Dishonored loading tips

While loading the next mission *Dishonored* briefly displays many game-related **hints**, yielding valuable tips to better make it through the game. Specific DLC hints are also listed.

## Lore

* *As the capital city, Dunwall is home to the Empress and the royal court.*
* *The "Flooded District" was once the thriving Rudshore Financial District.*
* *The Abbey of the Everyman is the dominant religion across the Empire.*
* *The Lighthouse was the last great project of the Lord Regent's reign.*
* *The Wrenhaven River runs through the City of Dunwall.*

* *High Overseer Campbell is the current leader of the Abbey of the Everyman.*
* *Overseers are religious militants dedicated to fighting witchcraft.*
* *The Overseers are a militant religious faction spread across the Empire.*
* *The Overseers use ancient mathematics-based music to suppress magic.*
* *The metallic masks worn by the Overseers protect them from frontal ranged attacks.*
* *Collecting Runes and Bone Charms is considered heresy by the Overseers.*

* *The Lord Regent has deployed Sokolov's technologies across the city.*
* *The Lord Regent has upgraded Dunwall Tower since the time of the Empress.*
* *The Lord Regent served as the Royal Spymaster prior to the Empress' death.*
* *The Lord Regent's stilt walkers — known as Tallboys — fire incendiary arrows.*

* *The Outsider is a figure out of myth, neither good nor evil.*
* *Piero's Remedy and Sokolov's Elixir are competing anti-plague potions.*

* *Whale oil is volatile but has enabled an industrial age across the Empire.*
* *River Krusts are mollusks containing valuable pearls within their shells.*

## Combat

* *Keep moving in combat and don't get surrounded.*
* *When facing too many attackers, move away and deal with them one-on-one.*
* *Combat doesn't have to end in a bloodbath — escape is always an option.*
* *Destroy any enemy in your path or adopt a stealthier approach.*
* *Choke an enemy unconscious for a nonlethal takedown.*

* *A successful drop assassination prevents falling damage and makes no sound.*
* *Drop assassination can be accomplished from great heights.*
* *For a drop assassination, fall on an enemy and attack just before colliding.*

### Blocking

* *Blocking is a critical part of combat.*
* *Block and counter-attack are essential combat skills.*
* *A well-timed block puts your enemy off-balance, so you can deliver a lethal counter-attack.*
* *Block and counter-attack while your enemy is off-balance.*
* *Blocking during sword combat protects you and can put enemies off-balance.*
* *Timed right, blocking a sword attack throws the attacker off-balance.*
* *Attack an off-balance or downed enemy to deliver a fatal, critical hit.*

### Weapons

* *Wooden planks can be broken by sword attacks.*
* *You can stick springrazors to any surface, including living creatures.*
* *Ranged weapons inflict more damage if you hit an enemy in the head.*
* *Ranged weapons inflict more damage when an enemy is unaware of you.*
* *Sometimes your crossbow bolts can be recovered from corpses.*
* *Use Sleep Darts from the Quick-access Wheel for nonlethal takedowns.*

### Foes

* *Tallboys are immune to sleep darts due to their thick armor.*
* *Tallboys have vulnerable tanks of whale oil on their backs.*
* *The Arc Pylon and Wall of Light do not harm those properly attuned.*
* *The Arc Pylon generates dangerous electricity when approached.*
* *Remove the whale oil tanks from security systems like the Wall of Light or Arc Pylon to power them down.*
* *Rats are aggressive in swarms, but will flee when their number is reduced.*
* *Rats do not attack weepers due to their advanced state of plague infection.*

## Supernatural Powers

* *You can use most of your supernatural powers underwater.*

* *Agility allows you to jump higher and reach elevated places. Combine Agility and Blink for extra distance.*

* *Aim the Heart and use it to reveal secrets about people or places.*
* *Aim the Heart at a person and use it to hear secrets.*
* *Equip the Heart and use it to hear secrets about a location.*
* *Equip the Heart to reveal the locations of Runes and Bone Charms around you.*

* *Dark Vision allows you to keep hostiles in view at all times while hidden behind cover.*
* *Dark Vision level 2 reveals the cables for security devices, allowing you to find their power sources and rewiring panels.*

* *The Blink power is useful for stealth, exploration, and combat.*
* *Use Blink to assassinate by blinking up to a target and attacking while they are surprised.*
* *Use Blink to sneak by moving rapidly and silently from cover to cover.*
* *With the right timing, you can chain together Blink and assassination (or Blink and choking).*

* *When Bend Time level 2 is active any attack counts as an assassination, allowing you to deal with multiple enemies in a crowd.*
* *If you stop time with Bend Time level 2, you can attach a springrazor to an enemy in a crowd. When time resumes, the springrazor will trigger.*
* *Projectiles stopped in the air with Bend Time level 2 can be collected.*
* *When time is stopped with Bend Time level 2, nobody will notice you. Use this to sneak through crowded locations.*

* *Possessing people allows you to bypass security devices, like a Wall of Light or Arc Pylon, if that person is authorized to pass.*
* *Possession allows you to escape from combat by possessing an enemy and "hiding" inside them.*
* *Possessing rats and fish will often reveal alternative pathways.*
* *When possessing a rat you fit into smaller spaces than normal.*
* *If you can't find a rat to possess, use the rats from your Devouring Swarm power instead.*
* *When possessing a wolfhound you can sprint.*
* *You can survive great falls by possessing someone just before you hit.*
* *If you jump from a great height, you can possess a person or animal on the way down to break your fall.*

## Game Mechanic

* *Your mask allows you to zoom in on a target location.*
* *Search for alternate ways to eliminate key assassination targets.*
* *Groups of rats are attracted to corpses.*

### Consequences

* *A high body count leads to more rats, more plague victims and a darker outcome.*
* *Choices have consequences. Using stealth or the nonlethal approach will lead to a more stable, less dark city.*

### Movement & Navigation

* *You move more quickly with your weapons sheathed.*
* *Sprint to evade enemies or build speed for jumps.*
* *Stand next to a reachable ledge and hold the jump button to climb.*
* *Climb to reach higher locations and bypass enemies.*
* *Rooftops and ledges sometimes provide alternate pathways.*

### Stealth, Visibility & Sound

* *Go into stealth mode to sneak past enemies or approach them covertly.*
* *When approaching a low space in stealth mode, move forward to automatically crouch and go beneath.*
* *When sprinting, enter stealth mode to slide. Sliding into people counts as an attack.*
* *Sliding into people counts as an attack and can put enemies off balance.*
* *To slide, enter stealth mode when sprinting.*
* *Sprinting and running make your footsteps louder. Sneaking is silent.*
* *To sneak, go into stealth mode and stay behind cover. Shadows only make you harder to see at a distance.*
* *Behind cover, you will not be detected while leaning out to observe.*
* *Leaning out from behind cover gives you a chance to watch your enemies and eavesdrop on them. As long as your body is behind cover, you won't be visible.*

* *Pick up corpses or unconscious bodies to carry them to a hiding place.*
* *Shadows give you a bonus to hiding only at a distance.*
* *Enemies see you less clearly at a greater distance and in darkness.*

* *Eavesdropping sometimes reveals useful info.*
* *If an enemy hears a suspicious sound, he will come to investigate.*
* *If upgraded, your mask amplifies sound when you zoom in on a target.*

### Looting & Collecting

* *Acquire new powers by spending Runes from within your Journal. Equip the Heart to hunt for Runes.*
* *Bone Charms give you small bonuses when equipped in the Journal. Use the Heart to hunt for Bone Charms.*
* *Collect Bone Charms and select which are active from the journal.*
* *Collecting Runes is essential as it allows you to buy new Powers or upgrade the ones you have.*
* *Runes and Bone Charms emit a faint "singing" sound.*
* *Runes can be used to gain or upgrade supernatural powers.*

* *Collecting valuables during missions allows you to buy supplies and upgrades.*
* *Pickpocket enemies (or loot their bodies) for coins, ammo and keys.*
* *Explore the environment and loot fallen enemies to find resources.*
* *Money can be used to buy or upgrade weapons and equipment.*
* *Explore abandoned buildings and alleys to replenish your ammo, collect coins and find elixir.*

* *Books usually provide background information about the world.*
* *Notes are stored in your journal.*
* *Notes contain useful information. Generally, books provide world fiction.*
* *Written notes usually contain useful information and clues.*

### Interface

* *Check the journal to review Notes you have collected.*
* *Check the journal to review your current Objectives.*
* *Hold the attack button to "cook" grenades so they explode on contact.*
* *You can "cook" grenades to make them explode on impact.*
* *Hold the USE button to put away your weapons.*
* *Jump up to a reachable ledge then hold the jump button to climb.*
* *Use your left hand for powers, ranged weapons and gadgets.*
* *Use your right hand to attack or block with a sword.*
* *Save your game often.*

* *From the Quick-access Wheel, restore health with Sokolov's Elixir (the red potion).*
* *From the Quick-access Wheel, restore mana with Piero's Remedy (the blue potion).*
* *From the Quick-access Wheel, you can assign weapons and powers to the quick-slots.*
* *From the Quick-access Wheel, you can drink potions that restore your health and mana.*
* *The Quick-access Wheel accesses potions and left-hand gear.*
* *The Quick-access Wheel accesses your left-hand weapons.*
* *The Quick-access Wheel slows time while in use.*

### Settings

* *Calibrate your brightness in the options menu.*
* *You can change difficulty settings at any time.*

## Dunwall City Trials (DLC)

### Back Alley Brawl

* *Runes appear after some rounds and give a new power when picked up.*
* *Hitting the Golden Merchant will earn you ammunition, potions and upgrades.*
* *Dispatch your enemies in various ways to earn bonus points.*
* *Some enemies drop ammo when killed. Watch closely.*
* *Round 13 can't be beaten. Or can it?*
* *If one of your enemies kills another, you will miss out on an opportunity to score points.*
* *In Expert Mode, enemies know where you are as they spawn.*

### Assassin's Run

* *Don't shoot the masked civilians for a better score.*
* *The faster you are, the more you'll score.*
* *Headshots give you more points.*
* *Pick your shots: the better the accuracy, the more points you score.*
* *Killing an unaware or surprised target gives you bonus points.*

### Bend Time Massacre

* *Once inside the chamber, you may only exit the way you came. Some of the bonus challenges will require that you do so.*
* *The bonus rounds are a one time opportunity to improve your score.*
* *The enemies will move from place to place. Wait until they're in a good configuration before breaking the glass.*
* *Check the environment for hazards that can be used to your advantage.*
* *Striking your projectiles will knock them out of bend time, hitting their target before time resumes.*

### Kill Chain

* *After the first kill, you'll have to be very quick.*
* *The Possession power allows you to move enemies where you see fit without killing them.*
* *The environment can offer alternative ways to dispatch enemies.*
* *Killing enemies simultaneously earns you the most points.*
* *Whale Oil Tanks can be used to set off chain reactions.*
* *The Bend Time power stops the timer, facilitating your kill chain.*
* *The bonus rounds are a one time opportunity to improve your score.*

### Bonfires

* *You can't die from fall damage.*
* *Mobility powers like Blink and Agility will be your best allies.*
* *Look in the environment for ways to reach the higher beams of light.*
* *Learn the area and make your own routes to move swiftly across it.*
* *You don't have to touch the base of the beam to activate it.*
* *In Expert Mode, pick up the glowing elixirs to fill up your mana faster.*

### Kill Cascade

* *Use the colors of the beams of light as a clue on how to perform the Drop Assassination.*
* *Skipping some platforms may allow you to perform Drop Assassinations from a greater height and gain more points.*
* *You can stray off the main path to find high Drop Assassination spots.*
* *The end is only the beginning…*
* *Remember to press Attack before reaching the target for a successful Drop Assassination.*

### Mystery Foe

* *The target can be anyone in the area.*
* *Look high for wooden beams, chandeliers or attic trapdoors.*
* *Some Mana elixirs have been randomly placed in the area.*
* *Hide behind curtains and under tables to avoid being spotted.*
* *If you get spotted, you'll get a couple of seconds before your target escapes through the Portals.*
* *If an enemy spots a body he will alert people around him. If your target happens to be alerted, he or she will escape.*
* *Avoiding the guards is worth more points than knocking them unconscious, which in turn is worth more than killing them.*

### Oil Drop

* *Special colored tanks grant special effects.*
* *Shoot the tanks as they are high above you to avoid taking damage from the explosion.*
* *Your pistol has a magazine of 4 bullets. Reload often to refill your magazine by pressing Use.*
* *Try to shoot the special tanks first in order to make shooting the next ones easier.*
* *You can move around on the platform, which can help you take less damage or have a better shooting angle.*
* *You can trigger chains of explosions if you shoot a whale oil tank that is close to others.*

### Train Runner

* *Don't hesitate to try different paths, there's a lot of possibilities that could allow you to save some time.*
* *Use your mana regeneration wisely.*
* *Use Agilty, Blink, climb, and slide together for fluid mobility.*
* *Falling from too high will slow you down. Use Blink or jump on objects to prevent this.*
* *Use your sword and gun to break wooden barriers and doors.*

### Burglar

* *It's a big mansion, and big mansions always have secret rooms.*
* *A true ghost isn't just unseen; they harm no one and leave no proof behind.*
* *The guards are unlikely to see you if you're hiding under a table or high up on a ledge.*
* *If it looks like it might be valuable, it probably is.*
* *Objects can be thrown to distract guards and divert their attention, but any alerts will decrease your score bonus.*
* *Avoiding the guards is worth more points than knocking them unconscious, which in turn is worth more than killing them.*

### Dunwall City Trials

* *Earn a 1, 2 or 3 Star rating in a challenge to unlock a new piece of artwork in the Gallery.*
* *You can unlock an Expert version of some of the challenges by earning a 2 Star rating.*
* *There are 4 types of challenges: Stealth, Mobility, Combat and Puzzle.*
* *Pay attention to the rules of each challenge; some use very different rules from the single player campaign.*

## The Knife of Dunwall (DLC)

### Lore

* *Daud is an assassin for hire. His last target was Jessamine Kaldwin, Empress of the Isles.*

### Supernatural Powers

* *If summoned outside of combat, assassins have interesting things to say about your environment.*
* *Summoned assassins not only fight by your side, but they serve as a handy distraction for enemies and rats.*

* *If you stop moving while Blinking, time will stop. This works in mid-air, allowing radical changes in direction.*
* *Use Blink to assassinate by appearing next to a target and attacking while the target is surprised.*

* *Bone Charms give you small bonuses when equipped in the Journal. Use Void Gaze to hunt for Bone Charms.*
* *Equip the Void Gaze supernatural power to reveal the locations of Runes and Bone Charms around you.*

### Weapons

* *The Arc Mine and Stun Mine can be picked back up after placement as long as they haven't been triggered by an enemy.*
* *The Arc Mine can stick to any surface, including living creatures.*
* *The powered saw carried by the Rothwild Butchers deals a tremendous amount of damage and can deflect incoming projectiles.*
* *Chokedust not only works against people, but it will also help clear out swarms of rats.*
* *Chokedust will stop enemies in their tracks. Use this as an opportunity to escape or turn the tables in combat.*

## The Brigmore Witches (DLC)

### Lore

* *A black market merchant has set up shop in Drapers Ward.*
* *Among Dunwall's aristocratic class, Drapers Ward was the center for high fashion in better days.*
* *Drapers Ward is overrun with violent criminals. Use caution.*
* *The canal in Drapers Ward was once flowing, but water has since been diverted away from the district.*
* *After an Overseer assault on their hideout, Daud and his assassins plan their retaliation against the witch Delilah.*
* *Daud — the assassin called the Knife of Dunwall — rose in infamy before the start of the Rat Plague, and was not seen again in the days after it passed.*
* *Daud's tale will be whispered in the underworld for many years to come, though blood will be spilled over arguments about how it concluded.*
* *Lizzy Stride is captain of the Undine, a cargo ship used by her gang for smuggling.*
* *Most river traffic is restricted, but the Undine is allowed past corrupt harbor masters and River Patrol officers.*
* *Longtime suppliers of timber, the Brigmore family lost its fortune during the whale oil boom.*
* *Many heirlooms were left behind when the Brigmore family abandoned their ancestral home.*
* *One of the butlers at Brigmore Manor was rumored to be a smuggler and a thief.*
* *People fear the sewers since most who enter are not heard from again.*
* *No one is certain of what happened in the sewers to cause the water flow to stop.*
* *The Textile Mill is normally powered by a water wheel, but after the canal ran dry they took the engine coil to keep their production going.*
* *One of the Drapers Ward gangs has acquired lethal Sokolov technology.*
* *Overseer music broadcast around Coldridge Prison is intended to cancel out supernatural or heretical forces.*
* *Security at Coldridge Prison has increased due to Corvo Attano's recent escape.*
* *Several guards who were on duty during Corvo Attano's dramatic escape are being executed today in the prison yard.*
* *The Abbey of the Everyman is currently in a state of turmoil with the role of High Overseer recently made vacant.*
* *The Boyle estate is said to be having a gala event, the kind that used to be common in Drapers Ward.*
* *The docks on the riverfront were built on the site of a ruined structure older than Dunwall.*
* *The fate of the High Overseer has strained the already tenuous relationship between the Overseers and the City Watch.*
* *The primary source of Dunwall's militarized technology — Anton Sokolov — has gone missing. Some suspect by the masked assassin that has been terrorizing Dunwall.*
* *Falling in the Void is not fatal.*

### Consequences

* *Your actions in this world have a way of catching up to you.*

### Game Mechanic

* *Be sure to review available Favors in the store at the start of each mission. They may dramatically change your experience.*

### Foes

* *Beware of Blood Briars that can pull any enemy within range off ledges.*
* *The Blood Briar is a deadly trap summoned by the Brigmore Witches during battle.*
* *Some witches may summon the Blood Briar, a dangerous manifestation of Delilah's power.*
* *Disturbing a gravehound skull will awaken the gravehound, animated with energy from the Void.*
* *The supernatural hounds of Brigmore will hunt you relentlessly unless you can discover their secret.*
* *The Brigmore Witches are formidable foes with an array of supernatural powers and attacks.*

* *Delilah and her witches are rumored to be living in Brigmore Manor, an abandoned estate up the Wrenhaven River from Dunwall.*
* *Delilah Copperspoon is rumored to work from a secret studio inside of Brigmore Manor.*
* *Delilah is a talented artist — a sculptor and a painter. Her works often seem to be watching those who gaze upon them.*
* *Delilah's witches can reportedly animate plants and dead animals to serve as sentries.*
* *Delilah's witches often rely on cruel traps to guard against intruders.*
* *Delilah's ritual site is in the Void among the roots of an ancient tree.*
* *Delilah's statues can act as sentries, but with care, they can be avoided.*

* *The Dead Eels employ acid-filled missiles to maim and terrify their enemies.*
* *The Dead Eels gang uses gaff hooks, formerly tools of the shipping trade, as vicious melee weapons.*
* *The Dead Eels gang wields an aerosol weapon filled with an acidic substance harvested from River Krusts.*

* *It's said that the Geezer is rigged to a device that will gas the entire Mill if he is killed.*
* *The Geezer has a personal nurse that takes care of his health needs.*
* *The Textile Mill is controlled by Mortimer Hat, known as "The Geezer", the leader of the Hatters gang.*

### Supernatural Powers

* *The Pull power can be used to loot guarded valuables from afar without risking detection.*
* *The Pull power can be used to pull bodies even while they're being eaten by rats.*

### Charms

* *Corrupted Charms are more powerful than Bone Charms but the extra power comes with an equally high price.*
* *Corrupted Charms can be stacked with other charms or powers to enhance your abilities.*