Baldur’s Gate 3 has thrived through its depth of customization, allowing players to dip in and out of a plethora of builds across diverse class options. Among its viable routes, unarmed builds powered by the Tavern Brawler Feat have significantly risen in popularity since the game’s release. Now that Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed is set to feature a similar focus on open-ended combat through its own unconventional take on classes, there’s a possibility that unarmed options in the action RPG ecosystem could be viable as well.
Though Avowed differs in tone and sub-genre from BG3 on the surface, both titles seem oriented around types of player freedom and creativity. The game’s skill tree system in the upcoming title seems intended to push the boundaries of typical class constraints, and leaning into the power of unarmed combat would only back this ethos up if properly handled.
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Now that it’s clear Avowed will be following in the footsteps of a previous Obsidian release’s structure, the studio’s style could be cemented.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Has Showcased the Capacity for Fun in Potent Unarmed Builds
How BG3 Redefined Tavern Brawler
By reworking the Feat from its effects in tabletop DnD, Baldur’s Gate 3 has transformed Tavern Brawler into a cornerstone of niche builds. Applying a character’s Strength modifier twice to unarmed attack rolls and damage, it gives Strength-based Monks and Barbarians an unprecedented edge which has since influenced the 2024 PHB update. This also extends to improvised weapon and thrown attacks, leading to a full-fledged kit that can operate at close and long-range alike.
Other Major RPGs Haven’t Taken the Same Plunge
Most high-profile franchises in the genre tend to treat unarmed options as niche or secondary at best. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim‘s unarmed builds, for example, primarily limit them to Khajit players due to specific racial bonuses being necessary. Even so, these builds often lack depth and progression without the use of modding. Dragon Age and The Witcher are two instances of unarmed barely even being acknowledged as a legitimate playstyle, often relegating it to minimal appearances or scripted sequences. If Avowed is going to pride itself on its exploration of uncommon fantasy elements like guns, then letting the player devastate the battlefield with their bare fists would feel at home.
Avowed’s Versatile Lack of Focus on Specific Classes Leaves Room for Making Unarmed Combat a Viable Strategy
Obsidian Entertainment Can Make a New Frontier for Unarmed Builds
Mixing and matching abilities across the Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard skill trees lies at the core of character building in Avowed, as the title seems set to encourage a “classless” approach over spending points in just one tree alone. Melee strategies seem more based around passives as opposed to the more prevalent actives of the Wizard, but there can still be abilities that heavily affect factors like stamina, which would be vital to unarmed. With the more immersive default first-person camera of Avowed making its real-time combat inherently more cinematic, detailed animations showcasing the player using their fists could sell the fantasy on a level beyond even the tactical spectacle of BG3‘s Tavern Brawler in a turn-based environment.
It’s likely been rare to see effectively integrated unarmed builds in RPGs because they tend to risk being shallow gimmicks that don’t scale up well in the long term. The fact that Obsidian doesn’t appear to be prioritizing the power of a single skill tree in Avowed doesn’t bode well for the martial prowess of using hand-to-hand, but this style could also be split across the trees. If defensive Fighter abilities can find a crossroads with the likes of Wizard abilities, which might provide magical enhancement to melee strikes, there’s genuine potential for unarmed builds to find a spot among Avowed‘s most optimal routes.
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands – an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
- Franchise
- Pillars of Eternity
- Released
- February 18, 2025
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- Number of Players
- 1
- PC Release Date
- February 18, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- February 18, 2025