Avowed: How To Make The Companion Exclamation Mark Go Away

Published Feb 21, 2025

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Obsidian Entertainment's RPG Avowed is appreciated for its accessibility, which can be seen in its combat, gearing, crafting, and various other systems. Certainly, if something like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a bit too rich for your blood, Avowed provides an easier entry point into the genre. Not all of its features are so -friendly, however, and require some explanation.

Very early in Avowed, you'll acquire a couple of trusty companions in Kai and Marius. Not long after that, you'll notice an exclamation mark next to the icon that represents them in the bottom left corner of your screen. Said icon will also appear above their head. So, what is this mysterious exclamation mark for? You can't actually click or interact with the mark to make anything happen, as intuitive as that would be. Rather, you'll have to resort to other measures.

What To Do With The Companion Exclamation Mark

Time To Take A Trip And Get To Know Your Friends

The companion exclamation mark, simply put, means a companion wants to have a conversation with you (no, the romantic kind isn't a thing in Avowed). Unfortunately, your character seems to be shy in the overworld, so if you want to chat them up and make that pesky exclamation mark go away, you'll have to head to camp.

Ilora from Avowed with a character dialouge

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To head to camp, simply open your map and select one of the pink and purple tent icons, then click the fast travel button. Of course, you could run there, but it's not necessary. If you're at the very beginning of your adventure, you can find one right away a short way west of Shantytown (Paradis). However, there are camp sites all around Paradis and beyond, so you won't have to go far to find one wherever you are.

Once at camp, chat up whichever companion had an exclamation mark, and has one now above their head. Since you're at camp, the conversation will trigger as you'd expect. Sometimes you'll simply get to know your companions through these conversations, but other times you'll be offered powerful permanent bonuses. Unlike some other RPGs where it's all just for flavor and lore, companion conversations really matter, and you'll want to stay on top of them in Avowed. Between these and the Godlike Abilities in Avowed, you're sure to decimate enemies.

How To Get More Companion Buffs

Personal Quests Are Required, But Some Cases Are Less Clear

After completing a series of Dawnshore sidequests with Kai in my party, a companion exclamation mark popped up for him. When I went to camp to chat him up, he offered to train my attacks (+2 Might), defense (+2 Resolve), or both (+1 of each). So, to unlock his bonus, simply journeying with him for a while and/or completing quests should be enough.

That first permanent bonus is sure to make you hungry for more, of course. In some cases, triggering the bonuses and corresponding companion exclamation marks is tied to the companion's personal quests. Giatta's triggered for us after helping the Animancer in Galawain's Tusks, while Marius' triggered after completing his personal quest in Galawain's Tusks. Yatzli's is less clear, but simply progress the game and keep talking to her, and eventually you should nab it. Naturally, they cover the remaining attributes.