Avowedsets players on a rich, memorable journey through the Living Lands; the sights of which are often disturbed by ravenous monsters and outlaws. Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with these hostile foes, especially when holding many strong spells, as the Wizard-focused class tends to do. Still, even the most powerful mages can be vulnerable, as they often have fairly low HP and/or defense. This is when stealth can come in handy.
While perhaps not as in-depth asAssassin’s Creedon this front, there are gameplay elements inAvowed, including Ability Tree skills, that reward covert kills and stealthy traveling. Playing as a sneaky, swift, and silent Wizard can be helpful, as players can still wield great power while minimizing danger. This combination of skills (largely from the Ranger and Wizard Trees) will helpfirst-time Envoys achieve this.
10Evasive
Ranger Ability Tree - Level One
With a Wizard build that stresses evasion and survival, it’s a good idea to draw a few skills from the Ranger Tree, focusing on ranking a couple of the better ones. Evasive is rather crucial for those more vulnerable mages looking to dodge and dance around enemy attacks.
Players will want to be swift and maintain ample stamina in the event of fleeing or hunting down an unsuspecting foe. The added stamina given by Evasive (25% stamina cost reduction for rank one) may seem negligible, but it can make the difference and grant an edge in the course of a drawn-out fight.
9Finesse
Ranger Ability Tree - Level Five
Finesse is a rare ability related toweaponsthat Wizards should focus on — especially those that want to be quick. Whether it’s a handy Wand, Grimoire, or just wanting to leave a free hand while spell-casting, Finesse turns this one-handed weapon favoritism into a strength.
It bumps up damage for these types of weapons by a whopping50% when ranked up to the third level,but even its initial unlock grants a 25% boost. This,coupled with some great spells, can set the stage for powerful one-two punches when in the thick of a close-range fight.
8Harvest Essence
Wizard Ability Tree - Level Ten
Most players emphasizing magic will quickly find themselvesin need of precious Essence, and often. Thankfully, this skill somewhat remedies this resource issue, though it should be ranked to thefullestto really feel its benefits.
In the middle portion of the game, when large mobs, companions, and strong projectile spells are running wild, players can often swoop in and collect the spoils when the carnage has subsided. This means there will be ample Essence fragments to gather. It can require a lot of wandering to nab them all, though this will be common with stealthier Wizards anyway.
7Steady Aim
Sneaky, silent Wizards will want a couple of great bows in their possession — at least for their secondary loadout — and Steady Aim can help players get acquainted with these fairly tricky weapons.
From the get-go, a Ranger-Wizard hybrid can invest in this handy skill to slow time with a power attack (increasing up to75%slowdown for the third rank), making those criticals and headshots far easier.
6Sniper
Ranger Ability Tree - Level 15
After spending the middle parts ofAvowedbeefing up spells and Wizard attributes, players should return to the Ranger Tree and unlock Sniper. This skill rewards stealth with a25% ranged damage boostto unaware enemies.
These scenarios can already be quite easy, as the enemy AI isn’t always great — but evenmoresowhen playing as a light, stealthy Ranger. While it loses its usefulness once a fight starts, it’s a fine way to get an even greater edge when kicking off a surprise battle.
5Shadowing Beyond
Players should ensure they have ample Essence before unlocking this one — but with a large enough stash of the resource, Shadowing Beyond is the Wizard-scout’s dream. With its ability to turn players invisible (at least until running out of Essence), they can set up a few powerful stealth attacks, catching enemies off-guard and bringing an instant advantage.
They can follow up with a barrage of spells which are often enough to finish at least a few targets off in seconds. Players should ideally invest in ranking this up once or twice, especially if the goal is to start most fights with stealth hitsAssassin’s Creedstyle.
4Blackbow
Wizard Ability Tree - Level 15
Blackbow is a fitting option here in that it fuses traits of the Ranger with those of the Wizard. Using this spell summons a strong magical bow for30 seconds(adding 15 more seconds if upgraded to the third rank). The bow is fairly powerful on its own, but it also tacks on highPoisonaccumulation, making it an increasingly deadly weapon over time.
As an alternative, players can use this by way of a Grimoire that holds Blackbow instead — using the spare points for anevenmore Ranger-oriented build (Tanglefoot and Survivalistare good secondary options). However, stealthy Wizards taking a more offensive approach should invest in this sharp-shooting range weapon.
3Minor Missiles
Wizard Ability Tree - Level One
If there’soneseparate spell skill worth getting for Wizards that prefer Grimoires and Wands, it’s Minor Missiles. They’re quick and simple to cast, inflict ample damage, and save the trouble of aiming by heat-seeking towards the nearest target.
Bringing this to thethirdrank yields a barrage ofsix missilesat once instead of three, giving the stealth Wizard an insta-HP-melter against foes. It’s a great complement/follow-up for a bow, often finishing off an already weakened target from range.
2Wand Mastery
Wizard Ability Tree - Level Five
Ranger-Wizard hybrids should consider investing heavily in Wand Mastery, as the weapon allows players to inflict loads of damage from far or medium range. Players can mix and match this light, versatile Wand in many effective ways.
They can, for instance, use one with a melee weapon, swap to a large bow, or simply pile on with more spells. Using thefully-rankedWand Mastery (increases Wand damage by 50%) and strong Wands, coupled withotherpotent spells and/or bows, can make one a damage-dealing machine; rarely needed to approach foes up close.
1Grimoire Mastery
Grimoires are often the source of a Wizard’s true power in Avowed. While holding up a book may not look intimidating, Grimoires wield a surprising amount of strength — not to mention offer elementals for traversal in the wilderness (clearing spider webs with flame, making icy pathways in lakes, etc.).
Players can utilize coupling spells in these books withalreadyunlocked ones for added spell speed and strength, or exploit Grimoires' long lineup of spells that would otherwise need to be unlocked, saving precious Ability Points.
