In Core Keeper, characters can develop skills by performing related actions, such as harvesting plants, killing enemies, or cooking food. As skills are leveled up, players earn talent points that can be spent on the corresponding talent tree. Leveling a skill 5 times earns 1 talent point, and reaching skill level 100 earns 5 extra talent points. There are 9 skills in the game, each with its unique talent tree and leveling method: Mining, Running, Melee combat, Vitality, Crafting, Range combat, Gardening, Fishing, and Cooking.
Cooking
Effect: Increases the chance of extra cooked food from a Cooking Pot by +0.2% per level, up to +20% at level 100.
Experience: Gained by removing cooked food from the pot, 1 exp per item.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Utilizing every nutrient | +5–25% food from cooked food | 1 |
|
| Not so picky | Well fed buffs are gained at +2–10% lower food | 2 |
|
| Healthy diet | Well fed buffs are +20–100% stronger | 2 |
|
| Fast food | +1–5% melee attack speed when eating cooked food | 3 |
|
| Long-lasting food | +6–30% longer cooked food buff durations | 3 |
|
| The smell of food | +4–20% damage dealt by you and all nearby allies | 3 |
|
| Master chef | +5–25% chance for additional food gained from cooking to be rare | 4 |
|
| Sharing is caring | +0.1–0.5 health every sec to you and all nearby allies | 4 |
Crafting
Effect: Increases player armor by +0.5% per level, up to +50% at level 100.
Experience: Earned through crafting items.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Base builder | +6–30% chance to gain an extra item when crafting any wall, floor, bridge or fence | 1 |
|
| The right tools in the right hands | +4–20% chance to not lose durability when using tools and weapons | 2 |
|
| High quality equipment | +4–20% chance to not lose durability on equipment when taking damage | 2 |
|
| Alchemist | +4–20% chance to gain an extra item when crafting any item at the alchemy table or distillery | 3 |
|
| Industry specialist | +1–5 extra items gained when crafting rails, wires or conveyor belts. | 3 |
|
| Blacksmith | Crafting items at the anvil and repairing items costs 5–25% less materials | 3 |
|
| Jewelry crafter | +10–50% chance to gain a polished version of any item crafted at the jewelry workbench | 4 |
|
| Unbreakable | +6–30% armor while at low health | 4 |
Fishing
Effect: Increases fishing power by +1 per level, capping at +100 at level 100.
Experience: Earned by catching fish or loot, 1 exp per catch.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Angler's advantage | Fish starts +3–15% closer to be reeled in | 1 |
|
| Fisherman's luck | +4–20% chance to get a fish on the hook | 2 |
|
| Improved bait | Fish bites +5–25% faster | 2 |
|
| Studied patterns | +2–10% dodge chance | 3 |
|
| Steady feet | +10–50% reduced impact of slippery movement | 3 |
|
| Throwing expert | +10–50% fishing rod throw range | 3 |
|
| Well-trained aim | +6–30% of fishing added as range damage | 4 |
|
| Power of Omega-3! | +3–15% damage against bosses after eating fish or cooked food made out of fish | 4 |
Gardening
Effect: Increases the chance of an extra item when harvesting plants by +0.4% per level, up to +40% at level 100.
Experience: Gained by harvesting plants, 1 exp per plant.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Grateful gardener | +5–25% chance to gain a seed when harvesting plants | 1 |
|
| Eat your vegetables! | +5–25% food when eating plants or cooked food made out of plants | 2 |
|
| Bottomless water can | +10–50% chance to not consume water when using water can | 2 |
|
| Thorny weapons | +5–25% critical hit damage | 3 |
|
| Thorny skin | +10–50 thorns damage | 3 |
|
| Poison coated weapons | +5–25% chance to apply poison on hit, reduces enemy healing received by 75% | 3 |
|
| Expert gardener | +3–15% chance that plants planted by you become golden | 4 |
|
| Potent poison | +5–25% damage against poisoned targets | 4 |
Melee Combat
Effect: Increases melee damage by +0.5% per level, capping at +50% at level 100.
Experience: Earned by attacking enemies with melee, 1 exp per successful swing.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Quick strikes | +2–10% melee attack speed | 1 |
|
| Building anger | Gain 2% melee damage every time an enemy is hit, stacks up to 2–10 times | 2 |
|
| Fast and furious | +2–10% chance on melee hit to increase melee attack speed by 50% for a short duration | 2 |
|
| Heavy swings | +3–15% knockback chance | 3 |
|
| Stubborn fighter | Gain +3–15% melee damage when hitting the same target successively | 3 |
|
| Taking a step back | +4–20% chance on melee hit to increase range damage by 15% | 3 |
|
| Seething blade | 10% chance on melee hit to restore +1–5% health | 4 |
|
| Strength of the Ancients | +4–20% damage against bosses | 4 |
Mining
Effect: Increases mining damage by +1 per level, up to +100 at level 100.
Experience: Gained by damaging walls, 1 exp per hit.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Efficient excavation | +2–10% mining damage | 1 |
|
| Meticulous miner | +5–25% chance to gain an additional ore from walls containing ores | 2 |
|
| Night vision | +2–10 tiles visible ore distance | 2 |
|
| Miner's strength | +2–10% of mining damage added as melee damage | 3 |
|
| Mine, mine, mine! | +3–15% mining speed | 3 |
|
| Explosives engineer | +4–20% explosives damage | 3 |
|
| Pick and run! | +4–20% movement speed boost for a short duration after mining a wall | 4 |
|
| Archaeologist | +0.2–1% chance to drop a valuable item from any mined wall | 4 |
Range Combat
Effect: Increases range damage by +0.5% per level, capping at +50% at level 100.
Experience: Earned by attacking enemies with range damage, 1 exp per hit.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Rapid shots | +2–10% range attack speed | 1 |
|
| Keeping momentum | Gain 2% range damage every time an enemy is shot, stacks up to 2–10 times | 2 |
|
| Weakness detection | +2–10% chance on ranged hit to increase critical hit chance by 100% for a short duration | 2 |
|
| Slimy bullets | 20% chance to slow down target by 8–40% on ranged hit | 3 |
|
| Charging in | +4–20% chance on ranged hit to increase melee damage by 15% | 3 |
|
| Stun shot | +4–20% chance to stun targets on ranged hit | 3 |
|
| Focused accuracy | +5–25% range damage after standing still for a short duration | 4 |
|
| Amplified precision | +8–40% critical hit damage | 4 |
Running
Effect: Increases movement speed by +0.1% per level, up to +10% at level 100.
Experience: Gained by walking, approx. 1 exp per tile traveled.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Endurance runner | +5–25% less food drained when running | 1 |
|
| Balanced stance | +5–25% dodge chance after standing still for a short duration | 2 |
|
| Gotta go fast! | +2–10% movement speed after running consistently for a short duration | 2 |
|
| On your toes | +4–20% movement speed boost for a short duration after dodging an attack | 3 |
|
| Escape artist | Snare and stun durations reduced by +10–50% | 3 |
|
| Keeping tempo | +3–15% damage after consistently running for a short duration | 3 |
|
| Encumbering presence | Any nearby enemies movement speed is reduced by 4–20% | 4 |
|
| Breaking barriers | +6–30% armor of current movement speed increase | 4 |
Vitality
Effect: Increases maximum health by +1 per level, capping at +100 at level 100.
Experience: Earned by defeating creatures; exp gained equals creature's max health, capped at 1000.
| Icon | Talent | Effect | Tier |
| Maxed out! | +6–30% of all skill points added to max health | 1 |
|
| Strong and healthy | +2–10% damage while at max health | 2 |
|
| Desperate fighter | +4–20% damage while at low health | 2 |
|
| Stayin' alive | Gain +0.2–1 health every sec while below half max health | 3 |
|
| Healing potency | +6–30% more healing from health over time regeneration | 3 |
|
| Lingering potions | Healing potions also heal for +6–30% of health gained from the potion over time | 3 |
|
| Protection of the Ancients | +3–15% reduced damage taken from bosses | 4 |
|
| Cheat death | +2–10% chance to restore a bit of health instead of dying when taking lethal damage | 4 |