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Discover how to create the best Arcane Scholar build in Avowed, with recommendations for skills, attributes, weapons, companions and leveling progression!
Avowed is a first-person RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, the game takes place in the Living Lands, where you are uncovering a secret mystery. Arcane Scholar build gives you versatile and powerful spells, able to handle most challenges during the journey. Combine your Wizard skills with the Fighter skills to complement your build.
You can adapt to nearly any combat situation with different spell types. Focusing on the correct attributes is essential for the Arcane Scholar build, as it will highly influence your gameplay. Skills like Freezing Pillar and Meteor Shower make your character much more powerful, allowing you to dominate any threat coming in your path. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best Avowed Arcane Scholar build, including the best gameplay tips and gear to choose from.
Everything You Need To Know About Arcane Scholar Build Guide in Avowed
The Arcane Scholar build in Avowed is a high-risk, high-reward playstyle, excelling in ranged magical damage and battlefield control. This build shines in strategic combat, where positioning and spell management are key. Our Arcane Scholar build includes Wand as a primary weapon, Grimoire as an off-hand weapon, and Dagger as a Secondary weapon. Intellect, Perception, and Might are the main attributes to focus on, enhancing your combat effectiveness. Intellect enhances Essence pool and magic damage, and Perception boosts critical hit chance with spells and wands.
Skills like Pull of Eora create a vortex that pulls enemies into one spot, and Meteor Shower creates AoE destruction, making them favorite skills for this build. Upgrade the Grimoire Mastery to unlock high-level spells, dealing huge damage in combat. Kai and Giatta are the two companions that we include in Arcane Scholar build to complement your playstyle.
However, this build offers low defense and high essence consumption that can leave you vulnerable in some scenarios. Use the spells wisely according to the game condition and upgrade them to a high rank to maximize their strength. This build allows you to deal incredible amounts of damage with spells and gives you flexibility in combat. You can hit multiple enemies at once, making a cluster of enemies easier to handle.
| Arcane Scholar Build Pros | Arcane Scholar Build Cons |
|---|---|
| High Magic Damage Output | Low Defense |
| Versatile Spellcasting | High Essence Consumption |
| Crowd Control | |
| Ranged Combat |
Arcane Scholar Build Features & Mechanics
Below are the essential best Arcane Scholar build features and mechanics for Avowed:
- Background: Arcane Scholar
- Attribute Points: Intellect, Perception, Might
- Weapon Choices: Wand, Grimoire, Dagger
- Best Skills: Meteor Shower, Pull of Eora, Grimoire Mastery, Heart of Storm, Freezing Pillar, and Fan of Flames
- Recommended Companions: Kai and Giatta
- Best Consumables: Darkest Rauataian Chocolate Cookie, Essence Potion, Fruitful Wine
Background
Arcane Scholar is the best build for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed. It shapes your character’s history and influences early gameplay elements. Choosing the Arcane Scholar background unlocks unique dialogue options related to your extensive knowledge. Arcane Scholar provides a flexible starting point for players interested in both magic and combat. This background grants a balanced distribution of attribute points, emphasizing intellect and versatility. Choose this background to enhance your character’s magical capabilities and gameplay experience.
Regardless of your background, you can use any equipment and abilities. Avowed enriches your character’s backstory and provides initial attribute distributions and dialogue options by selecting the background. War Hero provides a strong foundation for melee-focused Arcane Scholar builds, emphasizing physical strength and stamina. The high Might attribute boosts overall damage output, making it ideal for close combat specialists.
Attribute Points
Intellect, Perception, and Might are the best attributes to invest in for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed. This build involves the strategic allocation of attribute points to enhance your magical prowess and overall effectiveness. Intellect increases the maximum essence and increases resistance to elemental statuses. Invest some points in Intellect to maximize your spellcasting capabilities. Perception increases critical hit chance and extends maximum range. This is beneficial for both spellcasters and ranged weapon players. Investing points in Perception allows you to increase your damage output and effectiveness in ranged combat. Might, on the other hand, boost overall damage and increase carrying capacity. Enhance your damage with all attacks, including magical ones, by focusing on this attribute as well.
You can earn additional attribute points upon leveling up, offering opportunities to customize your build. Also, youcan enhance your attribute points by using the consumables you acquire while progressing. You can select 27 attributes at a max level of 30.
Below is the distribution of attribute points for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed.
- Constitution: 2
- Intellect: 14
- Perception: 5
- Might: 4
- Dexterity: 2
- Resolve: 0
Weapon Choices
Wand, Grimoire, and dagger are the best weapons for the Arcane Scholar Build in Avowed. This build involves selecting weapons that enhance your magical abilities and complement your playstyle. The weapons you get at the early stage are not as powerful as compared to the weapons obtained later in the game. Each weapon type comes with unique strengths, so selecting the one that complements your playstyle is crucial.
The Wand is your primary weapon in Avowed, ideal for spellcasters seeking to engage enemies from a distance without expending Essence. You can equip certain Wands that are equipped with enchantments that provide additional benefits in combat. It offers a constant damage output and elemental effects during combat. You can upgrade your Wand to make it more effective in intense combat. This weapon specializes in complementing your Arcane Scholar build. Invest skill points in Wizard class to enhance your damage output with Wand.
Grimoire is your off-hand weapon for Arcane Scholar build in Avowed. Grimoire unlocks high-tier spells, dealing devastating damage in the fight. You can cast multiple spells, providing flexibility in various combat situations. It complements the spells assigned to your main hand. Pairing a Wand in your main hand with a Grimoire in your off-hand is an effective setup. You can use this combination for a balance between constant damage and spell versatility.
Secondary Weapon
Dagger is your secondary weapon for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed. Dagger is well known for its rapid attack speed and high critical hit chance. This weapon has limited range and lower base damage. You can increase the effectiveness of the dagger by investing skill points in specific skills. While equipping weapons in both hands is possible, the attack delay remains consistent. Upgrading requires specific materials and can be done on a workbench. Use the dagger while fighting the enemies in close range or if you want stealth takedown. A Common Dagger comes with a modest damage output, suitable for early gameplay.
Skill Selection
The game allows you to unlock skills at each level, starting at 2. One level gives you one more skill point to place in one of three skill trees. You can mix and match skill trees, but Wizard and Fighter synergize the best together. Moreover, you can reset skills at any time with gold, though it gets more expensive the more levels you increase.
Levels 1-10 Skills
Minor Missiles, Fan of Flames, Wand Mastery, and Grimoire Mastery are the best skills at this level for Arcane Scholar build. Invest skill points to gain the skills that can keep you alive in the initial stages of the game. Passive skills are used to increase damage or survivability, while active skills require essence, and you can’t use them due to their cost.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Arcane Scholar Build for Avowed from levels 1 to 10:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | None | ||
| 2 | Minor Missiles Rank 1 | Wizard | Summons three magical projectiles that seek out enemies, dealing large amounts of damage to nearby enemies on impact. |
| 3 | Armored Essence Rank 1 | Wizard | Decreases the Essence penalty for Light and Medium armor by 15. |
| 4 | Fan of Flames Rank 1 | Wizard | Creates a cone of fire in front of the caster, spreading Fire Accumulation to anyone in the area of effect. |
| 5 | Constant Recovery Rank 1 | Fighter | After taking damage, slowly regenerate 50% of the last amount of Health lost. |
| 6 | Parasitic Staff Rank 1 | Wizard | Summons a staff of negative energy for 30 seconds that restores Essence to the wielder with every strike. |
| 7 | Wand Mastery Rank 1 | Wizard | Increases damage with wands by 25%. |
| 8 | Grimoire Mastery Rank 1 | Wizard | Unlock level 5 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 10%. |
| 9 | Blizzard Rank 1 | Wizard | Conjures a violent storm of ice and snow, pummeling nearby enemies with raining ice and Frost Accumulation. |
| 10 | Grimoire Snap Rank 1 | Wizard | Forcefully snap your grimoire shut, expelling a shockwave of Explosive Damage that knocks nearby enemies back and deals Stun. |
Levels 11-20 Skills
Power Jump, Returning Storm, Missile Salvo, and Heart of Storm are the best skills when you reach level 11 in the game. Upgrade your skills to make them more effective and damage dealing in intense fights.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Arcane Scholar Build for Avowed from levels 11 to 20:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Grimoire Mastery Rank 2 | Wizard | Unlock level 10 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 15%. |
| 12 | Power Jump Rank 1 | Fighter | Press crouch while in the air to slam to the ground, interrupting nearby enemies. The area of effect and amount of Stun dealt increases based on your fall height. |
| 13 | Wand Mastery Rank 2 | Wizard | Increases damage with wands by 40%. |
| 14 | Returning Storm Rank 1 | Wizard | Conjures a powerful thunderstorm that strikes the earth with lightning bolts, dealing Stun and Shock Accumulation to nearby enemies. |
| 15 | Blizzard Rank 2 | Wizard | Reduces the cast time for Blizzard. |
| 16 | Fan of Flames Rank 2 | Wizard | Use both hands to create two cones of fire, covering a larger area and dealing double the damage and Fire Accumulation. |
| 17 | Missile Salvo Rank 1 | Wizard | Conjures a sphere of arcane energy that rises upwards, unleashing a destructive volley of missiles that seeks nearby enemies. |
| 18 | Constant Recovery Rank 2 | Fighter | After taking damage, slowly regenerate 75% of the last amount of Health lost. |
| 19 | Grimoire Mastery Rank 3 | Wizard | Unlock level 15 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 18%. |
| 20 | Heart of Storm Rank 1 | Wizard | Increases the amount of Shock Accumulation you deal by 20%. |
Levels 21-30 Skills
At levels 21-30, you want to increase elemental damage potential with high-level skills. You can use the one-handed weapon at the beginning but shift to a two-handed weapon for additional damage per second.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Arcane Scholar Build for Avowed from levels 21 to 30:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Power Jump Rank 2 | Fighter | You are immune to non-lethal fall damage while Power Jumping. The damage dealt to enemies scales with the height of your fall. |
| 22 | Freezing Pillar Rank 1 | Wizard | Drives a large pillar of frigid ice into the ground, dealing damage and high Frost Accumulation to nearby enemies. |
| 23 | Pull of Eora Rank 1 | Wizard | Cast upon a location to pierce the Beyond, pulling two nearby enemies and suspending them in the vortex. |
| 24 | Blizzard Rank 3 | Wizard | Increases the duration by 6 seconds. |
| 25 | Freezing Pillar Rank 2 | Wizard | The pillar no longer breaks on impact but remains as a lingering frost area of effect. The pillar shatters after taking damage, or 20 seconds have passed, sending out Explosive Damage to nearby enemies. |
| 26 | Heart of Storm Rank 2 | Wizard | Increases the amount of Shock Accumulation you deal by 35%. |
| 27 | Grimoire Mastery Rank 4 | Wizard | Unlock level 20 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 20%. |
| 28 | Meteor Shower Rank 1 | Wizard | Conjures a cataclysmic shower of destructive meteors that rain down upon the area, dealing great damage and Fire Accumulation to nearby enemies. |
| 29 | Pull of Eora Rank 2 | Wizard | Affects three enemies. |
| 30 | Meteor Shower Rank 2 | Wizard | Meteors break on impact, leaving lingering flames on the ground. |
Best Arcane Scholar Skills Explained
Meteor Shower, Pull of Eora, Grimoire Mastery, Heart of Storm, Freezing Pillar, and Fan of Flames are the best skills for the Arcane Scholar build Avowed. Meteor Shower allows you to summon a devastating barrage of meteors, inflicting significant damage and applying Fire Accumulation to enemies. The pull of Eora is designed for crowd control, enabling you to defeat multiple enemies. Grimoire Mastery is a passive ability that enhances your spellcasting capabilities by unlocking higher-level grimoire spells. Heart of Storm is a passive ability that boosts your proficiency with Shock-based magic. Freezing Pillar is an active ability designed to control the battlefield by dealing damage. Fan of Flames is an active ability that allows you to project a cone of fire, inflicting Fire Accumulation on all enemies.
- Fan of Flames- Creates a fiery cone that spreads fire accumulation, enhancing area coverage and damage.
- Meteor Shower- Rains down destructive meteors, dealing great damage and leaving lingering flames.
- Pull of Eora- Creates a vortex that pulls and suspends enemies, affecting multiple targets.
- Grimoire Mastery- Unlocks higher-level grimoire spells and decreases their essence cost.
- Heart of Storm- Increases the shock accumulation you deal with.
- Freezing Pillar- Derives a pillar of ice into the ground, dealing frost damage and acting as a frost area effect.
Companions
Kai and Giatta are the best companions for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed. You need to choose companions who can protect you and enhance your magical capabilities. Kai serves as the team’s tank, absorbing damage and diverting enemy attention. Giatta, on the other hand, excels in healing and providing support buffs to the party. She can heal your character when you take damage during combat. Giatta joins your party during the main story quest, “The Animancy Method.” Marius becomes available after progressing through the main story quest, “An Untimely End.” Each of these companions brings unique abilities and backgrounds to your journey. Giatta’s Purification ability restores health to allies and can be upgraded to include crowd control effects.
Kai is the preferred companion for the Arcane Scholar build due to its abilities like Fire and Ire and Second Wind. The Second Wind ability allows Kai to revive himself once per encounter, and Fire and Ire taunt enemies. You can cast spells from a safe distance while the Kai manages frontline defense. Giatt’s healing and defensive capabilities ensure you maintain optimal health. This combination allows you for uninterrupted spellcasting in intense fight. Kai can manage a cluster of enemies, creating opportunities for your magic users to unleash their spells make sure Kai is handling frontline defense and drawing enemy aggression while Giatta provides healing, shields, and support buffs.
Kai
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | Skill 3 | Skill 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire and Ire | Unbending Defense | Leap of Daring | Second Wind |
| Fires a powerful shot from his blunderbuss | Regenerate Health and increase his Damage Reduction by 25% | Crashes down upon the enemy, Stunning and Taunting all nearby enemies | Revives himself when his health is reduced to zero |
Giatta
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | Skill 3 | Skill 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purification | Barrier | Acceleration | Reconstruction |
| Essence Generator | Protective shields to reduce incoming damage | Increases the movement and attack speed | Heal and restore health |
Arcane Scholar Gameplay & Tips
Use Kai and Giatta as your companion for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed. Choose the Arcane Scholar background to emphasize mastery over magic, offering a better spellcasting experience. Intellect, Perception, and Might are your main attributes to focus on to enhance your capabilities in the game. Intellect increases Maximum Essence and Elemental Resistance, while Perception enhances critical hit chance and maximum range. You need to adjust your attributes based on your preferred playstyle. Use skills like Minor Missile to launch magical projectiles at enemies or Armored Essence to mitigate stamina penalties for light and medium armor.
Consider unlocking skills like Grimoire Mastery, which allows casting spells directly from grimoires. Skills like Blizzard and Fireball to dominate the enemies if you upgrade them to a higher rank. Use Wand for ranged attacks and Grimoire to access additional spells and enhance existing ones. We recommend you wear light armor, providing mobility and minimal stamina penalties, or Medium Armor for protection and mobility. Use ranged spells and wands to deal damage while staying at a safe distance. Keep monitoring your Essence levels closely because skills like Harvest Essence replenish resources. Let the Kai absorb the incoming damage and Giatta for giving healing and protective buffs.
Weapons and Armor
Beginner Weapon and Armor
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Minoletta’s Conduit | 55 Physical Damage 56 Stun 12 Stamina 6% Crit. Chance |
| Off-Hand | Anextli’s Grimoire | -20% Ability Cost -15% Cooldown |
| Secondary Weapon | Sheathed in Summer | 137 Physical Damage 104 Stun 9 Stamina 9% Crit. Chance |
| Armor | Tranton Family Brigandine | 25% Damage Reduction -45 Maximum Stamina -45 Maximum essence |
| Gloves | Blackwing Gloves | +1% Critical Hit Chance +10% Critical Damage |
| Boots | Tranton Family Greaves | +20 Maximum Health +20% Dodge Distance +10% Move Speed |
| Trinket | Berath’s Blessed Ward | -5% damage from Vessels |
| Ring | Ring of Pain Amplification | +15% Critical Damage |
| Ring | Ring of the Founder | +10% damage against enemies with full health |
- Minoletta’s Conduit (Wand)- Location is Emerald Stair.Purchased from Abritt Porrya at Porrya & Vellino in Fior mes Iverno in the Emerald Stair for 3,780 Skeyt.
- Anextli’s Grimoire (Grimoire)- Next to the Pyromancer skeleton, up on a rock ledge in Ivona’s Threshold in the region of Dawnshore.
- Sheathed in Summer (Dagger)- Location is Downshore. Looted from the Dawnshore Bounty target Octav the Firebrand.
- Tranton Family Brigandine- Location in Emerald Stair. Killing Big Wylie Tranton of the Trantons bounty target in the Overgrown Homestead in the southwest of The Wildwoods in Emerald Stair
- Blackwing Gloves.
- Tranton Family Greaves- Location is Emerald Stair.Killing Conner Tranton of the Trantons bounty target in the Overgrown Homestead in the southwest of The Wildwoods in Emerald Stair.
- Berath’s Blessed Ward- Location is Emerald Stair. Complete the side quest “Elder Offerings” in Emerald Stair and don’t report the food theft.
- Ring of Pain Amplification- Location is Emerald Stair.Received from Dolina as a reward for defeating Amadio and the Xaureps in the Fortified Xaurep Camp in the northeastern Grim Wetlands of Emerald Stair.
- Ring of the Founder- Found in the Ancient Grotto, on the body of the Idol of Secret Hatred Totem Piece.
Endgame Weapon and Armor
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Cruel Command | 99 Physical Damage 104 Stun 12 Stamina 6% Crit. Chance |
| Off-Hand | Eilara’s Grimoire | -20% Ability Cost -15% Cooldown |
| Secondary Weapon | Umbral Needle | 98 Physical Damage 80 Stun 9 Stamina 9% Crit. Chance |
| Armor | Councilor’s Garb | +50% Stealth Attack Damage +5% Damage Reduction, +3 Additional Damage Reduction |
| Gloves | Sentinel Gloves | +15% Stun -50% Stamina Cost |
| Boots | Berserker Boots | -10% Incoming Fire, Frost, and Shock Damage +100% Stamina Regeneration Rare |
| Trinket | Cartographer’s Companion | +1 Dex, +2 Perception |
| Ring | Chitin Band | -5% damage from beasts |
| Ring | Sigil of the Arcane | +20% ability cast speed. -20% ability Essence cost. |
- Cruel Command (Wand)- Location is Galawain’s Tusks.Purchased from Stockkeeper Eberk at the Warden Quartermaster’s Supplies for 58.500 Skeyt.
- Eilara’s Grimoire (Grimoire)- Location is Galawain’s Tusks.Found on the Parapet of the Living Archives in a chest next to The Book of Oaths.
- Umbral Needle (Dagger)- Location is Galawain’s Tusks.Found in a chest at the very top of the map – there’s a nearby spider cave, and the entrance to a hidden cave is directly north of the “h” in Ash Forest. This is the item for Treasure Map – The Blade That Hungers.
- Councilor’s Garb- Location is Galawain’s Tusks.Kill Kostya toward the end of the Main Story Quest “Our Dreams Divide Us Still.”
- Sentinel Gloves- Location is Galawain’s Tusks.Found in the building on the north side of Ash Forest Outpost. Head up the stairs towards where you rescue Petru, but take a right to jump over and drop into the building.
- Berserker Boots- Location is Galawain’s Tusks.Found in a chest in the Outcast Cave Camp west of Warden’s Rest.
- Cartographer’s Companion- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found on a dead dwarf near the Bounty target Urvolnau west of Berath’s Bounty.
- Chitin Band- Location is Shatterscarp.Looted from a Skeleton Mage east of the Abandoned Mine.
- Sigil of the Arcane- Location is Shatterscarp.Right next to Captain Tago (Bounty) you’ll see 3 seals that require electricity to open a door. One is to the left facing them, one is directly above, and one is further up above.
Consumables
Darkest Rauataian Chocolate Cookie is the best consumable that grants +1 Perception and Dexterity, +10% Movement Speed. Essence Potion allows you to restore 70% of your Maximum Essence. Fruitful Wine is another best consumable that provides +2 Constitution and +5% Damage Reduction. You need to take three points into the survivalist skill in the ranger tree. Once unlocked, you can craft advanced food and buffs that drastically increase your survivability, damage, and regeneration.
FAQs about Arcane Scholar in Avowed
What is the best Arcane Scholar build in Avowed?
The best Arcane Scholar build uses Wand as a primary weapon, Grimoire as an off-hand weapon, and Dagger as a secondary weapon. Intellect, Perception, and Might are the best attributes to invest in for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed.
Which is the best Background for Arcane Scholar build?
Arcane Scholar is the best build for the Arcane Scholar build in Avowed. It shapes your character’s history and influences early gameplay elements.
Which are the best skills for Arcane Scholar to build?
Meteor Shower, Pull of Eora, Grimoire Mastery, Heart of Storm, Freezing Pillar, and Fan of Flames are the best skills for the Arcane Scholar build Avowed.
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