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How to Break Barriers and Activate Switches in Avowed

Use lightning spells on electronic switches and fire on cobwebs in Avowed. For other barriers, scout for weak walls or alternate routes and try the tools available to your character and companions.
WorldAvowed Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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In Avowed, match your tool to the obstacle: use lightning spells on electronic switches and fire on cobwebs. For other barriers, inspect the surroundings for alternate routes or weak walls, then try an available weapon, ability, spell, enchantment, or companion environmental ability. These are general methods, not a complete location-by-location walkthrough.

How to identify what a barrier needs

Before spending time on the obvious route, look at the obstacle and scan the nearby area. A visible clue may suggest an element, while a side opening or weak wall may let you bypass the blockage. The official Xbox survival guide recommends scouting for alternate routes and weak walls rather than assuming the apparent entrance is the only way forward.

Use the obstacle’s appearance as a practical clue, not a guarantee: the available official examples establish particular solutions, but not a complete classification of every barrier in the game.

Match the tool to the obstacle

What you see What to try What the sources establish
Electronic switch Cast a lightning spell at it. The Xbox survival guide specifically says lightning spells can activate electronic switches.
Cobweb blocking a way Use fire to burn it away. The guide says fire can clear cobwebs and reveal a shortcut.
Weak-looking wall or blocked passage Inspect nearby routes and try an appropriate weapon or ability. The guide recommends looking for weak walls or alternate routes; it does not specify a universal tool for every wall.
Other barrier Experiment with the tools your character and companions have available. Game director Carrie Patel describes weapons, abilities, spells, weapon enchantments, and companions’ environmental abilities as possible ways through barriers. That design description does not establish that every tool works on every obstacle.

Using lightning on electronic switches

When a switch appears electronic, try a lightning spell. The Xbox guide notes that the Grimoire of Elements is available from the start, even if your build focuses on another combat style. That gives you access to an elemental option without requiring your character to be built primarily around spellcasting.

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#1 Best Overall
Sale
Avowed | Standard Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
  • Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.
  • Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
  • Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem
  • Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way
  • Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.

Burning cobwebs and checking for shortcuts

For cobwebs obstructing a route, use fire to clear them. The official guide’s example specifically notes that removing webs can uncover a shortcut. Afterward, check the newly opened space and nearby surroundings rather than assuming the cleared route is the only useful result.

Trying other approaches to barriers

For obstacles that do not match those two examples, test the relevant tools available to your character and party: weapons, player abilities, spells, weapon enchantments, or a companion’s environmental ability. In an official Xbox Podcast interview, game director Carrie Patel said there is “almost always more than one way through a particular barrier,” and named those kinds of tools as possible approaches. Treat that as a broad design principle, not a promise that every barrier accepts every method.

Rank #2
Avowed | Premium Upgrade Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
  • Requires base game, Game Pass Ultimate, or PC Game Pass Membership (Sold Separately)
  • Premium Upgrade includes: Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
  • Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
  • Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem. 
  • Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.      
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Why this is not a list of every switch location

The available official guidance gives general methods, but does not identify every barrier or switch, or provide a universal sequence of inputs for all of them. Exact directions depend on the particular obstacle and its location. Use the visual clue and nearby environment to choose what to try; a location-specific walkthrough requires the region, quest, or puzzle name.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1
Avowed | Standard Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Avowed | Standard Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.; Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way
$66.49
Bestseller No. 2
Avowed | Premium Upgrade Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Avowed | Premium Upgrade Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Requires base game, Game Pass Ultimate, or PC Game Pass Membership (Sold Separately); Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.      
$24.99
SaleBestseller No. 3
Avowed | Premium Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Avowed | Premium Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
$85.49
Best Value
Xbox Series X 1TB Gaming Console Console + 1 Wireless Controller - Backward Compatible with Thousands of Games, Fine-Tuned Performance, True 4K Gaming, Up to 120 FPS - HDMI_Cable
  • What's in the box: Xbox Series X console, 1 Xbox Wireless Controller - Carbon Black, Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, Power cord.
  • Equipped with AMD's Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, DirectX ray tracing delivers true-to-life lighting, shadows and accurate reflections to create dynamic, living worlds.
  • Memory: 16GB GDDR6 w/320 bit-wide bus; Memory Bandwidth: 10 GB @ 560 GB/s, 6 GB @ 336 GB/s; Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVME SSD
  • Gaming Resolution: True 4K; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; High Dynamic Range: Up to 8K HDR; Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
  • Bundled with HDMI_Cable
Rank #4
Avowed – Edition Premium SteelBook – Xbox Series X|S et Windows
  • L'édition Premium SteelBook comprend: le jeu de base Avowed, jusqu'à 5 jours d'accès anticipé, le SteelBook Avowed, la carte des Terres Vivantes, deux packs de skins Premium et l'accès à l'Artbook numérique Avowed et à la bande-son originale
  • Vous êtes l'envoyé d'Aedyr, une terre lointaine, missionné pour enquêter sur les rumeurs selon lesquelles une épidémie se propagerait dans les Terres Vivantes, une île pleine de mystères et de secrets, de dangers et d'aventures, de choix et de conséconsés. quences, et d'une nature sauvage
  • Explorez une île qui abrite de nombreux environnements et paysages différents, chacun avec son propre écosystème unique
  • Mélangez et associez des épées, des sorts, des armes et des boucliers pour vous frayer un chemin
  • The compagnons d'un large éventail d'espèces se battront à vos côtés, avec leurs propres capacités uniques
Rank #3
Sale
Avowed | Premium Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
  • Premium Edition includes: Avowed base game, Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for each of your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
  • Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
  • Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.
  • Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
  • Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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