With the release of Blade & Soul NEO Classic, many players—both veterans and newcomers—are quickly realizing that this version of the game isn't just a nostalgic trip back in time. It's a bold reimagining of the original experience, one that reinvents foundational systems like combat, skills, and progression. One of the most significant overhauls comes in the form of the new skill book system, which completely replaces the simpler skill spec system from the original Blade & Soul.

In this guide, we'll take an in-depth look at how the skill book system works, how to acquire these skill books, how to build and customize your character around them, and what this means for players looking to optimize their class builds and combat power in NEO Classic.

Out With the Old: What Changed?

In the original Blade & Soul, managing your skills was pretty straightforward. You chose a specialization (spec), picked a few upgrades from a predefined skill tree, and you were off to the races. Everything was neatly organized within the skill window, and while there was room for theorycrafting and optimization, most of the player power came from gear and rotations.

But in Blade & Soul NEO Classic, things are very different.

Now, skills are unlocked and enhanced through equippable “skill books,” and each book influences how your character plays—sometimes drastically. This adds layers of depth and customization but also requires a more thoughtful approach to skill planning, dungeon farming, and even inventory management.

Understanding the Skill Book Interface

When you press K, you'll open the skill window for your class. At first glance, things might seem familiar, but click on any individual skill and you'll quickly notice that most have entire sub-trees of upgradeable variants.

Each skill now has several different paths it can follow, indicated by different colored nodes:

• Gray Skills: Basic versions, often unlocked early or with minimal effort.

• Green Skills: Slightly more advanced options that often define minor tweaks or utility.

• Blue Skills: Stronger effects or enhanced utility, usually mid-tier power skills.

• Violet (Purple) Skills: Rare and often build-defining upgrades or high-end combo enablers.

However, you can't just choose a path and unlock it at will. You need specific skill books to activate each node. That's where the grind, planning, and strategy come in.

Four Main Ways to Acquire Skill Books

1. Dungeon Farming

The first method of obtaining skill books is the most straightforward (and RNG-based): running dungeons like:

• Tuer Break

• Crookery

• Tomb of the Exiles

Completing these dungeons gives you a chance to acquire gray and green skill book boxes, which contain random skill books. This method is great for building up a large collection of low- to mid-tier skills, but not reliable for obtaining specific books you need for your optimized build.

It's more suited to players who enjoy grinding and are okay with incremental progression or players farming materials and fragments for other purposes.

2. Skill Book NPC Vendor

Located throughout the game world, these vendors are visually marked with a distinctive symbol and share a consistent appearance, making them easy to recognize.

Here, you can buy specific gray or green skill books, which is a massive improvement over the randomness of dungeon drops. This is the best method for acquiring essential skill books to build your desired combo chains or effect triggers.

To purchase from these vendors, you need Val Stones, a special currency you can farm by:

• Completing side quests

• Salvaging outfits

• Salvaging weapons

If you're targeting specific green books for your rotation, farming Val Stones and buying directly from the vendor is currently the most efficient and dependable way to go.

3. Transmutation (Crafting and Recycling)

In your inventory, you can access the Transmute system by selecting the last tab. Here, you can salvage unwanted skill books to get fragments, which can then be used to attempt to create higher-quality books (like blue or purple).

But beware: this is a chance-based system, and failing a transmutation attempt will still give you a book—but it will be a random one of the same rarity as the fragments you used.

This system is best seen as a late-game resource sink or a way to recycle excess books you got from dungeon farming. It's not reliable for focused progression, but it is the only current method to obtain blue and purple skill books unless you're willing to wait for future patches.

4. Divine Gem Shop (Coming Soon)

Currently, blue and purple skill books are extremely limited in availability. However, with Patch 45, players will be able to:

• Obtain them from dungeons

• Purchase them using BnS NEO Divine Gems

These are premium or high-end currencies, suggesting these powerful books may be locked behind endgame content or monetization systems, at least initially. So while you might be tempted to splurge early, it's better to wait for the patch if you want to get the best value for your time and resources.

Equipping Skill Books: Accessories Are the Key

Once you've acquired a decent collection of skill books, the next step is equipping them, and this is where your accessories come into play.

You have six accessory slots (rings, earrings, necklaces, etc.), and each piece of gear can hold up to three skill books. That means you can potentially equip 18 skill books (once belts become available), although currently, the limit is 15.

Here are some essential things to know:

• You can use any skill book on any accessory, regardless of item type.

• Try to prioritize accessories with three book slots for maximum flexibility.

• Books modify or unlock specific paths in the skill tree, so switching books changes your skill behavior entirely.

• Some books even change the skill icon and name, reflecting their new effect.

This system allows for deep customization, but it also introduces complexity: equipping incompatible books can break your build by removing synergy or combo potential.

Building Around Effects and Triggers

A lot of advanced builds in NEO Classic are now effect-dependent. For example, you might be building around the Black Dragon effect. If you equip a skill book that applies this effect, your next step is to ensure other books interact with or are triggered by Black Dragon.

Mixing and matching skills from different effect trees can make your build inconsistent or weak, so it's crucial to:

• Know your core effect or damage source

• Choose supporting skills that enhance, trigger, or synergize with that effect

• Avoid mixing multiple effects unless you have a clear hybrid strategy

Swapping Builds: Flexibility Through Accessories

The good news? You're not locked into a single build forever.

You can remove a skill book from an accessory, although it will cost you a bunch of fragments or a Val Stone. The removed book is kept, so you can reuse it later.

This means with just one full accessory set, you can effectively:

• Swap between different builds

• Adjust for different PvE or PvP content

• Experiment with new combos as you unlock better books

Even better, you can build multiple sets of accessories, each with different books, and swap between them as needed for maximum adaptability.

Tips to Get Started

If you're new to Blade & Soul NEO Classic or returning after a long break, here are some tips to help you make the most of the skill book system:

1. Farm Val Stones early – Do side quests and salvage gear regularly.

2. Visit Skill Book Vendors – Buy only the green books you need for your core build.

3. Experiment with dungeon drops – Don't rely on them, but use them to learn new builds.

4. Check for synergy – Don't just equip any skill book—understand how they work together.

5. Use Transmute cautiously – Save this for mid/late game when you have many extras.

6. Follow class-specific guides – Look for builds that match your class and preferred playstyle.

7. Prepare for Patch 45 – It will introduce more ways to get blue/violet books.

Final Thoughts

The new skill system in Blade & Soul NEO Classic offers massive potential for customization, creativity, and optimization. But it also introduces complexity and grinds that some players might find overwhelming at first.

The shift from the old spec system to the skill book + accessory system reflects the game's renewed focus on long-term build crafting and character planning, making every choice more meaningful and impactful.

Whether you're a PvE grinder, a dungeon crawler, or a build theorycrafter, NEO Classic's new approach gives you the tools to shape your character in entirely new ways—if you're willing to put in the time and strategy to unlock their full potential.

Ready to dive into the world of combos, effects, and epic skill synergies? Then it's time to start farming, experimenting, and building your perfect character.

MMOexp BnS NEO Classic Team