Dune Awakening All Swordmaster Abilities – Complete Skill Tree and Power Explained

Here’s a complete list of every ability and skill in the Swordmaster tree, including level details and stat boosts.

In Dune: Awakening, survival isn’t just about resources; it’s about how you fight, move, and adapt. The game drops you into the brutal deserts of Arrakis and lets you choose from five unique classes, each with their own style of combat and abilities. You’ve got the Trooper, Mentat, Planetologist, Bene Gesserit, and Swordmaster, all built to suit different kinds of play.

This guide is all about the Swordmaster. If you’re thinking of picking this class or have already, this article will walk you through every skill and power in the Swordmaster’s arsenal.

We’ve broken down all three of its skill trees with full ability descriptions, level stats, and everything else you need to plan your build.

Swordmaster Skill Trees

The Swordmaster’s powers are split into three main branches:

• The Blade: Focuses on offense and raw melee damage.
• The Will: Centers on defense, counters, and resilience.
• The Way: Builds stamina, mobility, and utility for longer, smarter fights.

Each branch includes a mix of passives, techniques, and active abilities that define how the Swordmaster plays. Let’s go through them one by one.

The Blade Tree

This tree is all about dealing damage with bladed weapons. It’s the core of your offensive power as a Swordmaster.

Blade Damage (Passive)

You deal more damage with all bladed weapons.

• Level 1:
  • Blade Damage: 3%
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Blade Damage: 6%
  • Skill Points Cost: 2
• Level 3:
  • Blade Damage: 9%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Dance of Blades (Technique)

Killing an enemy with a blade gives your next attack a big damage boost for a short time.

• Level 1:
  • Damage Boost: 10%
  • Duration: 10
  • Skill Points Cost: 2
• Level 2:
  • Damage Boost: 15%
  • Duration: 10
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Damage Boost: 20%
  • Duration: 10
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Retaliate (Ability)

When you get hit in melee, you parry and counterattack automatically, causing a bleeding effect.

• Level 1:
  • Cooldown: 12
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Weapon Damage: 120%
  • Bleed: 4
  • Duration: 6
  • Skill Points Cost: 2

Long Blade Damage (Passive)

You deal more damage with long blades like swords and rapiers.

• Level 1:
  • Blade Damage: 5%
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Blade Damage: 10%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Blade Damage: 15%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Eye of the Storm (Ability)

Spin in place and deal damage to enemies around you. It’s an AoE attack that scales with level.

• Level 1:
  • Cooldown: 20
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Damage: 20
  • Skill Points Cost: 2
• Level 2:
  • Cooldown: 18
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Damage: 65
  • Skill Points Cost: 43
• Level 3:
  • Cooldown: 16
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Damage: 140
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Foil (Ability)

Parry the next melee hit and counter with a strike that weakens the enemy’s damage output.

• Level 1:
  • Cooldown: 12
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Weapon Damage: 120%
  • Enemy Damage: -50%
  • Duration: 10
  • Skill Points Cost: 2

Precise Parry (Passive)

When under the effects of spice (melange), your parries expose enemy weaknesses and reduce their defense.

• Level 1:
  • Damage Mitigation: -10%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 2:
  • Damage Mitigation: -15%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Damage Mitigation: -20%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3

The Will Tree

This tree helps you stay alive longer and resist damage, especially in prolonged fights.

Deflection (Ability)

You block dart projectiles by entering a defensive stance. Stays active while you have stamina.

• Level 1:
  • Cooldown: 12
  • Stamina Cost: 2
  • Skill Points Cost: 1

Bleed Tolerance (Passive)

Makes it harder for enemies to apply bleed effects to you.

• Level 1:
  • Bleed Tolerance: 15
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Bleed Tolerance: 25
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Bleed Tolerance: 35
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Reckless Lunge (Technique)

After a sprint attack, you take less damage for a short time.

• Level 1:
  • Damage Mitigation: 30%
  • Skill Points Cost: 2
• Level 2:
  • Damage Mitigation: 40%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Damage Mitigation: 50%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Solid Stance (Passive)

You become harder to stagger by reducing how much poise damage you take.

• Level 1:
  • Reduce Poise Damage: 3%
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Reduce Poise Damage: 6%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Reduce Poise Damage: 9%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Confidence (Passive)

Landing strong attacks (like sprint or slow blade hits) gives you bonus damage reduction.

• Level 1:
  • Damage Mitigation: 15%
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Damage Mitigation: 20%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Damage Mitigation: 25%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Thrive on Danger (Passive)

When your health is low, you regenerate health faster, take less poise damage, and use less stamina.

• Level 1:
  • Stamina Costs: -30%
  • Increase Health Regeneration: 200%
  • Reduce Poise Damage: 50%
  • Health Regen Delay: -75%
  • Skill Points Cost: 2

The Way Tree

This tree is about stamina efficiency, survival tools, and helpful utility effects.

Knee Charge (Ability)

Dash into an enemy with a strong knee strike, dealing damage and heavy stagger.

• Level 1:
  • Cooldown: 15
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Damage: 50
  • Poise Damage: 120
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Cooldown: 12
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Damage: 160
  • Poise Damage: 140
  • Skill Points Cost: 2
• Level 3:
  • Cooldown: 10
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Damage: 325
  • Poise Damage: 160
  • Skill Points Cost: 3

Field Medicine (Passive)

You heal more instantly when using health kits.

• Level 1:
  • Healkit Instant Restoration Bonus: 10%
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Healkit Instant Restoration Bonus: 15%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Healkit Instant Restoration Bonus: 20%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Optimized Hydration (Passive)

When you’re well-hydrated, your stamina pool gets a boost.

• Level 1:
  • Hydrated Stamina Bonus: 15%
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Hydrated Stamina Bonus: 20%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Hydrated Stamina Bonus: 25%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Crippling Strike (Ability)

Slash at your enemy’s legs to slow them and make their dashes cost more stamina.

• Level 1:
  • Cooldown: 20
  • Stamina Cost: 30
  • Damage: 50
  • Dash Cost Multiplier: 2
  • Duration: 7
  • Skill Points Cost: 2

Disciplined Breathing (Technique)

You recover stamina faster by controlling your breathing during combat.

• Level 1:
  • Stamina Recovery Rate: 10%
  • Skill Points Cost: 2
• Level 2:
  • Stamina Recovery Rate: 15%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Stamina Recovery Rate: 20%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Inspiration (Ability)

Boost your own and your allies’ melee damage for a short time.

• Level 1:
  • Cooldown: 30
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Duration: 14
  • Blade Damage: 25%
  • Skill Points Cost: 2
• Level 2:
  • Cooldown: 25
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Duration: 18
  • Blade Damage: 30%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Cooldown: 20
  • Stamina Cost: 15
  • Duration: 23
  • Blade Damage: 35%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

General Conditioning (Passive)

Raises your max stamina through intense training.

• Level 1:
  • Max Stamina: 15
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Max Stamina: 20
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Max Stamina: 25
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Desert Conditioning (Passive)

Reduces stamina penalties when you’re dehydrated in the desert.

• Level 1:
  • Dehydrated Stamina Limit: 15%
  • Skill Points Cost: 1
• Level 2:
  • Dehydrated Stamina Limit: 20%
  • Skill Points Cost: 3
• Level 3:
  • Dehydrated Stamina Limit: 25%
  • Skill Points Cost: 4

Prescient Strike (Passive)

While under spice, your next strike after any Swordmaster ability will hit twice.

• Skill Points Cost: 3

All Swordmaster Skills

Below is a table that lists all the skills available for the Swordmaster class in Dune Awakening.

Skill	Type	Description
Blade Damage	Passive	You’ve learned the difference between a cut and a slice, a point and an edge. You do more damage with bladed weapons.
Bleed Tolerance	Passive	You have become harder to bleed due to a combination of training and resistance. Bleeding status takes a longer time to build on you.
Confidence	Passive	Every time you attempt a difficult attack like a sprint attack or a slow blade, you gain increased confidence, which reflects as damage mitigation.
Crippling Strike	Ability	You move in, striking at a low angle to cut your enemies below the knees. For a while after being hit, your enemies are slowed and their dashes require more stamina. While not the most honorable of attacks, the swordmaster understands that there is a difference between a duel and a war. Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar.
Dance of Blades	Technique	Defeating an enemy with a blade empowers your next attack with the blade for a brief period. The skilled swordmaster dances between opponents, keeping their damage high. Techniques only take effect when equipped.
Deflection	Ability	You enter a defensive stance, deflecting darts that are fired at you. This ability lasts as long as your stamina holds out. Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar.
Desert Conditioning	Passive	You have trained yourself to deal with the rigors of the deserts, decreasing your max stamina loss while dehydrated.
Disciplined Breathing	Technique	When you focus on your technique and breathing, you can recuperate your stamina reserves more quickly. Techniques only take effect when equipped.
Eye of the Storm	Ability	You pirouette with your blade, becoming a whirlwind of piercing damage that cuts everything around you. While seemingly chaotic, the swordmaster maintains calm – the eye at the heart of the storm. Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar.
Field Medicine	Passive	You recover more health immediately when using healkits due to your excellent conditioning.
Foil	Ability	You enter a heightened state of awareness and when next attacked in melee, you parry and counterattack with a precise strike that damages their arm and numbs them. For a short period of time, their damage output is reduced. Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar.
General Conditioning	Passive	Your extensive physical training has increased your maximum stamina.
Inspiration	Ability	You inspire yourself and your companions to greater heights, increasing the damage of your melee attacks. Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar.
Knee Charge	Ability	You propel yourself forward into battle with a terrific knee charge into the enemy. Deals damage and severely staggers your opponent, but costs stamina. Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar.
Long Blade Damage	Passive	Your training with long blades such as swords and rapiers gives you increased damage with those weapons.
Optimized Hydration	Passive	Your body knows how to make optimal use of water, so you have additional stamina reserves when well-hydrated.
Precise Parry	Passive	When your blood is infused with melange, your parries expose additional weaknesses in the defense of your enemies. Their ability to mitigate damage is decreased.
Prescient Strike	Passive	When your blood is saturated with melange, you see multiple ways in which to damage your enemies. After using any swordmaster ability, your next strike will strike twice, reflecting two possible versions of the future converging in a single spacetime.
Reckless Lunge	Technique	Lunging at an enemy will often provide them with an easy opening to attack, but you have learned to turn a lunge into an advantage. Sprint attacks provide bonus damage mitigation for a short while after a lunge. Techniques only take effect when equipped.
Retaliate	Ability	You enter a heightened state of awareness and when next attacked in melee, you parry and counterattack with a savage riposte that bleeds and damages your enemy. Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar.
Solid Stance	Passive	As your training increases, you have learned to avoid being knocked around by enemy attacks. You can take more poise damage before being staggered.
Thrive on Danger	Technique	When you are low on health, you regenerate health faster, receive less poise damage, and reduce all stamina costs for actions. Techniques only take effect when equipped.

If you’re serious about mastering the Swordmaster class, knowing every ability and what it does at each level can make a big difference. This class rewards players who can plan ahead, manage their stamina well, and stay cool under pressure. Keep experimenting with skill combinations to find what fits your playstyle best.

Before You Go

If you’re looking to really master the Swordmaster, make sure to check out our full guides:

• Swordmaster Class Explained
• Swordmaster Trainer Locations