In Grim Dawn, character customization plays a vital role in how you experience combat, survival, and progression. Among the various systems the game offers, the Devotion system is one of the most intricate and rewarding. It allows players to unlock powerful bonuses and celestial powers that further enhance a character’s playstyle. However, as you progress and experiment with builds, there may come a time when your current devotion path no longer aligns with your goals. Thankfully, Grim Dawn provides an option to reset your devotion points. Understanding how the reset mechanic works, when to use it, and how to realign your devotion build efficiently can make a big difference in your journey across Cairn.
Understanding the Devotion System
What Are Devotion Points?
Devotion points in Grim Dawn are earned by restoring shrines scattered across the world. Each restored shrine grants one devotion point, and players can unlock a maximum of 55 devotion points (depending on expansions). These points can then be invested into a sprawling constellation map filled with passive bonuses and powerful abilities.
The Importance of Devotion Builds
Your devotion build can significantly influence your character’s effectiveness. It can provide bonuses to resistances, damage types, health, energy, and even summon celestial powers that trigger during combat. A well-planned devotion setup often determines the difference between surviving late-game content or constantly dying to tougher enemies and bosses.
Why Reset Devotion in Grim Dawn?
Adjusting to a New Build
One of the most common reasons for resetting devotion points is transitioning to a new build. You may have started as a lightning caster but later decide to switch to vitality damage or a pet-based strategy. Each damage type or build archetype benefits from a specific path on the devotion map, so resetting becomes necessary to reallocate points accordingly.
Fixing Mistakes
In the early stages of the game, it’s easy to make errors when selecting constellations. Perhaps you invested in stars that don’t align well with your skills or failed to unlock key devotion powers. Resetting gives you a second chance to make more informed and optimized decisions.
Gaining More Efficient Paths
Advanced players often find that early devotion paths used to unlock requirements become less useful as the build evolves. Resetting devotion allows you to remove filler nodes and reroute your path toward more impactful constellations while still maintaining access to high-tier bonuses.
How to Reset Devotion Points
Visit the Spirit Guide
To reset devotion points in Grim Dawn, you need to talk to the Spirit Guide. This NPC can be found in several key locations including:
- Devil’s Crossing
- Homestead
- Coven’s Refuge
- Steelcap District in Malmouth
The Spirit Guide offers a few different reset options: skills, attributes, and devotion points. Simply select the devotion option and start removing points one by one. The process costs iron bits, but the fee is relatively low, especially later in the game when money becomes abundant.
Refunding Devotion Points
Devotion points can only be refunded under certain conditions:
- You can only remove points from a star that is not a prerequisite for other stars in your constellation map.
- If a devotion point is helping to fulfill a required affinity (e.g., giving you enough Chaos to unlock another Chaos constellation), it must be refunded carefully by meeting those affinity requirements elsewhere first.
Because of these dependency rules, resetting devotion often requires a step-by-step plan to gradually remove points while keeping your affinities intact.
Resetting the Entire Devotion Tree
If you want a full reset, start by removing the constellations at the edge of your path, working your way backward to the core. This is a manual process there’s no single button to reset the entire tree but with a methodical approach, you can reallocate all 55 points within a few minutes.
Tips for Efficient Devotion Respec
Plan Your New Path First
Before removing any points, have your new devotion build ready. Use online build calculators or devotion maps to outline your desired constellations and how you’ll reach the affinity requirements. This planning phase is crucial to avoid getting stuck with unusable points mid-reset.
Use Temporary Nodes for Affinities
Sometimes you may need to temporarily invest points into low-value constellations just to meet the affinity prerequisites for a stronger one. These can later be removed once you’ve stabilized your build and secured alternative affinity sources.
Prioritize Core Powers First
During the reset process, prioritize constellations that grant powerful devotion skills like Meteor Shower, Dying God, or Healing Rain. These abilities often define your combat style and can make up for lower overall stats during the transition period.
Common Devotion Reset Scenarios
Transitioning from Leveling Build to Endgame Build
Leveling builds often focus on simplicity and survivability. Once you reach level 94 or gain access to endgame gear, your goals may change, and devotion adjustments become essential to maximize synergies with your final equipment and skills.
Switching Damage Types
If your damage type changes say from elemental to acid you’ll need to follow devotion constellations that boost acid damage, resist reduction, and related stats. Resetting devotion allows a complete transformation without restarting your character.
Hybrid to Focused Builds
Many players experiment with hybrid setups, such as combining pets and elemental damage. Over time, it becomes clear which direction is stronger. Respec allows you to drop less effective constellations and double down on the strengths of your primary approach.
Benefits of Regularly Reviewing Devotion Setup
Adapt to New Challenges
Grim Dawn’s content scales up significantly in difficulty. As you enter Elite and Ultimate difficulties, enemies become more dangerous, and resistances become more critical. A devotion path that worked early on might not be viable in high-level Crucible or Shattered Realm content.
Incorporate New Items and Bonuses
Finding a powerful new legendary weapon or armor set might open new possibilities for your build. Resetting devotion ensures that your constellation setup aligns with your latest gear to maximize damage and survivability.
Respec Strategy
Resetting devotion points in Grim Dawn isn’t just a mechanic it’s a tool for growth and refinement. Whether you’re fine-tuning an already powerful build, recovering from early mistakes, or shifting your strategy entirely, the ability to respec your devotion layout adds a layer of flexibility that enhances the overall experience. By using the Spirit Guide, planning your constellation route, and understanding the affinity system, you can fully take control of your character’s progression. Don’t hesitate to reset your devotion when the time feels right it might be the upgrade your character needs to conquer even the harshest corners of Cairn.