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GamesRadar

Technology

Leon Hurley

Avowed backgrounds, attributes and builds explained

Obsidian

Avowed backgrounds give you a preset distribution of attributes - effectively a build to start you off. However, there's a few interesting twists to the system and you're not really bound to any of the choices you make during character creation, beyond specific dialogue options each background gives you once you're out in the world. However, because there's a few new ideas going around in Avowed and nothing is as clear as calling a mage a mage, you might be unsure what background does what or, if you want to respec a few points, where best to spend them to change up your skills. I can explain all that here by talking a look at Avowed backgrounds, all the attributes and even some build ideas below.

Avowed Attributes

Avowed attributes are all fairly self explanatory, with each one governing two facets of your character. It's a simple system with fairly clean boundaries. The one interesting twist is having Might govern damage from all weapons and magic, meaning it's a vital stat for any build.

Might
- Increases damage from weapons and magic, and carry capacity.
Constitution
- Increases health and physical resistances, specifically poison and bleeding
Dexterity
- Increases attack speed for weapons and abilities, reload speed and actions like parkour, equipping things and using consumables
Perception
- Increases Critical Hit chance and range for all weapons, making guns, bows and wands better at longer distances
Intellect
- Increases maximum Essence for spell casting and elemental resistances to fire, electric and cold statues.
Resolve
- Increases maximum Stamina and Second Wind ability, so you can come back from the dead more often and better off when you do.

Avowed Builds

Because Avowed attributes are so clear it makes the skills you need for various builds easy to pick out. The only curveball is Might governing all damage, meaning whatever you want to be, you'll have to spec a lot of points into that.

Warrior
- Might for Damage, Constitution to tank up health and physical resistance, and Resolve for weapon using stamina and better second wind recovery if you go down swinging.
Mage
- Might for Damage, Intellect to max out your spell casting power, and Perception for range to keep your glass cannon out of danger.
Rogue/ranged
- Might for Damage, Dexterity to up your attack speed and Perception to boost both effectiveness at range and give you more Critical Hits

All Avowed Backgrounds

All Avowed backgrounds are basically presets with points scattered around the attributes that fit the backstory. However, you can respec all your points right at the start of character creation, and any background can access and use all the abilities and equipment in the game. So the only thing you're really getting locked into with this choice are 'unique dialogue options' and a starting weapon

So that means that these backgrounds aren't really permanent, more a starting suggestion for stats that suit certain archetypes. If you want, you could pick the War Hero, a tanky fighter style character, and immediately move all your points into intellect to create a mage with War Hero dialogue options.

Avowed Arcane Scholar Background

The Avowed Arcane Scholar is one of the best starting magic options. It points lean into Dexterity, Perception and Intellect to boost your spell casting, range and attack speed. It also comes with a decent Might stat to give you some good damage from the start.

As far as the dialogue options go expect to get more choices when it comes to 'occult knowledge, legal precedent, historical observation and poetry'.

Here's the full breakdown of Avowed Arcane Scholar stats:

Might 2
- +6% Damage
- +20% Carry Capacity
Constitution 0
- +0% Maximum Health
- +0% Poison and bleed resistance
Dexterity 2
- +7% Attack Speed
- +13% Action Speed
Perception 2
- +4% Critical Hit Chance
- +10% Maximum Range
Intellect 3
- +15% Maximum Essence
- +18% Elemental Resistance
Resolve 1
- +5% Maximum Stamina
- +12% Second Wind Efficiency

Avowed Court Augur Background

The Avowed Court Augur is an odd option, not least because it starts with no Might or Constitution, and so the least damage and health of all the backgrounds. Instead, all its biggest stats are focused on perception and Intellect, giving it good range and magic power. So it's sort of a classic mage glass cannon type thing, only with no points in damage, so more just 'glass'.

Picking such a delicate, magic focused character to start with is probably not the best option. If you do want to focus on spells go with the Arcane Scholar above, which is similar but had a couple of points of Might to boost damage. The Noble Scion below is also probably a better magic option, with a sliver more health to start with.

As far as dialogue options go this characters is described as being weird enough to be chased out of their village, and a specialist in mysticism, while wielding 'power from the shadows' with influence and deception.

Here's all the Avowed Court Augur background stats

Might 0
- +0% Damage
- +0% Carry Capacity
Constitution 0
- +0% Maximum Health
- +0% Poison and bleed resistance
Dexterity 2
- +7% Attack Speed
- +13% Action Speed
Perception 3
- +6% Critical Hit Chance
- +15% Maximum Range
Intellect 3
- +15% Maximum Essence
- +18% Elemental Resistance
Resolve 2
- +10% Maximum Stamina
- +23% Second Wind Efficiency

Avowed Noble Scion Background

The Avowed Noble Scion is an extremely unclear class, looking like another spin on magic, with its focus on Dexterity, Perception and Intellect for speed, range and magic power. However, its abilities are slightly smoothed out across the board, losing a point from the spell casting Intellect to give Constitution and health a lift instead.

When it comes to dialogue options the only clear characteristic this character seems to have is that they're rich.

Here are all the Avowed Noble Scion attributes:

Might 2
- +6% Damage
- +20% Carry Capacity
Constitution 1
- +5% Maximum Health
- +6% Poison and bleed resistance
Dexterity 2
- +7% Attack Speed
- +13% Action Speed
Perception 2
- +4% Critical Hit Chance
- +10% Maximum Range
Intellect 2
- +10% Maximum Essence
- +12% Elemental Resistance
Resolve 1
- +5% Maximum Stamina
- +12% Second Wind Efficiency

Avowed Vanguard Scout Background

The Avowed Vanguard Scout is essentially a rogue-like fighter with stats focusing on speed and range with physical weapons. It's basically a faster, slightly less powerful warrior compared to the tanky War Hero. If you're not planning on using ranged options it's probably worth taking some points off of Perception to boost your Might for more damage instead.

It's dialogue options focus on subterfuge, and things like tracking and spying.

Here are all the Avowed Vanguard Scout attributes:

Might 1
- +3% Damage
- +10% Carry Capacity
Constitution 2
- +10% Maximum Health
- +12% Poison and bleed resistance
Dexterity 2
- +7% Attack Speed
- +13% Action Speed
Perception 3
- +6% Critical Hit Chance
- +15% Maximum Range
Intellect 1
- +5% Maximum Essence
- +6% Elemental Resistance
Resolve 1
- +5% Maximum Stamina
- +12% Second Wind Efficiency

Avowed War Hero Background

The Avowed War Hero is the classic tanky fighter, with all its points focused on health, damage and stamina. It's built to get up front in a fight and dish it out as much as take it. This is an all physical starter set of stats, so don't pick this if you're even vaguely tempted by magic.

The War Hero dialogue options are less clear, with only your history of battle and scars mentioned.

These are all the Avowed War Hero stats