My respec in Avowed turned the combat from Skyrim into Dishonored, and now I’m having a blast as an invisible parkour sword-mage

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In my gaming journey through the Living Lands, the initial 15 hours were quite the free-flowing adventure. Unlike many other RPGs, I wasn’t constrained to a specific class path here. Instead, each level-up offered me the chance to select abilities from the Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard pools. It’s a unique system that challenges traditional RPG progression, which often rewards specialized classes. What’s intriguing is that while certain abilities or upgrades within each path require specific levels, I found myself free to pick up abilities that caught my fancy from other paths as well. This unconventional approach adds an exciting layer of freedom to the gameplay experience.

In this game’s open-ended leveling system, which is unlike anything I’ve encountered before, I chose to employ a strategy similar to what I usually opt for in Elder Scrolls games – a balanced approach between close combat and magical abilities, essentially a Spellsword. The game allows for instantaneous switching between two weapon sets using just one key stroke, so I decided to assign a wand and spellbook to one set, and a sword-and-shield to the other, thinking this would be effective.

1. Affirmed Opinion: The timeless charm of Obsidian shines through

2. Advised Guidance: Getting started in the right way with Obsidian

3. Joined Forces: Every member of the party is present

4. Outstanding Avowed Builds: Creating flexible skill setups

5. Top Avowed Weapons: Mastering the art of dual-wielding

Despite the fact that I don’t yet comprehend the reasons, the upgrade intended to cause my wand’s Power Attacks to detonate upon impact appeared to be ineffective (the same was true for its Tier 2 upgrade), and the shield bash designed to interrupt enemy spells and assaults felt weak and unpredictable. As a mage, I felt like a novice at Hogwarts struggling to produce inconsequential sparks from my wand, and as a fighter, I felt like a lightweight attempting futilely to overpower powerful adversaries. The game mechanics just weren’t syncing, and given that combat is a significant aspect of the game, this meant that my initial playtime was marred by annoyance.

Throughout my journey, Avowed allowed me to reallocate skill points, a feature I had long hesitated to utilize. This hesitation might stem from the psychological aspect of acknowledging that my initial preferred playstyle wasn’t as effective in the game as it is in tabletop D&D. In Baldur’s Gate 3, I was reluctant to admit that a pure Warlock build didn’t perform as well as expected within the game context. Instead, I chose to adapt to the situation I was given, hoping that the gameplay would align with my idealized vision of a specific build.

However, in Baldur’s Gate 3, I procrastinated too long before transitioning to the far more enjoyable Sorlock (Sorcerer-Warlock) class. Yet, I am incredibly grateful for not delaying this change (for more than 15 hours) in Avowed, as without it, I may not have continued playing the game.

Immediately upon venturing into the second large game area, I decided it was time for a respec, an affordable option available within the game. This decision led to a significant overhaul of my abilities, as Fighter skills were replaced with a few Ranger ones. These new skills not only enhanced my gaming experience but seemed to align perfectly with how the game is intended to be played. The movement mechanics in Avowed are quite intricate, and acquiring these abilities granted me a sense of agility and lethality reminiscent of my past days bounding through Dunwall’s streets in Dishonored.

To begin with, there’s an ability called Power Slide. Initially, you can perform a ground slide in the game Avowed by sprinting followed by hitting the crouch key. However, it doesn’t become particularly useful until you unlock this feature, which causes enemies you slide into to be knocked down (and stuns them when upgraded). It’s worth noting that Shadowing Beyond is probably the most crucial ability. This allows you to become invisible during combat, reposition yourself entirely, and execute a powerful backstab infused with magic for immense damage.

Initially, I was just a lightly armed character carrying a spellbook and a sword, but in an instant, I transformed into a relentless force, charging towards xaurips and slipping beneath their thrown spears to trip them up. Previously daunting high-risk encounters, denoted by three skulls as warnings, were now manageable battles, mainly due to my skill of vanishing from sight only to reappear with my flaming sword embedded in the chest of the most formidable enemy on the battlefield (occasionally pulling it out to cause a quick one-shot dissipation into a shower of Essence particles). In tense situations, I become invisible, climb up to a vantage point using the game’s parkour-friendly mechanics, and unleash ice and fire from above, providing me with a better view for more accurate area-of-effect attacks.

Initially, I was having trouble balancing melee fights and spell casting, feeling cramped. Now, I’m using the game’s movement mechanics strategically to enhance combat experience, transforming ordinary ARPG battles into intense first-person action scenes. The game Avowed has an advanced movement system, which can sometimes make you overlook its unique abilities. However, I appreciate that respeccing is made easy, allowing me to adjust my playstyle smoothly.

I’ve got a few more agile attack strategies I’d like to incorporate into my mobile mage-assassin repertoire, like the Power Jump which allows you to jump from a ledge, delivering an enemy-crushing ground pound as you land. It seems that this direction not only suits me, but also aligns well with the fundamental game mechanics. Now, I’m excited for combat scenarios rather than viewing them as obstacles to world exploration and story progression.

Indeed, it’s fascinating how tweaking just a few aspects of a character build can transform a game experience from frustrating to exhilarating, and Elden Ring seems to illustrate this point beautifully (especially for someone like me who’s been drawn into its captivating world). There are certainly debates to be had about the intricacies of design here, but I prefer to save my gaming time for exploring the rich narratives these games offer.

I’ve come to realize that some RPGs, such as Avowed and Baldur’s Gate 3, encourage experimentation with character builds so extensively that it can lead one to create a less-than-ideal build, as I did initially. However, these games have taught me the importance of adapting when a chosen build isn’t working out, instead of persisting based solely on the idea that ‘if the game allows this, then it should work.’

Reflecting upon my past experiences, if I had known that I could effortlessly switch my character from Neville Longbottom to Corvo Attano in just a few clicks, I would have made the change sooner.

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2025-02-17 19:33