Best Avowed Frost Build

Dive into the world of Avowed as I share my personal guide on crafting an unstoppable Frost build. Here’s a breakdown of the skills, stats, weapons, allies, and level-up strategy that will help you rule the icy landscapes!

Let’s get started on this frosty journey together!

Avowed is a role-playing game (RPG) created by Obsidian Entertainment and released by Xbox Game Studios. It’s set within the Pillars of Eternity universe, specifically in the Living Lands where you delve into an enigmatic secret. The Frost build in Avowed stands out for its ability to handle large groups while also dealing high damage.

Using Frost magic in a Spellsword or Spellblade character enables players to ice-up opponents. Properly distributing attribute points significantly enhances your character’s power. It’s vital to keep track of Essence usage and prepare for enemies that are resistant to Frost abilities. This guide will explore the optimal Frost build for Avowed characters, including helpful gameplay suggestions and suitable equipment options.

Table of Content
  • Frost Build Features & Mechanics
    • Background
    • Attribute Points
    • Weapon Choices
    • Frost Accumulation
    • Frost Passive
  • Skill Selection
    • Levels 1-10 Skills
    • Levels 11-20 Skills
    • Levels 21-30 Skills
  • Best Frost Skills Explained
  • Companions
  • Frost Gameplay & Tips
  • Weapons and Armor
  • Consumables

Everything You Need To Know About Frost Build Guide in Avowed

In the game Avowed, the Frost build focuses on casting spells that manipulate ice to dominate the battlefield. This particular build features a Wand as the main weapon, Grimoire as the secondary weapon, and Dagger as backup for challenging battles. To maximize frost damage in combat, select a high-level Wand. The Frost build comes equipped with skills such as Chill Blades, Freezing Pillar, Wand Mastery, and Bristling Frost to neutralize enemies without sustaining any harm. The Frost build in Avowed boasts strong crowd control and defensive features, which makes it a great choice for players who enjoy tactical combat.

Investing in Intellect, Perception, and Power as your primary attributes will significantly boost your performance in the game, as these traits are crucial for your gameplay style. By allocating points to these attributes, you’ll be able to dish out more frost damage during intense battles. Employ the Secret of Rime to amplify the frost accumulation you inflict on your opponents. Opt for a Grimoire that synergizes with Frost magic, making you an formidable player in the game. Giatta and Kai are our top choices among companions when building a Frost character. While frost spells excel at immobilizing enemies, their immediate damage is comparatively lower. Some frost spells may require a considerable amount of Essence to cast.

Frost Build Pros Frost Build Cons
Crowd Control High Essence Consumption
Defensive Delayed Damage Output
Synergy with Melee Combat  

Frost Build Features & Mechanics

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

  • Background: Arcane Scholar
  • Attribute Points: Intellect, Perception, Might
  • Weapon Choices: Wand, Grimoire, Dagger
  • Best Skills: Chill Blades, Freezing Pillar, Wand Mastery, Secret of Rime, Bristling Frost, Blast of Frost
  • Recommended Companions: Giatta and Kai
  • Best Consumables: Fine Aedyran Mead, Krakenhorn, Murkbrew

Background

In the game Avowed, selecting the Arcane Scholar background is ideal for developing a Frost build character. This choice shapes your character’s backstory and affects early game elements. Picking the Arcane Scholar background unlocks special dialogue options due to your extensive knowledge. The Arcane Scholar offers a versatile starting point for players who enjoy both magic and combat. This background gives a well-balanced distribution of attribute points, focusing on intelligence and adaptability. Pick this background to boost your character’s frost magical abilities and overall gameplay experience.

The setting or background significantly impacts your role-playing adventure, influencing the choices available in dialogues, your starting weapon during tutorial, and even the initial distribution of attribute points across six categories. However, this doesn’t limit your access to any items or abilities as you progress through the game. In Avowed, choosing a background helps shape your character’s history, providing an initial setup for attributes and dialogue choices.

Attribute Points

For a Frost build in Avowed, it’s advantageous to prioritize Intelligence, Awareness, and Power as your key attributes. These attributes enhance your spellcasting proficiency and battle readiness. Boosting your Intelligence increases your maximum Energy, which allows for more frequent spell casting and improves your resilience against various elemental effects such as Burning, Shocking, and Freezing. Awareness is the second most important attribute to focus on due to its ability to heighten your critical hit probability and expand the reach of your spells. This ensures that your frost attacks are both powerful and have a long range.

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Instead of just increasing damage from standard attacks, it also intensifies harm from all sources, including spells, and raises your load capacity. By concentrating on these characteristics, you can amplify your attack power across the board. As you progress through levels, you’ll gain extra attribute points to tailor your character. Utilize the items you pick up along your journey to improve your attribute points up to a maximum of 27 at level 30. Here’s the distribution of attribute points for the Frost build in Avowed:

(Provide the attribute points distribution here)

  • Constitution: 1
  • Intellect: 12
  • Perception: 6
  • Might: 4
  • Dexterity: 3
  • Resolve: 1

Weapon Choices

In the game Avowed, a Staff, Book (Grimoire), and Dagger are ideal weapons for the Frost build. The Staff functions as the main weapon for spellcasters, enabling long-range magical attacks. Simultaneously, having a Book (Grimoire) in your non-dominant hand gives you access to multiple spells, including frost-centric ones. Choose a Dagger like “Survivor’s Guilt” as your secondary weapon, which boosts Frost damage and quickly accumulates Frost through quick strikes. This dagger is optimal for nimble combatants who specialize in weakening enemies.

In the game of Avowed, the wand you choose for your Frost build serves as your main weapon, delivering magical attacks at a distance while also granting passive advantages, special spellcasting effects, or continuous damage during battles. This wand is particularly effective, offering elemental effects to boost your performance in combat. Enhancing your weapon with upgrades significantly improves your efficiency in the game. The wand primarily works in harmony with your Frost build, so it’s a good idea to invest skill points into the Wizard class to amplify your damage output when using a Wand. Additionally, you can equip certain wands that come with enchantments, offering extra benefits during combat.

In the game Avowed, your secondary weapon for the Frost build is known as Grimoire. This tool unlocks powerful spells that inflict heavy damage during battle. With Grimoire, you have the ability to cast several spells, offering adaptability in diverse combat scenarios. It works harmoniously with the spells wielded in your primary hand. Using a Wand for your main weapon and Grimoire as an off-hand accessory creates a strategic setup. This duo allows for a blend of consistent damage output and versatile spell usage.

Secondary Weapon

In the game Avowed, your Frost build’s backup weapon is a Dagger. This weapon is renowned for its swift attack rate and high probability of critical hits. To optimize your combat experience with the dagger, choose one that inflicts frost damage. Enhance its efficiency by allocating skill points in designated skills. Although wielding weapons in both hands is an option, the attack speed remains unchanged. You’ll need certain materials to upgrade it at a workbench. Use this dagger when engaging enemies in close quarters or for stealthy takedowns.

Frost Accumulation

In the game Avowed, there’s an exclusive mechanic called Frost Accumulation. When this accumulation reaches its peak, it enables you to freeze your opponents. A single weapon strike can shatter these frozen foes, dealing a significant amount of damage. Frozen adversaries become extremely vulnerable; attacking them may result in a Shatter. Techniques like Chill Blades, Blizzard, and Blast of Frost all contribute to the Frost Accumulation on enemies. This feature amplifies your combat potency by both immobilizing and shattering your enemies.

Frost Passive

The Secret of Rime is a hidden talent in the Wizard’s skill set that boosts your mastery over frosty attacks. Utilize this talent to amplify the Frost Damage build-up you inflict on opponents, making it simpler to freeze and shatter them during battles. This passive ability works particularly well when used alongside active spells like Chill Blades and Blizzard.

Skill Selection

In this game, you earn the ability to add a new skill point to one of three skill categories at every level, starting from level 2. Each level advancement grants you an additional skill point. You’re free to allocate these points across any combination of the skill trees. However, the Wizard and Fighter skill trees complement each other exceptionally well. Notably, you can reset skills using gold whenever you desire, but the cost rises as your character levels up.

Levels 1-10 Skills

In the early phases of the game, it’s advisable to focus on mastering Chill Blades, Wand Mastery, Grimoire Mastery, Blizzard, and Constant Recovery for your Frost build. Allocate your skill points towards abilities that will help you survive during these initial stages. Passive skills enhance damage output or survivability, whereas active skills demand essence to use, a resource that may be scarce at the beginning of the game.

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

Level Skill Name Tree Description
1 None
2 Minor Missiles Rank 1 Wizard Summons 3 Magical projectiles that seek out enemies, dealing large amounts of damage to nearby enemies on impact.
3 Arcane Veil Rank 1 Wizard Invokes a powerful arcane shield for 20 seconds that makes your spell casting Uninterruptable and increases your Damage Reduction by 50%.
4 Chill Blades Rank 1 Wizard Summons blades of ice that blast forward, dealing Frost Accumulation at long distances.
5 Blast Rank 1 Wizard Power Attacks with wands explode on impact, dealing reduced Stun and Explosive Damage to nearby enemies.
6 Wand Mastery Rank 1 Wizard Increases damage with wands by 25%.
7 Grimoire Mastery Rank 1 Wizard Unlock level 5 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 10%.
8 Blizzard Rank 1 Wizard Conjures a violent storm of ice and snow, pummeling nearby enemies with raining ice and Frost Accumulation.
9 Bristling Frost Rank 1 Wizard The caster is surrounded by a protective frost that increases Damage Reduction by 10% and deals Frost Accumulation to enemy melee attackers.
10 Harvest Essence Rank 1 Wizard The Essence fragments dropped by defeated enemies restore 2 times as much Essence.

Levels 11-20 Skills

After hitting level 11, Blast of Frost, Secret of Rime, and Freezing Pillar become top-tier skills. It’s crucial to upgrade the abilities you’re currently using for optimal performance in battle. As you’ll be facing tough opponents with thick armor, it’s essential to boost your frost damage for a more successful fight.

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Frost Build for Avowed from levels 11 to 20:

Level Skill Name Tree Description
11 Grimoire Mastery Rank 2 Wizard Unlock level 10 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 15%
12 Blast of Frost Rank 1 Wizard Channels a cone of frost that blasts enemies with Frost Accumulation.
13 Blizzard Rank 2 Wizard Reduces the cast time for Blizzard.
14 Wand Mastery Rank 2 Wizard Increases damage with wands by 40%.
15 Retribution Rank 1 Fighter After taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 5 seconds deals +70% of the original damage you received.
16 Secret of Rime Rank 1 Wizard Increases the amount of Frost Accumulation you deal by 20%.
17 Blast Rank 2 Wizard Power Attacks with wands deal increased Stun. Nearby enemies caught in the explosion receive the same amount of Stun as the original attack.
18 Grimoire Mastery Rank 3 Wizard Unlock level 15 Grimoire spells and decrease the Essence cost of all Grimoire spells by 18%.
19 Freezing Pillar Rank 1 Wizard Drives a large pillar of frigid ice into the ground, dealing damage and high Frost Accumulation to nearby enemies.
20 Secret of Rime Rank 2 Wizard Increases the amount of Frost Accumulation you deal by 35%.

Levels 21-30 Skills

Enhance your abilities to a superior level for optimal efficiency in battles. It is crucial that you elevate skills such as Blizzard, Secret of Rime, and Wand Mastery up to Rank 3, as this will unlock their full potential.

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Frost Build for Avowed from levels 21 to 30:

Level Skill Name Tree Description
21 Blizzard Rank 3 Wizard Increases the duration by 6 seconds.
22 Blast of Frost Rank 2 Wizard Use both hands to create two cones of frost, covering a larger area and dealing double the damage and Frost Accumulation.
23 Bristling Frost Rank 2 Wizard Incoming melee damage creates an area of effect that deals Frost Accumulation to nearby enemies.
24 Arcane Seal Rank 1 Wizard Conjures an Arcane Seal at your feet for 30 seconds. Your Essence regenerates while you stand within the seal’s lingering area of effect.
25 Retribution Rank 2 Fighter After taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 8 seconds deals +100% of the original damage you received.
26 Secret of Rime Rank 3 Wizard Increases the amount of Frost Accumulation you deal by 45%.
27 Wand Mastery Rank 3 Wizard Increases damage with wands by 50%.
28 Freezing Pillar Rank 2 Wizard The pillar no longer breaks on impact but remains as a lingering frost area of effect. The pillar shatters after taking damage, or 20 seconds have passed, sending out Explosive Damage to nearby enemies.
29 Chill Blades Rank 2 Wizard Blades deal Bleed Accumulation.
30 Arcane Seal Rank 2 Wizard Increases your maximum Ability Cast Speed while within the seal.

Best Frost Skills Explained

For an Avowed Frost build, these skills are top-notch: Chill Blades summon icy blades that freeze enemies, accumulating frost damage; Freezing Pillar dominates the battlefield with area-of-effect frost damage; Wand Mastery amps up wand damage for casters; Bristling Frost beefs up defense and freezes foes with frost Accumulation; Blast of Frost unleashes a cone of frost, inflicting frost Accumulation on enemies within the affected area.

  • Blast of Frost- Channels a frost cone that deals with extensive frost accumulation.
  • Chill Blades- Summons blades of ice that inflict frost damage and can pierce through multiple enemies. 
  • Freezing Pillar- Drives a pillar of ice into the ground, dealing frost damage and acting as a frost area effect.
  • Wand Mastery- This ability increases damage dealt with wands
  • Secret of Rime- Increases the frost accumulation you inflict by a certain percentage.
  • Bristling Frost- Surrounds the caster with a frost aura that reduces incoming damage and retaliates against melee attacks with frost damage

Companions

Giatta and Kai are excellent partners for those using the Sworn Frost playstyle. These companions work seamlessly with a frost-centric build, boosting your combat efficiency and overall game enjoyment. Giatta provides a variety of team buffs that improve survivability and combat strength, making her a standout in maintaining party health and enhancing battle skills. This makes her an indispensable ally for the Arcane Scholar. You’ll meet Giatta during the main story quest, “The Animancy Method.” Giatta’s Inspiration skill boosts both your attack rate and movement speed.

Kai functions as a protective ally who can provoke adversaries, diverting their attacks away from you. Positioned at the front line, he shields you, enabling you to cast frost spells during battle. With his Second Wind skill, Kai can regenerate some of his health once in each encounter, acting as a buffer against damage. Having Kai in your team provides an added layer of defense. He excels at handling groups of enemies, thus opening up chances for your spellcasters to launch their spells. By engaging and managing enemy threats, Kai facilitates the implementation of spellcasting tactics.

Giatta

Skill 1 Skill 2 Skill 3 Skill 4
Purification Barrier Acceleration Reconstruction
Essence Generator Protective shields to reduce incoming damage Increases the movement and attack speed Heal and restore health

Kai

Skill 1 Skill 2 Skill 3 Skill 4
Fire and Ire Unbending Defense Leap of Daring Second Wind
Fires a powerful shot from his blunderbuss Regenerate Health and increase his Damage Reduction by 25% Crashes down upon the enemy, Stunning and Taunting all nearby enemies Revives himself when his health is reduced to zero

Frost Gameplay & Tips

Successfully wielding a Frost build in Avowed calls for careful strategy and execution. In the early stages, prioritize Intellect, Perception, and Might. Intellect amplifies your maximum Essence and elemental resistances, while Perception increases critical hit probability and spell range. Utilize abilities such as Chill Blade, which unleashes a sequence of frost-imbued blades, enabling you to intensely freeze enemies. Additionally, consider unlocking the skill Blizzard at higher ranks, as it summons a storm that inflicts area-of-effect frost damage.

Mastering the art of Rime is crucial since it boosts Frost Accumulation, making it simpler to freeze foes. To enhance this effect, employ Arcane Veil, which not only minimizes damage but also hinders spell interruptions by providing a short-term protective barrier. Level up a potent Wand for heightened Frost damage and the application of Frost Accumulation. Obtain the Grimoire to unlock potent frost spells and decrease ability costs. Launch battles with Blizzard, focusing on critical targets using Chill Blades. Arcane Veil enables you to predict incoming attacks for uninterrupted casting. Improve your skills in Harvest Essence to optimize its regeneration during combat. Team up with allies such as Kai for defensive frontlines and Giatta for healing and support.

Weapons and Armor

Beginner

Beginner Weapon and Armor

Slot Item Bonus
Weapon 1 Minoletta’s Conduit 55 Physical Damage 56 Stun 12 Stamina Cost 6% Critical Hit Chance
Off-Hand Beothel’s Grimoire -20% Ability Cost -15% Cooldown
Secondary Weapon Sheathed in Summer 137 Physical Damage 104 Stun 9 Stamina Cost 9% Critical Hit Chance
Armor Many-Hued Doublet -15% incoming Fire, Frost, and Shock Damage
Gloves Death Knight Gloves 15% Frost Damage
Boots Stormdancer Boots 10% incoming Fire, Frost, and Shock Damage
Trinket Berath’s Blessed Ward -5% damage from Vessels
Ring Ring of Pain Amplification +15% Critical Damage
Ring Arcanist’s Ring +1 Intellect
  • Minoletta’s Conduit- Location is Emerald Stair. Purchased from Abritt Porrya at Porrya & Vellino in Fior mes Iverno in the Emerald Stair for 3,780 Skeyt
  • Beothel’s Grimoire- Location is Dawnshore. Purchased from Merylin in the Southern Paradis Market for 4,500 Skeyt
  • Sheathed in Summer- Location is Dawnshore. Looted from the Dawnshore Bounty target Octav, the Firebrand
  • Many-Hued Doublet- Location is Dawnshore. Purchased from Merylin in the Southern Paradis Market for 500 Skeyt
  • Death Knight Gloves- Location is Emerald Stair. Kill Captain Aelfyr at the end of the Emerald Stair chapter
  • Stormdancer Boots- Location is Shatterscarp. Don’t give Keipo the Leviathan Heart at the end of the Side Quest “Heart of Valor.”
  • Berath’s Blessed Ward- Location is Emerald Stair. Complete the side quest “Elder Offerings” in Emerald Stair, and don’t report the food theft
  • Ring of Pain Amplification- Location is Emerald Stair. Obtained from Dolina as a reward for defeating Amadio and the Xaureps in the Fortified Xaurep Camp in the northeastern Grim Wetlands of Emerald Stair
  • Arcanist’s Ring- Location is DawnShore. Found in a small lockbox near the smugglers at Castol’s Folly in Dawnshore.

Advanced

Slot Item Bonus
Weapon 1 Whisper of Exiles 77 Physical Damage 80 Stun 12 Stamina Cost 6% Critical Hit Chance Hits deal +10% bonus Frost Damage
Off-Hand Eilara’s Grimoire -20% Ability Cost -15% Cooldown
Secondary Weapon Survivor’s Guilt 137 Physical Damage 104 Stun 9 Stamina Cost 9% Critical Hit Chance
Armor Death Knight Armor +30% resistance to Frost Accumulation
Gloves Gloves of the Strangler +15% Stealth Attack Damage
Boots Berserker Boots -10% incoming Fire, Frost, and Shock Damage
Trinket Cartographer’s Companion +1 Dex, +2 Perception
Ring Ring of Elemental Balance +10% Fire, Frost, and Shock Accumulation
Ring Ring of the Founder +10% damage against targets with full health

Locations

  • Whisper of Exiles- Location is Shatterscarp. Found near some Dreamscourge-covered rocks in the Great Sands Sea, just above the “at” in “Great” on the map
  • Eilara’s Grimoire- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found on the Parapet of the Living Archives in a chest next to The Book of Oaths.
  • Survivor’s Guilt- Inside Belderreno’s (Bounty Quest) Lair, there’s a root at the entrance you can climb up, and then a few ledges upward later, you’ll find this next to a skeleton.
  • Death Knight Armor- Location is Emerald Stair. Found in the Waterfall Cave in Emerald Stair. Go past the wooden doors, and in the first room, there will be water to the left. Dive down and swim to the end to open a chest containing the armor.
  • Gloves of the Strangler- Location is Dawnshore. Behind a secret door on the outer wall of Paradis, slightly southwest of the Paradis Hightown gate.
  • Berserker Boots- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found in a chest in the Outcast Cave Camp west of Warden’s Rest.
  • Cartographer’s Companion- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found on a dead dwarf near the Bounty target Urvolnau west of Berath’s Bounty
  • Ring of Elemental Balance- Inside the Shrine of Wael. Enter the shrine proper in a large room, and near the back will be a gated area you can access by using Frost. The ring is on a body.
  • Ring of the Founder- Found in the Ancient Grotto, on the body of the Idol of Secret Hatred Totem Piece.

Consumables

Aedyran Mead temporarily boosts Perception by 2 and Maximum Essence by 10% for 300 seconds. Krakenhorn is a consumable item that restores both Health and Essence over time, in addition to lasting effects that last for 300 seconds. Murkbrew enhances Intellect by 2 and Maximum Essence by 10%. To progress, you must invest three points into the Survivalist skill within the Ranger skill tree. Upon acquisition, you’ll be able to manufacture advanced food and buffs that significantly improve your survivability, damage output, and regeneration rates.

FAQs about Frost build in Avowed

What is the best Frost build in Avowed?

In the game Avowed, the optimal Frost build equips Wand as the main weapon, Grimoire as a secondary off-hand weapon, and Dagger as an additional weapon. To excel with this Frost build, focus on enhancing Intellect, Perception, and Might attributes. These attributes serve to boost your magical casting proficiency and overall combat performance.

Which is the best Background for Frost build?

In the game Avowed, it’s recommended that you choose the Arcane Scholar build for the Frost build as it significantly impacts your character’s background and early gameplay aspects.

Which are the best skills for Frost build?

For an optimal Avowed Frost build, you should focus on mastering Chill Blades, the Freezing Pillar, Wand Mastery, the Secret of Rime, Bristling Frost, and the Blast of Frost as your key skills.

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2025-02-21 22:38