Impossible to do Shadow and Clean hands in a single playthrough?

[Eudaemon]

I have been attempting to maintain both stealth and clean hands. The first level was relatively simple, but the second one -- The Good Doctor -- seems impossible. I'll describe why I think so, below. If someone knows how to do it, please let me know.

**Spoiler Alert**

I have played it through completely 2 times and partially 3 more times. Each playthrough I have been careful not to be noticed, but each time I have either lost stealth and had a point where I wasn't discovered or where I had a single person die. At first I thought maybe I missed something and was too rough with a person I choked out or accidentally left someone in a puddle (like in the first game). However, having gone through the game multiple times, I suspect that the game deliberately makes you choose between clean hands and stealth and that it's tied specifically to how you take down the Crown Killer.

The first playthrough I spoke with Dr. Hypatia and then spoke with Vasco. Upon speaking with Vasco, Dr. Hypatia changes into the Crown Killer and kills Vasco, ensuing the mission to either kill or cure Hypatia. I chose to cure her, but when I returned to cure her she alerted on me and attacked me. Upon completing the level, my results were that I had a single kill and an alert -- neither clean hands, nor stealth. Not satisfied, I played through again.

The 2nd time, I spoke with Vasco just like before, returned to cure Hypatia and successfully avoided her alerting on me prior to administering the cure. I completed the game, carefully avoiding killing anyone and being careful with the limited number of people I choked out. The results -- Shadow was preserved, but I had a single kill. I backtracked my last save game to all previous points and made sure none of the other people with whom I had come into contact with had died. None had. This is when I suspected that Vasco's death at the hands of the Crown Killer counted as the single kill.

Using that information, I played through a 3rd time (from my save state just prior to meeting Hypatia), and this time I unlocked and opened the back door so that I had a means to complete a circuit while stalking the Crown Killer (a way to avoid being spotted), but elected to play the audiographs instead of talking to Vasco, hoping that it would mean he would be spared. I carefully sneaked past her and went to Vasco's office. I was able to open his safe since I knew the code even though I had not talked to Vasco. This initiated the cure composition part of the playthrough. I returned to Hypatia and administered the cure without being spotted. At that point I noted that Vasco was dead in his cot rather than as a result of his being attacked by the Crown Killer. I will complete this playthrough, but I am already pretty sure that I will wind up with Shadow and a single kill.

Does anyone know how to get both shadow and clean hands? It's very early in the game to start a branch between those achievements, so it's not much different from doing a complete playthrough.

[Pafti]

Vasco dying on his own, or by the Crown Killers hands does not count against you. Your 1 kill came from somewhere else.
You can earn both achievements in the same playthrough.

You can always check whether you have been detected or killed someone through the "Statistics" menu point, there is no need to finish the mission or playthrough to find out.

[Eudaemon]

Thanks for your reply. I finished the playthrough -- a single kill, no alerts/discoveries and no bodies discovered. I guess that means I need to do another playthrough. Nice. I'm getting to be a pro at this level.

[Just Chill]

It's also possible to make a Shadow, Clean Hands and No Powers playthrough at once:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaaMs9hziB83JWuZeQY4q9uPcJS8K4Yae

[serker31]

Originally posted by Ham Dinger:

Thanks for your reply. I finished the playthrough -- a single kill, no alerts/discoveries and no bodies discovered. I guess that means I need to do another playthrough. Nice. I'm getting to be a pro at this level.

Easiest way to get a sudden kill is to leave a unconscious body where bloodflies can find it. I had similar problem in Conservatory level, because I did not bother to visit the cellar, did nonlethal solution and all witches fell unconscious, lost their powers along with bloodfly immunity and few got eaten.

[Eudaemon]

Thanks for those who commented. I was able to get stealth and clean hands by being more careful with the unconscious guards -- and I confirmed that Vasco, whether you speak to him or not, does not influence your stats.

[strongindependentwoman]

Ya, I also got full stealth but had 1 kill. Shattered.

[red_dwarf]

I got Shadow, Clean hands, no powers and low chaos on hard difficulty with Emily on my first run. I got those in all Dishonored games and DLCs, because I like stealth games since Thief (more than 20 years old game, but still awesome)