Essence is a soul-based resource used to cast abilities in Avowed. It is the counterpart to Stamina — which governs your physical endurance, while Essence applies to your magical abilities.
Overview[]
Most active abilities require and consume an amount of Essence, relative to the strength of the ability. Some abilities consume essence over time, requiring a higher maximum Essence to sustain the ability for longer periods of time.
Essence may be recovered by collecting Essence Fragments from enemies defeated in combat, or by eating and drinking consumables that recover Essence such as Essence Potions.
Your Essence pool is primarily determined by a combination of your Intellect, which increases the amount of Maximum Essence per point, as well as the class of armor you currently have equipped, which penalizes your Maximum Essence. Heavier armor provides greater protection and damage reduction, but comes at the cost of reduced magical capacity and utility, so generally casters will want to wear light armor.
Essence is shown as a purple bar underneath your health bar.
Essence Regeneration[]
Many consumables provide Essence Regeneration, expressed as a value amount. When consumed, the player is given a status effect that provides sustained Essence recovery over time, up to the amount listed, but only while you're not at full Essence. When you've regenerated to your Maximum Essence, the regenerative effect is paused, and is resumed after next consuming Essence.
Most over-time restoration effects will use this system if they don't specify an amount of time or condition in which restoration is active.
Buffs[]
Buffs are categorized into the following:
- Maximum - sources that increase your Maximum Essence pool.
- Regeneration - sources that specify Essence Regeneration. Similar to over-time, but restores a specific amount and pauses when your Essence is full.
- Regeneration speed - sources that increase the rate at which Essence Regeneration occurs.
- Recovery (instant) - sources of immediate recovery of your Essence.
- Recovery (over time) - sources of over time recovery of your Essence, given an amount per second, often only for a certain duration.
- Recovery (bonus) - sources that increase the effectiveness of other sources of Essence gain, typically as a multiplier, resulting in more Essence gained.
- Cost reduction - sources that reduce the Essence consumed by abilities.
Maximum[]
Sources that increase the maximum available Essence.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumables | Drink | All's-Leaf Tea | +20% | For 300 sec |
| Drink | Murkbrew | +10% | For 300 sec | |
| Drink (Alcoholic) | Fine Aedyran Mead | +10% | For 300 sec | |
| Prepared Food | Paradisan Trout Pie | +10% | For 300 sec | |
| Accessories | Ring | Disciple's Ring (Greater Innate Talent) | +60 | |
| Clothing | Gloves | Arcanist's Gloves (Lesser Innate Talent) | +20 | |
| Boots | Canvas Shoes | +5 | ||
| Boots | Councilor's Shoes | +15 | ||
| Boots | Shoes of the Glimmering Merchant | +5 | ||
| Boots | Warmage's Boots | +15 | ||
| Boots | Wavebinder Boots | +15 | ||
| Armor | Light Armor | Arcanist's Gambeson (Lesser Innate Talent) | +20 | |
| Light Armor | Animancer's Swallowtail (Innate Talent) | +40 | ||
| Light Armor | Robes of Surpassing Brilliance (Innate Talent) | +40 | ||
| Light Armor | Trickster's Cuirass (Innate Talent) | +40 | ||
| Weapons | Shield | Sun of Black Heaven (Tethered Soul) | +50 | |
| Abilities | Level 1 Fighter Passive | Armored Grace | +15/+15/+30 | While wearing medium or heavy armor |
| Level 15 Wizard Passive | Armored Essence | +15/+25/+30 | While wearing light or medium armor | |
Intellect[]
Per point of Intellect, a character gains increased Maximum Essence.
| Intellect | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Essence | +0 | +5 | +10 | +15 | +20 | +25 | +28.2 | +31.4 | +34.6 | +37.8 | +41 | +42.8 | +44.6 | +46.4 | +48.2 | +50 |
| +5 (per point) | +3.2 (per point) | +1.8 (per point) | ||||||||||||||
Regeneration[]
Sources of Essence gain that specify "Essence Regeneration". This restores a specific amount of Essence over time, and pauses when your Essence is full. Only consumables have Essence Regeneration.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drink | All's-Leaf Tea | 150 | |
| Arrack | 100 | ||
| Fresh Water | 30 | ||
| Ingredient (Sweetener) | Honey | 5 | |
| Mushroom | Burned Lady | 7 | |
| Skaenbone | 7 | ||
| Soulsponge | 7 | ||
| Wild Mushroom Cap | 15 | ||
| Prepared Food | Candied Nuts | 150 | |
| Enutanik Pickles | 500 | Requires Survivalist, Rank 2 | |
| Fondue | 200 | Requires Survivalist, Rank 2 | |
| Mariner's Porridge | 70 | ||
| Pargrunen Pemican | 250 | Requires Survivalist, Rank 2 | |
| Savory Skewer | 100 | Requires Survivalist, Rank 2 | |
| Spiced Beetle Sausage | 100 | ||
| Spiced Rusksnout Sausage | 50 | ||
| Stew | 70 | ||
| Produce (Fruit) | Apple | 15 | |
| Lemon | 15 | ||
| Palm Stone | 15 | ||
| Readceran Fig | 15 | ||
| Slagheart Melon | 15 | ||
| Springberries | 15 | ||
| Sweet Melon | 25 | ||
| Thornfruit | 15 | ||
| Produce (Grain & Filler) | Krakenhorn | 15 | |
| Produce (Vegetable) | Bunch of Peppers | 25 | |
| Cabbage | 5 | ||
| Carrot | 5 | ||
| Cucumber | 5 | ||
| Hunt's Hair | 5 | ||
| Pepper | 5 | ||
| Shadow Grass | 7 | ||
| Tomato | 5 | ||
| Turnip | 5 | ||
| Shadow Grass | 7 |
Regeneration speed[]
Sources that increase the speed of Essence Regeneration.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drink (Alcoholic) | Aperitif | +500% | For 5 sec |
| Prepared Food | Ivory Spinner and Sporeling Fire Pot | +100% | For 300 sec |
Recovery (instant)[]
Sources of instant Essence gain.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumables | Potion | Essence Potion | 70% of Maximum Essence | |
| Clothing | Boots | Warmage's Boots (Arcane Step) | +20 | 10% chance on Dodge |
| Armor | Heavy Armor | Engwithan Cuirass (Soul Manipulation) | 1% of attack damage | |
| Weapons | Sword | Carnet's Cutlass (Reinforce the Line) | 3% of Maximum Essence | On parry |
| Great Sword | Hel's Tongue (Soul Reaver) | 10% of Maximum Essence | On kill with Power Attack | |
| Great Sword | Hel's Tongue (Soul Obliteration) | 15% of Maximum Essence | On kill with Power Attack | |
| Shield | Sun of Black Heaven (Hel-Touched) | +20 | 10% chance on Block | |
| Abilities | Level 1 Wizard Ability | Parasitic Staff | +? | From attacks with summoned weapon |
| Level 5 Fighter Ability | Built to Destroy | +? | From breaking destructibles | |
| Other | Essence Fragments | +? | From killed enemies | |
Recovery (over time)[]
Sources of over time Essence gain.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accessories | Ring | Ring of Slow Essence | +0.264 per sec | |
| Trinket | Night-Mistress' Favor | +0.4 per sec | While standing close to a Companion | |
| Armor | Heavy Armor | Faith and Conviction (Deep Faith) | +0.08 per sec | |
| Weapons | Shield | Sun and Moon (The Moon's Light) | +0.4 per sec | While below 30% Essence |
| Abilities | Level 20 Wizard Ability | Arcane Seal | +? per sec for 30 sec | While standing within the seal |
Recovery (bonus)[]
Sources that increase the amount of Essence gained by other sources, typically as a percentage.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accessories | Ring | Forager's Friend (Tightened Belt) | +20% | From food |
| Ring | Gourmand's Delight (Refined Palate) | +40% | From food | |
| Ring | Wayfarer's Ring (Refreshing Catalyst) | +20% | From potions and food | |
| Abilities | Level 5 Ranger Passive | Survivalist | +20% | From food |
| Level 10 Wizard Passive | Harvest Essence | +100/200/300% | To Essence gained from Essence Fragments | |
Cost reduction[]
Sources that reduce the amount of Essence consumed by abilities, typically as a percentage. This is denoted as Ability Essence Cost.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumables | Drink (Alcoholic) | Wizard's Mind Bomb | -25% | For 300 sec, requires Survivalist Rank 3 |
| Accessories | Ring | Sigil of the Arcane (Thaumaturge's Expertise) | -20% | |
| Clothing | Gloves | Canvas Gloves | -10% | |
| Gloves | Warmage's Bracers | -10% | ||
| Gloves | Wavebinder Bracers | -10% | ||
| Abilities | Level 5 Wizard Passive | Grimoire Mastery | -10/15/18/20% | Essence cost of all Grimoire spells (those that require Grimoire Mastery to cast). Unlike other abilities, ranks are unlocked at 5, 10, 15 and 20. |
Debuffs[]
Maximum[]
Sources that decrease the maximum available Essence.
| Type | Modifier | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | Light Armor | All cloth armor | -10 |
| All robes | -10 | ||
| All padded armor | -20 | ||
| All leather armor | -20 | ||
| Medium Armor | All scale armor | -35 | |
| All breastplates | -25 | ||
| All mail armor | -35 | ||
| Heavy Armor | All brigandines | -45 | |
| All plate armor | -50 | ||
Loss[]
Sources of instant and over-time Essence loss.
| Type | Source | Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability | All active abilities (see below) | Varies | |
| Level 1 Wizard Ability | Arcane Veil | -? | Essence is used to absorb attacks for 15 sec |
Abilities by Essence cost[]
| Class | Level | Ability | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter | 1 | Charge | 20 |
| Shield Bash | 15 | ||
| 5 | Barbaric Shout | 40 | |
| 10 | Power Jump (Rank 1, 2) | 30 | |
| Power Jump (Rank 3) | 0 | ||
| 15 | Into the Fray | 20 | |
| 20 | Clear Out | 60 | |
| Ranger | 1 | Tanglefoot | 20 |
| 5 | Shadowing Beyond | 40 | |
| 10 | Power Slide | 20 | |
| 15 | Bear Ally | 50 | |
| 20 | Flurry of Blows | 70 | |
| Wizard | 1 | Arcane Veil | 10 |
| Chill Blades | 25 | ||
| Corrosive Siphon | 25 | ||
| Fan of Flames | 25 | ||
| Jolting Touch | 25 | ||
| Minor Missiles | 25 | ||
| Parasitic Staff | 25 | ||
| 5 | Blizzard | 50 | |
| Bristling Frost | 40 | ||
| Crackling Bolt | 50 | ||
| Fireball | 50 | ||
| Grimoire Snap (Rank 1, 2) | 35 | ||
| Grimoire Snap (Rank 3) | 24.5 | ||
| 10 | Blast of Frost | 75 | |
| Missile Salvo | 75 | ||
| Returning Storm | 75 | ||
| Ring of Fire | 75 | ||
| Spirit Lance | 50 | ||
| 15 | Blackbow | 80 | |
| Freezing Pillar (Rank 1, 2) | 120 | ||
| Freezing Pillar (Rank 3) | 90 | ||
| Pull of Eora | 70 | ||
| 20 | Arcane Seal | 10 | |
| Meteor Shower (Rank 1, 2) | 125 | ||
| Meteor Shower (Rank 3) | 100 |
Other modifiers[]
- The level 10 wizard passive Blood Magic allows the player to cast spells using their Health instead of Essence if their Essence is fully depleted, at 150/125/110% of the cost. For example with Blood Magic Rank 1, an ability costing 20 Essence to cast would instead cost 30 Health to cast.