ESO Guide to Subclassing – What You Need to Know
Subclassing is one of the biggest shakeups to class identity we’ve seen in The Elder Scrolls Online in years. If you’ve ever wished your Nightblade could toss out a few Sorcerer skills, or your Warden could add a splash of Templar healing, now’s your chance.
Here’s everything you need to know about how subclassing works, how to unlock it, and what to keep in mind before diving in.
What Is Subclassing in ESO?
Subclassing lets you take skill lines from other classes and add them to your build, giving you more flexibility than ever in how you play your character. You’re no longer locked into only using your class’s three default skill lines; you can now mix and match, creating brand-new setups and playstyles.
You can equip up to two subclassed skill lines from other classes, alongside at least one from your original class. With this new system, your Dragonknight can rock a Sorcerer’s Storm Calling, or your Necromancer can tap into Nightblade shadow magic.
It’s all about experimentation and finding what works for you.
How to Unlock Subclassing
Before you can start mixing and matching skill lines, you need to unlock the system:
- Get a character to level 50.
- This earns you the “Level 50 Hero” achievement.
- Once unlocked, all characters on your account can begin the subclassing quest: “A Study in Discipline.”
You can start this quest in a few ways:
- Talk to Bahtra at-Hunding, an adventurer near the wayshrines in:
- Riften (The Rift)
- Evermore (Bangkorai)
- Dune (Reaper’s March)
- Pick up the quest from the Crown Store
- Start it directly from the Subclassing UI (under the Skills menu)
How Subclassing Works
Once subclassing is unlocked, here’s how you start using it:
- Pick a new skill line from any class you don’t currently belong to.
- You can choose these via:
- Shrines of Stendarr
- A Respecification Scroll
- Talking to Bahtra at-Hunding
When you equip a subclassed skill line, you can level it up just like any other. If you hit rank 50 in it, it becomes “mastered,” which means:
- You no longer need to keep it equipped to keep your progress.
- You can freely swap it in and out without losing rank.
Want to change it up later? No problem. You can subclass different skill lines over time, and your progress will always be tracked account-wide.
What Counts as a Mastered Skill Line?
One key thing to understand: only subclassed skill lines can be mastered.
If you level up a skill line on a character whose original class it belongs to, it doesn’t count toward mastery.
For example:
- If you level up Assassination on your Nightblade, that’s just your normal class progression—it won’t unlock mastery.
- But if you subclass Assassination on, say, your Dragonknight, and level it to 50, then it becomes mastered and can be used across all your characters who have subclassing unlocked.
- To master a skill line, it must be leveled to 50 on a character who subclassed it.
Once it’s mastered:
- You can equip that skill line instantly on any character.
- You don’t have to level it again: it’s ready to go.
Subclassing Rules & Limitations
While subclassing gives you a lot more freedom, there are a few important restrictions:
- You must always have at least one skill line from your original class equipped.
- You can only subclass one skill line per other class.
- You can equip up to two subclassed or mastered skill lines total.
Example:
If you’re a Sorcerer:
- You must keep one Sorcerer skill line (like Dark Magic).
- You can equip one Templar line (say Aedric Spear) and one Nightblade line (like Assassination).
- But you can’t equip both Assassination and Shadow, since those are both from Nightblade.
Skill Point Costs & Progress
Subclassed skill lines do have a few trade-offs:
- Skills from subclassed or mastered lines cost 2 skill points each (instead of 1).
- They level slower than your original class skill lines.
- If your character isn’t level 50, some subclassed skills unlock gradually based on level.
But once you get a skill line to rank 50 and master it, it becomes much more convenient to use across your characters.
Swapping Skill Lines
You can change your equipped skill lines at:
- A Shrine of Stendarr
- With a Respec Scroll
- By talking to Bahtra at-Hunding
If you remove a skill line, any skill points spent are refunded. You won’t lose your progress in that line, you’ll just need to reassign skill points when you add it back in.
Is Subclassing Worth It?
Absolutely. If you’re someone who loves buildcrafting or wants to squeeze more flavor and utility into your characters, subclassing is definitely worth picking up. Whether you’re min-maxing DPS for trials or creating a hybrid healer-tank for roleplay, subclassing opens the door to tons of new combos.
It’s not just a gimmick—it’s the meta now.
Final Tips
- Prioritize subclass lines that complement your build or fill a gap your main class doesn’t cover.
- Think ahead when spending skill points—they’re more expensive for subclass skills.
- Test your combos in normal dungeons or open world before jumping into vet content.
Want more build guides, tips, and breakdowns? Check out the Class Builds section here on DottzGaming.com and start planning your next setup.
