Best Starting Weapons in Avowed

Like most modern action-RPGs, Avowed allows you to choose a starting Background for your created character. With five choices in total, each Background has a significant impact on the dialogue options you’ll see over the course of the game. Along with that, each Background option begins the game with a different weapon. In this guide, we’ll explain every Background choice in Avowed, and provide our thoughts on which options we think are best for new players.

Every Background Option in Avowed

Avowed features five unique Background options, all of which actually provide meaningful differences in nearly every scene with dialogue. That’s not to say that these choices have a profound impact on the overall story, but it does provide enough variety to justify this topic of discussion. Along with the dialogue choices, each Background will also determine your starting attribute point allocation, as well as your starting weapon.

The five Background choices in Avowed are:

• Arcane Scholar
• Court Auger
• Noble Scion
• Vanguard Scout
• War Hero

Attributes Explained:

• Might: Each level of Might increases your overall Damage output and Carry Capacity.
• Constitution: Each level increases your Max Health and Poison & Bleed resistance.
• Dexterity: Each level increases Attack Speed and Action Speed.
• Perception: Each level increases Critical Hit Chance and Max Range
• Intellect: Each level increases Max Essence (“MP”) and Elemental Resistance.
• Resolve: Each level increases Max Stamina and Second Wind Efficiency (mechanic for avoiding death).

Arcane Scholar Background:

Arcane Scholars are the wizards of Avowed. These characters will start high Intellect, allowing them to cast more spells than others, as soon as they find a grimoire or unlock them from the wizard skill tree. In exchange for their high essence, however, they have extremely low max health. With the Might investment, this option also does well as the basis for a ‘spellbalde’ build.

• Starting Weapon: Common Dagger

Attribute Distribution:

Court Augur Background:

The Court Augur is Avowed‘s answer to a “sorcerer” type dark magician. With nothing invested in Might and Constitution, this option is even more magic based than the Arcane Scholar. For those players looking for a mystical, esoteric feel to their responses, this is the best Background option.

• Starting Weapon: Common Mace

Attribute Distribution:

Noble Scion Background:

The Noble Scion is the most well-rounded Background option, with points spread across every category. The Noble Scion is a highborn who has fallen on hard times, and their dialogue choices reflect this fact. There are so many ways to play this build, it is likely the best option for new players.

• Starting Weapon: Common Sword

Attribute Distribution:

Vanguard Scout Background:

The Vanguard Scout is the ‘ranged’ option (even though it does not start with a ranged weapon), with the most points being allocated to Perception. Those players looking for a character without much love for the empire will find a lot to love in the scout. This is Avowed‘s take on the rogue archetype.

• Starting Weapon: Common Axe

Attribute Distribution:

War Hero Background:

The War Hero is the brute force melee fighter of the bunch. While there is no doubt that this Background is powerful, starting out with no magical abilities is actually extremely difficult in Avowed. Those players that don’t mind an early challenge, and want the classic “I’m not a hero” archetype, will be happy with the War Hero.

• Starting Weapon: Common Spear

Attribute Point Distribution:

Best Starting Background & Weapons in Avowed

Once Avowed opens up, players will be able to modify their characters and build them out any way they please. This means that defining a ‘best Background’ is really only important for the early game. Those players looking to pick their Background based on the way it affects dialogue choices can check the previous section. Here, we are looking at the options that will give you the best chance in the early game.

Best Background Options:

The best Backgrounds for new players are the Arcane Scholar and the Noble Scion. Both of these options provide a well-rounded stat sheet, with only slight variations. Those who want to focus on magic early should go with the Arcane Scholar, and those that want to go with melee should go with the Noble Scion.

Out of the two, I would say the Noble Scion is the ultimate winner due to its starting weapon: the common sword. It won’t take long to start finding other weapons in Avowed, but the common sword will take you further than any of them. Having it from the start means you can begin to upgrade it as quickly as possible.

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Systems

Franchise

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Pillars of Eternity

Released

February 18, 2025

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Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

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Engine

Unreal Engine 5

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ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence

Steam Deck Compatibility

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Unknown

X|S Optimized

Yes

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Number of Players

1

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