Another important change that seems to have missed the changelog: the skillbooks used to require level 1, level 2, level 3, and so forth. We have now grouped the skills together more. So at level 1, you can now choose from A LOT of different skillbooks, and that level is the only requirement.
Skillbooks are grouped into the following groups:
Require level 1: 34 skills
Require level 4: 22 skills
Require level 7: 26 skills
Require level 10: 23 skills
Require level 13: 11 skills
Require level 16: 12 skills
Require level 18: 6 skills
Everyone can learn these, as long as you have at least one ability point in the corresponding "discipline".
So your mage can learn Whirlwind, and your warrior can learn Fireball, like a real classless system. It is however so that wizard skills are improved by higher INT scores and warrior skillsl are improved by higher STR.
Skills you can learn early on in the game, do not expect very high values in these stats, so the more points you put in for instance INT, the better these early spells get.
Skills you learn later on in the game, expect a bit of investment in these stats. So even if your warrior can learn Fireball (a "Requires Level 4" skill), if his INT is only 5, he will take penalties on its damage and its chance to inflict burning, but he is still able to actually learn it and cast it.
The same goes for your wizard learning whirlwind. He will be able to learn and execute that skill, but his damage output will be less than a warrior with high STR.
So when you go skill-shopping or ability-point-spending, don't think in classes. Don't just look at warrior skills if you are a warrior.
I do think this opens up possibilities and insane "character builds"
