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Find Swordmastery manuals by searching soldier and bandit camps or asking fencers and teachers; look for Witchcraft manuals in ancient ruins, haunted sites, related activities, and from magic practitioners. Manuals unlock skills for purchase—they do not grant the skill immediately. Read one, then visit a usable Shrine and spend the required skill points and in-game time. Vampirism works differently: its progression is tied to Corruption gained by feeding, not manuals. Bandai Namco’s progression overview describes these broad rules, while specific location guides offer route suggestions rather than guaranteed universal drops.
What skill manuals do
A manual is a prerequisite that makes a particular skill available in its progression tree. Finding or reading it is not the same as learning the skill: you still need to buy the unlocked skill at a Shrine, using skill points and accepting the associated in-game time cost. Bandai Namco explains the manual-and-Shrine progression in its official skills overview.
Skill points are shared across the trees, so choosing one skill affects what you can spend on another. Decide which ability you want before spending points, and keep enough available for it.
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| Progression tree | How to unlock abilities | Where to focus |
|---|---|---|
| Swordmastery | Find and read manuals, then purchase the unlocked skill at a Shrine. | Soldier and bandit camps; fencers or teachers encountered during travel. |
| Witchcraft | Find and read manuals for abilities that require them, then purchase those skills at a Shrine. | Ancient ruins, haunted places, related activities, bookcases, and magic practitioners. Some abilities may be unlocked through story characters instead. |
| Vampirism | Progress through Corruption gained by feeding on blood; a manual is not the route described by the publisher. | Feed to gain Corruption rather than searching for a Vampirism manual. |
These broad distinctions come from Bandai Namco’s progression guidance. Its overview describes general sources, not a complete item-by-item manual inventory.
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Where to search for Swordmastery manuals
Soldier and bandit camps
Search camps carefully, including containers and chests. Bandai Namco identifies manuals left by soldiers or bandits as a source for Swordmastery abilities. A detailed manual location catalogue lists camp chests among the specific source types.
Fencers and teachers
Ask encountered sword practitioners or check their stock. The publisher also names fencers as possible sellers, and the location catalogue includes teacher and vendor sources. Availability may depend on your story progress or the game state; if a listed character does not have the manual, try another source rather than assuming it must be available immediately.
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Example: Charge
The location catalogue lists Charge as obtainable through a Prologue reward from Sacred Covenant, a camp chest, and a vendor. Treat these as guide-listed possibilities, not a guarantee that each source will be available in every playthrough or at the same time.
Where to search for Witchcraft manuals
Ruins, haunted sites, and related activities
Prioritize ancient ruins and haunted places, then investigate activities connected to Witchcraft. Search bookcases and other containers at relevant sites. The location catalogue covers these source types, while PC Gamer’s Witchcraft guide provides a tree-specific route and story context.
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- Make the story your own - Experience and design the plot the way you want it. Set out to save your family, or swear revenge on your Creator and destroy all who stand in your way. Discover ancient secrets lurking in the valley. Plunge into the action or take time to prepare. Go alone or find friends and forge unlikely alliances.
- Day and Night - Experience two different gameplay loops with different abilities to choose from, secrets to uncover, and different ways to achieve your goals. Experiment with different approaches and discover how the world reacts to your actions.
- Every action counts - every action - and every inaction - shapes the world around you. Your family's days are numbered, and every time you take a quest, time progresses and brings you closer to the end. Choose carefully who you help and who you leave behind. You won't have time for all. The world is waiting for no one. And neither does evil.
- Sword, claws and anger - Defy gravity, become a brutal force of nature and use your supernatural abilities as a vampire. Or raise your sword and use powerful magic to take on your opponents as a human being. Experiment and adapt as your shape changes throughout the day and night; each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
- Open world full of adventure - venture through the handmade open world and discover everything it has to offer. Stroll through the lush forests, the vast plains, the treacherous swamps and explore the steep mountain peaks and medieval settlements. Explore forgotten ruins, find remains of an ancient civilization, and uncover a truth that might have preferred to remain hidden.
Magic practitioners and story characters
Check magic vendors and practitioners for manuals. Not every Witchcraft ability necessarily comes from a manual: PC Gamer reports that four Witchcraft abilities unlock through Anca late in the prologue, while other abilities require manuals. This is a story-dependent route, so a skill’s availability can vary with progression.
Quick Recap
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![The Blood of Dawnwalker Day 1 Edition [PC CIB]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41zqGyRtHcL._SL160_.jpg)
- Make the story your own - Experience and design the plot the way you want it. Set out to save your family, or swear revenge on your Creator and destroy all who stand in your way. Discover ancient secrets lurking in the valley. Plunge into the action or take time to prepare. Go alone or find friends and forge unlikely alliances.
- Day and Night - Experience two different gameplay loops with different abilities to choose from, secrets to uncover, and different ways to achieve your goals. Experiment with different approaches and discover how the world reacts to your actions.
- Every action counts - every action - and every inaction - shapes the world around you. Your family's days are numbered, and every time you take a quest, time progresses and brings you closer to the end. Choose carefully who you help and who you leave behind. You won't have time for all. The world is waiting for no one. And neither does evil.
- Sword, claws and anger - Defy gravity, become a brutal force of nature and use your supernatural abilities as a vampire. Or raise your sword and use powerful magic to take on your opponents as a human being. Experiment and adapt as your shape changes throughout the day and night; each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
- Open world full of adventure - venture through the handmade open world and discover everything it has to offer. Stroll through the lush forests, the vast plains, the treacherous swamps and explore the steep mountain peaks and medieval settlements. Explore forgotten ruins, find remains of an ancient civilization, and uncover a truth that might have preferred to remain hidden.
A practical route from finding to learning a skill
- Choose the tree and target skill. Identify whether the ability is Swordmastery or Witchcraft. For Vampirism, pursue Corruption through feeding rather than hunting for a manual.
- Search sources that fit the tree. For Swordmastery, start with soldier and bandit camps, then check fencers or teachers. For Witchcraft, explore ruins, haunted locations, related activities, bookcases, and magic practitioners.
- Read the manual. This exposes the skill in its progression tree; it does not purchase or immediately grant the ability.
- Check your skill-point balance. Points are shared across trees, so make sure you can afford the intended skill.
- Visit a usable Shrine and learn the skill. Spend the required points and account for the in-game time cost.
What to do if a guide-listed source is unavailable
- Check story progress. A reward, character, or vendor may only become relevant after a particular quest or point in the story.
- Recheck vendor stock later. A guide listing does not establish that stock is available at every moment or in every game state.
- Try another source category. A manual may also be listed at a camp, through an activity or quest, or with a teacher or vendor.
- Use location lists as route aids. The manual catalogue and Witchcraft guide supply specific examples, but the publisher’s official guidance gives general acquisition routes rather than a complete, guaranteed list.
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