Mastering the Void: The Ultimate Guide to All Dishonored Powers and Upgrades

Arkane Studios' landmark stealth-action game is celebrated for giving players absolute freedom in how they navigate the plague-ridden streets of Dunwall. Whether you prefer to slip through the shadows completely undetected or leave a trail of chaotic destruction in your wake, understanding how to utilize dishonored powers is key to mastering the game. Bestowed by the mysterious Outsider, these supernatural gifts allow you to bend the physical world, manipulate time, and control minds. Choosing the right dishonored powers can completely redefine your playstyle, transforming challenging encounters into creative playgrounds of assassination.

While you can technically finish the game without spending a single rune on upgrades—a feat celebrated by the community as a "Mostly Flesh and Steel" run—the game truly shines when you start mixing and matching these abilities. From teleportation to summoning ravenous rat swarms, the magical toolkit at your disposal is incredibly deep.

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Active Supernatural Abilities: Corvo's Arsenal

Corvo Attano’s active abilities require Mana to cast and are mapped to the player's quick-select wheel. These abilities are designed to offer both utility in exploration and lethal options in combat. To unlock or upgrade these dishonored powers, you must search the environment for Runes, which are hidden throughout the game's vertical levels.

Blink

Blink is the foundational movement ability in the game. It allows you to teleport instantly over short distances, making it indispensable for both stealthy vertical traversal and quick escapes during combat.

• Base Level: Teleports you a short distance along a visible trajectory.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Significantly extends the teleportation range, allowing you to cross massive street gaps and reach high rooftops.

Bend Time

Arguably the most powerful tool in Corvo's arsenal, Bend Time allows you to manipulate the flow of time. It is highly versatile, useful for sneaking past dense guard patrols or setting up elaborate combat sequences.

• Base Level: Slows time down to a crawl for a brief duration, allowing you to walk past enemies or dodge projectiles.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Stops time completely. While time is frozen, you can reposition, steal keys, or even place traps directly in front of frozen guards.

Possession

Possession allows you to merge your physical form with another living creature, which is incredibly useful for bypassing security checkpoints and entering restricted areas.

• Base Level: Allows you to possess small animals like rats and hagfish. This is perfect for sneaking through small vents and drainage pipes.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Allows you to possess human targets. You can walk a guard past his own security gates or walk them off a ledge before releasing the spell.

Devouring Swarm

For players pursuing a high-chaos playstyle, Devouring Swarm is a devastating tool that summons a pack of plague rats to attack your enemies.

• Base Level: Summons a small swarm of rats that will attack the nearest living target or consume dead bodies.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Summons a much larger, more aggressive swarm capable of tearing through multiple guards in seconds.

Wind Blast

Wind Blast is a defensive and offensive tool that releases a powerful shockwave of air directly in front of you. It is highly disruptive and will immediately alert nearby enemies.

• Base Level: Knocks down enemies, breaks wooden doors, and deflects incoming projectiles.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Increases the force of the blast to a lethal level; if enemies hit a solid wall or object, they will be crushed instantly.

Dark Vision

Often referred to by the player community as a legal "wallhack," Dark Vision changes your visual filter to highlight living entities and their lines of sight.

• Base Level: Highlights enemies through walls and shows their current field of view.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Highlights valuable items, loot, security wiring, and active traps.

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Passive Enhancements and Combat Abilities

Unlike active dishonored powers, passive enhancements do not cost Mana to use. Once purchased with Runes, they permanently alter Corvo's physical attributes, boosting his health, mobility, or combat efficiency.

Agility

Agility is highly recommended for every playstyle because it drastically improves how you move through Dunwall's vertical environments.

• Base Level: Increases your jump height, allowing you to perform double jumps.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Increases your overall movement, sprinting, and climbing speed.

Vitality

Vitality is a straightforward survival enhancement designed to help you survive direct confrontations.

• Base Level: Increases your maximum health pool.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Grants passive health regeneration and increases the amount of health restored by healing items.

Bloodthirsty

Bloodthirsty is tailored specifically for players who enjoy open combat. It rewards aggressive, melee-focused gameplay.

• Base Level: Generates adrenaline during melee combat. Once the meter is full, you can trigger a slow-motion, lethal execution.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Speeds up adrenaline generation and allows you to execute multiple enemies in a single sequence.

Shadow Kill

Shadow Kill is an essential passive for stealth players who do not want to waste time carrying and hiding unconscious or dead bodies.

• Base Level: Unaware enemies killed by your hand instantly turn into ash, preventing other guards from finding their bodies.
• Level 2 Upgrade: All enemies killed by you turn into ash, regardless of whether they were aware of your presence.

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Daud's Unique DLC Arsenal

In the game's major story expansions, The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches, players step into the shoes of Daud, the leader of the Whaler assassins. Daud possesses his own unique set of dishonored powers that differ mechanically from Corvo's base abilities.

Daud's Powers = [Redirective Blink, Void Gaze, Summon Assassin, Arcane Bond, Pull]

Redirective Blink

Daud's version of Blink features a major mechanical twist. When you hold down the Blink button while stationary or in mid-air, time completely freezes. This allows you to look around, adjust your trajectory, and plan your landing without the pressure of gravity or enemy movement.

Void Gaze

Void Gaze combines the functionality of the Heart and Dark Vision. At its base level, it highlights the locations of Runes and Bone Charms in the world. Once upgraded, it functions like Corvo's Dark Vision, highlighting enemies, loot, and security traps through solid walls.

Summon Assassin

This ability allows Daud to call upon his loyal Whaler assassins to fight by his side.

• Base Level: Summons a novice assassin to distract and attack your targets.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Summons a master assassin who deals significantly more damage and survives longer in combat.

Arcane Bond

Arcane Bond does not affect Daud directly; instead, it shares his supernatural gifts with his summoned assassins.

• Base Level: Allows your summoned allies to utilize your Blink and Vitality upgrades.
• Level 2 Upgrade: Grants them access to your Pull, Bend Time, and Shadow Kill abilities.

Pull

Pull is a telekinetic ability that allows Daud to manipulate physical objects from a distance. You can use it to snatch items, pull keys off a guard's belt, or pull enemies directly toward your blade for an instant execution.

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The Heart: Seeking Runes and Secrets

While not an active spell that you cast, the Heart is a crucial tool gifted to Corvo by the Outsider. Imbued with mechanical parts and the soul of the fallen Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, the Heart beats faster when you point it toward hidden Runes and Bone Charms.

Beyond its mechanical utility in helping you locate resources to upgrade your dishonored powers, the Heart serves as a narrative device. Pointing it at NPCs and key figures reveals their deepest, darkest secrets, adding layers of narrative depth to the world.

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Playstyle Synergies and Creative Power Combinations

The true magic of the game happens when you combine different abilities to create unique combat and stealth solutions. Player experiences shared online show that combining these tools leads to incredibly satisfying gameplay loops. You can purchase the game and its expansions directly on the official Dishonored Steam page to experience these systems firsthand.

1. The Bullet Swap (High Chaos)

• Required Powers: Bend Time (Level 2) + Possession (Level 2)
• Execution: When a guard fires a pistol at you, immediately freeze time using Bend Time. Walk around the floating bullet, possess the guard who fired it, and walk him directly into the path of his own projectile. Release the possession and watch time resume.

2. The Rat Transit (Stealth / Ghost)

• Required Powers: Devouring Swarm (Level 1) + Possession (Level 1)
• Execution: If you find yourself trapped in a room with no clear exit, summon a swarm of rats. Immediately possess one of the rats you just summoned and scurry through a nearby ventilation grate to bypass the guards entirely.

3. The Wind Shear (Combat / High Chaos)

• Required Powers: Wind Blast (Level 2) + Shadow Kill (Level 1 or 2)
• Execution: Blast a group of charging guards off a high ledge or into a wall. Because of the upgraded force, the impact will kill them instantly, and Shadow Kill will immediately turn their bodies to ash before they hit the ground, keeping the area clear of clutter.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I unlock and upgrade my dishonored powers?

To unlock and upgrade your abilities, you must collect Runes hidden throughout each mission. You can find these Runes by equipping the Heart, which highlights their locations and guides you to them. Once you have collected enough Runes, open your powers menu to purchase new abilities or upgrade your existing ones.

Can you complete the game without using any supernatural abilities?

Yes, it is entirely possible to complete the game without upgrading your abilities or using any powers other than the basic Blink. Doing so unlocks the "Mostly Flesh and Steel" achievement. The level design is carefully crafted to ensure that every obstacle can be bypassed using physical traversal, stealth, and standard gadgetry.

What is the main difference between Corvo's Blink and Daud's Blink?

The primary difference lies in how time behaves. Corvo's Blink teleports him instantly along a trajectory, but time continues to move normally while aiming. Daud's version, known as Redirective Blink, completely freezes time if you hold down the button while standing still or hovering mid-air, allowing you to plan your next move with precision.

Which powers are best for a non-lethal (Clean Hands) playthrough?

For a non-lethal run, you should prioritize Blink (for vertical evasion), Possession (to bypass guards without harming them), and Bend Time (to slip through heavily guarded areas undetected). Avoid damaging abilities like Devouring Swarm, Wind Blast, and Shadow Kill, as these are designed for lethal combat.