Reputation & Bounty System — Assassin's Creed Odyssey Guide

Reputation & Bounty System

The world of Ancient Greece is a vast and dangerous place, and your actions as a Misthios have consequences. The Reputation and Bounty System in Assassin's Creed Odyssey directly reflects this, impacting how the world perceives and reacts to you. Understanding and manipulating this system is crucial for survival, resource gathering, and even story progression.

How Bounties Are Placed

Bounties are placed on your head when you commit certain illegal acts in plain sight. These actions include:

• Killing Civilians: Unprovoked attacks on non-combatants will quickly raise your bounty.
• Stealing: Looting chests or picking up items marked as "stolen" in populated areas.
• Destroying Property: Breaking pots, burning supply caches, or damaging structures belonging to a faction.
• Attacking Faction Leaders/Guards: Engaging in combat with Athenian or Spartan soldiers, especially in their strongholds or during conquest battles, will increase your notoriety.

The more egregious your crime, or the more witnesses there are, the higher your bounty will climb. You'll see a red helmet icon appear on your HUD, indicating a bounty is active. The number of helmets signifies the bounty level, from one to five. Each level corresponds to a specific number of Mercenaries hunting you.

Mercenaries: The Bounty Hunters of Greece

When a bounty is placed on you, Mercenaries will actively hunt you down. These are formidable opponents, often equipped with unique abilities, legendary gear, and animal companions. They are ranked, and higher-ranked Mercenaries are tougher to defeat. You can view the Mercenary roster from your in-game menu, which displays their level, strengths, weaknesses, and the bounty they carry.

• Tracking Mercenaries: Mercenaries actively hunting you will appear as red dagger icons on your map and compass.
• Engaging Mercenaries: You can choose to fight them head-on, use stealth to ambush them, or even flee. Defeating a Mercenary will clear their specific bounty, but not necessarily your overall bounty level.
• Recruiting Mercenaries: Some Mercenaries can be knocked out (non-lethal attack) and then recruited to your ship, the Adrestia, as Lieutenants. This is a great way to gain powerful allies for naval combat.

Managing Your Bounty

There are several ways to reduce or completely remove your bounty:

1. Paying Off Your Bounty

The most straightforward method is to pay off the bounty. This can be done in two ways:

• Map Screen: Open your map and hover over the region where you have a bounty. A prompt will appear allowing you to pay a certain amount of Drachmae to clear it instantly. The cost increases with higher bounty levels.
• Sponsors: Look for "Bounty Sponsors" marked with a purse icon on your map. These NPCs, often found in towns and villages, will offer to clear your bounty for a fee. Sometimes they'll also offer side quests that, upon completion, will reduce or remove your bounty.

2. Eliminating the Sponsor

Each bounty level is tied to a specific "Bounty Sponsor" – an NPC who has placed the bounty on your head. You can identify these sponsors by hovering over the red helmet icon on your map. Their location will be revealed. Eliminating the sponsor will instantly clear that specific bounty level. This can be a more cost-effective solution than paying, especially for higher bounties, but it carries the risk of further increasing your bounty if you're not careful.

• Stealth Approach: For a clean bounty removal, approach the sponsor's location (e.g., a small camp in Megaris, a villa in Attika) stealthily. Use your Ikaros to tag the sponsor, then assassinate them without being detected.
• Direct Confrontation: If stealth isn't an option, be prepared for a fight. The sponsor will likely have guards, and engaging them will attract more attention.

3. Waiting it Out

If you avoid committing further crimes and stay out of sight, your bounty will slowly decrease over time. This is the slowest method and generally not recommended if you're actively exploring or engaging in combat, as Mercenaries will still be pursuing you.

Strategic Bounty Management

• Resource Gathering: Sometimes, a high bounty can be beneficial. Mercenaries often drop valuable gear, including Legendary items, and a good amount of Drachmae. If you're looking for a challenge and rewards, let your bounty grow and take on multiple Mercenaries.
• Conquest Battles: Be mindful of your bounty during Conquest Battles. Having Mercenaries join the enemy forces can make an already tough fight even harder. Consider clearing your bounty before engaging in these large-scale conflicts.
• Story Missions: Certain story missions may require you to enter restricted areas or interact with specific NPCs. A high bounty can complicate these objectives, forcing you into unnecessary combat. It's often wise to clear your bounty before embarking on critical story quests.
• Early Game vs. Late Game: In the early game (e.g., Kephallonia, Megaris), bounties can be a significant hindrance due to your limited gear and abilities. As you progress and acquire better equipment and skills, Mercenaries become less of a threat and more of a valuable source of loot and XP.