Avowed brings a rich world and deep characters for players to explore. But to enjoy the sights and personalities developer Obsidian Entertainment has crafted, players must survive the threats that wander the world of The Living Lands. One of the most important elements that enables survival is picking the right Avowed skills to make even the greatest threat crumble to dust.

While every skill scattered across the game’s three skill trees works in the right kit, there are some that players will want to grab no matter what their plans are for their version of The Envoy. This list focuses on those skills that have universal qualities, making them great for any playthrough.

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Since the game gates skills by level, with new ones unlocking at levels one, five, ten, fifteen, and twenty, the below list is ordered by when players can access them in-game. Without further ado,  let’s look at six skills every player should invest in to help them succeed in the game’s challenging combat.

Done with Avowed skills? Check out what Avowed Side Quests Are must-plays as you progress here. Level 1

Starting with the only wizard skill in our list, Arcane Veil is worth its weight in gold, whether you plan to do much spell casting or not. It gets the most bang for its buck with magic users since it makes spell-casting uninterruptable during its 20-second duration. However, it also increases The Envoy’s damage resistance by 50 percent, making it a great grab for any player.

The Envoy always has an essence to spend, and if you are only going to take one spell, this is the one to grab. You do need a grimoire with the spell in your possession to learn it, but such items are easy to find.

The other entry-level skill every player should grab is Evasive. Found in the ranger skill tree, this grants a bonus to the distance The Envoy covers when they dodge. No matter how heavy the armor is, Avowed‘s combat will force even the staunchest heroes to dodge from time to time.

Heavy melee troops capable of covering surprising amounts of ground with charge attacks make the skill a fantastic grab right off the bat. Later on, large-scale magic attacks make multiple jumps needed to clear threatened areas, making the skill even more precious as the adventure continues.

Level 5

The lone Level Five skill with universal appeal in Avowed comes from the fighter skill tree. Devastating Critical increases critical hit damage with melee weapons by significant amounts. With how in-your-face combat is and some characters being resistant to the elemental effects of magic, it’s always smart to have at least one melee weapon in place between your two kits. With the ability to increase that weapon’s crit damage by 30/50/70 percent, this skill ensures that, when the player has to draw that melee weapon, they can expect to get the most out of their swings.

Level 10

We return to the ranger skill tree for our singular level ten entry. Quick Switch speeds up The Envoy’s ability to swap out their weapon loadouts. This may sound like a small thing, but seconds saved in a fight can mean one more arrow loosed into charging enemies before melee weapons are drawn or one fewer enemy attack before swapping to a grimoire to cast a freezing spell to stop an enemy’s onslaught.

Level 15

Staying with the ranger skill tree for the first skill at level fifteen tier, we have Critical Strike. This skill increases The Envoy’s chances to score crits with any attack. As the late game sees the enemies get bigger and their defenses more resilient, being able to score more crits means that much more damage gets through. Also, some potent effects can be acquired that trigger upon scoring a crit, making the increased likelihood even more welcome.

Our final must-have ability comes from the fighter skill tree. Retribution gives The Envoy a damage bonus after being hit. The next attack after taking a hit sees its damage increased from 70 to 120 percent if the attack is made within five seconds of the hit landing. Note that you don’t have to attack the source of the damage taken. This means a pesky archer’s shot can fuel your next blow against a more pertinent threat you are facing down.

Here are six skills every Avowed player should invest in. I hope these suggestions help you navigate the wilds of the Living Lands. And if you find you don’t agree with one of these choices, happily you can always respec your kit for a bit of gold.