Oath of the Unseen Guide: Easiest Fear and Vows

The Oath of the Unseen adds difficulty modifiers to runs and is a source of Nightmare in Hades 2. See how to unlock and use the Oath of the Unseen, as well as some recommended Vows when climbing Fear levels.

How to Unlock Oath of the Unseen

Defeat Chronos Once

You can unlock the Oath of the Unseen by defeating Chronos at least once.

Once unlocked, the Oath of the Unseen can be found between the entrance to the Underworld and the Surface.

How to Beat Chronos

How to Use Oath of the Unseen

Enact Testaments of Night

Enact Testaments and receive Nightmare as a reward by following these steps:

• Equip the required Nocturnal Arm for your desired Testament.
• Activate Vows to reach the required Fear.
• Defeat the Guardian indicated in the Testament.

List of All Bosses

Recommended Starting Vows

Fear 1 to 5

The following vows are recommended if you're just starting out with the Oath of the Unseen. Feel free to try different combinations of the Vows listed below as you see fit!

Vow	Breakdown
Desperation	Effect: You have 9/7/5 minutes to fight through each Region. Explanation: One point into this vow could be considered free as 9 minutes per Region is easily doable, especially when you know what you'll be facing up ahead. Any remaining time after clearing a Region will carry over to the next!
Rebuke	Effect: All foes have 1/2 Barrier. Explanation: You'll need to hit enemies one to two times to take down their Barrier and start dealing damage to their Life. The damage does not matter so it shouldn't be a problem for fast hitting weapons like the Sister Blades and Umbral Flames. ▶︎ All Nocturnal Arms
Dominance	Effect: All foes have +10/20/30 Life. Explanation: Similar to the Vow of Rebuke where enemies can withstand more hits. A build with good Boon synergy can easily overcome this.
Scars	Effect: Any Healing effects are 75/50/0% effective. Explanation: The first two tiers reduce the effectiveness of Healing effects, but you other defensive options like Armor, Death Defiance, and increasing your max Life. The third tier nullifies any Healing effects and is best saved for higher Fear levels! ▶︎ How to Increase Max Health

Fear 6 to 10

When you're starting to get comfortable with the early Fear levels, continue climbing with the Vows listed below. These are more difficult so combine these with earlier Vows.

Vow	Breakdown
Wandering	Effect: Most foes have 10/25% chance to be from the next Region (if there is one). Explanation: Harder enemies can spawn earlier and could possibly end the run if you're unprepared. This Vow should not pose a threat if you already know all enemy movesets.
Haunting	Effect: Most slain foes have 25/50% chance to become a Revenant. Explanation: Revenants are immobile objects that revive the slain enemy if not picked up in 5 seconds. Revenants may spawn away from their body and could put you in a risky position. Mobility options can help keep Revenants in check, like the repositioning tools of the Argent Skull and Sister Blades, or even Boons that improve your Dash and Sprint.

What Is the Oath of the Unseen?

Adds Modifiers for More Challenging Runs

The Oath of the Unseen lets you activate Vows and add difficulty modifiers.

This is equivalent to the first game's Heat mechanic, where a run's difficulty can be increased or decreased at your discretion for valuable rewards.

Source of Nightmare

The Oath of the Unseen is one of the sources of Nightmare in game. Nightmare is used to upgrade Nocturnal Arm Aspects.

Best Weapons and Nocturnal Arms Tier List

Hades 2 Related Guides

Beginner's Guide to Hades 2

Hades 2 Tips and Tricks