Character Skills

"content": "## Character Skills – Prey (2017)

In Prey (2017), you play as Morgan Yu, whose skills are divided into Human Abilities (passive and active neuromods) and Typhon Abilities (alien powers acquired from Typhon neuromods). Each skill has three levels, increasing in effectiveness, cost, and sometimes unlocking new mechanics. All skills are learned via Neuromods, which can be fabricated or found. Using Typhon neuromods raises your Typhon affinity, causing hostile turrets to attack you unless you install a Typhon Neutralizer chipset (found later in the game). The skills below cover all human and Typhon trees, detailed with effects, cooldowns, upgrades, combos, synergies, recommended builds, and usage tips.

Human Skills

#### Combat Focus

• Type: Active


• Description: Slows time for a short period, allowing precise aiming and dodging.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Duration 5 seconds, cooldown 60 seconds.
- Level 2: Duration 7 seconds, cooldown 45 seconds.
- Level 3: Duration 10 seconds, cooldown 30 seconds.

• Cooldown: Reduces per level as above.


• Combos: Activate before using shotgun for devastating point-blank bursts, or with a high-damage pistol for headshots. Combine with Psychoshock (Typhon) to lock down enemies while slowed.


• Synergies: Excellent with any weapon build; especially powerful with Q-Beam charged shots. Pair with Stealth for slow-motion sneak attacks.


• Recommended Builds: Essential for any combat-heavy playstyle. Max as soon as possible.


• When to Use: Use when outnumbered, against fast Typhon (e.g., Phantoms, Weavers), or during boss fights. Pop it before entering combat or when ambushed.


#### Firearms

• Type: Passive


• Description: Increases damage with all ballistic firearms (pistols, shotguns, rifles, etc.).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: +15% damage.
- Level 2: +30% damage.
- Level 3: +45% damage.

• Combos: Works multiplicatively with weapon upgrades and other damage skills.


• Synergies: Pairs with Shotguns and Pistols skills for focused builds.


• Recommended Builds: A must for any gunslinger. Level early for raw damage.


• When to Use: Always active; invest early to improve all gun damage.


#### Shotguns

• Type: Passive


• Description: Improves damage and handling of shotguns (reduced spread, faster reload).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: +20% damage, -20% spread.
- Level 2: +40% damage, -40% spread.
- Level 3: +60% damage, significantly reduced spread, faster cycling.

• Combos: With Combat Focus, one-shot most common enemies.


• Synergies: High damage per shot; pair with Leverage to stagger heavy enemies.


• Recommended Builds: Shotgun-only builds or close-quarters combat.


• When to Use: Use against Phantoms, Operators, and Human enemies at close range. Upgrade to level 2 or 3 for main weapon.


#### Pistols

• Type: Passive


• Description: Increases damage and accuracy of pistols (reduced recoil, tighter hip fire).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: +20% damage, less recoil.
- Level 2: +40% damage, significantly less recoil.
- Level 3: +60% damage, near-zero recoil, improved critical chance? (Actual game: slight headshot multiplier).

• Combos: Headshot multiplier stacks; use with Psychoshock (stun) for easy headshots.


• Synergies: Pairs with Stealth for silent headshots.


• Recommended Builds: Stealth pistol build or general combat.


• When to Use: Versatile for medium range; upgrade if pistol is your primary.


#### Stealth

• Type: Passive


• Description: Reduces detection by enemies and increases melee or weapon damage when attacking from behind (sneak attacks).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: 2× damage multiplier on sneak attacks.
- Level 2: 3× damage multiplier plus reduced movement noise.
- Level 3: 4× damage multiplier plus enemy detection radius halved.

• Combos: Sneak attack + Shotgun or Pistol can one-shot most Typhon. Use with Phantom Shift for repositioning.


• Synergies: Excellent with Mimic Matter for hiding in plain sight then ambushing.


• Recommended Builds: Stealth sniper or assassin build.


• When to Use: Use to thin patrols silently before a fight; always try to get first hit from hiding.


#### Hacking

• Type: Passive


• Description: Allows bypassing security locks on computers, safes, and doors. Higher levels unlock advanced terminals.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Basic (green lock level).
- Level 2: Advanced (blue locks).
- Level 3: Expert (red locks).

• Combos: No direct combat combo, but opens up many shortcuts and resources.


• Synergies: Pairs with Repair to fix broken hackable terminals? Not directly, but both support exploration.


• Recommended Builds: Engineer/Explorer builds.


• When to Use: Hack terminals before breaking glass to avoid alarms; hack safes for neuromods.


#### Repair

• Type: Passive


• Description: Allows repairing broken machinery and weapons. Higher levels fix more severely damaged items.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Basic repairs (e.g., broken consoles).
- Level 2: Advanced repairs (e.g., damaged turrets, lift controls).
- Level 3: Expert repairs (e.g., broken fabricators, large machine).

• Combos: Repair turrets to fight for you; combine with Hacking to control them.


• Synergies: With Suit Modification to keep suit durable.


• Recommended Builds: Engineer builds; helpful in all runs for fabricators.


• When to Use: Repair turrets and fabricators to secure safe areas and craft items.


#### Leverage

• Type: Passive


• Description: Increases ability to move heavy objects, affecting melee damage with thrown items? Also affects kinetic damage when striking with heavy items.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Can move light objects (chairs, small boxes).
- Level 2: Medium objects (filing cabinets, barrels).
- Level 3: Heavy objects (large crates, dead bodies). Also increases melee damage with thrown objects.

• Combos: Throw heavy objects at enemies for massive damage; also block doorways with objects.


• Synergies: Minimal, but can be used to create temporary barriers.


• Recommended Builds: Situational; useful for both combat and puzzle-solving.


• When to Use: Move objects to reach hidden areas, create cover, or kill weak enemies with thrown items.


#### Necropsy

• Type: Passive


• Description: Increases the quality and quantity of loot from Typhon corpses.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: 50% more loot (more Typhon materials).
- Level 2: 100% more loot.
- Level 3: 150% more loot (plus rare drops like Neuromods).

• Combos: No direct combat use, but provides resources for crafting.


• Synergies: Important for crafting Neuromods from Typhon parts.


• Recommended Builds: Essential for any build that crafts Neuromods.


• When to Use: Loot all Typhon corpses to maximize materials.


#### Medical Operator

• Type: Passive


• Description: Increases effectiveness of medkits and healing items.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: +25% healing.
- Level 2: +50% healing.
- Level 3: +100% healing (medkits heal 200% normal).

• Combos: Use with Suit Modification to survive longer.


• Synergies: Pairs with Typhon Regeneration for passive + active healing.


• Recommended Builds: Survival builds, especially in harder difficulties.


• When to Use: Invest early if you rely on medkits; later levels become less necessary.


#### Suit Modification

• Type: Passive


• Description: Increases inventory space and suit durability (reduced damage from hazards).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: +15 inventory slots, +20% suit durability.
- Level 2: +30 slots, +40% durability.
- Level 3: +50 slots, +60% durability.

• Combos: No direct combat; helps carry more weapons and resources.


• Synergies: Good with all builds for inventory management.


• Recommended Builds: Highly recommended for all players; level 1 or 2 is often enough.


• When to Use: Especially useful when looting many items; upgrade as needed.




Typhon Skills



#### Kinetic Blast

• Type: Active (Typhon)


• Description: Generates a concussive blast that pushes enemies and deals physical damage. Can be charged for increased power.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: 50 damage, knockback, 15-second cooldown.
- Level 2: 100 damage, wider radius, 13-second cooldown.
- Level 3: 150 damage when charged, huge knockback, 10-second cooldown; charged version has longer range and more damage.

• Cooldown: Reduces per level as above.


• Psi Cost: Approx. 20 psi per use (varies with upgrades).


• Combos: Knock enemies into environmental hazards (e.g., fire, electricity, chasms). Great for staggering groups.


• Synergies: Pairs with Psychoshock (stun) to set up juggles; or with Phantom Shift to get behind foes then blast them into traps.


• Recommended Builds: Combat mage or area denial.


• When to Use: Use against clusters of Mimics or Phantoms; knock Weavers off ledges. Charged version destroys smaller Typhon instantly.


#### Psychoshock

• Type: Active (Typhon)


• Description: Fires a bolt of psychic energy that damages and briefly stuns organic enemies (both Typhon and humans).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: 100 damage, 2-second stun, 5-second cooldown (approx).
- Level 2: 200 damage, 3-second stun, 4-second cooldown.
- Level 3: 300 damage, 4-second stun, 3-second cooldown.

• Cooldown: Very short; can be spammed at level 3.


• Psi Cost: Low (around 10-15 psi).


• Combos: Stun-lock enemies; follow up with a charged Kinetic Blast or shotgun blast. Works well on all organic targets.


• Synergies: With Combat Focus, you can land multiple headshots during stun. Also good with Mimic to disorient before striking.


• Recommended Builds: Aggressive psi-focused mage builds.


• When to Use: Use as opener against any organic enemy; interrupt abilities of Phantoms or humans. Ideal against Mimics and Operators?


#### Phantom Shift

• Type: Active (Typhon)


• Description: Teleports a short distance forward, phasing through enemies and solid obstacles. Leaves a brief decoy at the origin point (level 3).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Range 10 meters, cooldown 15 seconds.
- Level 2: Range 15 meters, cooldown 12 seconds.
- Level 3: Range 20 meters, cooldown 8 seconds; leaves a decoy that draws enemy fire for a moment.

• Psi Cost: Moderate (20-25 psi).


• Combos: Use to dodge attacks, reposition for stealth kills, or escape tight spots. Decoy can distract enemies for ambush.


• Synergies: With Stealth for safe positioning; with Mimic to change form and avoid detection after shift.


• Recommended Builds: Mobility-focused builds.


• When to Use: Whenever you need fast relocation; especially against Phantoms with area attacks. Great in tight corridors.


#### Mimic Matter

• Type: Active (Typhon)


• Description: Transforms Morgan into a small inanimate object to hide or bypass obstacles. Higher levels allow larger objects (vending machines, statues).


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Can become small objects (cups, boxes). Very effective for hiding.
- Level 2: Medium objects (chairs, barrels). Can fit into certain passages.
- Level 3: Large objects (vending machines, body). Can become a turret? Actually you can become a mimic yourself? The exact mechanics: level 3 allows morphing into larger objects and also allows 'mimic' to create a clone? Not exactly; it's just transformation size increase and reduced psi cost.

• Cooldown: One-time transformation; can cancel early.


• Psi Cost: Level 1: 10 psi per second sustained; level 2: 8 psi/s; level 3: 5 psi/s (approximately).


• Combos: Hide as an object to perform sneak attacks. Can also become a heavy object to crush enemies? Not directly.


• Synergies: With Stealth for ambushes; with Phantom Shift to rapidly change form and position.


• Recommended Builds: Stealth/puzzle builds; also for exploring tiny vents.


• When to Use: Use to bypass locked doors (by becoming small objects to fit through cracks), hide from enemies, or initiate a sneak attack from within a group of mimics.


#### Superthermal

• Type: Active (Typhon)


• Description: Emits a wave of fire that ignites enemies, dealing initial damage and burning over time.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Cone of fire, 50 damage initially, 20 burn damage over 5 seconds.
- Level 2: Wider arc, 100 initial damage, 40 burn over 5 seconds.
- Level 3: Continuous stream of fire (like a flamethrower), 150 initial, 60 burn over 5 seconds, igniting gas leaks.

• Cooldown: 8 seconds (approx) after firing ends.


• Psi Cost: Heavy (30-40 psi per use).


• Combos: Ignite enemies then use Kinetic Blast for an explosion-like effect? Not directly. But fire can cause panic.


• Synergies: Good against organic enemies; less effective against robots. Fire can explode gas pipes and damage nearby foes.


• Recommended Builds: Pyromancer builds.


• When to Use: Use against groups of Mimics, Phantoms, or humans; also to create traps by igniting flammable areas.


#### Electrostatic (sometimes called Static Discharge)

• Type: Active (Typhon)


• Description: Launches a bolt of electricity that damages and stuns robotic enemies (Operators, Technopaths, etc.) and also disrupts electronics. Can chain to multiple targets at higher levels.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: Single bolt, 75 damage, stuns for 2 seconds, 10-second cooldown.
- Level 2: Two chains, 100 damage each, stuns for 3 seconds, 8-second cooldown.
- Level 3: AOE burst around player, 120 damage, chains to all robots in area, stuns for 4 seconds, 6-second cooldown.

• Psi Cost: Moderate (25-30 psi).


• Combos: Stun robotics then use wrench or shotgun; also can hijack? Not directly.


• Synergies: Essential for robot-heavy areas; pairs with Kinetic Blast to finish off stunned enemies.


• Recommended Builds: Tech-priest builds for dealing with Operators and Technopaths.


• When to Use: Use against any robotic threat; also to disable security turrets temporarily. Does not harm organic enemies as much.


#### Typhon Regeneration

• Type: Passive (Typhon)


• Description: Gradually restores health over time.


• Upgrades:

- Level 1: +0.5 HP per second.
- Level 2: +1 HP per second.
- Level 3: +2 HP per second.

• Combos: Stacks with Medical Operator for enhanced healing.


• Synergies: Pairs with Suit Modification to reduce damage taken.


• Recommended Builds: Any Typhon-heavy build.


• When to Use: Always active; helps sustain between fights without medkits.




Recommended Builds



#### Stealth Sniper (Human + Typhon)

• Skills: Stealth (3), Pistols (2–3), Firearms (3), Combat Focus (1–2), Mimic Matter (1–2), Phantom Shift (1).


• Tactics: Use Mimic to sneak into position, Phantom Shift to escape, Stealth and Pistols for massive headshot damage.


• Gear: Pistol with silencer (if you find), later Disruptor Stun Gun for robotics.


• When to Use: Ideal for clearing rooms before triggering alarms.


#### Engineer/Explorer (Human Heavy)

• Skills: Hacking (3), Repair (3), Leverage (2–3), Suit Modification (2), Necropsy (3), Medical Operator (1).


• Tactics: Focus on resource gathering, hacking all terminals, repairing turrets, and opening all locked areas. Minimal combat; rely on turrets and thrown objects.


• Gear: Shotgun or pistol for emergencies.


• When to Use: Perfect for players who want to explore every nook and collect maximum resources.


#### Combat Mage (Typhon Focus)

• Skills: Psychoshock (3), Kinetic Blast (3), Combat Focus (3), Superthermal (2), Phantom Shift (2).


• Tactics: Spam Psychoshock for stuns and damage, use Combat Focus to slow time and line up multiple hits, Kinetic Blast for area denial, Superthermal for burning groups.


• Gear: Shotgun for cleaning up stunned enemies.


• When to Use: Best in open combat situations; be mindful of psi consumption.


#### Pure Typhon (Dangerous but Powerful)

• Skills: All Typhon skills maxed, especially Mimic Matter (3), Phantom Shift (3), Psychoshock (3), Kinetic Blast (3), plus Typhon Regeneration. Avoid human skills to keep psi low? Actually use any human utility.


• Tactics: Rely entirely on psi powers; use Mimic to hide and gather resources, Phantom Shift for mobility, and offensive powers for combat.


• Gear: Minimal guns – only for emergencies.


• When to Use: High-risk, high-reward; early game is tough until you max powers. Turrets become hostile – use Electrostatic to destroy them.




Synergies and Combos



• Combat Focus + Shotgun/Pistol: Pop Combat Focus, then unload into enemies for massive burst.


• Psychoshock + Kinetic Blast: Stun with Psychoshock, then instantly blast with Kinetic Blast to send enemy flying into hazards or off edges.


• Phantom Shift + Mimic Matter: Shift into a crowd, then immediately transform into an object to break combat and reposition for a sneak attack.


• Electrostatic + Kinetic Blast: Stun robotic groups with Electrostatic, then push them all away with Kinetic Blast to buy time or knock them into pits.


• Superthermal + Gas Pipes: Ignite superthermal near gas leaks to create massive explosions that kill many enemies at once.


• Stealth + Mimic Matter + Psychoshock: Use Mimic to get close, emerge behind enemy, cast Psychoshock to stun, then finish with wrench or pistol for 4× sneak damage.

When to Use Each Skill (Quick Reference)