Demon Skill Tree and Progression

Master demon progression in Shin Megami Tensei IV by shaping their level-up skills and inherited skills through fusion for a stronger party.

Demons in Shin Megami Tensei IV don't have traditional "skill trees" in the sense of branching paths. Instead, their progression is primarily determined by their level-up skills, inherited skills through fusion, and the application of specific items or abilities. Understanding how to shape your demons' skill sets is key to building a powerful and versatile party.

Level-Up Skills: As demons gain experience and level up, they will naturally learn new skills. These skills are predetermined for each demon species. Some demons might learn powerful offensive spells, while others might gain crucial support skills like buffs (Tarukaja, Rakukaja) or debuffs (Tarunda, Rakunda).

Demon Fusion: This is the cornerstone of demon progression. When you fuse two demons, the resulting demon inherits a selection of skills from its component demons. The number of skills inherited and which ones are chosen are influenced by several factors:

• Skill Slots: Each demon has a limited number of skill slots.
• Inheritance Chances: Certain skills have a higher chance of being inherited than others.
• Skill Compatibility: Some skills are specific to certain demon races or types and cannot be passed on.
• Fusion Accident: Occasionally, a fusion will result in an unexpected demon (a Fusion Accident). These can sometimes yield demons with unique skill combinations.

The goal during fusion is to strategically select component demons that possess the skills you want the resulting demon to learn. You can often manipulate which skills are passed down by choosing specific demons for fusion and by using items like "Skill Cards" (though these are less common in SMT IV compared to other entries).

Skill Cards and Items: While not as prevalent as in some other SMT titles, certain items can be used to teach specific skills to demons. Keep an eye out for these rare consumables.

Demon Negotiation and Recruitment: The skills a demon has when you first encounter it in battle are its starting skills. If you successfully negotiate with a demon, it will join your party with its current skill set. This can be a way to acquire demons with desirable skills early on, which can then be used in fusion.

Maximizing Skill Potential: To create the ultimate demon, players often engage in extensive fusion chains, carefully selecting component demons to pass down the most potent offensive, defensive, and support skills. This process can involve fusing a demon, checking its learned skills, and if they aren't ideal, canceling the fusion and trying again with different components. The "Demon Compendium" allows you to re-summon demons you've previously registered, making it easier to experiment with fusion without losing access to specific demon species.