The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) has always been about freedom—freedom to explore, freedom to choose your path, and now, with the introduction of subclassing, freedom to redefine your character’s abilities like never before. This groundbreaking feature, added in the 2025 Worm Cult season, lets you mix and match skill lines from different classes, opening up thousands of new build possibilities. If you’ve ever wanted your Sorcerer to wield Templar holy magic or your Nightblade to summon Warden beasts, subclassing makes it possible. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
What Is Subclassing in ESO?
Subclassing is a system that allows your character to use skill lines from classes other than their original one. Imagine your Dragonknight tapping into the Necromancer’s dark arts or your Arcanist borrowing the Nightblade’s stealthy tricks. The best part? You don’t need to create a new character. Once unlocked, subclassing lets you customize your existing hero with skills from across Tamriel’s class roster.
There are a few key rules to keep in mind. First, you must always keep at least one skill line from your original class. For example, a Templar can replace two of their three skill lines with those from other classes but must retain one Templar line. Second, you can’t mix and match individual skills—you must take entire skill lines. Finally, while base-game class skill lines are available to everyone, DLC classes like Necromancer and Arcanist require owning their respective expansions.
How to Unlock Subclassing
Before you can start experimenting with hybrid builds, you’ll need to unlock the subclassing system. The process is straightforward but requires a bit of progression.
First, you must reach level 50 on at least one character on your account. This milestone shows you’ve put in the time to understand the game’s mechanics, making you ready for the added complexity of subclassing. Once you’ve hit 50, head to the Crown Store’s Quest Starters section or seek out an adventurer named Bahtra at-Hunding. She can be found near the wayshrines in Riften (The Rift), Evermore (Bangkorai), or Dune (Reaper’s March). Look for the new “Adventure Camp” icon on your map to spot her easily.
Bahtra will give you a short introductory quest called A Study in Discipline. Completing this quest unlocks subclassing for your character. The quest is quick and doesn’t involve much travel, so you’ll be swapping skill lines in no time.
Leveling Subclass Skill Lines
Once you’ve unlocked subclassing, you’ll notice that subclass skill lines level slower than your original class skills. However, there’s a silver lining—progress is account-wide. This means once you’ve leveled a subclass skill line to rank 50 on one character, it’s available for all your others without needing to grind it again.
There’s a catch, though. Subclass skills and passives cost double the skill points—2 instead of 1. A full subclass skill line requires 40 skill points compared to the usual 20, so plan your point allocation carefully. If you’re short on skill points, consider hunting down skyshards or completing zone quests to stock up.
Choosing and Changing Subclass Skill Lines
After finishing A Study in Discipline, you’ll get one free chance to choose your subclass skill lines. Any changes after that cost 1,500 gold, similar to respeccing your skills. You can make these adjustments at Rededication Shrines (found in major cities like Wayrest and Mournhold), by talking to Bahtra again, or by using a Respecification Scroll from the Crown Store.
A common misconception is that you’re permanently locked into your subclass choices. That’s not true. While leveling a subclass skill line, it occupies one of your three account-wide “leveling slots.” Once it hits rank 50, it’s considered “mastered,” freeing up the slot and letting you swap it freely. If you haven’t mastered a skill line yet, you can still switch between your three active leveling slots—you just can’t add more until one is fully leveled.
