Okay, let me spill the tea ☕ on Obsidian's latest fantasy RPG, Avowed. I've been diving deep into the Living Lands for the past couple of weeks since it dropped earlier this month, and honestly? It's a vibe. As someone who loved The Outer Worlds, I was hyped for this first-person fantasy adventure, and it mostly delivers. The combat is smooth, the world is gorgeous, and the lore is deep. But honey, let me tell you about the one thing that had me scratching my head and almost ready to rage quit: finding those elusive God Totem fragments. For real, those riddles were giving me a major headache. But then I discovered the game's best-kept secret, hidden in plain sight in the settings menu. Game changer!
The Lowdown on Avowed's Collectibles 🗺️
First off, Avowed is packed with stuff to find. We're talking keys, amulets, trinkets, and those super important Ancient Memories that give you permanent stat boosts. But the real MVP collectibles? God Totem fragments. These bad boys are divine objects tied to the gods of this world. The lore is that there's one full Totem in each of the four main regions, but they've all been smashed to pieces and scattered. Your job? Play divine archaeologist and put them back together. Each fragment you find gives you and your squad a passive buff, and collecting more for a specific totem unlocks even better bonuses. Sounds awesome, right? It is... until you have to actually find them.
The Riddle Me This Problem 🤔
Here's the catch: Avowed doesn't just hand you a map with big, shiny X marks the spot. Oh no. To find a God Totem fragment, you first have to buy a riddle from a specific vendor in each major area. These are scribbled on pieces of paper, and you have to decipher what they mean to figure out the location. Some examples I ran into were straight-up cryptic:
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"Where the waterfall's tears meet the stone giant's沉睡 (sleep)." (Huh?)
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"Seek the light where the roots grasp the sky." (Poetic, but not helpful!)
I spent hours, I kid you not, running around the Emerald Grove trying to figure out what "the stone giant's sleep" meant. Was it a cave? A statue? A sleeping NPC? It was giving me major frustration. I love a good puzzle, but sometimes you just wanna progress, you know?
The Secret Sauce: A Hidden Settings Gem ⚙️
Just when I was about to consult a guide (a cardinal sin for my first playthrough, I know), I stumbled upon the solution. And get this—it was in the game the whole time! While tweaking some UI settings, I scrolled all the way down in the menu and found this magical option: "Compass - God Shrine Totem Pieces."
Mind. Blown. 🤯
This setting is OFF by default. Why, Obsidian, why?! Almost every other compass icon for quests, points of interest, and resources is turned on automatically. But this one crucial helper for the game's most valuable collectibles? Nope. You gotta find it yourself.
How It Works & Why It's a Lifesaver 🧭
Once you flick that switch to "Enabled," your compass at the top of the screen will start pointing you toward the nearest God Totem fragment. It doesn't give you an exact pin—you'll still need to do a bit of searching when you get to the general area—but it narrows it down from (\text{entire region}) to (\text{specific hillside or ruin}).
Before: Wandering aimlessly, rereading a riddle for the 50th time.
After: (\text{Compass beeps}\rightarrow) "Ooh, it's that way!" proceeds confidently
It saved me so much time and let me focus on the parts of the game I actually love: the combat, the stories, and exploring the beautiful environments without the nagging feeling I was missing something major.
My Theory on the 'Why' 🤷♀️
I think Obsidian made this an opt-in feature for a couple of reasons:
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The Purist Experience: They wanted to preserve the challenge and sense of discovery for players who enjoy solving riddles and exploring every nook and cranny without assistance. Turning it off by default forces you to engage with the riddle system first.
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Avoiding UI Clutter: The compass can get pretty busy. Maybe they didn't want another icon popping up constantly for new players.
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It's a Bit OP: Let's be real, with this on, finding fragments becomes significantly easier. It's like having a divine metal detector. They probably didn't want to make it too easy right from the start.
Whatever the reason, I'm just glad the option exists. It's the perfect compromise. Hardcore explorers can leave it off and enjoy the puzzle. Players like me, who want the buffs without the endless scavenger hunt, can turn it on and save our sanity.
Pro-Tips for Your Avowed Playthrough ✨
Based on my experience, here's how to make the most of this feature and your Totem hunting:
| What to Do | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Turn on the setting ASAP! | Go to Settings > UI > scroll down. Don't wait until you're frustrated. |
| Still buy the riddles. | They often give cool lore hints and context for why the fragment is where it is. The compass gets you there; the riddle makes it meaningful. |
| Fragment buffs are permanent. | Prioritize collecting them! They make your character and companions significantly stronger throughout the entire game. |
| Check your Codex. | Once you find a fragment, the buff details are logged there. Plan which totem you want to complete first based on your build. |
Final Verdict
Avowed is a fantastic, approachable RPG with a ton of heart. But this one little hidden setting toggle made my experience go from (\text{slightly frustrating}) to (\text{absolutely stellar}). It's a classic case of "why wasn't this the default?" but I'm so glad it's there. It's like the devs left a little cheat code for us, hidden in the options menu. So, if you're playing Avowed and those totem fragments are driving you crazy, just know the solution is a few menu clicks away. Trust me, your gaming experience will be so much better for it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a God Totem to reconstruct. Happy hunting, gamers! 🎮✨
TL;DR: Can't find the God Totem fragments in Avowed? Go to Settings > UI and enable "Compass - God Shrine Totem Pieces." It's off by default and is a total game-changer. You're welcome!