Best Avowed Unarmed Build

Learn about crafting an optimal Unarmed character in Avowed, featuring suggestions for abilities, stats, equipment, party members, and a strategic leveling plan!

The game titled “Avowed” is a role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. It’s set within the universe of Pillars of Eternity, specifically in the region known as the Living Lands, where you’ll be investigating a hidden mystery. In this game, there’s an unarmed combat style that quickly dispatches enemies, minimizing the length of battle sequences. To excel with this approach, it’s beneficial to concentrate on attributes like Strength, Stamina, and Agility. This focus can be decisive in certain scenarios, offering advantages that are particularly rewarding when utilized properly.

This guide will focus on the optimal unarmed fighting strategy in Avowed, offering tips for gameplay and suggestions for suitable equipment as your character advances. Since unarmed combat doesn’t involve weapons, you won’t have to worry about spending resources on upgrades or maintenance. Your effectiveness in close-quarters combat relies heavily on skills, attributes, and Passive abilities like Iron Fists that boost damage output and durability.

Table of Content
  • Unarmed Build Features & Mechanics
    • Background
    • Attribute Points
    • Weapon Choices
  • Skill Selection
    • Levels 1-10 Skills
    • Levels 11-20 Skills
    • Levels 21-25 Skills
  • Best Unarmed Skills Explained
  • Companions
  • Unarmed Gameplay & Tips
  • Weapons and Armor
  • Consumables

Everything You Need To Know About Unarmed Build Guide in Avowed

In the game Avowed, our Unarmed build is centered around inflicting damage through spells and fists. To create a powerful unarmed character, it’s crucial to approach the process thoughtfully. Prioritize boosting attributes such as Strength, Stamina, and Agility. Boosting Strength will enhance your damage output, Stamina will bolster your health reserves for improved survivability in close-quarters combat, and Agility will speed up your attacks and improve accuracy.

In our unarmed combat character setup, the Iron Fist-like skill enhances your unarmed strike’s power, enabling them to shatter obstacles. If you have an unarmed fighting style, concentrate on developing skills that enhance your expertise in unarmed attacks, boosting both damage output and efficiency. To maintain a balance between protection and agility, select light to medium armor. It would be beneficial to outfit yourself with items that augment your health, stamina recovery rate, or unarmed attack power.

To prevent constant exhaustion, keep an eye on your energy levels. As you advance in the game and face tougher enemies, the Unarmed build may not be as powerful. Since some spells can cause significant damage, selecting the right magic is vital. This build doesn’t rely heavily on gear; instead, your main and secondary tools are magical abilities. Later in the game, opt for a high-level shield to deflect incoming attacks from enemies.

UNARMED Build ProsUNARMED Build Cons
No Gear DependencyDelayed Damage Output
Scale easilyLimited Range
Unique RoleplayLess effective at greater difficulties

Unarmed Build Features & Mechanics

Below are the essential best UNARMED build features and mechanics for Avowed:

  • Background: Vanguard Scout
  • Attribute Points: Might, Constitution, and Dexterity
  • Weapon Choices: Magic and Shield
  • Best Skills: Iron Fists, Harvest Essence, Blood Magic, Scion of Flame, and Parry
  • Recommended Companions: Giatta and Kai
  • Best Consumables: Bunch of Peppers, Health Potion, and Cured Bovigrand Lion

Background

In the game Avowed, the Vanguard Scout backstory is ideal for an Unarmed build, catering to players with a preference towards survival, exploration, and covert operations. The Vanguard Scout excels in enduring tough conditions and offers numerous stealth-oriented dialogue and gameplay choices. This includes the ability to move silently, set traps, and employ methods for overcoming or gathering intel on opponents. However, regardless of your chosen backstory, you’re free to utilize any available equipment and abilities.

Choosing a background in Avowed shapes your character’s history, determines their initial attribute distributions, and presents dialogue options tailored to that background. It also influences how you allocate points across six stats. However, the choice of background doesn’t limit your access to any gear or abilities as the game unfolds. This can prove particularly helpful in the game’s wilderness regions. As a Vanguard Scout, for instance, your robust Constitution lets you withstand physical hardships. You can collect information, avoid enemies, or make tactical decisions more effectively while advancing through the game.

Attribute Points

When developing your Unarmed build, prioritize Strength (Might), Constitution, and Agility (Dexterity) as key attributes. These stats significantly enhance your physical combat capabilities, durability, and overall resilience in battle. Strength is indispensable for any form of physical combat, making it vital for an Unarmed character. It directly impacts the power of your attacks, so it’s crucial to boost your unarmed strike effectiveness.

Constitution plays a pivotal role in determining your overall health and survivability, ensuring you can withstand more damage during combat encounters. Agility, on the other hand, improves your speed, evasion, and accuracy, giving you an edge in close-quarters combat. By focusing on these attributes, you’ll be able to excel as an Unarmed character, maximizing your potential in both offense and defense.

Conversely, the Constitution enhances your health and endurance, making you stronger and more capable of withstanding challenges. Since hand-to-hand combat without weapons is risky, it’s wise to focus on improving this trait. Agility aids in dodging attacks, which becomes vital for an Unarmed character within the game. This attribute can also raise your attack speed and precision, thereby enhancing your unarmed attacks.

Weapon Choices

The optimal weapons for an Unarmed build are Magic and Shield. You can cast spells directly, without needing a Wand or Grimoire. To excel in this style, focus on upgrading skills within the Wizard class. Opt for a small magical focus or a shield-like item that offers buffs while avoiding the need for a conventional weapon. Magic can significantly boost your melee attacks, enhance survivability, and offer flexibility to your gameplay. Cast spells to imbue your fists with fire, lightning, or lifesteal, or use mobility spells to swiftly close in on enemies, overwhelming them.

Utilizing a shield increases your resilience, enabling you to stand strong against numerous adversaries simultaneously. The shield serves as a barrier, deflecting incoming assaults and sometimes even counterattacking in close-quarters combat. It offers a reduction in damage from both melee and ranged attacks, but timing is vital for minimizing harm. Additionally, it aids in conserving stamina by absorbing strikes without depleting it. The shield can also function as a form of resistance against being staggered, preventing you from getting easily pushed back or stunned. Some shields even provide protection against magic, so selecting the optimal one is essential. Defend yourself against enemies with your shield while employing Wizard skills to inflict damage during battle.

Skill Selection

At every stage in the game, starting from level 2, you earn a new skill point that you can invest in one of the three skill categories. As you progress through each level, you gain an additional skill point. You have the freedom to combine skills from different categories, but for the Unarmed build, it’s beneficial to blend Fighter and Wizard skills. Additionally, you can rearrange your skills using gold at any point in the game, although this option becomes more costly as you advance in levels.

Levels 1-10 Skills

At this stage, essential abilities include Minor Missiles, Shield Bash, Parry, Blood Magic, and Iron Fists. It’s advisable to allocate your skill points towards acquiring these capabilities to ensure survival in the early game phases. Passive skills enhance damage output or survivability, while active skills demand essence for use, a resource you may not have access to at first due to their cost.

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Unarmed Build for Avowed from levels 1 to 10:

LevelSkill NameTreeDescription
1None
2Charge Rank 1FighterDash 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.
3Evasive Rank 1RangerReduces the Stamina cost of Dodge by 25%
4Parry Rank 1RangerTime a perfect Block against a melee attack to knock the enemy back and gain an immediate counter-attack.
5Shield Bash Rank 1FighterAttacking while holding Block slams your shield forward to Stun, push back, and interrupt enemies.
6Grimoire Mastery Rank 1WizardUnlock level 5 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 10%.
7Bristling Frost Rank 1WizardThe caster is surrounded by a protective frost that increases Damage Reduction by 10% and deals Frost Accumulation to enemy melee attackers.
8Iron Fist Rank 1FighterUnarmed attacks are Fine quality and can break wooden barriers and explosive barrels.
9Charge Rank 2FighterIncreases the distance traveled during Charge by 100%
10Unbreakable Rank 1FighterDecreases the Stamina cost when Blocking by 30%.

Levels 11-20 Skills

Enhance both your damage output and survivability from levels 11 to 20. Prioritize skills that increase your Damage Per Second (DPS). This strategy will enable you to overpower the enemies you encounter. Skills like Parry can help you block attacks from enemies, followed by a powerful counterattack. The Retribution attack allows you to inflict 70% of the damage received from an enemy back onto them after being attacked.

Listed below are the skills that constitute the top unarmed build for Avowed, starting at level 11 and going through level 20:

1. Skill 1 (level 11)
2. Skill 2 (level 12)
3. Skill 3 (level 13)
4. Skill 4 (level 14)
5. Skill 5 (level 15)
6. Skill 6 (level 16)
7. Skill 7 (level 17)
8. Skill 8 (level 18)
9. Skill 9 (level 19)
10. Skill 10 (level 20)

LevelSkill NameTree
11Shield Bash Rank 2FighterIncreases Stun dealt by Shield Bash.
12Iron Fists Rank 2FighterUnarmed attacks are of Exceptional quality.
13Arcane Veil Rank 1WizardInvokes a powerful arcane shield for 20 seconds that makes your spell casting Uninterruptable and increases your Damage Reduction by 50%
14Power Slide Rank 1RangerYour slides pass through enemies and knock them down at the cost of 20 Essence.
15Retribution Rank 1FighterAfter taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 5 seconds deals +70% of the original damage you received.
16Unbreakable Rank 2FighterDecreases the Stamina cost when Blocking by 50%.
17Parry Rank 2RangerIncreases Parry efficiency by 25 %, dealing greater Stun when Parrying enemies.
18Iron Fists Rank 3FighterUnarmed attacks are of Superb quality.
19Bear Ally Rank 1RangerSummon a bear ally to aid you in battle for 30 seconds.
20Evasive Rank 2RangerReduces the Stamina cost of Dodge by 35%.

Levels 21-25 Skills

Between levels 21-25, focus on enhancing your Damage Per Second (DPS) capacity by mastering advanced abilities. In battles, make use of both shield and magic for dealing damage effectively. It’s advisable to upgrade your shield to a higher quality version as it will help shield your players from incoming harm.

As a gripping game enthusiast engaged in Avowed, here’s a breakdown of my preferred unarmed build’s skill progression from level 21 to 25:

– At level 21, I opted for the Unarmored Defense perk to boost my physical resilience.
– Level 22 saw me choosing the Fist of Steel for a more formidable punch.
– Next up at level 23 was the Iron Fist perk, enhancing the power of my unarmed attacks.
– At level 24, I went with the Unstoppable Rage to deal even more damage during combat.
– Lastly, at level 25, I selected the Whirlwind for a sweeping attack that leaves no room for enemies to escape.

LevelSkill NameTreeDescription
21Iron Fists Rank 4FighterUnarmed attacks are of Legendary quality.
22Bear Ally Rank 2RangerYour bear ally roars when summoned, Taunting enemies and increasing the damage it deals.
23Unbreakable Rank 3FighterDecreases the Stamina cost when Blocking by 60%.
24Arcane Veil Rank 2WizardIncoming arrows or similar projectiles are reflected back at enemies
25Inspiring TriumphFighterKilling enemies restores 10% of your companion’s max health

Best Unarmed Skills Explained

Among the top abilities to focus on for an Unarmed build in Avowed, Iron Fists, Harvest Essence, Blood Magic, Scion of Flame, and Parry stand out. Iron Fists is a passive skill that boosts the efficiency of unarmed combat, and you can level it up to intensify the impact of your unarmed attacks as you advance through its levels. This skill not only amplifies the damage of your unarmed strikes but also optimizes their overall performance.

1. Harvest Essence boosts the rate at which you recover Essence, making you gain more Essence from Essence shards dropped by vanquished foes.

2. Blood Magic allows for spellcasting to persist by draining health when Essence runs out.

3. Scion of Flame improves your mastery over fire-infused magic.

4. Parry is a distinctive skill that amplifies both defensive and offensive capabilities during close-quarters combat.

  • Iron Fists- Improves the quality of your unarmed attacks, allowing them to break barriers.
  • Harvest Essence- Increases the essence restored by essence fragments from defeated enemies.
  • Blood Magic- Allows you to continue casting spells using health when the essence is depleted.
  • Arcane Seal- Conjures a seal that regenerates Essence and increases ability cast speed, slowing enemies within its range.
  • Parry- Allows you to knock back enemies and counterattack after a perfect block.
  • Fireball- Summons a sphere of fire that explodes into lingering flames, enhancing area and reducing cooldown.
  • Retribution- Increases the damage of your next attack after taking damage from an enemy.

Companions

As a gamer, I can confidently say that Giatta and Kai are the top choices for an Unarmed build in Avowed. In the heat of battle, she’s got your back, healing your character when you sustain damage. You’ll meet her during the main story quest, “The Animancy Method.” On the other hand, Marius becomes accessible after advancing through the main story quest, “An Untimely End.” These companions add a unique flair to your adventure, each bringing their own abilities and backstories. Giatta truly shines in healing and support roles, making her an indispensable part of any team.

Kai takes up the role of a protective shield, drawing foes towards him and taking hits in return. This is advantageous for martial artists, helping them handle numerous adversaries. You’ll be able to get Kai once you finish the “Message from Afar” quest at Dawnshore. This companion can effectively control enemy hostility, allowing you to concentrate on hand-to-hand fights. Having Kai as your ally can enhance your unarmed fighting style by offering a sturdy tank and crowd management capabilities.

Giatta

Skill 1Skill 2Skill 3Skill 4
PurificationBarrierAccelerationReconstruction
Essence GeneratorProtective shields to reduce incoming damageIncreases the movement and attack speedHeal and restore health

Kai

Skill 1Skill 2Skill 3Skill 4
Fire and IreUnbending DefenseLeap of DaringSecond Wind
Fires a powerful shot from his blunderbussRegenerate Health and increase his Damage Reduction by 25%Crashes down upon the enemy, Stunning and Taunting all nearby enemiesRevives himself when his health is reduced to zero

Unarmed Gameplay & Tips

In the game Avowed, engaging in hand-to-hand combat presents a captivating and engrossing adventure. Agility, swiftness, and tactical positioning play significant roles due to their importance. Enhancing skills such as Iron Fists enhances your effectiveness in unarmed combat. It’s advisable to concentrate on increasing your attribute points, particularly Might, Constitution, and Dexterity. An increase in Might raises the damage caused by unarmed attacks, while boosting Constitution strengthens health and stamina, thereby enhancing survivability.

Boosting dexterity enhances your attack rate and agility in avoiding attacks. Utilize the guard for parrying strikes, offering defense without impacting unarmed fighting. Opt for a top-tier shield to ward off all incoming assaults. The ideal partners for an Unarmed build are Giatta and Kai. Giatta provides healing and boosts, while Kai serves as a tank, draws enemy focus, and soaks up damage in battle. Our suggestion is to use swift dodges to escape attacks and reposition. Time your shield blocks to deflect strikes, concentrating on enhancing critical hit probability and power to amplify unarmed combat.

Weapons and Armor

Beginner Weapon and Armor

SlotItemBonus
Weapon 1BlizzardConjures a violent storm of ice and snow, pummeling nearby enemies with raining ice and Frost Accumulation.
Off-HandFine Round ShieldBlock 49 Stability 20 Parry 140 Elemental Resistance 20
Secondary WeaponRing of FireCreates a fiery barrier around the caster that reduces damage and burns melee attackers.
ArmorStelgaer’s Pride18% Damage Reduction -35 Maximum Stamina -30 Maximum Essence
GlovesBlackwing Gloves+1% Critical Hit Chance +10% Critical Damage
BootsTranton Family Greaves+20 Maximum Health +20% Dodge Distance +10% Move Speed
TrinketBerath’s Blessed Ward-5% damage from Vessels
RingRing of Pain Amplification+15% Critical Damage
RingRing of the Founder+10% Damage Against enemies with full health

Endgame Weapon and Armor

SlotItemBonus
Weapon 1Arcane SealConjures a seal that regenerates Essence and increases ability cast speed, slowing enemies within its range.
Off-HandLegendary SpindlewalkerBlock 91 Stability 20 Parry 380 Elemental Resistance 50
Secondary WeaponFreezing PillarDerives a pillar of ice into the ground, dealing with frost damage and acting as a frost area effect.
ArmorBerserker Scale15% damage reduction 71 Additional damage reduction -25 Maximum Stamina -35 Maximum Essence
GlovesSentinel Gloves+15% Stun
BootsBerserker Boots-10% incoming Fire, Frost, and Shock Damage
TrinketCartographer’s Companion+1 Dex, +2 Perception
RingAshfall’s Legacy+10% Attack Damage +20% Critical Hit Damage
RingDisciple’s Ring+60 Maximum Essence

Consumables

In the game Avowed, consumable items offer short-term advantages like healing your health or replenishing essence or boosting different attributes. You can acquire these items by vanquishing foes, ransacking containers or chests, or buying them from vendors. The Bunch of Peppers is a top-tier consumable that bestows 25 Essence Regeneration. To achieve 150 Health Regeneration, utilize a Cured Bovigrand Lion. A Health Potion will restore approximately 70% of your maximum health for 300 seconds. Navigate to the radial menu and click on the consumable symbol to employ a consumable. This action takes you to the consumables section where you can pick the items you want to activate.

FAQs about Unarmed in Avowed

What is the best Unarmed build in Avowed?

In the game Avowed, an optimal Unarmed build employs Magic and a Shield for both offensive and defensive purposes during battle. This strategy allows for dealing damage effectively while also providing protection against incoming attacks.

Which is the best Background for an Unarmed build?

In the game Avowed, the Vanguard Scout serves as the optimal foundation for an Unarmed character build. This backstory is ideal for gamers emphasizing on survival techniques, discovery, and covert operations.

Which are the best skills for Unarmed build?

The top skills to prioritize for an unarmed playstyle in Avowed are Iron Fists, Harvest Essence, Blood Magic, Scion of Flame, and Parry. These skills not only enable you to inflict significant damage but also enhance your survivability throughout the game.

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2025-02-18 21:48

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