric
Heal - The core Cleric skill. It’s recommended to max it but it can be taken to level 4 if you need a single point elsewhere.
Cure - A single point can be enough for the skill as it is all it needs to remove debuffs, any further investment is up to personal preference.
Smite - Often a skip, it can be handy if your build is directed towards physical classes but the only thing it has to offer is raw damage. If you plan to go Paladin and wants to deal some damage it is recommended to max it.
Fade - Recommended to take at least one point, it is a handy skill that can be used whenever enemies are bugging you or to avoid combat completely. Investment is up to personal preference.
Guardian Saint - There’s no real reason to not max it. If your build has few healing skills you may not make much value from it but this absence will also contribute for your low healing to stay at the bottom, think about that when leveling it or not.
Scout
Cloaking - Deserves at least one point due raw utility but as the effect will be removed by attacking, casting skills, jumping or receive damage it isn’t as reliable as it sounds.
Dagger Slash - As a simple offensive skill it can be skipped depending on your class choice, however if you plan to play a combination that uses 3 classes out of Linker, Thaumaturge, Enchanter and Squire it is quite handy to have it.
Oblique Fire - Similar to Dagger Slash but for those that will use Pistol, isn’t as effective in the scenario that Dagger Slash proves to be useful.
Double Attack - At least one point, max if your build lacks skills to use or if is heavy on basic attacks.
Free Step - No real reason not to max it.
Swordsman
Thrust - Can be easily skipped unless your build lacks offensive skills, which is quite rare in this tree.
Bash - Recommended to take at least to level 3 in order to have an easy access control skill, tho there’s no real reason to stop midway.
Gung Ho/Bear - Only reason not to pick it is if you plan to use other as these don’t stack, however you can have both and alternate stances depending on your need. All up to preference and strategy.
Pain Barrier - No reason not to max it as the game keeps knocking people around.
Wizard
Energy Bolt - Easily the worst skill in the class, only reason to take it is if your build lacks offensive skills.
Lethargy - Mandatory to magic circle based classes as it amplifies power significantly, also interesting for those that plan to go for the support route.
Magic Shield - With the current SP costs it isn’t a good idea to not max it if you take it in the first place, it may be more effective for low skill usage builds as their SP can be conserved.
Earthquake - Free control skill, can take at least a single point for it or max it as it only adds more damage.
Magic Missile - Best offensive skill by far, at least worthy of a single point to lure enemies. Can be ignored if you plan to be a support but isn’t the best idea.
At this point we need to have the target build done, it doesn’t matter much on the class order nor if the skill distribution is set on stone. Our goal is to ensure how the final product will be in order to progress into the real leveling build, that said i recommend you to get the final classes written down as they can be used in the easy route if they fit in, you can click here to access a good and updated build simulator.
3. Building the Build
Before we get into any class there’s something we have to address - class synergy. As the goal is to have an effective build that can deal with most of challenges without falling behind it is important to consider class compatibility while doing it, take only one weapon as an end goal even if you decide to take something completely different for the earlier part. As such it is recommended to avoid picking classes that uses different weapons (Ex: Hoplite - Spears and Doppelsoeldner - 2h Sword) and classes that use different attack specs (Ex: Exorcist - Magic Damage and Inquisitor - Physical Damage), those can be done but require some knowledge of the player doing it.
To get the build rolling at a controllable speed we need to follow some guidelines the first being to establish classes into categories for each advancement. As said before some classes aren’t effective as the first advancement but others can be less effective as the last as well, therefore we will split them into Core, Complement and Closure.
Core - Any class with significant AoE power and large hitboxes but can’t be heavy on cooldowns, it’s even better if it at least one strong single target skill in order to kill bosses. This is the foundation for the whole early to mid game and has to be taken carefully to not get slowed down, your goal in the early game is to be able to kill as many enemies you can in the shortest time span.
Complement - Classes with high support value and/or several empowering skills, the main reason for it to be in the middle is to have full access to it in the late game as it can help considerably in challenge mode, dungeons and missions. For those it can be better to get buffs once you have enough skills to use, prioritize having a good reliable active skill set than increasing damage mid game. To clarify things all the classes listed as Complements can work as first advancements but as they often deal with base stat and/or % they need time to bloom, as such it isn’t the best choice as a starting class.
Closure - Classes with high early power or with essential attributes unlocked at high levels. The last advancement is the slowest of the three so it’s better to save the least important and slowest scaling classes for last. Of course any Core or Complement class will be as useful here since they’ll perform the same role.
An important point to stress is that none of these classes has to be in the final build, however it is more beneficial if you can fit your desired class there as it will save class points and make the final transition faster. As for each class tree the following classes can be used on each category.
Archer
Core
Recommended
Ranger - Has a round skill set as a whole with considerable multi target skills. It isn’t the most effective on the subject but is the most reliable.
Cannoneer - Quite effective in AoE but isn’t straight forward, in theory it can be less effective till it reaches the last skill tier. One interesting feature Cannons have is that they natural splash damage allowing archers to hit several enemies based on the main target.
Honorable Mentions
Mergen - Almost an improved version of Ranger, the only reason to not pick it as the first class straight up is because it has additional mechanics on almost all skills and those aren’t as effective in the early game.
Complement
Recommended
Pied Piper - The only archer class with natural taunt like skill and has control skills to keep you safe, as a bonus it doesn’t care about which weapon you use.
Sapper - Provides some additional AoE damage and map control as it can damage enemies that try to get close.
Honorable Mentions
Falconer - Honestly this one of the best complement classes but it can’t be recommended due the additional character slot required to play it. If you do have that available don’t hesitate to take it.
Appraiser - As a whole the class isn’t that great aside the extra enhancement value on weapon, however it can be useful against bosses which may be the weakest point in a farming build. Don’t forget this is a hidden class and requires a quest completion or class unlock voucher to be unlocked.
Closure
Recommended
Fletcher - Carries some little AoE skills and adds up a considerable amount of single target skills.
Wugushi - With the worst tier 3 skill this class can be taken as last advancement without regrets. The damage over time nature of the class makes it perfect as the last addition since the damage won’t be reliable to finish enemies but can be handy in longer combats.
Cleric
Core
Recommended
Sadhu - Widest AoE cleric class, it isn’t as straight forward as most offensive classes but can be grasped quite easily.
Exorcist - Also a decent AoE class, it has one of the longest hitboxes skills in the game and can be used quite frequently. The major issue with the class is how it won’t have as many skills to use as their power is condensed.
Honorable Mentions
Monk - Quite a weak class but the sole attack speed buff and additional line that Double Punch provides can be enough for the early to mid game content as few punches can be devastating. It also has a long hitbox skill that can be effective if you manage to get enemies in a line. Keep in mind that Monk will fall off in the late game.
Complement
Recommended
Oracle - Gimmicky but handy, it does a little of everything well enough. If you need raw damage multiplication, SP sustain, invincibility or an overpowered finishing move this is the class to go.
Zealot - Half of it is damage buffs/debuffs and the other half is AoE damage, pretty much what anyone would want for the middle class.
Honorable Mentions
Dievdirbys - Has casting oriented buffs but is a terrain based class, this can be bypassed with the tier 3 skill but isn’t as effective if you don’t have enough skills to use in the first place.
Miko - Mostly a magical damage amplifier towards the party, can be handy if the core class is magical. Don’t forget this is a hidden class and requires a quest completion or class unlock voucher to be unlocked.
Closure
Recommended
Dievdirbys - Doesn’t have the drawbacks here as CM will be available and parties level in a single spot and will have two full classes to back it up.
Kabbalist - Mostly an endgame class all buffs are % based and is mostly heal and debuff oriented. As it owns the best healing skill in the game and isn’t stat based it will make you an useful as a support regardless of previous choices.
Priest - Has the only death prevention and undo skills in its tree which can be required on the endgame content, not only that but the whole skill set goal is to protect you and your party.
Honorable Mentions
Plague Doctor - An awkward class with handy gimmicks. Both offensive and support side are time based which isn’t that useful in early game, along that the best attributes are locked down to high level.
Scout
Core
Recommended
Outlaw - Being the only class outside swordsman that owns a taunt it already is ahead of a bunch of classes, additionally it has decent AoE skills with multihit allowing it to clear waves of enemies as the closest one dies.
Bullet Marker - Not the best AoE but it can deal with multiple enemies well enough, also comes with basic attack modifier which can be handy early on.
Honorable Mentions
Schwarzer Reiter - Likely to be the widest and longest AoE class in the tree, if that wasn’t enough it has a tight skill rotation along a basic attack modifier in a mounted class. That said this is also the issue as it demands a character slot for a companion, tho this can be shared for other companion based classes.
Corsair - Has AoE embedded on skills but small hitboxes, the only large skill is in tier 3. One thing that sets it higher is how it has basic attack multipliers that doubles every single attack line if used properly but that take takes to grasp. An interesting quality of Corsair is that it can be taken as Core and act as a Complement at the same time without harming the build development, tho this kind of approach isn’t recommended for easy leveling.
Complement
Recommended
Linker - Can be a great fit for any build due the damage share mechanic, however works better with classes that deal more damage in less hits as it guarantees combo kills.
Enchanter - Adds more damage to multihits and interacts with basic attacks.
Corsair - Same as before applies here but it can be used for the buffs only.
Honorable Mentions
Thaumaturge - A real fit for any build, the raw farming value is huge but it isn’t as effective on it without Linker.
Closure
Recommended
Assassin - Has a diverse kit that can complement any missing element of a build.
Honorable Mentions
Rogue - Being reliant on buffs and debuffs it feels more fitting as a Complement however the utility provided doesn’t scale well as a middle class, since few skills require a lot of points to shine it is better as a closure pick.
Swordsman
Core
Recommended
Matador - Decent AoE that is easy to use but most important, it has natural taunt. It has potential to be build more into buffs/debuffs and already settle the complement aspects early on.
Dragoon - Most reliable AoE class to pick as the only restriction is the mandatory spear weapon, tho of all types it has the most options available.
Honorable Mentions
Cataphract - AoE wise this is the best option but as a mounted class it will take that character slot if you don’t own companions.
Complement
Recommended
Hoplite - Provides some of the best buffs the tree has to offer and good boss oriented skills, these will be available once they’re need in the third class range.
Peltasta - Huge defensive power and also has taunt which is the main reason to pick it to level faster, it will serve its complement role once bosses become a threat.
Barbarian - One of the few classes with no weapon restriction, tho it can’t use all skills while mounted. It has two dedicated damage steroid skills that will boost up your damage the more you invest on.
Honorable Mentions
Retiarius - Has a mob gathering skill which can be as effective as a taunt, tho it will require AoE Attack Ratio stat to make full use of it. Unlike the other classes Retiarius provides less scaling power and provides more offensive skills to use, it may be more inclined to spear use but can be taken with any 1h oriented build that doesn’t uses shields.
Closure
Recommended
Highlander - Works with conditional damage, picking it as the last class allows you to pick skills to apply the debuffs the class use without the need of leveling these skills in the class itself.
Doppelsoeldner - It is odd to have a 2h sword based class as closure when the core classes aren’t compatible with it but some players don’t know that the class offers a weapon neutral route that works as an empowering class and these skills only can be enough if the previous foundation is settle properly. However it is better to have a build compatible with the weapon as it opens up for the class skill set for more offensive power and AoE damage.
Honorable Mentions
Lancer - One of the best burst classes the tree has to offer, however it is limited to two handed spears and requires a companion.
Wizard
Core
Recommended
Pyromancer - Everything it does has some degree of AoE and decent hitbox size, in fact it can clear enemy hordes with Flame Ground.
Elementalist - Has two of the best AoE skills yet it uses different damaging methods, additionally it has a buff worthy of a complement class. Electrocute itself is enough of an offensive skill as it will damage up to 10 targets and in worst case will serve as some sort of fake taunt to be used every 10s.
Honorable Mentions
Onmyoji - Arguably the best AoE class but it requires catalysts to cast skills. This is a minor issue compared to the average honorable mentions but this early skill cast cost isn’t ideal for new players and those that need to direct their income elsewhere.
Sorcerer - Also a strong contender for the early game but boss card requirement may be an issue for those that lack options on that matter, not to mention it makes use of card level as a further entry barrier. The highest value of Sorcerer is how cheap the SP cost is for the skill output and duration in such way it can sustain itself without potions, however this comes with the low agency the class provides as the starting choice since most of the class gameplay is automated.
Complement
Recommended
Psychokino - Being channeling based it has a decent rotation on its own but taking it as the second class will close it up completely, in addition the class has decent control skills that can be used as set ups.
Necromancer - It could be as valid as a core class but the corpse gathering can be annoying at start and having to only the base class to work around isn’t the ideal. That said as the second class it can provide all the additional coverage you can want with less SP usage, skeletons can also be used as aggro gathering tools as they count as individual units.
Honorable Mentions
Bokor - Provides the basic benefits of summoning classes but isn’t as static but as the whole kit revolves around zombie control it isn’t suitable as the first choice. The main reason not be recommended as it is with necromancer is the fact that zombies are less powerful on their default state than skeletons, thus they need more dedicated skill use to shine as skeletons can work on their own.
Closure
Recommended
Sage - Mostly for the extra mobility as it allows you to save up to 6 locations (that can be all the same) and handy gimmicks, the class skill set is decent to complement other classes but not as good on its own. Hole of Darkness is great to buy time and/or handle AoE as a stat by hard removing enemies in range.
Taoist - Can work as the second class but the support aspect is better with more skills on its disposal, in addition to the special support skills it also provides significant damage with considerable magnitude.
Honorable Mentions
Alchemist - Sprikle potion skills are more effective than potions themselves and apply to party, meaning that everybody in the vicinity can have potions applied twice. As a reminder SP recovery is more valuable now and having a skill that applies it instantly for a whole party is quite a big deal.
Chronomancer - A group of handy tools, has cooldown reduction, cast time reduction, revive and a ressurection.
Featherfoot - An interesting sustain option to consider as having healing skills allows you to carry more SP potions, not to mention it can apply curse.
Warlock - This may be the worst state the class has been but it can still be used to fetch some extra free damage through spirits, if you manage to kill a lot of enemies with few skills then they can work both as land mines and free aggro.
There are non listed classes that can be taken as Complement and Closure but they work for that role or can do the job under specific circumstances, this is the case with Fencer as it empowers Matador significantly but doesn’t have the AoE capabilities needed in the early game nor is as useful as Retiarius and Peltasta mid game as they have mob gathering skills.
4. Leveling and Class Switch
As the goal is to be able to control the pace of leveling there’s no hard requirement on which skill to pick nor in how to maximize your leveling output, however it is important to have some things in mind to get the easy way around.
The most important thing to know that isn’t talked about is how, despite the new system, skills still follow the old circle structure, if a skill has a level cap of 15 it will be locked to lvl 5 up to level 15 and lvl 10 up to level 30. Due that it is impossible to max basic skills once you hit level 15 and you will be forced to either save or use such points, that said it is better to have each of the skills that will be used in the leveling build unlocked once available with only one of them maxed at the current cap. As a consequence of such limitations each 15 levels will have an EXP reset that will push the first 5 levels to be completed quickly.
For the early part of the game all you need is Pardoner buffs Sacrament and Blessing as the defensive ones are % based, this can be enough to finish enemies in 2 hits for most, if not all, of the first class as long as you keep a weapon of your level range. With that in mind skills will serve the purpose of hitting more enemies by using the extra damage from Blessing than dealing damage itself, this is the main reason why the planned skills should be unlocked but not maxed right away.
Factoring those elements we can use the class change system to maximize the control, let’s suppose the target leveling build uses Outlaw, Linker and Thaumaturge. Taking on this order means that both Outlaw and Linker will be at full power as Thaumaturge will be leveled, however the main combo of this build relies on Joint Penalty and Swell Body for double farm and loot but these skills need to be paired in level to reach full potential. It is possible to switch Outlaw with Thaumaturge before picking the third class, by doing so the combo will be preserved and Outlaw will have to be leveled again however by being a Core class it has the best leveling progression and is supported by the two classes behind it.
Another way to use the system in clever ways is by replacing the first class completely. In the Swordsman classes i’ve listed Doppelsoeldner as a Closure class but it had no Core class that supported 2h swords, if such build had Barbarian as the Complement it is possible to replace the Core with Doppelsoeldner and take Highlander as Closure in a consistent build. This can be applied as transitioning the leveling build into the desired build and to realign your build to use a specific endgame weapon in your possession, as long as you’re aware of the basic class dissonance (weapon use and damage type) and have your character as you want before hitting the level caps.
5. Cheap Skill Reset
This last section isn’t part of the guide itself but just an unusual way to use the feature to reset skill and attribute points at will, it only applies to advanced classes and requires 2000 class change points to do it.
The procedure is rather simple.
1- Open the Advancement Window
2 - Change the class you want to reset to any unpicked class (class Z) in the list.
3 - Open the Advancement Window again.
4 - Change the new class into the previous one (class A).
5 - All skill and attribute points will be reseted.
It’s also possible to reset two classes at once by using 1000 points more, the difference is that you need to change as:
Initial build - A-B-C
A → Z - build Z-B-C)
B → A - build Z-A-C)
Z → B - build B-A-C)
Of course this isn’t as practical as using Skill Reset Potions and Attribute Reset Potions but the only cost involved is class change points that can be earned by playing.
6. Conclusion?
By understanding how this system works you have your desired character anytime you want, keep in mind the strengths of the classes you pick for each corresponding stage of the game and this should be enough to reach the top. There’s nothing wrong with taking away the struggle of leveling a dedicated support character as it can only shine in the right circumstances, as a player that doesn’t like META i can say that it is fine to use it as a mean to reach your goals if your road is too painful to walk straight up, especially if you’re a new player that could be learning about other classes during the journey and enjoying the game at its fullest.