Nioh guide: how to respec your character and reset your skill points
Nioh is unforgiving, but it will overlook at least one kind of mistake.
Nioh is as tough as they say in the reviews. Tecmo Koei's Souls-like is a proper mix of the From Software brand of RPG mixed with the action combat that Team Ninja is known for from its Ninja Gaiden days.
But while it's definitely a challenging game, Nioh isn't going to punish you - much - for a few missteps when you level up. What with eight stats to choose from and three skill trees to explore but only a limited number of points to invest in each, it can be all too easy to set off down one path and discover you actually prefer another.
The good news is, your errors are not permanent. As the page title suggests, there is a way to respec in Nioh; it's just hidden away. Here's how to rebuild your William (we have the technology) if you come to regret the path you've chosen:
How to Respec in Nioh
To respec in Nioh, the first thing you're going to need to do is complete the first two main story missions; you can't possibly have faffed up so much that you need to completely rejig William before you reach this point. Reaching the end of the second mission will unlock Tome the Blacksmith, your major upgrade provider.
Once you have access to the blacksmith, head there. If you're new to this, the blacksmith can be found by heading to the 'starting point' of any given area on the map. This is the location that all the roads ultimately lead to, and which is marked with a large building on the map screen. From here you can enter the smithy.
Inside the smithy, browse the items available for sale; you're looking for The Book of Reincarnation. Initially it's 10,000 gold, which is expensive but absolutely manageable. Once you've bought it, you can reach and use it via the Storehouse, which is also accessed from the starting point menu in any area.
When used, the book will wipe William clean: all your levels will disappear, as will all your spent skill points. The Amrita you've spent to level up thus far will be refunded to you, meaning you can then visit a shrine and level up all the points once again, choosing where to spend them as if they're fresh levels. Nice! The same is true for your Samurai, Onmyo and Ninjutsu Magic skill points - all is refunded to you to spend again.
As well as purchasing respecs from the Blacksmith, you can find Books of Reincarnation at the Hidden Teahouse, which unlocks later in the game.
Unfortunately, this system isn't designed to allow you to switch builds on a whim. Every time you purchase a Book of Reincarnation, the price goes up. The first respec will set you back 10,000, which is certainly doable, but the second is 30,000 - and it gets worse from there.
After a couple of rounds of this you'll find that you'll need to do a heck of a lot of grinding to summon the necessary cash. Work out how you like to play Nioh, design a build and stick to it; that's our advice. Repeated mistakes become very expensive.
Nioh may be tough, but it is fair; if you're really struggling even after a respec, check in with our Nioh guide for tips and tricks. Team Ninja didn't go out of its way to explain Nioh, and its possible you've missed a trick or two.
Or it could just be that Nioh really is very hard. It's kind of 50/50 there.