You’re wandering through the Living Lands, dodging Xaurip spears and trying to figure out if that weird fungal growth is loot or a death trap. Naturally, the question pops up: how far can I actually take this character? If you’re looking for the avowed max level, you aren't just looking for a number. You’re trying to figure out if you can actually become the god-tier battlemage of your dreams or if Obsidian is going to clip your wings halfway through the journey.
Let's get the number out of the way. The max level in Avowed is level 20.
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It sounds low. Especially if you’ve just come off a 200-hour stint in Elden Ring or some other massive sprawling RPG where numbers go up into the hundreds. But level 20 in an Obsidian game—specifically one set in the world of Eora—is a very different beast than level 20 in a standard action game. If you played Pillars of Eternity, you already know the vibe. This isn't about mindless grinding; it's about the surgical precision of a build.
Why Level 20 is a Big Deal
Obsidian Entertainment, led by Carrie Patel on this project, has been pretty vocal about the philosophy here. They aren't trying to give you a "do everything" character. You know that feeling in some RPGs where, by the end of the game, you’re a master thief, a heavy armor warrior, and a top-tier sorcerer all at once? Yeah, that’s not happening here.
The level cap is a deliberate choice to force you into making hard decisions.
Basically, every time you level up, you’re grabbing a talent or an ability that significantly shifts how you interact with the world. By the time you hit that avowed max level, you will feel powerful, but you will still have weaknesses. This is a design choice that prioritizes replayability over the "one-and-done" completionist run. You might finish the game as a specialized Godlike who can shatter souls with a whisper, but you’ll look at the talent tree and realize you haven't even touched the dual-pistol abilities or the heavy shield bashes.
It’s honestly refreshing.
Too many games today suffer from "feature creep" where your character becomes a blurry mess of every possible skill. In Avowed, hitting the cap means you've reached the pinnacle of a specific path.
Breaking Down the Talent Trees
The way you get to that cap is through three main branches: Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard. But here’s the kicker—you aren't locked into them. Avowed uses a classless system. You can dip your toes into the Wizard tree to grab some elemental utility and then dump the rest of your points into Fighter to become a spell-sword.
However, since you only have 20 levels to work with, every "dip" into another tree has a massive opportunity cost.
If you spend five points in Ranger just to get better mobility, those are five points you aren't spending on the high-tier, reality-warping spells at the bottom of the Wizard tree. You've gotta be smart. You've gotta plan. It’s the kind of game where you’ll probably spend twenty minutes staring at the UI every time that "Level Up" notification pings, weighing the pros and cons of a 10% damage boost versus a new active ability that lets you freeze enemies in place.
How Long Does It Take to Hit the Avowed Max Level?
Most players are going to hit the cap right toward the end of the main story, provided they’re doing a healthy amount of side content. Obsidian games aren't usually about the "infinite grind." You aren't going to find a spot in the Living Lands where you can kill the same three boars for ten hours to hit level 20 early.
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The XP flow is tied heavily to quest completion and discovery.
- Main Questline: Provides the bulk of your "milestone" XP.
- Side Quests: These are essential if you want to hit the cap before the final boss.
- Exploration: Finding secret areas and lore-heavy locations gives you those little nudges.
If you rush the story, you might finish the game at level 16 or 17. Is that a problem? Probably not for the story, but you’ll definitely feel the lack of those high-end "capstone" abilities. Those final three levels are where the truly game-breaking (in a fun way) powers live.
Comparing Avowed to Pillars of Eternity
Since Avowed is a first-person spin-off of the Pillars of Eternity series, we have to look at the DNA. In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, the level cap was also 20. In that game, hitting level 20 turned you into a literal force of nature. We're talking about summoning meteor showers or becoming an unkillable tank.
Expect the same scaling here.
The early levels in Avowed feel scrappy. You're swinging a rusted sword and praying your one fireball doesn't miss. By level 10, you start to see the synergy between your gear and your talents. By the avowed max level, the combat loop should feel like a choreographed dance of destruction.
One thing people often get wrong is thinking a lower level cap means a shorter game. That's a total myth. Fallout: New Vegas (another Obsidian classic) launched with a level cap of 30, and people spent hundreds of hours in that world. It’s about depth, not just the height of the number.
Max Level Gear and Attributes
It isn't just about the skill points. Your attributes—Might, Constitution, Dexterity, Perception, Intellect, and Resolve—play a massive role in how that level 20 character actually performs.
You get attribute points at specific intervals.
Unlike skills, which you can respec (Obsidian is usually pretty generous with respec mechanics for a gold cost), attributes are often more permanent. If you’re pushing for a max-level Wizard build, you better have dumped points into Intellect early on, or your "ultimate" spells are going to hit like wet noodles.
The Gear Factor
At level 20, your gear becomes the "multiplier" for your stats. You’ll be looking for Legendary items that have unique properties which trigger off your talents.
For example, if you've taken a talent that increases damage against burning enemies, your "end-game" goal is to find a weapon that has a high proc rate for burn. The level cap is the foundation, but the gear is the house you build on top of it. Don't expect to hit level 20 and be "done." You’ll still be hunting for that one specific grimoire or enchanted mace to truly finish the build.
Is There a New Game Plus?
This is the big question for the "forever players." As of the current state of the game, the focus is on the initial journey. Obsidian’s philosophy usually leans toward: "Play the game, see the consequences of your actions, and then start a new character to see how things could have gone differently."
Because the avowed max level is reached relatively late, a New Game Plus mode would essentially mean playing the entire game as a god. While fun for some, it can trivialize the branching narrative and the "scrappy" feel of the early game that Obsidian worked so hard to balance.
If you want more content after hitting the cap, your best bet is to explore every nook and cranny of the Living Lands. There are bosses and encounters that are clearly designed to test a level 20 character, tucked away in corners of the map that the main quest never sends you to.
Actionable Tips for Reaching the Cap Efficiently
Don't just wander aimlessly. If you want to see the full potential of your character, keep these points in mind:
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- Don't skip the "Talk-y" Quests: In many RPGs, you only get XP for killing things. In Avowed, resolving a conflict through dialogue or clever use of your attributes often yields just as much, if not more, XP than a bloodbath.
- Specialization is King: Don't try to be a jack-of-all-trades. Pick a primary damage type or playstyle and stick to it until at least level 12. You can experiment more once you have a solid foundation.
- Check Every Nook: Exploration XP adds up. If you see a cave, go inside. Even if there’s no quest attached, the act of discovering the location and clearing the enemies inside is a steady trickle of progress toward that next level.
- Manage Your Respecs: If you feel like your build is stalling around level 15, go find an NPC to respec. Sometimes a few misplaced points are the only thing standing between you and feeling powerful again.
- Focus on Synergies: Look for talents that work together. If you have an ability that knocks enemies down, grab a passive that increases damage against prone targets. This is how you make a level 20 character feel like a level 100 character.
The journey to the avowed max level is less about the destination and more about the specific version of the Envoy you create along the way. Whether you're a heavy-armored priest of Berath or a nimble rogue using every dirty trick in the book, those 20 levels are your canvas. Use them wisely, because the Living Lands aren't going to go easy on you just because you hit a certain number.
Plan your build around the level 20 limit from the start. Look at the end of the talent trees early on so you know what you're aiming for. This prevents the "level 18 regret" where you realize you're two points short of the coolest ability in the game. Efficiency in Avowed isn't about speed; it's about foresight.