Avowed Magic system guide: Wand and Grimoires explained

Avowed’s Magic system is interesting — not to mention powerful. Players who choose to go the route of the arcane will wield wands and likely grimoires throughout their adventure. Depending on what skills you learn, you may not need a Grimoire, but it’s highly recommended to have a nice assortment of spells — especially ones you possibly have not learned yet.

There are many ways to play Avowed, as you’ll see, and whether you’re on PC or Xbox, it doesn’t get much better than channeling terrifying elemental magic forces to obliterate your foes. Here’s what you need to know about the magic system in Obsidian Entertainment’s latest RPG.

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What do wands do in Avowed's Magic system?

The interesting thing about wands in Avowed’s magic system is you don’t actually have to use one as a wizard. You can — and most definitely should — because it’s a source of powerful, ranged magic attacks. If you want, you can wield a Sword and Grimoire and cast the spells from the book directly.

Wands aren't needed to cast spells, but the ranged damage they do is significant (Image via Obsidian Entertainment)

If you’re using a Unique wand, they tend to have features that amplify your magic, such as giving you more range, increased elemental damage, and so on. I recommend using a wand to keep you as far away from melee foes as possible. It’s the best weapon type you could use in Avowed’s Magic system — other than a Grimoire.

It's also worth noting that you can parry with a wand if you have no off-hand weapon/grimoire/shield. However, it's very seldom useful, because you're always better off with a Grimoire in that slot.

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What is the purpose of Grimoires in Avowed's Magic system?

It's worth it to keep several Grimoires on hand, to have a nice assortment of spells available (Image via Obsidian Entertainment)

The Grimoire is arguably the most important part of magic in Avowed. It grants you access to spells you haven’t learned, and you can cast them at any time — provided it’s not on cooldown and you have the Essence (Mana) for it. Each Grimoire comes with four spells, and you can purchase them at many shops or find them while adventuring.

The drawback to a Grimoire is that you have a nice, long cast time for these spells — unless you’ve learned them from the skill tree. As you can see in the screenshot above, I’ve learned the Blizzard spell — so any Grimoire that features the spell will show Spell Imprinted <Level Whatever>. That shows I’ve got access to that spell and whatever level I have it at.

Casting spells you've imprinted cast much faster than they normally would in a Grimoire (Image via Obsidian Entertainment)

If you have imprinted the spell, the cast time is greatly reduced. This makes life incredibly safer, especially in heated battles. That means it’s worth it to learn at least a few spells as a wizard — the ones you find the most useful. For me, in the early game, that’s Blizzard, though Fireball is a close second.

You can also carry multiple Grimoires in case you need to swap out for other spells in a pinch. While you can (and should) use a wand, Grimoires are all but required — even if you have a few spells learned. The bonuses you can gain from these — reduced casting time/ability cost — make them a must-have.

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How to hotkey spells (via radial menu) after you learn them

It's very easy to bind these spells to your hotbar (Image via Obsidian Entertainment)

Once you've invested skill points into a magic spell that is not on your Grimoire, you can hotkey it so that you can cast it anytime it's not on cooldown. Press either E/L1/LB to open the radial wheel. You'll see all the abilities you and your allies have learned here.

Then, hover over the spell or ability you wish to bind, and, depending on whether you're using a controller or keyboard, you'll press either a D-Pad Direction or 1-6 on the Keyboard. That will immediately bind the spell for you.

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Check out our other guides on this game

• Avowed Beginner Tips
• Avowed Review
• Why Avowed doesn't have romance
• All Fighter Skills in Avowed, explained