Every side quest type in DragonSword: Awakening — Adventure, Hero, bond quests and regional missions — with rewards, including extra Fate's Invitation tickets.
DragonSword Awakening Side Quests Guide — Adventure, Hero & Bond Quest Rewards
DragonSword: Awakening has more than one "side quest" system, and they pay differently. Adventure Quests are the classic filler-and-reward loop, Hero Quests are character-story chapters that hand out tickets and exclusive weapons, and bond quests deepen the world's NPCs. Here's what's worth your time and what isn't.
Here's what you'll learn:
- The four side quest systems and how they differ
- Hero Quests: the ticket + exclusive Karma payoff
- Which quest types are worth the detour
- Known quest bugs and fixes
The Four Side Quest Systems
1. Adventure Quests — the standard side-quest pool: numbered missions (the community documents them as AQ45, AQ47, AQ56, etc.) from townspeople and outposts. These are the "help the guard find the tastiest mushroom" quests that make Orbis feel lived-in — some are genuinely funny, per the reviews. Rewards: gold, materials, reputation-style progress.
2. Hero Quests — character-specific storyline chapters that unlock as you reach campaign milestones. These are the big payoff: each completed Hero Quest grants a Fate's Invitation ticket plus Exclusive Karma tied to that hero. See the character unlock guide for why tickets matter.
3. Bond Quests — NPC relationship quests (the community documents examples like Marwei King Hog and Ninyan). These deepen the worldbuilding and pay out activity rewards.
4. Regional Missions — the daily-reset mission board that drops Skill Scrolls and Forging Molds. Technically dailies, but they're side content structurally — and the only side quests that don't wait for you (they reset daily). More in the farming guide.
A Fate's Invitation ticket is worth more than any amount of gold. When a Hero Quest appears, do it before other side content — it's the only side quest that directly grows your roster.
How to Unlock Hero Quests
Hero Quests unlock after reaching specific main story milestones — the campaign gates them behind chapter progress. New Hero Quests are also the vehicle for post-launch story expansion: Hound13's roadmap confirmed the first new Hero Quest centers on Othello, followed by one for Ryza (see the roadmap guide).
Known Quest Bugs (and Fixes)
The game has shipped several quest-blocking bugs, and Hound13 has been patching them weekly — worth knowing so you don't waste an hour on a broken quest:
- 1.0.3 fixed the Intermediate Promotion Quest's prison door that wouldn't open.
- 1.0.7 fixed multiple Adventure Quests: AQ45 (blocked progression + monsters not responding after returning to town), AQ47 (missing NPC), and AQ56 (a door that could close and block progression).
- 1.0.7 also fixed progression issues in Calleon and Dana's Hero Quests and the Marwei King Hog and Ninyan bond quests.
If a quest looks stuck, check whether a patch fixed it — details in the updates guide.
Several launch-era softlocks were fixed by the 1.0.3 and 1.0.7 patches. If a quest won't progress, update the game before assuming it's your mistake — and report reproducible blocks on the Steam community hub.
Are Side Quests Worth It?
The honest tiering:
- Hero Quests: absolutely — tickets + exclusive Karma weapons.
- Regional Missions: yes — the daily materials are the game's hidden progression engine.
- Adventure Quests: yes for content, fine to skip for speed — some of the best writing in the game lives here, but they're not mechanically critical.
- Bond Quests: for worldbuilding fans — the rewards are modest, the stories are the point.
Official source: Steam News — Update Notes 1.0.3 — "Fixed an issue in the Intermediate Promotion Quest where the prison door would not open," the first of several weekly quest-fix patches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are side quests worth doing? Hero Quests and Regional Missions yes (tickets + materials); Adventure and Bond quests are optional flavor with some of the best writing.
What are Hero Quests? Character-story chapters that reward Fate's Invitation tickets and exclusive Karma weapons.
What rewards do side quests give? Gold, materials, tickets (Hero Quests), exclusive Karma, and worldbuilding.
How do you unlock Hero Quests? Through main-story milestones; post-launch Hero Quests (Othello, then Ryza) are coming via updates.
Related Guides
- DragonSword: Awakening Guide — Everything You Need to Know
- Character Unlock Guide — Fate's Invitation and Every Ticket Source
- Story Guide — Orbis, the Six Heroes and the Ending
- Updates & Patch Notes Guide
- Map Guide — Regions, Fast Travel and Underwater Secrets
- How Long to Beat Guide — Hours and Completion Times
Official resources: Steam News — patch notes hub · Steam store page · Steam community hub
Last updated August 12, 2026. Quest types and rewards verified against the Steam news patches, unlock guides and community documentation; specific AQ numbering follows community reporting.
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