Avowed: Best Wizard abilities

Building a Wizard in Avowed? It's hard to stress just how much more engaging playing as a Wizard is in Avowed when compared to a straight melee build. Spellslinging with a magic book in one hand and a wand in the other feels thrilling and packed with potential to a degree that standard sword slashing isn't, and even if you've already invested in the Fighter or Ranger skill trees, it's worth taking a peek at a few Wizard abilities, even if it's just to invest in an AoE spell or two.

Below, we've highlighted 10 of the best Wizard abilities that are appropriate for a fully-fledged magic user or for supplementing a multiclass build.

Avowed: Best Wizard abilities

Here are the best Wizard abilities in Avowed:

• Armored Essence
• Parasitic Staff
• Arcane Veil
• Blizzard
• Grimoire Snap
• Spirit Lance
• Pull of Eora
• Meteor Shower
• Arcane Seal

These range from protective armour to big Elemental AoE spells. Keep in mind that many of the Wizard's abilities first require you to find a Grimoire with the spell contained within before you can start investing skill tree points. Common Grimoires of Elements and Greater Elements are in abundance at the start of the game, letting you cast most Level 1 and Level 5 spells with ease. More powerful magics, however, will require seeking out or paying for rarer Grimoires.

Armored Essence

Armored Essence (Level 1) decreases the Essence penalty for Light and Medium armour by 15. This is an essential ability for all Wizards, and Rangers - along with anyone else who isn't prioritising Heavy armour - will also find it beneficial. At Rank 2, the Essence penalty decreases by 25, and at Rank 30 it decreases by 30.

Parasitic Staff

Parasitic Staff (Level 1, 25 Essence, 30 second duration, 10 second cooldown) bursts forth a staff of negative energy that restores Essence with every hit. I've found this an especially useful ability for bonking skeleton heads, and I tend to resort to it whenever my companions yell at me for my weapon not hitting hard enough. At Rank 2, Power Attacks with the staff will make a large AoE, dealing high Stun to enemies.

Arcane Veil

Arcane Veil (Level 1, 10 Essence, 20 second duration, 10 second cooldown) is mage armour, basically. It creates a shield around your character that makes spell-casting uninterruptable and increases damage reduction by 50%. Some Grimoires have Arcane Veil, but it's a nice ability to invest in so you don't always have to rely on your spellbook. At Rank 2, the shield blocks incoming projectiles, and at Rank 3, it knocks melee attackers away.

Blizzard

Blizzard (Level 5, 50 Essence, 3 second duration, 15 second cooldown) is my personal favourite out of all of the Elemental attack spells. There are similar Fire, Poison, and Shock spells, but Blizzard is always reliable for AoE damage, and it usually freezes at least one foe whenever I pop it (and a lot of Living Lands baddies seem susceptible to getting frozen). You can also use it to create ice platforms across watery pits. At Rank 2, Blizzard's cast time is reduced, and at Rank 3, the duration increases by 6 seconds.

Grimoire Snap

Grimoire Snap (Level 5, 35 Essence, 20 second cooldown) lets you expel a shockwave of Explosive Damage that knocks nearby enemies away and stuns them. Dealing Elemental and Explosive damage is a major part of traversing Avowed's world, and Wizards specialise in the former rather than the latter. While they can enchant wands to deal Explosive damage with the Blast ability, Grimoire Snap, available at Level 5, is a wee bit more impressive, though it does require a Grimoire to cast. At Rank 2, it deals increased Stun and knocks tougher enemies backwards, while at Rank 3, Essence cost is reduced by 30%.

Spirit Lance

Spirit Lance (Level 10, 50 Essence, 30 second duration, 20 second cooldown) is the result of Parasitic Staff and Grimoire Snap having a baby. You summon a magical spear and deal Explosive Damage with each hit, and this is a stellar ability for maguses who have invested in Constitution and like to get in the fray. At Rank 2, Power Attacks with Spirit Lance produce a larger explosion and deal greater damage.

Pull of Eora

Pull of Eora (Level 15, 70 Essence, 12 second duration, 20 second cooldown) gives the Wizard some gravity powers, creating a vortex that pulls in two nearby enemies. This is a fun crowd control ability that comes in handy in hectic battles, especially if you've got an annoying opponent on your tail who won't leave you alone or need to group a mob close together for your companions to deal some damage. At Rank 2, it affects three enemies, and at Rank 3, it affects four enemies.

Meteor Shower

Meteor Shower (Level 20, 125 Essence, 10 second duration, 30 second cooldown) is expensive, but it's a Level 20 spell for a reason. Casting it lets you rain down meteors from the sky, knocking trash mobs apart and setting everyone else aflame. It looks cool, it does high damage, it's good for pummeling a boss or three. Rank 2 creates meteors that break on impact and leave flames on the ground, while Rank 3 reduces the Essence cost by 20%.

Arcane Seal

Arcane Seal (Level 20, 10 Essence, 20 second duration, 60 second cooldown) is the other big Level 20 spell that turns your Wizard into an Essence-regenerating turret. It conjures a seal that lasts for 30 seconds, and as long as the Wizard stands there, you'll constantly be able to spam spells without worrying about mana. You might need to rely on your companions to tank for you, but once you can pop this skill and stay still, it really feels good to not have to worry about Essence management. At Rank 2, maximum casting speed is increased within the seal, and at Rank 3, enemies who enter the seal are slowed.

That finishes our look at the best Wizard abilities in Avowed - be sure to take a peek at our best Ranger abilities and best Fighter abilities guides as well. For more on adventuring across the Living Lands, check out our Avowed beginner's guide and our guide on all Avowed Treasure Maps. If you'd rather focus on making your Envoy look good with lots of spiffy equipment - a nice Wizard robe, perhaps - check out our guide on how to transmogrify.