Giving a hero a new ability to LEARN...

Ok now that we are in the days of 1.17 - is there anyway I can go about giving a hero a new ability that they can learn just like a normal ability (default level being then 0). I would like to do this without a spellbook/backpack system. I've already tried granting an ability and setting level to 0.

Thank You

Dunno how to add an skill that allow hero learn it but with 1.17 it could be done like this:
+First create an trigger that give ability for hero then create another trigger with event-unit gain level or something.....and action is set ability for triggering unit to lvX....hope this can help ^_^

Can't be done unless you simulate the skill learning system with spellbooks.

It is possible. In fact the way to do that is not new to 1.17 . Note that there is no way to have more than 5 abilities on a hero learnable at the same time.
The way is to have one dummy base ability that the hero is given in the object editor 5 times (or less if you want less learnable abilities). Disable that dummy ability for that player.
Then have an engineering unit ability for each hero ability you want to give to a hero that upgrades the dummy ability to that hero ability.
Now you can give additional learnable hero abilities to that hero by adding the respective engineering ability.

Sounds good AIAndy but I'm not quite sure how to go about a couple of things you mentioned:

1) I've thumbed through the options available with abilities and saw nothing about enabling/disabling them, how do you do this?

2) I would also like to know how you would go about creating an "engineering ability" and how that would upgrade an ability, I'm not sure what you are getting at here.

Thanks for helping me and giving me hope in my desire to NOT use spellbooks

I believe to disable abilities you go to scenario, and under the second section it will have upgrades / research / abilities. There you can enable / disable them. Or you can trigger it i think.

OK wait I've figured out how to disable/enable abilities - but I'm still not sure how to go about problem #2

There might be an upgrade called engineering, or it's an upgrade that activates an ability. I'm not sure, never heard of it.

I mean the ability of the tinker, that improves his other abilities. You can find it under neutral hostile heroes. For the purpose here turn it into a unit ability and enter the pair dummy ability / desired ability under Ability Upgrade.

oh ok I see what you mean and thats a very good idea. I just wanted to see if there was anyway you could add an ability to learn w/out using special techniques - but I guess you can't. I will have to choose a method that best suits my map.

Engineering upgrade does have an icon, right? So after you morph enough skills, the toolbar gets crowded. Anyway, it's still a lot of object editor work... But you're right, it probably can be done.

iirc you can disable the engineering upgrades too. They will still work but do not have an icon then.
An other possibility is to use the trick that allows you to remove the engineering upgrade but keep its effect.

In my map, ascension, i simply add normal unit abilities and level up them in a order depending on which one you picked first. But adding REAL hero abilities would be cooler...

As has been said, using not-so-simple tricks, with engineering upgrades or a completely simulated hero skill system with spellbooks, adding "real" hero abilities can be done; but it's a pain.

Actualy.. I've been trying to do the same thing... and this really helps.. =D