Oath of the Unseen (Fear)

The difficulty system: Vows, Fear up to 67, Vow ranks, Testaments, and a sensible order to stack Vows for the Nightmare farming loop.

At a glance


What it is	The difficulty system, successor to the Pact of Punishment and Heat
The gauge	Fear. More Fear means a harder run and better rewards
Maximum	67 Fear
Rewards	Nightmare, the resource that upgrades Weapon Aspects
When to use	Once base runs feel easy and you want Nightmare

The Oath appears in the Training Grounds only after you defeat Chronos for the first time.
You stack Vows. Each Vow adds a set amount of Fear to the gauge.
Total Fear in the gauge is the run’s difficulty.
There are 16 Vows. Most have multiple ranks (one to four depending on the Vow), and each rank adds its own Fear amount, which differs per Vow. The Vow of Rivals alone is worth 12 Fear at full rank.
The maximum total is 67 Fear.

Testaments are the challenge bounties on the left of the menu.
Each one sets a required Fear level and a required weapon.
Clear it to earn Nightmare, which upgrades Weapon Aspects.
Some Vows change boss fights. The Vow of Rivals, for example, alters boss encounters.

Add Fear gradually so you keep clearing rather than dying at the door.

Start with one or two Vows at Rank 1. Read what each modifier does before you commit.
Rank up the Vows whose modifiers you barely notice before adding new ones. A familiar Rank 3 is safer than an unknown new Vow.
Match the Fear level to the Testament you are chasing. Do not overshoot the required Fear; you only need to meet it.
Avoid stacking modifiers that fight your build (for example a Vow that punishes your main damage type).
Climb toward higher Fear only as clears stay reliable.

Pick a Testament. Note its required Fear and weapon.
Equip that weapon and stack Vows until the gauge meets the required Fear.
Clear the run to bank Nightmare.
Spend Nightmare to level the Aspect of a weapon you have committed to. See Meta-Progression Priority.
Repeat with higher Fear or a different Testament for more Nightmare.

This is endgame work. Get your Arcana grid and a solid build going first, then turn the dial up here.