In some RPGs, your choice of Race can determine a wide variety of things, like racial passive bonuses or unique skills. In Avowed, you are asked to choose your character's race in the initial character creation screen, but aside from aesthetics and some dialogue choices, the question of which race to choose in Avowed is more up to your own visual preference.
Though the Pillars of Eternity universe contains multitudes of different races. some of which can be Companions, there are only two playable races in Avowed – for now, at least. This guide goes over the race choices in Avowed and the differences between the two when it comes to gameplay.
Avowed: Shatterscarp Interactive Map
Our interactive map for Shatterscarp in Avowed. All the most important locations, weapons, items, and quests found in the game.
Updated February 19, 2026 by Marc Santos: Avowed's big 2.0 update added plenty of new features to the game, including three new playable races as well as improvements to the existing ones. Not only will players get to create Dwarf, Orlan, and Aumuan characters, but the other races also received stat bonuses to further provide players with more options at the beginning of the game. We've updated this guide to reflect all of the Avowed character race updates.
Every Playable Race In Avowed
There are five playable races in Avowed, and as far as lore is concerned, Humans and Elves are the most prominent. At the beginning of the game during character creation, we are told that this is because Aedyr, the colonial power whom the emperor serves, is made up of both Humans and Elves who came together to form this major alliance after years of war.
Each of these races in Avowed offers one masculine body and one feminine body type, for a total of four body types across all races in Avowed. Later on in character creation, you can choose one of four voices and choose preferred pronouns for your character, which will change how NPCs refer to you.
Elf
- +1 Dexterity
- +1 Perception
Though there are a few different types of Elf in the Pillars of Eternity lore (Pale Elves and Wood Elves), you can only play as a Wood Elf if you choose the Elf race. Elves can be found everywhere the Aedyran Empire has influence, now including The Living Lands.
In typical fantasy tradition, Elves in Avowed are slightly shorter, but significantly longer life spans, than their Human counterparts.
Human
- +1 Might
- +1 Resolve
In Avowed, Humans (also called Folk) are the most common race across Eora – when it comes to civilized, advanced races, at least. There are several different types of Human in Pillars of Eternity, including Meadow Folk, Savannah Folk, Storm Folk, and Ocean Folk. Depending on how you customize your character, it's perfectly possible to make a Human who looks like they could hail from any of these four sub-races.
Compared to Elves, Humans in Avowed are slightly taller and more robust, but don't live nearly as long. In fact, Humans have one of the shortest life spans of any civilized race in Pillars of Eternity.
Avowed: Cabin Fever Quest Guide
Dehengen is in trouble and players can help her by making an important decision in Avowed.
Dwarf
- +1 Might
- +1 Constitution
While Dwarves might not be the most numerous or most prominent race in Eora, they are the most well-traveled, which means wherever you go in the world, there will likely be Dwarves there.
Dwarves in Avowed are short and stocky, and what they lack in height, they make up for in presence. They make for fierce warriors who have no trouble capturing and holding the enemy's attention, though they're no slouches when it comes to other combat disciplines either. Players who pick Dwarf as their race get to enjoy a nice bonus in Might and Constitution, further reinforcing their nature as hardy fighters.
Aumaua
- +2 Might
In contrast with the Dwarves, the Aumaua are the largest of the kith races in Avowed. They are a tall people who commonly live in warm regions near oceans. Despite having aquatic features like semi-webbed hands and feet, the Aumaua do not totally belong underwater. Other notable features include their colorful, scale-like skin.
In Avowed, Aumaua characters start with two extra points to Might, making the best choice for players who want to go all-in on damage with strength-based martial weapons.
Orlan
- +1 Resolve
- +1 Perception
Orlans are a race of small individuals who are closer to beasts than humans in appearance. Their large ears and fur-covered bodies have caused other races to look down on them, but contrary to what the other kith think of them, Orlans are renowned for their speed and acuity. They start with a bonus to Resolve and Perception, giving them better better Stamina and a higher Critical Hit Chance.
Godlike
In addition to their racial species, every character in Avowed is also something called a Godlike. A Godlike is someone who has been touched by a God, and will often sprout growths on their bodies that correspond with their God's blessing.
In Avowed, the main character doesn't know which God touched them, but you can still exhibit their influence with a plethora of Godlike Features customizations in character creation. You can also turn off these Godlike Features visually, but it doesn't stop NPCs from referring to your apparently hideous Godlike growths.
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Franchise
- Pillars of Eternity
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, PC
