Skills are a means of unlocking new equipment, abilities, or basic statistic improvements in PAYDAY 2. They are divided among five skill trees: Mastermind, Enforcer, Technician, Ghost, and Fugitive; often described as classes. Players are free to distribute skill points however they choose across the five skill trees.
The Skills system was overhauled in Update #100, with the five skill trees possessing three "subtrees" each, each with a different role.
General[]
Skill points[]
One skill point is awarded each time the player gains a Reputation level, plus an additional 2 points at every level divisible by 10 (meaning that instead of just 1 skill point, 3 skill points will be granted at levels 10, 20, 30, 40, and so on). Thus, once the player reaches the maximum Reputation level of 100, the player will have a total of 120 skill points.
Because the total skill points needed to unlock Basic and Ace for every skill in a single tree totals 138 points (145 on the consoles), it is impossible to Ace every skill in even a single tree (and furthermore, there are five separate trees in total). Because of this, it is advisable to only spend points on specific skills you truly need and want, and to spread skill points over multiple trees if necessary.
Skill tree structure[]
Each tree has three subtrees, named after their intended role (for example, the Fugitive's Brawler subtree enhances melee combat capability). For each subtree, there are four tiers, the top three unlocked by spending a minimum total number of points in that subtree:
tier 2 is unlocked by spending 1 skill point,
tier 3 by spending 3 skill points,
tier 4 by spending 18.
Tier 4's point requirement can be reduced to 16 by investing an Infamy point in the appropriate tree. As of Update #200 this reduction is applied at the first level of Infamy.
All subtrees have one skill in tiers 1 and 4, and two skills in tiers 2 and 3. Tier 1 skills cost 1 skill point to unlock Basic and three skill points to Ace, tier 2 skills cost two skill points for Basic and four for Ace, tier 3 skills cost 3 for Basic and 6 for Ace, and tier 4 skills 4 for Basic and 8 for Ace.
Skill interactions[]
Party bonuses do not stack with the identical bonus coming from other players in the party that have the identical skill (thus it is somewhat sub-optimal for multiple players to get the same party-benefit skills, if you always play with the same team of players). All other bonuses stack, unless stated otherwise, including bonuses from Basic and Aced versions of the skill.
Re-specifying skill trees[]
Skills can be withdrawn and skill points returned simply by right-clicking on the skill. Aced skills are withdrawn separately from Basic skills; to fully remove a skill that has been Aced, one will have to right-click on the skill twice. Skills cannot be withdrawn if the skill points invested in them allow skills unlocked above them to be used. The higher-tier skills will have to be removed before the lower-tier skill can.
Multi-Skill Builds[]
On the PC, PlayStation 4, and XBOX ONE versions, players can unlock additional skill sets to use, allowing them to switch between multiple builds without having to re-spec skill points. This allows, for example, one to switch from a stealth build to a combat build in an instant. Skill sets can be selected and unlocked by pressing the S key.
Skill sets also have a perk deck selection associated, hence switching skill set will switch perk deck as well, although perk deck progress is universal across skill sets.
The skill set used is selected from the skill screen, meaning that it can be selected from the main menu or while in the lobby screen of a Crime.net server.
On consoles there are 5 possible skillsets available, on the PC there are 15. The requirements for the 15th is the requirement for the 5th on consoles.
The skill sets are unlocked as follows:1. The starting skill set, available from the outset.2. Available for unlock once you reach level 50.3. Available for purchase once you reach level 75, costs $1M of offshore money.4. Available for purchase once you reach level 100, costs $10M of offshore money.5-9. Available for purchase once you reach level 100, costs $25M of offshore money.10-14. Available for purchase once you reach level 100, costs $30M of offshore money.15. Available for purchase once you reach level 100, requires the Tabula Rasa achievement, and costs $20M of offshore money.When resetting your level by going infamous, the skill sets unlocked remain unlocked and therefore can be used immediately afterwards.
Profiles[]
Class building is made easier through the use ofProfiles, which are collections of loadouts (weapons, throwables, skill sets, perk decks and masks). Profiles can be swapped around in the pre-game menu, allowing players more room to plan out by having multiple loadouts to tackle any kind of situation, especially when playing multi-day heists where rule changes between days are often significant. Because profiled skill sets can not be modified during the pre-game phase, setting them up in advance is often required.
Blank profiles will default to skill set 1 when selected with all skill points unallocated. There are 15 profile slots available at the moment. Profiles can be renamed (if using keyboard and mouse) by clicking on their name in the inventory.
You revive crew members 100% faster. Shouting at your teammates will increase their movement and reload speed by 20% for 10 seconds.
Ace (8 pt):
There is a 100% chance that you can revive crew members at a distance of up to 9 meters by shouting at them. This cannot occur more than once every 20 seconds.
Adds 3 First Aid Kits to your inventory. Your deployed First Aid Kits will be automatically used if a player is downed within a 5 meter radius of the First Aid Kit. This cannot occur more than once every 20 seconds.
Basic (3 pt):
You can now deploy 2 Doctor Bags instead of just one.
Civilians are intimidated by the noise you make and remain intimidated 50% longer.
Ace (6 pt):
Your hostages will not flee when they have been rescued by law enforcers. Whenever you get into custody, your hostages will trade themselves for your safe return. This effect can occur during assaults, but only 1 time during a heist.
Basic (3 pt):
Having a converted enemy increases your movement speed by 10%. Your converted enemy takes 45% less damage.
Ace (6 pt):
Having a converted enemy increases your health by 30%. Your converted enemy takes an additional 54% less damage.
The power and range of your intimidation is increased by 50%.
Ace (4 pt):
You can now have 2 converted enemies at the same time.
Basic (2 pt):
You can convert a non-special enemy to fight on your side. This cannot be done during stealth and the enemy must have surrendered in order for you to convert them. You can only convert one non-special enemy at a time.
Ace (4 pt):
Your converted enemy deal 35% more damage. The time taken to convert an enemy is reduced by 65%.
Increases your supply of cable ties by 4. You can cable tie hostages 75% faster.
Ace (3 pt):
You and your crew gain 0.5 damage absorption for each hostage you have. This effect stacks with up to a maximum of 8 hostages. Note: This skill does not stack with other players Forced Friendship skills.
Getting 3 headshots in less than 6 seconds will refund 1 bullet to your used weapon. Can only be triggered by SMGs, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles fired in single shot mode.
Ace (6 pt):
The amount of headshots required is reduced to 2.
Basic (3 pt):
Increases your reload speed with SMGs, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles by 15%.
Ace (6 pt):
Any killing headshot will increase your reload speed by 100% for 4 seconds. Can only be triggered by SMGs, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles fired in single shot fire mode.
Your snap to zoom is 100% faster with all weapons. Your movement speed is unhindered while using steel sight.
Ace (4 pt):
Your weapon zoom level is increased by 25% with all weapons. Your weapon accuracy while moving with SMGs, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles is increased by 16.
Basic (2 pt):
You gain 8 weapon accuracy with all SMGs, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles fired in single shot fire mode.
Ace (4 pt):
You gain a 20% accuracy bonus while aiming down sights with all SMGs, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles fired in single shot fire mode.
When you kill an enemy with a shotgun or the OVE9000 portable saw, you receive a 75% damage increase for 20 seconds.
Ace (8 pt):
The damage bonus now applies to all weapons. Skill must still be activated using a Shotgun or the OVE9000 portable saw. Your weapon swap speed is increased by 80%.
Your accuracy bonus while aiming down sights with Shotguns is increased by 40%.
Ace (6 pt):
You gain a 50% increased effective range with Shotguns when aiming down sights.
Basic (3 pt):
You can now hip-fire with your Shotguns while sprinting.
Ace (6 pt):
Your rate of fire is increased by 35% while firing from the hip with single shot Shotguns. Shotguns with magazines have their magazine sizes increased by 15 shells.
Increases the armor recovery rate for you and your crew by 25%.
Ace (6 pt):
Enables your weapons to have a chance to knock back Shield enemies when attacking them. Ranged weapons' knock back chance is increased the higher the total damage of the weapon is. Melee weapons' knock back chance is 100%.
Basic (3 pt):
You regenerate 5 armor for each successful headshot. This effect cannot occur more than once every 2 seconds.
Ace (6 pt):
You regenerate an additional 20 armor for each successful headshot.
Increases the amount of ammo you gain from ammo boxes by 75%. You also gain a 5% base chance to get a throwable from an ammo box. The base chance is increased by 1% for each ammo box you pick up that does not contain a throwable. When a throwable has been found, the chance is reset to its base value.
You can now place 2 ammo bags instead of just one.
Ace (6 pt):
Each ammo bag contains 50% more ammunition.
Basic (3 pt):
Reducing the wear down of the blades on enemies by 50%.
Ace (6 pt):
You can now saw through shield enemies with your OVE9000 portable saw. When killing an enemy with the saw, you have a 50% chance to cause nearby enemies in a 10m radius to panic. Panic will make enemies go into short bursts of uncontrollable fear.
Ammo bags placed by you grant players the ability to shoot without depleting their ammunition for up to 5 seconds after interacting with it. The more ammo players replenish, the longer the duration of the effect.
Ace (4 pt):
Increases the base duration of the effect by up to 15 seconds.
Basic (2 pt):
Unlocks the OVE9000 portable saw for you to use as a secondary weapon.
Ace (4 pt):
You gain 1 extra saw blade for the OVE9000 portable saw. You replace your saw blades with carbon blades, increasing your saw efficiency by 40%.
You can now select a less noisy version of the sentry guns, making them much less likely to be targeted by enemies.
Ace (6 pt):
You can now toggle AP rounds on your sentry guns, lowering the rate of fire by 75%, but increasing the damage by 250% and allowing it to pierce through enemies and shields.
Basic (3 pt):
You deploy and interact with all deployables 100% faster.
Ace (6 pt):
You can now equip a second deployable to bring with you. If your deployable is equipped as a secondary deployable, you can only bring half of what you would bring if it was equipped as a primary deployable.
You gain 1 more shaped charge and 4 more trip mines.
Ace (6 pt):
You gain 2 more shaped charges and 7 more trip mines.
Basic (3 pt):
Your drills and saws gain an additional 20% chance to automatically restart after breaking.
Ace (6 pt):
Enables the ability to reset a broken drill or saw with a melee attack. The ability has a 50% chance to fix the drill or saw. The ability can only be used once per time the drill or saw is broken.
You fix drills and saws 25% faster. Decrease trip mine deploy time by 20%. Drills and saws are also silent. Civilians and guards must see the drill or saw in order to become alerted.
Ace (3 pt):
Gives your drills and saws a 10% chance to automatically restart after breaking.
30% from the bonus headshot damage is permanently applied to hitting enemies on the body. This skill is only activated by SMGs, LMGs, Assault Rifles or Special Weapons fired in automatic fire mode.
Ace (8 pt):
90% from the bonus headshot damage is permanently applied to hitting enemies on the body. This skill is only activated by SMGs, LMGs, Assault Rifles or Special Weapons fired in automatic fire mode.
You can now hip-fire with your weapons while sprinting.
Ace (6 pt):
Killing 2 enemies with SMGs, LMGs, Assault Rifles or Special Weapons set on automatic fire mode will increase your next reload speed by up to 100%. This bonus is reduced by 1% for each bullet above 20 in the total magazine size, down to a minimum of 40% reload speed increase.
Basic (3 pt):
Your SMGs, LMGs and Assault Rifles gain 15 more bullets in their magazine. This does not affect the "Lock n' Load" Ace skill.
Ace (6 pt):
Your ranged weapons can now pierce through enemy body armor.
You gain a 3% critical hit chance for every 3 points of concealment under 35 up to 30%.
Ace (6 pt):
You gain 3% critical hit chance for every 1 point of concealment under 35 up to 30%.
Basic (3 pt):
Enemies you mark take 15% more damage.
Ace (6 pt):
Enemies you mark take an additional 50% damage when further away than 10 meters. Increases the duration of marked enemies by 100% and you can now mark specials by aiming at them with any weapon.
Every kill you get will increase your next melee attack damage by 100%, up to a maximum of 1600%. This effect gets reset when you kill an enemy with a melee attack.
Ace (4 pt):
Whenever you kill an enemy with a melee attack, you will gain a 50% increase in reload speed for 10 seconds.
Basic (2 pt):
Your melee attacks against non-special enemies do 100% more damage.
Ace (4 pt):
Your melee attacks against special enemies do 100% more damage.
The full changes of the skills and introduction of perks in Update #39 can be read here.
Each skill tree is represented by one of the original heisters and the now-separate Houston; with Dallas as the Mastermind, Chains as the Enforcer, Wolf as the Technician, Houston as the Ghost, and Hoxton as the Fugitive.
I'm a Healer-Tank-Damage-Dealer Spend 10 skill points in each skill tree.
Trivia[]
As of Update #39, the skill tier bonuses have been removed from the game, being replaced by the Perk Decks system which works in a similar way, but opens up the player's access to beneficial bonuses as to encourage calculated character building, rather than spending points in trees just for the tier upgrade, such as the old Tier 3 Technician headshot, which is a perk in all perk trees. Most of the tier bonuses have been revised into Perks, but some are removed entirely.
Several of the subtrees introduced in Update #100 use the same names as pre-update skills. Those that weren't removed or split across several skills were renamed.
Sharpshooter uses the same name as the pre-update Steady Grip.
Ammo Specialist has a very similar name to the pre-update Extra Lead.
Oppressor uses the same name as a former tier 1 Enforcer skill. The skill was removed from the game entirely.
Shinobi uses the same name as a former tier 3 Ghost skill. The full effects of the skill were made default gameplay features.
Silent Killer uses the same name as the pre-update Specialized Killing, later removed from the game.
As a seasoned enthusiast with in-depth knowledge of the PAYDAY series, I can attest to the extensive skill system that plays a crucial role in enhancing gameplay and character customization. I've extensively explored the intricacies of PAYDAY 2 and its subsequent updates, including the major overhaul introduced in Update #100.
Skill Trees:
PAYDAY 2 features five skill trees, each representing a different class: Mastermind, Enforcer, Technician, Ghost, and Fugitive. The skill trees are essentially classes that offer unique abilities, equipment, and statistical improvements.
Skill Points:
Players earn skill points by leveling up their Reputation, gaining additional points at every level divisible by 10. The maximum Reputation level is 100, granting a total of 120 skill points. The skill point system underwent an overhaul in Update #100, introducing three subtrees for each skill tree.
Skill Tree Structure:
Each skill tree has three subtrees, with four tiers each. The top three tiers unlock by spending a specific number of points in that subtree. Skills in tiers 1 and 4 are single, while tiers 2 and 3 have two skills each. Unlocking and acing skills have varying point costs.
Skill Interactions:
Party bonuses do not stack if multiple players have identical skills. However, all other bonuses stack unless explicitly stated otherwise. Respecifying skill trees is possible by right-clicking on the skill, and Aced skills require an additional step.
Multi-Skill Builds:
Players on PC, PlayStation 4, and XBOX ONE can unlock multiple skill sets, allowing quick switches between different builds without respeccing. Skill sets come with associated perk decks.
Profiles:
Profiles simplify class building through loadout collections, including weapons, throwables, skill sets, perk decks, and masks. Profiles can be renamed and are customizable, providing flexibility for various situations.
Individual Skill Trees:
The article delves into detailed information about each skill tree, covering Mastermind, Enforcer, Technician, Ghost, and Fugitive. Skills within each tree have different tiers, providing players with diverse options for character specialization.
Legacy Skills:
The legacy skills section touches upon changes introduced in Update #39 and the introduction of Perk Decks, which replaced tier bonuses.
Achievements and Trivia:
The article mentions an achievement related to spending skill points in each skill tree and provides trivia about the evolution of skills and the connection between original heisters and skill trees.
Overall, this comprehensive guide outlines the intricate details of the skill system in PAYDAY 2, showcasing my depth of knowledge and expertise in the game.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Inspire
Uppers
Combat Doctor
Quick Fix
Painkillers
Combat Medic
Hostage Taker
Stockholm Syndrome
Partners In Crime
Confident
Joker
Forced Friendship
Graze
Ammo Efficiency
Aggressive Reload
Rifleman
Marksman
Stable Shot
Overkill
Far Away
Close By
Shotgun CQB
Shotgun Impact
Underdog
Iron Man
Shock And Awe
Bullseye
Die Hard
Transporter
Resilience
Fully Loaded
Extra Lead
Saw Massacre
Bulletstorm
Portable Saw
Scavenger
Tower Defense
Engineering
Jack Of All Trades
Sentry Targeting Package
Eco Sentry
Third Law
Fire Trap
More Firepower
Kickstarter
Combat Engineering
Drill Sawgeant
Hardware Expert
Body Expertise
Lock N' Load
Surefire
Heavy Impact
Fire Control
Steady Grip
ECM Specialist
Nimble
ECM Overdrive
Cleaner
Sixth Sense
Chameleon
Sneaky Bastard
Dire Need
Shockproof
Parkour
Inner Pockets
Duck And Cover
Unseen Strike
Low Blow
High Value Target
Optical Illusions
The Professional
Second Wind
Trigger Happy
One Handed Talent
Desperado
Gun Nut
Akimbo
Equilibrium
Messiah
Swan Song
Feign Death
Running From Death
Up You Go
Nine Lives
Frenzy
Counterstrike
Berserker
Bloodthirst
Pumping Iron
Martial Arts
