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Discover how to create the best Spellblade 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. A Spellblade build is a hybrid melee-magic playstyle that blends swordplay and spellcasting into a single combat. The Spellblade uses both weapons and magic, making it a versatile, high-damage build. You can combine greatswords with elemental magic & buffs. Allocating points in correct attributes is crucial for the Spellblade build as your gameplay revolves around them. Wand, Grimoire, and Greatsword are the best weapons for this build, allowing you to deal damage in high-intensity combat. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best Avowed Spellblade build and useful gameplay tips, along with the gear to choose from.
Everything You Need To Know About Spellblade Build Guide in Avowed
A Spellblade build in Avowed is a hybrid build that combines melee combat with magic, making it both versatile and deadly. Our build includes Wand as a primary weapon, Grimoire as an off-hand weapon, and Greatsword as a secondary weapon. Skills like Corrosive Siphon, Spirit Lance, Blackbow, and Arcane Veil are the best ones to unlock. You can upgrade them to a higher rank to make them more effective in combat. You need to focus on abilities like Grimoire Mastery, Bleeding Cuts, and Armored Grace to maximize damage, defense, and spell efficiency.
We recommend you wear medium armor to gain a decent defense without slowing down dodging or spellcasting. Allocate your points in attributes like Might, Intellect, and Dexterity to amplify your Spellblade build. Marius and Giatta are the best companions to choose for this hybrid build. However, this build is dependent on gear and is weaker in the early game. Keep monitoring your essence level as it will drain very quickly.
| Spellblade Build Pros | Spellblade Build Cons |
|---|---|
| High Versatility | High Essence Consumption |
| Sustained Damage | Gear Dependency |
| Hybrid Playstyle | Tougher Early Game |
Spellblade Build Features & Mechanics
Below are the essential best Spellblade build features and mechanics for Avowed:
- Background: Noble Scion
- Attribute Points: Might, Intellect, Dexterity
- Weapon Choices: Wand, Grimoire, Greatsword
- Best Skills: Corrosive Siphon, Blackbow, Spirit Lance, Bleeding Cuts, Grimoire Mastery
- Recommended Companions: Marius and Giatta
- Best Consumables: Essence Potion, Fruitful Wine, Murkbrew
Related:
Background
Noble Scion is the best background for the Avowed Spellblade build. This background is crucial for customizing your character’s initial attributes and immersive experience. Noble Scion provides a strong and adaptable foundation for a Spellblade build. The default attribute allocation offers a balanced spread, enhancing versatility across various playstyles. Noble Scion’s background hints at proficiency with swords and pistols, offering both close and mid-range combat capabilities. This background offers gameplay flexibility and unique mechanics.
Background plays a pivotal role in shaping your role-playing experience. It affects your dialogue options and determines your starting weapon during the tutorial. Your initial allocation of attribute points across six stats is also influenced. However, they do not restrict your access to any equipment or abilities as the game progresses. 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.
Attribute Points
Might, Intellect, and Dexterity are the best attributes to invest in for the Avowed Spellblade build. Investing points in Might allows you to increase overall damage output for both melee attacks and spells. This is the crucial stat as it boosts your effectiveness in close combat and spell potency. Intellect is also the best attribute to focus on as it expands your Essence pool, allowing for more frequent spellcasting. The higher the Intellect the more you are resistant to elemental effects, bolstering your defenses against magic attacks. Dexterity, on the other hand, increases attack and action speed. It boosts the swiftness of your melee strikes and reduces casting times. This makes you an agile character in combat, allowing you to dominate enemies coming in your path.
You can also use the gear and abilities that complement your attribute choices. Choose Might and Dexterity for a melee-focused approach and Intellect and Resolve for spells. You can enhance your character’s ability to control the battlefield by allocating your attribute points to these stats. You can earn additional attribute points upon leveling up, offering opportunities to customize your build. Enhance your attribute points by using the consumables you acquire while progressing. You can select 27 attributes at a max level of 30. Below are the attribute points distribution for the Spellblade build in Avowed.
- Perception: 1
- Might: 11
- Intellect: 5
- Dexterity: 4
- Resolve: 4
- Constitution: 2
Weapon Choices
Wand, Grimoire, and Greatsword are the best weapons for the Spellblade build. These weapons increase both physical prowess and spellcasting efficiency. Each weapon type has unique strengths, so selecting the one that complements your playstyle is crucial. However, the beginning weapons are ineffective compared to the end-game magic weapons.
The wand is your primary weapon for the Spellblade build. It provides a range of magical attacks, passive bonuses, and unique spellcasting effects. The wand offers elemental damage, giving spellcasters offensive options and a unique playstyle. Pairing it with a grimoire allows for a mix of ranged attacks and spellcasting for a balanced Spellblade playstyle. Equipping the upgraded weapon significantly enhances your combat effectiveness.
Grimoires is the off-hand weapon that deals heavy damage in combat. This weapon-type grant allows you to expand your magical repertoire by equipping different tomes. A grimoire may determine which spells are available at a given time. However, some grimoires may offer buffs like faster casting speed, reduced mana cost, or elemental resistances—magical repertoire by equipping different tomes.
Your secondary weapon for the Spellblade build is the Greatsword. This is the best weapon to choose when you’re low on Essence. Greatsword delivers high damage per hit. This allows the spellblades to eliminate enemies quickly. The high damage is beneficial when encountering enemies up close. Greatswords scale with attributes like Might, which also enhances spell potency. Investing in Might maximize both physical attacks and magical abilities. However, Greatswords consume more stamina per swing, dealing massive damage. This weapon type is compelling for Spellblade builds due to its AoE capabilities.
Melee with Spells
The Wizard class offers several spells that combine melee with magical effects. This allows you to enhance your close-quarters engagements. Parasitic Staff, Spirit Lance, and Arcane Veil are melee-oriented spells. These spells are particularly effective for players adopting a Spellblade build. They allow you to blend melee prowess with magical enhancements to dominate enemies in melee combat.
Hybrid Skills and Passives
A Spellblade includes abilities and passives that synergize melee combat with spellcasting. This hybrid approach allows you to engage enemies up close while using magical powers. Armored Grace mitigates stamina penalties when wearing medium or heavy armor. Spirit Lance creates a protective shield, reducing incoming damage. Grimoire Snap, on the other hand, delivers a quick, low-Essence cost spell that deals Stun damage. Constant Recovery is the best skill to gain health regeneration over time. Spirit Lance grants you a melee-range spell option, enhancing close-quarters combat capabilities.
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
Charge, Armored Grace, Corrosive Siphon, Arcane Veil, and Grimoire Mastery are the best unlocking skills at the initial levels. Invest skill points to gain the skills that can keep you alive in the initial stages of the game. Passive skills 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 Spellblade Build for Avowed from levels 1 to 10:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | None | ||
| 2 | Charge Rank 1 | Fighter | Dash forward and smash into anything in your way, interrupting enemies and dealing Explosive Damage to break enemy Blocks, destroy walls, and shatter frozen enemies for bonus damage. |
| 3 | Minor Missiles Rank 1 | Wizard | Summons 3 magical projectiles that seek out enemies, dealing large amounts of damage to nearby enemies on impact. |
| 4 | Armored Grace Rank 1 | Fighter | Decreases the Stamina penalty for Medium and Heavy armor by 15. |
| 5 | Constant Recovery Rank 1 | Fighter | After taking damage, slowly regenerate 50% of the last amount of Health lost. |
| 6 | Corrosive Siphon Rank 1 | Wizard | Channels a beam that eats away at an enemy’s soul, inflicting periodic Poison Accumulation and converting that energy into Health for the caster. |
| 7 | Arcane Veil Rank 1 | Wizard | Invokes a powerful arcane shield for 20 seconds that makes your spell casting Uninterruptable and increases your Damage Reduction by 50%. |
| 8 | Wand Mastery Rank 1 | Wizard | Increases damage with wands by 25%. |
| 9 | Grimoire Mastery Rank 1 | Wizard | Unlock level 5 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 10%. |
| 10 | Bristling Frost Rank 1 | Wizard | The caster is surrounded by a protective frost that increases Damage Reduction by 10% and deals Frost Accumulation to enemy melee attackers. |
Levels 11-20 Skills
Grimoire Snap, Blast of Frost, and Spirit Lance are the best skills to unlock after reaching level 11. Upgrade your equipped abilities to make them more effective in combat. You need to enhance your survivability as you’ll be encountering high-level enemies equipped with heavy armor.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Spellblade Build for Avowed from levels 11 to 20:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Grimoire Snap Rank 1 | Wizard | Forcefully snap your grimoire shut, expelling a shockwave of Explosive Damage that knocks nearby enemies back and deals Stun. |
| 12 | Harvest Essence Rank 1 | Wizard | The Essence fragments dropped by defeated enemies restore 2 times as much Essence. |
| 13 | Grimoire Mastery Rank 2 | Wizard | Unlock level 10 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 15%. |
| 14 | Blast of Frost Rank 1 | Wizard | Channels a cone of frost that blasts enemies with Frost Accumulation. |
| 15 | Spirit Lance Rank 1 | Wizard | Summons a magical spear for 30 seconds that releases Explosive Damage around each successful hit, damaging nearby enemies. |
| 16 | Corrosive Siphon Rank 2 | Wizard | Enemies are Stunned in place for the duration of the siphon. |
| 17 | Charge Rank 2 | Fighter | Increases the distance traveled during Charge by 100% |
| 18 | Arcane Veil Rank 2 | Wizard | Incoming arrows or similar projectiles are reflected back at enemies |
| 19 | Bristling Frost Rank 2 | Wizard | Incoming melee damage creates an area of effect that deals Frost Accumulation to nearby enemies. |
| 20 | Grimoire Mastery Rank 3 | Wizard | Unlock level 15 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 18%. |
Levels 21-30 Skills
Upgrade your skills to a higher rank to make them more effective in combat, dealing more damage and allowing you to control the battlefield.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Spellblade Build for Avowed from levels 21 to 30:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Blackbow Rank 1 | Wizard | Summons a magical bow for 30 seconds with arrows that deal high Poison Accumulation. |
| 22 | Spirit Lance Rank 2 | Wizard | Power Attacks produce a much larger explosion and deal greater damage. |
| 23 | Bleeding Cuts Rank 1 | Fighter | Power Attacks with axes and great swords deal Bleed Accumulation. |
| 24 | Grimoire Snap Rank 2 | Wizard | Grimoire Snap deals increased Stun and can knock tougher enemies back. |
| 25 | Blackbow Rank 2 | Wizard | Power Attacks pierce through enemies, only stopping when they hit the environment. |
| 26 | Bleeding Cuts Rank 2 | Fighter | Increases the Bleed Accumulation dealt by Bleeding Cuts. |
| 27 | Bristling Frost Rank 3 | Wizard | Reduces the cooldown of Bristling Frost by 5 seconds and increases Damage Reduction to 15%. |
| 28 | Spirit Lance Rank 3 | Wizard | Increases summon duration to 45 seconds. |
| 29 | Blackbow Rank 3 | Wizard | Increases summon duration to 45 seconds. |
| 30 | Corrosive Siphon Rank 3 | Wizard | The siphon gives Temporary Health when the caster’s Health is full. |
Best Spellblade Skills Explained
Corrosive Siphon, Blackbow, Spirit Lance, Bleeding Cuts, and Grimoire Mastery are the best skills to unlock for the Spellblade build. Corrosive Siphon is the Wizard ability that drains health from enemies while restoring your own. Blackbow is an ability that conjures a spectral bow, enabling spellcasters to engage enemies from a distance with potent poison-infused attacks. Spirit Lance summons a magical spear, enabling spellcasters to engage enemies in close combat with explosive effects. Bleeding Cuts is a passive ability that enhances your offensive capabilities by inflicting bleed effects on enemies. Grimoire Mastery is a passive ability that enhances your spellcasting capabilities by unlocking higher-level spells and reducing their Essence cost.
- Grimoire Mastery- Unlocks higher-level grimoire spells and decreases their essence cost.
- Corrosive Siphon- Channels a beam that inflicts poison and restores health to the caster.
- Blackbow- Summons a magical bow that fires arrows causing high poison accumulation.
- Spirit Lance- Summons a magical spear that deals explosive damage around each hit.
- Bleeding Cuts- Cause your power attacks with axes and great swords to deal bleed accumulation.
Companions
Marius and Giatta are the best companions for the Spellblade build in Avowed. These companions complement your hybrid playstyle of melee combat and spellcasting. Marius provides ranged support, targeting enemies from a distance. He can immobilize enemies, allowing you to engage enemies more strategically. Giatta is your support healer that offers healing and protective buffs, enhancing your survivability during close-quarters combat. This companion can maintain offensive pressure without frequently retreating.
Pick Marius and Giatta for healing support and ranged damage, providing sustainability and offensive capabilities. Giatta joins your party during the main story quest, “The Animancy Method.” Marius becomes available after the main story quest, “An Untimely End.” Use Giatta Barrier to provide protective shields to allies and Marius Heart Seeker’s ability to increase damage dealt to low-health enemies. Create a balanced and formidable party by including Giatta’s support and healing skills with Marius’s offensive and tactical prowess.
Marius
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | Skill 3 | Skill 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binding Roots | Heart Seeker | Shadow Step | Wounding Shots |
| Entangle enemies | Increases damage dealt to low-health enemies | Devastating Blow | Damage over time |
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 |
Spellblade Gameplay & Tips
Use Marius and Giatta as your companions, aiding you in intense combat. Their abilities allow you to deal massive damage using your equipped weapon. Might, Intellect, and Dexterity are the attributes to invest your attribute points. Might increase damage for both physical attacks and spells, while Intellect expands your Essence pool. Dexterity is essential to focus on because it enhances your attack speed and action efficiency.
Use the Grimoire as your off-hand to access spells like Spirit Lance and Blackbow. A greatsword like The Emperor’s Reach offers high damage and increased mobility. Use skills like Grimoire Mastery to mitigate Essence cost for spells, Armored Grace to reduce stamina penalties, and Arcane Veil to create a protective shield. It’s best to equip medium to heavy armor to balance defense and mobility. Focusing on the right attributes, equipment, and abilities allows you to craft a formidable Spellblade build. This build excels in melee combat and spellcasting within the world of Avowed. Use Blackbow or Spirit Lance to weaken enemies and follow up with greatsword strikes.
Weapons and Armor
Beginner
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Whisper of Exiles | 61 Physical Damage 56 Stun 12 Stamina Cost 6% Critical Hit Chance |
| Off-Hand | Grimoire of the Spellblade | 20% Ability Cost -15% Cooldown |
| Secondary Weapon | Horsecutter | 284 Physical Damage 260 Stun 20 Stamina Cost 3% Critical Hit Chance |
| Armor | Wayfarer’s Armor | 30% Damage Reduction -50 Maximum Stamina -50 Maximum Essence |
| Gloves | Blackwing Gloves | +10% Parkour Speed |
| Boots | Steel Garrote Boots | Carry Capacity +5 |
| Trinket | Gilded Skull | Reduces the cooldown for Second Wind by 15% |
| Ring | Wayfarer’s Ring | +20% Health and Essence regeneration from food and potions. |
| Ring | Vailian Dueling Ring | 7% chance to avoid melee damage |
Locations
- Whisper of Exiles (Wand)- Location is Shatterscarp. Found near some Dreamscourge-covered rocks in the Great Sands Sea, just above the “at” in “Great” on the map.
- Grimoire of the Spellblade (Grimoire)- You can find a Grimoire of the Spellblade early on in Dawnshore, in a spider’s nest near the Godless Altar and Emerald Stair Gatehouse.
- Horsecutter (Greatsword)- Location is Emerald Stair. In the Wavesculpt Hollow along the shoreline to the west of Fior mes Iverno Docks. You’ll have to fight a gauntlet of skeletons to claim this.
- Wayfarer’s Armor- Location is Dawnshore. Purchased at Paradisian Military Surplus in the Militia Headquarters in Northern Paradis in Dawnshore for 5,000 Skeyt.
- Blackwing Gloves- Location is Dawnshore. Found in a backpack on the roof of the Aedyran Embassy in Southern Paradis in Dawnshore.
- Steel Garrote Boots- Location is Dawnshore. Found on a dead soldier in the Xaurin Camp southwest of the Overgrown Frontier in Dawnshore.
- Gilded Skull- Location is Emerald Stair. From Naku Tedek Grounds, head Northwest across the bridge and keep going straight. There’s a small spider lair, and climbing up above it will have a small lockbox with this unique inside.
- Wayfarer’s Ring- Found on the corpse of a Skeleton east of the Shrine of Woedica. Inside a tiny cave where you’ll fight 2 bears. It’s on the path to Runyd’s House, and to the left instead of right at the split.
- Vailian Dueling Ring- Location is Emerald Stair. You’ll find this on a body near the Ogre’s Lair in the Northwestern part of Emerald Stair. Exiting the lair, head downward and right to find this body in some ruins.
Advanced
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Cruel Command | 99 Physical Damage 104 Stun 12 Stamina Cost 6% Critical Hit Chance |
| Off-Hand | Eilara’s Grimoire | -20% Ability Cost -15% Cooldown |
| Secondary Weapon | Hel’s Tongue | 284 Physical Damage 260 Stun 20 Stamina Cost 3% Critical Hit Chance |
| Armor | Berserker Scale | 15% Damage Reduction 53 Maximum Stamina -35 Maximum Essence |
| Gloves | Gauntlets of Devotion | -10% Stamina cost while Blocking |
| Boots | Greaves of Exalted Stride | +10% resistance to Poison and Bleed Accumulation |
| Trinket | Painter’s Brush | +5% Critical Hit Chance |
| Ring | Ring of Major Deflection | +5% Damage Reduction |
| Ring | Berserker Ring | +3 Constitution |
Locations
- 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.
- Hel’s Tongue (Greatsword)- Location is Shatterscarp. Found atop Twin Offerings Overlook, past the Bounty target Xaurip Chief Grithin, and up by the Ancient Memory.
- Berserker Scale- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found in a chest in Amalia’s Camp. You’ll have to talk to the Warden at the Southern Tower, and then convince her to parlay, after which she’ll give you this key.
- Gauntlets of Devotion- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Purchased from Forgemaster Dela at Abydon’s Forge in Solace Keep for 9,500 Skeyt.
- Greaves of Exalted Stride- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Sold by Merchant Alonya at Oddments and Oddities south of the Living Archives for 9,500 Skeyt.
- Painter’s Brush- Location is Emerald Stair. Found by passing through a breakable wall outside of the Waterfall Cave west of Firo mes Iverno in Emerald Stair, via the Emerald Stair Treasure Map.
- Ring of Major Deflection- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found in a small Lockbox west of a small acid lake to the west of Amalia’s Camp.
- Berserker Ring- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found in a small chest, on a ledge to the southwest of the Strangled Adra.
Consumables
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. Murkbrew allows you to gain +2 Intellect and +10% Maximum Essence. 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 Spellblade in Avowed
What is the best Spellblade build in Avowed?
The best spellblade build uses Wand as a primary weapon, Grimoire as an off-hand weapon, and Greatsword as a secondary weapon. Might, Intellect, and Dexterity are the best attributes to invest in for the Avowed Spellblade build.
Which is the best Background for Spellblade build?
Noble Scion is the best background for the Avowed Spellblade build. This background is crucial for customizing your character’s initial attributes and immersive experience.
Which are the best skills for Spellblade build?
Corrosive Siphon, Blackbow, Spirit Lance, Bleeding Cuts, and Grimoire Mastery are the best skills to unlock for the Spellblade build.
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