Best Avowed Weapons for the Early Game and Where to Find Them

Finding the best weapons in Avowed is one of the greatest pleasures in Obsidian Entertainment’s new RPG. Exploring dungeons or venturing off the beaten path often leads to discovering powerful gear, but upgrading weapons is also essential to surviving the game’s toughest challenges.

In the early game, combat can feel challenging until you acquire stronger weapons that allow you to experiment with synergies and build strategies. If you want to maximize your effectiveness from the start, here are the best weapons for the early game in Avowed.

Best Early Weapons in Avowed

The Philosopher’s Riddle (Best Early Two-Handed Sword)

Abilities:

– Aggressive Debate: A Full Combo Attack grants +15% Attack Speed for 10 seconds.

– Poison Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Poison Damage.

The Philosopher’s Riddle is the best early weapon in Avowed for most players. Even if you don’t plan on sticking with a two-handed melee build, this thing will help you get through the toughest early challenges and farm whatever upgrade materials you need. 

Its stats are impressive, but this sword’s abilities put it far over the top. Getting that kind of attack speed buff with a weapon this powerful is absurd, and that poison enhancement adds up quickly. You want the most value out of every two-handed strike in this game, and that’s what The Philosopher’s Riddle offers. 

Where to Find The Philospher’s Riddle

This weapon can be found on Castol’s Folly island southeast of Paradis in the Dawnshore area. There, look for the ruins on top of a mountain on the west side of the island. Climb your way to those ruins (some platforming is required), and you’ll spot The Philosopher’s Riddle near their entrance, lying next to some mushroom-like plants. You won’t have to kill anyone to get it, but the island is filled with enemies who may block your progress. 

Beothel’s Grimoire (Best Early Grimoire)

Abilities:

– Corrosive Siphon, Arcane Veil, Parasitic Staff, Blizzard.

– 20% Ability Cost Reduction.

– 15% Cooldown Reduction

There are quite a few Grimoires (books of spells, essentially) found throughout Avowed’s starting areas, but Beothel’s Grimoire stands out for a few reasons. 

First off, the 20% ability cost reduction and 15% cooldown reduction this Grimoire offers is about as good as you’ll get at this point in the game. More importantly, this Grimoire includes the incredibly valuable Corrosive Siphon spell (which converts damage into health), the Parasitic Staff spell (which helps you restore valuable Essence), and eventually allows you to access the devastating Blizzard ability. It’s just an essential item for struggling low-level casters. 

Where to Find Beothel’s Grimoire

You can purchase this Grimoire from Merylin in the Market District of Paradis City for 450 Skeyt.

Seven Strivings (Best Early Two-Handed Axe)

Abilities:

– Determined Step: Killing an enemy grants +15% Move Speed for 10 seconds.

– Vicious Strikes: +5% Critical Hit Chance.

An alternative (or companion) to The Philospher’s Riddle, Seven Strivings offers a little more base damage and an incredibly useful speed buff. 

That speed buff reveals its value when you start fighting larger groups of enemies who have an annoying tendency to step out of the way of your heavy blows. Being able to consistently close the distance on those enemies makes some of the more frustrating early fights against larger groups much easier. 

Where to Find Seven Strivings

Seven Strivings can be found in The Falls northeast of Paradis in the Dawnshore area. There, you’ll fight an ogre named Ralga. Look in the area around Ralga after defeating them, and you’ll find this axe sticking out of a body. 

The Long Touch (Best Early Bow)

Abilities:

– Grim Focus: +10% Critical Hit Chance for Power Attacks while Fine Aiming.

– Lesser Opening Strike: +5% Damage against enemies with full Health.

Your bow options are kind of limited in the early parts of Avowed, which makes The Long Touch even more appealing. 

This bow’s strong stats and abilities make it perfect for rangers looking to open fights with a sneaky power attack (as they often should). It’s a little less effective in longer battles against multiple enemies, but that’s just the early ranger lifestyle for you. 

Where to Find The Long Touch

You can buy The Long Touch from the Paradisian Military Surplus shop in Paradis for 4,320 Skeyt.

Minoletta’s Conduit (Best Early Wand)

Abilities:

– Charged Missile: +5% Attack Damage, +30% Maximum Wand Range.

– Shocking Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Shock Damage.

Much like bows, it’s not easy to find viable wand upgrades in Avowed’s early hours. If you need a better option, though, Minoletta’s Conduit is both there for you and relatively easy to acquire. 

This wand’s generous ability spread compensates for the range and base damage shortcomings that otherwise make wands a less-than-appealing option early on. It’s also a generally valuable ranged weapon for anyone looking to weave a little magic into their rotation.

Where to Find Minoletta’s Conduit

You can purchase this from the Porrya & Vellino shop in Fior Mes Iverno (near the start of the main game) for 3,780 Skeyt.

Sheathed in Summer (Best Early Dagger)

Abilities:

– Glimmering Embers: A Full Combo Attack deals moderate Fire Accumulation.

– Burning Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Fire Damage.

The natural benefits of wielding a dagger (quick strikes for little stamina) are amplified by this unique weapon that burns through enemies with relative ease. 

It doesn’t take long to unleash a combo attack with this dagger, and those combo attacks will quickly build up an absurd amount of Fire damage that early enemies simply will not be able to withstand. Pair this with another powerful one-handed melee weapon, and you’ll be laughing. 

Where to find Sheathed in Summer

Head to the Godless Ruins area just North of Paradis. There, you’ll find a boss enemy named Octav the Firebrand. Kill Octav and loot this weapon from their corpse. 

Last Light of Day (Best Early One-Handed Sword)

Abilities:

– Golden Sun’s Ascent: Killing an enemy restores 3% of your Maximum Health.

– Dawn’s Remembrance: Hits deal +10% bonus Fire Damage.

As a one-handed sword that deals an impressive amount of base damage, Last Light of Day justifies a spot in your inventory for its versatility alone. However, the big reason to seek out this sword is to take advantage of that incredible health regeneration ability that will save you during many early battles. 

Even better, Last Light of Day pairs quite well with Sheathed in Summer thanks to its ample built-in Fire damage bonus. If you’re committed to that playstyle, you can ride that equipment combo for quite some time. 

Where to Find Last Light of Day

Complete the “Dawntreader” quest that you pick up from Sarganis while exploring the Eothasian Temple (you’ll enter this area as part of a main quest). You’ll either kill Sarganis and loot this from their corpse or receive it from them as a reward depending on the choices you make. 

Drawn in Winter (Best Early One-Handed Axe)

Abilities:

– Rising Chill: Power Attacks deal moderate Frost Accumulation to nearby enemies.

– Freezing Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Frost Damage.

While Drawn in Winter doesn’t boast the same base damage as other early one-handed weapons, it is one of the best early ways to take advantage of the generally overpowered Frost effect. 

Build up enough Frost, and you’ll be able to essentially stun enemies (assuming you don’t kill them outright). Even better, this weapon’s power attacks generate an AoE Frost effect that allows melee players to more effectively deal with groups of attackers. 

Where to Find Drawn in Winter

You’ll find Drawn in Winter in the Watcher’s Mirror area just northeast of Paradis. There, you’ll interact with an Ancient Memory that grants a powerful perk. Once that sequence is finished, turn around and walk to the nearby pond. Drawn in Winter will slowly rise from the center of that pond, but please note that picking it up will trigger a battle with numerous nearby enemies. 

Caeroc’s Pride (Best Early Pistol)

Abilities:

– Distant Thunder: Power Attacks deal high Shock Accumulation.

– Shocking Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Shock Damage.

Even basic pistols offer a powerful combination of range and damage during Avowed’s earliest hours. If you’re looking to exploit the benefits of a dual-pistol strategy early on, you need to pick up Caeroc’s Pride.

This weapon’s synergistic abilities allow you to quickly stack the Shock effect from a relatively safe distance. That effect not only helps you deal with groups of lesser enemies but can be used to turn the various bodies of water you’ll find into lightning-infused death traps. 

Where to Find Caeroc’s Pride

You’ll find Caeroc’s Pride on a small island just east of Shantytown. It’s an unnamed location, but it’s easy to spot. There, you’ll find a pirate named Tempestuous Luandi. Kill Tempestuous Luandi and loot this pistol from their body.

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