My scribblings of a Wilson Skill Tree to make him less power creeped (but mostly to keep his tree in light with his themes, or whatever I think fits, don't think about it too much)

[Trigan]

Feel free to ask clarifying questions. I AM TIRED ITS 3:05AM AND IM TEXTING MY CRUSH LEAVE ME ALONE

[Terra_cat]

would transmute 3 have the affinity transmutes or would those be scrapped entirely

[Trigan]

13 hours ago, Terra_cat said:

would transmute 3 have the affinity transmutes or would those be scrapped entirely

That’s a great freaking question. I’m not sure. It probably should. I’m not sure how much people use it but it feels rude and pointless to add another skill just for those bellow 3. 

[Cruvimaster]

At the current pace of skill tree updates (2 per year and with only one character to focus on quality), we'll have to wait more than 3 years to complete the characters who never had one (Wes, Maxwell, Wanda, Wickerbottom, Warly, Webber).

Worse than having a bad skill tree is having none at all.

Therefore, I hope Klei has the good sense to give skill trees to those who don't have them before starting to revise the old ones. That way, Wilson's revision could happen after 3 years, possibly even 5, 6, or 7 years from now at their current work rate.

And in 5 years you might not even be interested in DST anymore.


 

It's important to point out that Klei will maintain two games (DST and DSE), which will mean DST will have fewer updates. And DSE, being a newer game, will receive more attention.

Edited April 18 by Cruvimaster

[Wexton]

Honestly rather than a better Skill tree, Wilson needs his rework.

All characters had their rework updates. Wilson didn't. His "Rework" simply was a test of the skill tree system so they could move on to adding it to other characters (Likely why his Skill tree feels more like a tech demo than anything really meant for Wilson *cough* Torch Tree *Cough* )..

He's literally an update behind every other "completed" character


The other problem is that his skill tree being weak is likely intentional... He's meant to be the default character.
If you give him gameplay-altering perks. You remove the whole point of the character.

Because of that. Best I can think of is giving him a support role. That way playing him its still a "default experience". But you aren't a waste of an actually good character for your team. Plus, since he represents the game. He should represent the "Together" part more.

For example: 

Quote

• For new player groups I'd suggest making it so he can craft meat effigies without prototyping and for less health, as well as causing no health penalties when reviving other players. (Revival is kind of his thing, Just look at his Forge ability).
   
• After that just give him support abilities so he isn't useless on a team of advanced players. Stat buffs would work, but I'd wish for something like buffs specific to who you are buffing (Like say... Giving Wigfrid Defense , Maxwell an extra shadow Wilson Minion, etc).
  Mainly, make these buffs only applicable to teammates. I don't want Wilson to turn into the guy that injects himself with gloomer goop to do 3x damage or something.

Another solution would be diving his skill tree into this support role for those of us that like the "default" experience (Me and like... At least 3 more people I'm sure).
And a different branch with perks like your post, where they could go all out and let him take over the world with the power of his mind! (Maybe also causing him a big downside?)
That way we would have 2 characters in 1!



 

[Cheggf]

Just don't play Wilson if you don't like him. 

[MarcoReverie]

 

On 4/17/2026 at 11:06 AM, Trigan said:

Feel free to ask clarifying questions. I AM TIRED ITS 3:05AM AND IM TEXTING MY CRUSH LEAVE ME ALONE

Nice ideas.

Wilson deserves a better skill tree, of course. His current skill tree is good in the concepto but perks are not enought usefull compatiring to the new updates for other characters.

I believe Klein can use the actual skill tree but giving it  more "personality". 

Take a look to mi ideas, maybe some will like you.

First, Wilson should have basic science perks:

 

SCIENCE PERKS

• Light Bulb. Light bulb fuel that Wilson add has +50% fuel value.
• Gunpowder. Enhances Gunpowder, exploding always into 3 sec.
• Blueprint. Can craft a Blueprint using a Cartographer Desk (only from known recipes).
• Compass. Use a Compass to mark down a place in the map (loss durability when dropped).
• Dissection. Use a Razor to Dissect (kill) a caught mob to obtain the total loot. Do it on stail stage there is a 50% chance to get their total loot, and 80% chance on spoil stage. Animation: Expels a green cloud and duplicates naugthiness when happens.

 

Edited May 18 by MarcoReverie

[MarcoReverie]

On 4/17/2026 at 11:06 AM, Trigan said:

Feel free to ask clarifying questions. I AM TIRED ITS 3:05AM AND IM TEXTING MY CRUSH LEAVE ME ALONE

Of course, I also have my skill tree proposal. I hope you enjoy it.

 

TORCH TREE

Torch Longevity.

1. Torch Oil. Can refuel the Torch using Pine Cone, Twiggy Tree Cone or Palmcone Sprout (fuel value x2 = 30 sec) and with Charcoal, Guano or Driftwood Piece (fuel value x2 = 90 sec).
2. Torch Longevity. Increases torch durability at 180 sec.
3. Torch Relay. Equipped Torch provides +2 sanity/min, increases speed 10% and can use it to refuel another Torch or a Fire Pit for 45 sec (lose 25% durability).

Torch Range.

1. Torch Flame. Torch‘s flame turns green color, providing 35% water resistance and not affected by rain.
2. Torch Range. Light range increases to 5 units of distance.
3. Torch Spectroscopy. Torch heat source increases to level 1 (70°). Can use Nitre on a setted Torch (refuel up to 90s) to turn it into an Endothermic Torch (flame blue color and cools at -10°) or can use a Nightmare Fuel (refuel up to 180s) to turn it into a Night Torch (black flames and sanity -3/min).

LOCKED SKILL (PREREQUISITES 3 TORCH SKILLS).

• Torch Toss. Current perk.

 

BEARD TREE

Beard Insulation. Beard allows 3 coats. Use a Razor to remove them.

1. Beard Insulation. Can coat the Beard with Beefalo Wool to add 20% insulation with 3 days durability per coat.
2. Beard Impervious. Can coat the Beard with Beeswax to add 10% water resistance with 2 days durability per coat.
3. Beard Shield. Can coat the Beard with Steel Wool to add 5% defense (-0.05 damage taken) 1 day durability per coat.

Beard Growth.

1. Beard Growth. Beard growths in 3/7/15 days.
2. Beard Rope. Beard Hair is strong enough to craft a Rope (Beard Hair x3). Beard growths in 3/6/12 days.
3. Beard Whip. Wilson can use the static electricity into Beard Hair to craft an Electrical Beard Whip. Damage 25.5-42.5, 75 uses, range 2. Recipe: Beard Hair x9, Electrical Doodad x2, Moleworm x1. Beard growths in 2/5/10 days.

LOCKED SKILL (PREREQUISITES 3 BEARD SKILLS).

• Beard Storage. Current perk.

 

ALCHEMY TREE

Ore transmute branch. Animation: 50% probability to produce a little explosion with every transformation and Ashes in addition.

1. Ore Transmute I. Transformation recipes:
   • Rock - Flint (current recipe).
   • Nitre - Gold Nugget (current recipe).
2. Ore Transmute II. Transformation recipes:
   • Cut Stone - Marble - Moon Rock (current recipe).
3. Ore Transmute III. Transformation recipes:
   • NEW RECIPE. 6 Thulecite Fragment to 1 Thulecite. 1 Thulecite to 6 Thulecite Fragment.
   • NEW RECIPE. 2 Moon Rock to 1 Moon Shard.
   • NEW RECIPE. 2 Marble Bean to 1 Salt Crystals.

Gem transmute branch. Animation: 50% probability to produce a thunder with every transformation and Nightmare Fuel in addition.

1. Gem Transmute I. Transformation recipes:
   • 2 Blue Gem to 1 Red Gem (current recipe).
   • 2 Red Gem to 1 Blue Gem (current recipe).
   • 1 Red Gem + 1 Blue Gem to 1 Purple Gem (current recipe).
2. Gem Transmute II. Transformation recipes:
   • 3 Purple Gem to 1 Orange Gem (current recipe).
   • ENHANCED RECIPE. 2 Orange Gem to 1 Yellow Gem.
3. Gem Transmute III. Transmutation recipes:
   • ENHANCED RECIPE. 2 Yellow Gem to 1 Green Gem.
   • 6 gem each color to 1 Irisdescent Gem (current recipe).

Icky transmute branch. Animation: 50% probability to produce a little smoke cloud (like burning manure) with every transformation and Wet Goop in addition.

1. Icky transmute I. Transmutation recipes:
   • Morsel - Meat (current recipe).
   • Hound’s Tooth - Bone Shard (current recipe).
   • 6 Rot to 1 Manure (current recipe).
2. Icky transmute II. Transmutation recipes:
   • Beefalo Wool - Beard Hair (current recipe).
   • NEW RECIPE. 2 Honeycomb to 1 Glommer’s Goop. 2 Glommer’s Goop to 1 Honeycomb.
   • NEW RECIPE. 3 Guano to 1 Slurtle Slime.
3. Icky transmute III. Transmutation recipes:
   • NEW RECIPE. 2 Bunny Puf to 1 Pig Skin. 2 Pig Skin to 1 Bunny Puf.
   • NEW RECIPE. 2 Walrus Tusk to 1 Volt Goat Horn. 2 Volt Goat Horn to 1 Walrus Tusk.
   • NEW RECIPE. 2 Monster Meat to 1 Batilisk Wing.

LOCKED SKILL (PREREQUISITES 3 ALCHEMY SKILLS).

• Human transmutation. Can craft a Portable Meat Effigy (Homunculus) which works like a red amulet. Recipe: Cooked Meat x4, Rope x1, Health x40. A Telltale Heart given by Wilson will not cause reduction of maximum health by 25% but will not receive 80 sanity.

 

SHADOW AFFINITY (SEQUENCED TREE)

• Shadow Courtier. Current Shadow perks plus the
  • Shadow Beard (UNLOCKED WITH 4 BEARD SKILLS). Can coat the Beard with Nightmare Fuel (sanity -3.3/min per coat): 1 coat will prevent loss the beard after dead; 2 coat will open one slot to storage any item; 3 coat will spawn shadow tentacle (1 per beard stage) when hitted. Tentacles lasts for 9 seconds and attacking enemies (34 damage) within its range.

 

LUNAR AFFINITY (SEQUENCED TREE)

• Lunar Innovator. Current Lunar perks plus the
  • Enlightened Torch (UNLOCKED WITH 4 TORCH SKILLS). An active Torch can resonate with all nearby light sources (fire or lightbulb), reducing its fuel consumption upon 100%. An equipped Torch increases sanity aura to +25/min, speed 20% and will spawn a Greater Gestalt (attacking enemies dealing 42.5 damage) within its range when player's enlightenment is above 85%.

Edited May 4 by MarcoReverie