Avowed Secrets Guide#
Most of Avowed’s hidden content follows one pattern: every suspicious blank wall on the map, every switch connected by a wire, and every device with a warning sign next to it is an entrance the designers left for you. Below, organized by type.
Mechanical Hidden Features#
| Type | How to spot it | How to deal with it |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden doors | A large blank wall with wires or conduits around it | Follow the wire to the switch and trigger it |
| Electrified devices | Obvious electrical structures | Activate with a shock-type attack |
| Breakable walls | Stone-masonry with a red explosive barrel nearby | Detonate the barrel, or shoot it from a distance |
| Frozen grates | Iced-over grilles or ground | Shatter with frost attacks, or enter from a specific angle |
| Underwater passages | Water surfaces or pools | Dive and swim through; the exit often leads to a secret room |
| Climbing routes | Ledges or scaffolding on cliff faces | Jump section by section; the endpoint is usually a chest |
The Hidden Room in Fort Northreach#
The opening area already hides a secret room tied directly to an achievement. While inside Fort Northreach, look for a wall that seems like it shouldn’t have a gap — find it and step in.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Inside Fort Northreach |
| Reward | Materials and an achievement |
| Tip | It can still be backfilled after the prologue ends |
The Lever in the Sand Sea Ruins#
In Shatterscarp’s Sand Sea Ruins there is a conspicuous warning sign, and right next to it a lever. The game makes a very direct joke here: ignore the warning and pull the lever.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | The Sand Sea Ruins in Shatterscarp |
| Trigger | Ignore the warning and operate the lever directly |
| Result | Unlocks the matching achievement |
Contemplating the Statue#
Somewhere in the game stands a statue that lets you choose to contemplate when you approach, triggering a vignette about mortality.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| How to trigger | Approach the statue and pick the matching interaction |
| Matching achievement | A clear Easter-egg-style achievement |
Behavior-Based Hidden Interactions#
This group isn’t location Easter eggs — it requires deliberately performing the behavior during your run.
| Interaction | How to do it | Matching achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Aiko’s medicine | Try it together with companions | Tied to companion relationships |
| Kill with their own poison | Change how you handle the matching quest | The poison-reversal achievement |
| Sell your future corpse | Agree to the deal in dialogue | The transaction achievement |
| Wear two specific gear pieces together | Equip the necromancer pants and the Dead Bell collar at once | The cosmetic Easter-egg achievement |
| Summon a bear to fight another bear | Use a summon near bear enemies | The humorous Easter-egg achievement |
| Use force in dialogue | Ten times cumulative | Behavior-tracker achievement |
| Defuse conflicts peacefully | Five times cumulative | Behavior-tracker achievement |
| Lie | Fifteen times cumulative | Behavior-tracker achievement |
| Demand compensation | Five times cumulative | Behavior-tracker achievement |
These behavior-tracker achievements are barely signposted. The least painful approach is to read the list first and check it against your playthrough, so you don’t discover you’re a few counts short after the credits.
Overlooked Side-Quest Details#
| Detail | Notes |
|---|---|
| How you handle the prisoner at the start | Referenced again in several later scenes |
| The defense of Fior | Skipping it gets the town burned down and affects that region’s outcome |
| History volumes in the ancient temple | All volumes collectible inside one temple; tied to an achievement |
| The sewer assassin | Encountered in the sewers at a certain story stage; tied to an achievement |
| Companion training courses | Each companion has a set of trainings that grant permanent attribute bonuses |
| Companion moments in the Garden | Companion interactions continue in the endgame region; skipping them misses an achievement |
Behavior Tips for Collectible Achievements#
| Goal | Tip |
|---|---|
| Parry counter | Use a one-handed weapon with an empty off-hand and deliberately practice on trash mobs |
| Stealth-kill counter | Pull mobs apart and open fights from stealth for the best efficiency |
| Spider and beetle kills | Swamps and caves have plenty of both |
| Full set fully upgraded | Keep a dedicated set of light armor for this achievement so it doesn’t touch your main gear |
Four Lessons While Exploring#
| Lesson | Notes |
|---|---|
| See a wire, find a switch | This is the game’s most consistent visual language for hidden doors |
| Read warning signs in reverse | The game deliberately puts Easter eggs next to warnings |
| There’s almost always something under the water | Spots that require diving nearly always hide a reward |
| Check the achievement list as you go | Behavior achievements are the easiest to miss — the earlier you look, the earlier you fix |
FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do secrets affect the main story | No, all of it is optional content |
| Can missed ones be backfilled | Location-based ones can; behavior-based ones must happen during the run |
| Any difficulty requirements | None — hidden content is independent of difficulty |
| Do Easter eggs give combat power | Most don’t; they’re flavor and achievement content |
| Which type is easiest to miss | Behavior trackers, since they show no progress at all |