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Discover how to create the best beginner 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 uncover a secret mystery. Players take on the role of an envoy from Aedyr, tasked with investigating a growing supernatural threat.
The game Avowed can be complex in terms of combat and gameplay and features action-oriented combat with a mix of melee, ranged, and magic-based abilities. Players can wield weapons in one or both hands, use spells dynamically, and customize their character’s abilities and playstyle. In this guide we aim to tell you about all the elements of a beginner build, and how to get the best start in the game.
Everything You Need To Know About Beginner Build Guide in Avowed
The beginner build walks players through how to make combat easy when unfamiliar with the game Avowed. What makes our beginner build unique is the survivability you gain with some simple skills and consumables. Moreover, some skills that look unassuming are very powerful. Therefore, we will center the start of the game on survivability and switch to damage, specifically area of effect (AOE) at the end game.
With high survivability in mind, you also gain stealth and helpful crafting bonuses with our beginner build. In exchange, the build suffers from lower damage at first with a strong emphasis on melee combat. With the ability to weapon swap and respec, you can use a variety of weapons as you progress. Ultimately, Avowed allows you to experiment and this is what works great on harder difficulty for new players.
| Beginner Build Pros | Beginner Build Cons |
|---|---|
| High Survivability | Lower Damage |
| Stealth | Slower Start |
| Easy Crafting | Melee Focused |
Beginner Build Features & Mechanics
Below are the essential best beginner-build features and mechanics for Avowed:
- Background: War Hero
- Attribute Points: Might, Constitution
- Weapon Choices: One hand and Shield, Bow
- Best Skills: Clear Out, Bear Ally, Shadowing Beyond
- Recommended Companions: Giatta, Marius
- Best Consumables: Magran’s Blessing, Grog
Background
War Hero is the best background for a beginner build because War Hero because you gain a melee weapon at the start as an elite spearman. You can pick from five different backgrounds when creating your character in Avowed. Your background affects some of your dialogue options and decides your starting weapon. However, this doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a specific weapon or playstyle. You can use any equipment and abilities in the game, no matter your background.
Your background mainly changes how your character speaks in conversations. It also sets your starting attribute points, but you can adjust them. Additionally, backgrounds can not be changed, so make this choice depending on your ideal RP story, not performance.
Attribute Points
Might and Constitution are the best attribute points for the beginner build because they increase damage and survivability. Attributes can be reset at any time with gold. However, both Might (strength) and constitution immediately impact your gameplay. You can increase your attributes with a permanent bonus via companions or temporarily with food/consumables. Therefore, consider consuming some intelligence food before wandering the town and talking with NPC to pass skill checks.
Perception can also be helpful due to the critical hit chance. However, multiple skills can boost critical hit probability and damage. Overall, a beginner build wants to have a balance with intelligence the lowest using food to increase that attribute.
Weapon Choices
Sword and Shield and Bows are the best weapon types for a beginner build in Avowed because they give you survivability and range. The one-hand melee weapon and shield allow you to play defensive, timing blocks, knocking back enemies, and stunning them with ease. The Sword and Shield combo has lower damage, but many unique weapon options at the start of the game gives you the edge in combat.
The Bow or any range weapon is helpful as your alternative. The bow is explicitly great at the start when you can stealth in tall weeds and shoot headshots (weak points). Any range weapon can work, but the Bow gives you the best range to start with a headshot in combat then swap to sword and shield when melee threats arrive.
At any level, you can swap weapons. We suggest using a Two-Handed weapon for more damage after you advance in level around 20. The Two-handed sword is great for AOE damage with powerful skills, and at this point, you can use the Bear skill as a tank (level 18). Therefore, don’t be afraid to experiment with weapons if these don’t suit you.
Shield Bash
Shield Bash is a skill unlocked in the first row of Fighter tree. It allows you to hold block and bash a target. The bash not only interrupts targets but builds high amounts of stun. Once the stunning bar is filled (yellow below health), you get a free hard-hitting attack. You will be locked into a “kill” animation dealing high amounts of damage regardless of your weapon type. Therefore, use the shield bash mechanic to trigger this attack.
Furthermore, be aware of your stamina when using shield bash (large silver bar). When you hold block, you no longer regenerate stamina. Therefore, you want to use shield bash by briefly clicking block, then activating the attack. Use it as a semi-attack combo rather than holding block endlessly.
Perfect Block
The Parry Skill allows you to perform a perfect block and knock back targets and immediately counter attack. This allows you to play even more defensive and do damage in retaliation. The skill retaliation also helps when taking damage is it boosts the next attack by 70% and will have a red icon just above the silver stamina bar.
Therefore, as a beginner, don’t hold blocks constantly because you’ll drain your stamina. Use the block button timely to perfect block and retaliate for extra damage. Also, use dodge side to side to avoid unblockable attacks (red icon above head).
Skill Selection
In Avowed, you 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 Fighter and Ranger synergize the best together. Moreover, you can reset skills at anytime with gold, though it gets more expensive the more levels you increase.
Below, we showcase the most important skills and which to take at various levels.
Levels 1-10 Skills
The most important skills at this level are survivability like Constant Recovery, Survivalist, and Shield Bash. You want only a couple of active skills and load up on passives that keep you alive. Active skills will require essence (magic), and as a beginner, you won’t be able to use them frequently because of their cost. Therefore, take passives that can be used to increase damage or survivability, then in later levels, more active skills.
Additionally, the stealth skill Shadowing Beyond is essential. Use it with the godlike passive Divine Thorn for huge damage.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Beginner Build for Avowed from levels 2 to 10:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Charge Rank 1 | Fighter | Dash forward and smash into anything in your way |
| 3 | Constant Recovery Rank 1 | Fighter | After taking damage, slowly regenerate 50% of the last amount of health lost |
| 4 | Survivalist Rank 1 | Ranger | Food restores 20% more health and essence and bonus effect duration are increased by 20% |
| 5 | Barbaric Shout Rank 1 | Fighter | Let out a fearsome roar that interrupts enemies and empowers you against large foes |
| 6 | Shield Bash Rank 1 (S&S) Bleeding Cuts (2H Greatsword) | Fighter | Attacking while holding block slams your shield forward to stun |
| 7 | Parry Rank 1 | Ranger | Time a perfect block against a melee attack to knock the enemy back and gain an immediate counter-attack |
| 8 | Evasive Rank 1 | Ranger | Reduces the stamina cost of dodge by 25% |
| 9 | Shadowing Beyond Rank 1 | Ranger | Channel the beyond, becoming invisible and draining essence until your next combat action |
| 10 | Armored Grace Rank 1 | Fighter | Decreases the stamina penalty, for medium and heavy armor by 15 |
Levels 11-20 Skills
From levels 11 to 20, y ou want to increase your overall damage potential with Power Jump. This skill allows for AOE damage near you simply by jumping. Survivalist rank 2 will unlock amazing consumables that greatly increase your damage and recovery. Also, Bear Ally will be available at level 15 and upgraded at level 18. At this stage, the Bear acts as a “tank,” taunting allies and forgoing the need for Kai.
Once you upgrade the Bear, if you’re survivability is high (take Giatta as a healer companion), you can swap to Two-Handed for more damage. However, if damage and survivability is still good, keep your one-hand and shield setup.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Beginner Build for Avowed from levels 11 to 20:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Power Jump Rank 1 | Fighter | Press crouch while in the air to slam to the ground, interrupting nearby enemies |
| 12 | Survivalist Rank 2 | Ranger | Unlock recipes for strong healing food |
| 13 | Arrow Deflection Rank 1 | Ranger | Melee weapons block arrows or similar projectile when parrying |
| 14 | Scavenger Rank 1 | Ranger | When picking herbs, occasionally receive an extra upgrade material |
| 15 | Bear Ally Rank 1 | Ranger | Summon a bear ally to aid you in battle 30 seconds |
| 16 | Critical Strike Rank 1 | Ranger | Increases your critical hit chance by 10% |
| 17 | Retribution Rank 1 | Ranger | After taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 5 second deals +70% of the original damage you received |
| 18 | Bear Ally Rank 2 | Ranger | Your bear ally roars when summoned, taunting enemies and increase damage it deals |
| 19 | Unbreakable Rank 1 | Fighter | Decreases the stamina cost when blocking by 30% |
| 20 | Clear Out Rank 1 | Fighter | Spin in a dangerous whirlwind |
Levels 21-25 Skills
At levels 21-25, you want to increase AOE damage potential with Clear Out. At this stage you can use two-handed or one-handed weapons and have great survivability and damage.
Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Beginner Build for Avowed from levels 21 to 25:
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Reflect (if S&S) Brawn (2H) | Fighter | A perfectly-time block with a shield or wand reflects arrows |
| 22 | Clear Out Rank 2 | Fighter | Clear out lasts for 2 full rotations |
| 23 | Clear Out Rank 3 | Fighter | Clear out lasts for 3 full rotations |
| 24 | Survivalist Rank 3 | Ranger | Unlock recipes for food with powerful effects |
| 25 | Scavenger Rank 2 | Ranger | Crafting upgrade materials cost 25% less |
Best Beginner Skills Explained
Clear Out, Bear Ally, and Shadowing Beyond are the best skills for a beginner build in Avowed. Clear Out is the best area damage skill and it also knocks down enemies, allowing you to stun and do massive damage in a large area. Bear Ally acts as a extra companion and tank, taunting enemies and keeping them from damaging you. Shadowing Beyond is a stealth skill that can be used to trigger godlike ability Divine Thorn, one-shotting enemies from stealth. This skill can also stealth resurrect allies and or retreat if the fight gets too tough. Below are the best beginner build skills and passives in Avowed:
- Charge: gap closer that does great damage and builds stun. While it’s your first ability, Charge is essential for reaching targets out of range. Don’t spam the ability as it can drain your essence.
- Constant Recovery: an important passive that regenerates health after being hit. This passive combined with consumable food giving health regeneration allows you to forgo the need for constant potion chugging.
- Shadowing Beyond: you can use this skill for one-shot kills with godlike passive or stealth resurrections on companions.
- Survivalist: while it seems weak, this passive gives you the ability to cook at camp overpowered consumables. Once you get rank 2, you can make food that surpasses the need for potions increasing your survivability dramatically.
- Bear Ally: one of the best skills in the game because this bear soaks up damage and attention for you. Once upgrade, you won’t need to tank and it last awhile.
- Clear Out: this is the best area based damage skill in the game for non-spellcasters. Once upgraded, it not only does three rotations, but knocks down targets as well!
Best Beginner Companions
Giatta and Marius are best companions for a beginner Avowed Build because Giatta can heal while Marius can root, discover treasures, and burst single targets. You unlock companions as you progress, and once you get access to Bear Ally Rank two at level 18, you can drop Kai and use the Bear as a tank. From that point, Giatta can heal you and fellow companions as well as reduce damage. Marius has the best single target damage in the game, with the ability to strike from far away. Moreover, he can detect treasures which is essential when exploring. Below are our recommendations for each companion’s skills and upgrades:
Giatta
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | Skill 3 | Skill 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purification | Barrier | Acceleration | Reconstruction |
| Essence Shielding | Greater Barrier | Evade Attacks | Overcharge |
Marius
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | Skill 3 | Skill 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binding Roots | Heart Seeker | Shadow Step | Wounding Shots |
| Thorny Roots | Quick Draw | Devastating Blow | Exposing Shots |
Beginner Gameplay & Tips
As a beginner in Avowed, the best tip is to use consumables for passive healing and regeneration (essence/magic). Early on, stock up on these items at cooking vendors and use them before launching into combat. Only use potions to burst heal because consumables, including buffs are incredibly powerful.
Also, make sure to unlock Kai and Marius as soon as possible before exploring the regions. You can manually use their abilities, and should unlock all three abilities and passives before upgrading them.
In combat, use the Shadowing Beyond skill to kill enemies from stealth, retreat, or resurrect allies. One hand and shield will be helpful allowing you to block, parry, and perfect parry incoming attacks. Make sure to equip a bow and start from stealth by crouching and shooting an arrow at the highest damage-producing target. Then send either Kai or your Bear to draw aggro, lowering incoming threat to you.
Another helpful trick in combat is using grenades. These deal damage over time, and you want to mix and match different elements. Constructs take more damage from lighting while earthly creatures take more damage from fire. Therefore, don’t just use grenades to open doors, but debuff and damage over time enemies.
Weapons and Armor
Beginner Weapons and Armor
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Last Light of Day | Restores health on kill |
| Off-Hand | Unflinching Duty | 5% to avoid melee damage |
| Secondary Weapon | The Long Touch | +5% damage against full health enemies |
| Armor | Stelgaer’s Pride | +5% stamina regeneration |
| Gloves | Engwithan Gauntlets | -10% stamina cost while blocking |
| Boots | Boots of the Bricklayer | +15 carry capacity |
| Trinket | Night-Mistress’ Favor | Regen essence near companion |
| Ring | Wayfarer’s Ring | 20% health and essence from food |
| Ring | Vindictive Band | Crits deal poison damage |
Advanced Weapons and Armor
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | The Philospher’s Riddle | Power Attacks deal Bleed |
| Off-Hand | None | |
| Secondary Weapon | The Long Touch | +5% damage against full health enemies |
| Armor | Lava-Forged Plate | Deals fire when taking damage |
| Gloves | Bracers of Bloodletting | Hits deal bleed |
| Boots | Shadowdancer’s Boots | +5 increase healing all sources |
| Trinket | Cartographer’s Companion | +1 Dex, +2 Perception |
| Ring | Disiple’s Ring | +60 Max Essence |
| Ring | Ring of Greater Overseeing | +20% AOE damage |
Consumables
Magran’s Blessing and Grog are the best early consumables. Magran’s Blessing can be found in the open world. It looks like a flower, boosting damage and damage reduction by 20%. Grog cleanses negative effects and is also useful in powerful potions and recipes.
In order to craft the best consumables, you will need to take three points into the survivalist skill in the ranger tree. Once unlocked, you can crafted advanced food and buffs that drastically increase your survivability, damage, and regeneration.
FAQs about Beginner in Avowed
What is the best beginner build in Avowed?
The best beginner build uses one hand and shield with a ranged bow, giving you both survivability and damage at any range.
Does my character background affect my build?
Yes, but only starting weapon and dialogue options. You can reset your skills, passives, and attributes at anytime, but you can not change your background.
Which weapons should beginners use?
The best weapon type for beginners is one-hand and shield because blocking is useful. The secondary weapon is Bow because you can hit enemies in the head for extra damage. Moreover, use tall grass in stealth (crouched) for increased damage especially at the start of combat.
Is magic good for beginners?
No, magic (essence) and the Wizard skill tree has low survivability and resource generation. It’s not until beyond level 15 that this skill tree and playstyle becomes powerful.
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