SECRET WORLD

I've been slowly advancing my character in Secret World. Link:

Delsu

Also I was trying to condense information on deck builds, being it's my first MMO, & hard to understand at first (SW particularly is complicated compared to other MMOs). Perhaps this is helpful to someone, this is an easier-to-read summary from the wiki with my own comments thrown in. The most important thing you can do whilst building your deck is to be sure to take advantage of using passive abilities that increase the effectiveness of your actives.

List of Ability Categories
Blast - Attacks that deal damage in a cone in front of the player
Burst - Rapid fire of three or more attacks at once
Chain - Abilities that will target multiple enemies in a chain
Direct Heal - Large single target heals
Focus - Channels
Heal Over Time(HoT) - Small single or multiple target heals over a period of time.
Frenzy - Attacks with an area of effect
Strike - A normal attack on a single target
Summon - Abilities which call forth Drones, Turrets, or Manifestations to do damage or healing.

Categories by Weapon
Blades - Focus, Frenzy
Hammers - Blast, Strike
Fists - Burst, Blast, HoT, Direct Heal
Shotguns - Blast, Strike, Summon
Assault Rifles - Burst, Frenzy, Direct Heal, HoT
Pistols - Chain, Focus, Summon, HoT, Direct Heal
Elementalism - Chain, Strike, Summon
Blood Magic - Chain, Focus, Direct Heal, HoT
Chaos- Burst, Frenzy

BLAST
Abilities in the Blast category apply their effects to multiple targets.

Blast Active Abilities

FISTS
Hog Wild - Resource consumer, also sets Savage Sweep
Blast of Light - Heal resource consumer

HAMMERS
No Mercy - Resource consumer
Rupture - Resource generator
Hell to Pay - Resource consumer

SHOTGUNS
Both Barrels - Resource consumer
Fire and Forget - Resource generator
Shotgun Turret - Summon that uses blasts

Passives Modifying Blast Abilities
FISTS
Bruising Blast - Improves all blasts
Positive Reaction - Heal Over Time on self when using blasts

HAMMERS
Improved Blasts - Blasts also add Weakened
Bullheaded - Stacks protection

SHOTGUNS
Blast Corps - Adds to damage to consecutive attacks
Collateral Damage - Adds chance to purge

BURST
Abilities in the Burst category apply their effects multiple times in an instant.

Burst Active Abilities
ASSAULT RIFLES
Safety Off - resource generator
Three Round Burst - resource consumer
Anima Burst - Resource generator Leech

FISTS
Prey on the Weak - Resource generator, exploits Impaired
Surgical Steel - Direct Heal resource consumer
One-Two - resource consumers, also grants Savage Sweep

CHAOS
Call for Eris - resource consumer
Four Horsemen - resource consumer
Run Rampant - resource generator, increases evade chance

Passives Modifying Burst Abilities
ASSAULT RIFLES
Short Controlled Bursts - Improves Burst hit chance
Improved Bursts - Improves all bursts

FISTS
Ferocity - Increases all damage after bursts
Healing Sparks - Heal Over Time on defensive target after bursts

CHAOS
Ripple Effect - Additional damage every 2 hits from bursts
Burst of Energy - reduces all damage after bursts

CHAIN
Abilities in the Chain category apply their effects to multiple targets, by first hitting the primary target, and then jumping to other nearby targets, up to a specified number of jumps and enemies.

Chain Active Abilities
PISTOLS
Wanted - Instant resource consumer
Semi-Auto - Channeled resource consumer

BLOOD MAGIC
Infection - Resource consumer with cast time that sets Afflicted
Linked Veins - Instant heal that chains to group members.
Open Vein - Resource generator

ELEMENTALISM
Electrical Storm - Resource consumer with a cast time
Arc Flash - Resource generator
Conditional Force Lightning Manifestation - Summon that uses a chain attack

Passives Modifying Chain Abilities
PISTOLS
Chain Misery - Weaken target of chain ability (reduce heal effectiveness)
Chain Feed - Chain abilities are 7.5% more effective

BLOOD MAGIC
Vessel Walls - Self absorb barrier when using chain abilities
Splatter - Increases targets hit by chains

ELEMENTALISM
Criticality Chain Reaction - Places Afflicted on targets hit by chains.
Phantom Purge - Chain abilities have a chance to purge beneficial effect from target

FOCUS
Abilities in the Focus category apply their effects to single targets, channeled over time. Not all channeled abilities are Focus abilities, those that are not specifically flagged as such will not benefit from Focus passive abilities.

Focus Active Abilities
BLADES
Dancing Blade - Resource consumer
Chop Shop - Resource consumer
*These two above are a couple of my most favorite abilities and have saved my butt so many times I can't count.
Brandish - Resource consumer, high hate and additional mitigation

PISTOLS
Hair Trigger - Resource builder
Shootout - Resource consumer

BLOOD MAGIC
Bloodline - Resource builder
Exsanguinate - Resource consumer

Passives Modifying Focus Abilities
BLADES
Seven and a Half Samurai - Increases the effectiveness of all Focus abilities
Finish the Movement - Build a weapon resource after finishing a Focus

PISTOLS
Increased Focus - Increases critical hit chance of Focus abilities
Ready For More - Cleanses nearby friends after focus

BLOOD MAGIC
Culimination - Heal defensive target after focus
Torture - Deal extra damage after focus

HOT (HEAL OVER TIME)
Abilities in the Heal Over Time category apply apply heals every second to single or multiple targets over a period of time.

Heal Over Time Active Abilities
FISTS
Nurture - Heal + HoT resource builder
Surgical Steel - Burst Heal + HoT consumer
Cauterise - Heal + Stacking HoT resource builder
Creature Comfort - HoT consumer
Shelter - Area Heal + HoT resource builder.
Blast of Light - Heal + HoT cone Blast.
Fired Up - Group HoT.
Radiance - Buff that increases all other HoT healing and makes all HoTs critically heal.

BLOOD MAGIC
My Bloody Valentine - Self HoT for duration.

Abilities that Exploit Heal Over Time Abilities
FISTS
Empathy - Heals for more against targets with HoT effects on them.

Passives Abilities Granting Heal Over Time
FISTS
Healing Sparks - Small HoT to defensive target when using Burst abilities.
Lick Your Wounds - Small stacking HoT on all hits
Renewal - When hitting Impaired targets, places a debuff that can places a HoT on others who hit that target.

BLADES
Immortal Spirit - Small self HoT when penetrating.
Regeneration - Causes Martial Discipline to also give you a HoT.
Tipped Scales - Self HoT when hitting Impaired targets.

PISTOLS
Advantage Me - Small self HoT when critically hitting.

BLOOD MAGIC
Circulation - Small self HoT when applying Afflicted.

Passives Modifying Heal Over Time Abilities
FISTS
Nurturing Gift - Increases Nurture's HoT duration.
Glimmer of Hope - Chance to heal yourself when healing with HoT effects.
Making Amends - Increases healing of all HoT effects.
Empowerment - Causes an extra heal when HoT effects critically heal.

FRENZY
Abilities in the Frenzy category apply their effects to multiple targets, via either targeted (TAoE) or point blank (PBAoE) area of effect. Not all TAoE or PBAoE abilities are Frenzy abilities, however.

List of Frenzy Abilities
ASSAULT RIFLES
Fire at Will - TAoE Resource Consumer.
Suppressing Fire - TAoE Resource Builder.
Anima Outbreak - TAoE Resource Consumer that also Heals friendly targets hit.

BLADES
Blade Torrent - PBAoE Resource Builder with extra hate.
Bamboo Cutter - PBAoE Resource Builder.
Steel Palace - PBAoE Resource Consumer. Exploits Afflicted to grant Minor Ward.

CHAOS
Escalation - PBAoE Resource Builder with extra hate. Sets Weakened via Exposed.
Karma - PBAoE Resource Consumer, causes enemies to heal the next target they hit.
Wheel of Knives - PBAoE Resource Builder.

Passives Modifying Frenzy Abilities
ASSAULT RIFLES
Leeching Frenzy - Frenzy abilities grant a Leech effect.
Shoot 'Em Up - Applies Afflicted to targets hit by Frenzy abilities.

BLADES
Voracity - Increase penetration chance for Frenzy abilities.
Perseverance - Self heal when using Frenzy abilities.

CHAOS
Hysteria - Increases hit chance following Frenzy ability use.
Turbulence - Increases evade chance following Frenzy ability use.

STRIKE
Abilities in the Strike category do moderate damage to single targets.

Strike Active Abilities
HAMMERS
Haymaker
First Blood
Aftershock

SHOTGUNS
Powder Burn
Raging Bullet

ELEMENTALISM
Thor's Hammer
Flame Strike
Ignition

Passives Modifying Strike Abilities
HAMMERS
Wrecking Crew - Improves critical power of Strike abilities by 20%
Improved Strikes - Increase damage of Strike abilities by 7.5%

SHOTGUNS
Strike Force - Increases penetration chance of Strike abilities by 7.5%
Punisher - Weakens target of Strike abilities (reduces damage)

ELEMENTALISM
Violent Strikes - Improves critical chance of Strike abilities by 7.5%
Social Dynamo - Stacking improvement to critical chance upon critical hits with Strike abilities.

SUMMON
Abilities in the Summon category do do damage, healing, or apply buffs or debuffs indirectly via a summoned entity.

List of Summon Abilities
PISTOLS
Drone Kit - Consumer. Follows you, damages nearby enemies.
Area Drone - Consumer. Follows the target and deals area damage, extra damage to Weakened targets.
Pistol Love - Elite. Summons a laser drone that follows a friendly target and hits nearby enemies.
Backup Drone - Recharge. Follows friendly target, heals them slightly and increases all other received healing.
Sticky Drone - Recharge. Follows you, Hinders next two enemies to attack you.
Health Drone - Recharge. Follows you, heals 3 nearby friends in a chain.
Cleansing Drone - Consumer. Follows enemy target, Cleanses nearby friends.

SHOTGUNS
Shotgun Turret - Consumer. Turret deals Cone AoE damage.
Defensive Turret - Consumer. Reduces damage nearby friends take by 3-15%.
Rail Turret - Elite, Recharge. Deals single target damage to closest enemy.

ELEMENTALISM
Fire Manifestation - Consumer. Deals damage to closet enemy.
Electromagnetic Manifestation - Recharge. Deals small damage and Purges 3 enemies.
Ice Manifestation - Recharge. Deals damage and Hinders 5 nearby enemies.
Lightning Manifestation - Consumer. Chain attacks nearby enemies, extra damage if Hindered.

Passives Modifying Summon Abilities
PISTOLS
Critical Help - Increases critical hit chance after summoning.

ELEMENTALISM
Big Bang - Elite. All summons hit nearby enemies for extra damage.

DIRECT HEAL
Abilities in the Direct Heal category apply heals directly to a single target.

ASSAULT RIFLE:
Active Direct Heal Abilities:
Shot of Anima   
Platoon 
Mortar Support

Passive Direct Heal Improvements:
Shadow Medic

FISTS:
Active Direct Heal Abilities:
Nurture   
Surgical Steel 
Cauterise 
Empathy 
Shelter 
Blast of Light

Passive Direct Heal Improvements:
Out of the Woods

PISTOLS:
Active Direct Heal Abilities:
Backup Drone   
Health Drone 
Born Leader

Passive Direct Heal Improvements:
Contortionist

BLOOD:
Active Direct Heal Abilities:
Blood Shield   
Angelic Aegis 
Linked Veins 
Ruby Curtain 
The Scarlet Arts 
Exquisite Corpse

Passive Direct Heal Improvements:
Ebb and Flow

TALISMANS


I can't stress enough the importance of good talismans, and the effect it will have on your play. Still working on getting my top talismans, but every time I upgrade them, wow, big difference. It's your "armour".

"Talismans are equipped, non-visible, items that allow players to increase specific stats; serving the purpose of more traditional MMO-style armor. Each deck of abilities a player creates will be able to store specific sets of talismans for easy storage and gear-changes from one build to another. Talismans are available from vendors, missions, loot drops, and via Assembly.
There are seven talisman slots divided into three rows: head, major, and minor. These are viewable on the Gear Management option on the character screen. Each talisman has a unique shape and the Major and Minor talismans have the same icon color. Each talisman type increases health, healing, or attack rating, in different combinations. These combinations correspond to the three player roles: Tank (damage absorption), DPS (Damage Per Second), or Heal (your ability to heal others as well as yourself). Tank talismans grant a large increase to Health and a small increase to Attack Rating. DPS talismans grant a large increase to Attack Rating and a small increase to Health. Healing talismans grant a moderate increase to Heal rating and a slightly larger increase to Health."

HEAD TALISMANS
Healing: Blood
DPS: Ashes
Tanking: Pigment
MAJOR TALISMANS
Healing: Band/Amulet/Timepiece
DPS: Ring/Pendant/Bracelet
Tanking: Knot/Medallion/Bracer
MINOR TALISMANS
Healing: Cards/Buckle/Charm
DPS: Dice/Chain/Effigy
Tanking: Coin/Belt/Bone

You can mix and match! If you need extra health for soloing, use a Tank talisman, you do not have to stick to all one category.

WEAPONS

While technically you can use most weapons for most quests etc you want to make sure to really study what your weapon does (game mechanics) because some weapons are geared to work for certain roles. For example, Fists, a great melee weapon, is probably the strongest Heal weapon.