Devotion
Devotion is another deep layer of character customization in Grim Dawn which allows players to customize their skills with additional Celestial Powers.
By exploring the world and restoring ancient shrines, you can tap into the power of the old gods and other celestial symbols. The Devotion System combined with our Attribute System, Item Skills and Class Masteries provides for an immense number of possible permutations so that any character you create is uniquely your own.
Devotion Shrines
Devotion Shrines are scattered throughout the world. Some you may find just off the road, a forgotten landmark for weary travelers, but many await you within the far corners of Cairn, teeming with dangers that you must overcome before you can claim the shrine.
Whenever you find a shrine, its location will be marked on your world map. Sometimes you may not have the necessary materials to restore a shrine, or the enemies it spawns prove too difficult. The map marker will serve as a reminder to return to it when you are ready. Once you restore a shrine, it will be checked off on the map.
Ruined Shrines
Ruined Shrines have been battered by time and neglect. To restore the shrine to its former glory, you will need rare materials. The materials required will vary from shrine to shrine.
The materials required will become more exotic as you move up to Elite and Ultimate difficulty, so earning those last few Devotion Points will be a challenge.
Corrupted Shrines
Corrupted Shrines have become tainted with darkness, a darkness which must be purged before you can claim the shrine. When you activate such a shrine, you will be assaulted by whatever fiends corrupted the shrine. Be ready for battle!
The creatures spawned from within Corrupted Shrine become more powerful on Elite and Ultimate difficulty, so be ready for some difficult encounters when claiming those last few Devotion Points.
Restoring a Shrine
Once you have provided the required materials or slain the monsters guarding it, a shrine will become Restored. A restored shrine will shower you with mortal wealth and grant you a single Devotion Point, which you can spend in the Devotion Window. You can earn up to 50 Devotion Points throughout Grim Dawn’s 3 Difficulty Modes.
(With the Ashes of Malmouth expansion, the Devotion Point cap is increased to 55.)
Note that, unless you own the Forgotten Gods expansion, not all shrines that appear on Normal/Veteran Difficulty will appear on Elite Difficulty. Likewise, Ultimate Difficulty has even fewer shrines.
Devotion Window
The Devotion Window, accessed via the Skill Window (Default key: S), is where you can spend your Devotion Points. You begin with access only to the Crossroads Constellation, but the Crossroads will in turn grant you access to other parts of the celestial map.
Each Constellation has a starting Star, which will give you access to other parts of the Constellation once you spend a Devotion Point on it. Some Stars glow brighter than others. These will grant you Celestial Powers, which you can assign to your skills.
Unlocking Constellations
With the exception of the Crossroads, all Constellations require some Affinity before you can spend your Devotion Points on them. Affinity is earned by fully unlocking a Constellation, or through each star in the Crossroads Constellation. When you have gathered enough Affinity, new Constellations will light up in the sky for you to access.
Affinity
Each of the Constellations is attuned to certain Affinities. Each time you fully unlock a Constellation, you will earn an Affinity bonus, which in turn can fulfill the requirements for more powerful Constellations. Affinity is not spent when unlocking new Constellations.
Generally, the further you go from the Crossroads, the more powerful the bonuses become, but the Affinity requirements go up as well.
Note that the most powerful Constellations do not grant any Affinity bonuses at all.
Ascendant beings have risen to godlike status through immense feats or reverence from their lessers.
Chaotic beings crave entropy and destruction above all else.
Eldritch beings represent the wild forces of magic and the metaphysical realms beyond the veil.
Beings of Order cherish harmony and balance in all things.
Primordial beings embody the powers of creation, life, death, and reality itself.
Celestial Powers
Some Stars, when unlocked, will bestow upon you incredible Celestial Powers. These powers can be assigned to your skills (both skills from your Masteries or Equipment are valid) via the Devotion Window.
Not all skills can be assigned to a Celestial Power. Celestial Powers that trigger off of taking damage or blocking can only be assigned to Buff Skills, while Celestial Powers that trigger off of dealing damage, dealing critical strikes, or slaying enemies can only be assigned to Attack Skills. To see whether a Celestial Power can be assigned to a skill you have, left-click on that power’s star.
Note that when you assign a Celestial Power to a Pet Summon skill, the power will be triggered by your pet instead of you and will scale with any bonuses that normally affect your pets.
Once you have assigned a Celestial Power, the designated skill will have a chance to trigger its effects. Try out different Celestial Powers to discover the combinations that suit your playstyle.
Celestial Powers gain ranks as you accumulate Experience Points, but only if they are actively assigned to a skill you are using. Once a Celestial Power accumulates enough Experience, it will level up and its bonuses will improve.
Celestial Powers have a maximum level based on the power of the Constellation they are in. Tier 1 (entry-tier) Celestial Powers can go up to level 20. Tier 2 (mid-tier) Celestial Powers can go up to level 15. Tier 3 (high-tier) Celestial Powers can go up to level 10.
(With the Ashes of Malmouth expansion, the maximum level of Celestial Powers is increased by 5)
Resetting Devotion Points
If you change your mind about the Constellations you have unlocked, you can visit the Spirit Guide to unlearn Devotion Points for a fee plus an Aether Crystal. If you unlearn a Celestial Power this way, it will retain all of the Experience you have accrued on it.
Note that you cannot unlearn Devotion Points invested in a Constellation that provides you an Affinity bonus which you need to maintain another Constellation.
However, a Constellation can potentially support itself with its own Affinity bonus if you remove points from earlier Constellations. In that case, you will not be able to remove points from it unless you fulfill the Affinity requirements through other means.
To learn more about the Spirit Guide, visit the Service NPCs page.
There are rumors that the most powerful enemies in all of Cairn sometimes carry Tonics of Clarity, which can completely reset all of your spent Devotion Points.