Dread Templar: Secrets Guide - Episode 1

Screenshot assisted guide for locating all the secrets in the first episode.

Foreword

Being an old-school (or 'boomer', as some would like to call) shooter at its core, Dread Templar features an incredible total of 177 secrets over the course of 25 levels, as well as 21 (+1) 'super secrets' that mostly require more intricate steps than the regular ones. This guide and the following four are created to serve as accompanying pieces for the players aiming for getting all the game has to offer in terms of those secrets.

As it always is with the subgenre, at least half of the fun comes from discovering the secrets by one's self, so it is recommended that you refer to the guides only to find out what you are missing, instead of following them step by step. In that respect, the first reference shot for any secret almost always serves only to signify where to look for. Still in the same respect, the option for displaying the level stats on the HUD comes in pretty handy too (it can also be toggled on and off via the key assigned to 'Color' in the controls menu).

Nevertheless, the secrets are numbered as to follow what is presumed to be the optimal way of tackling any given level and the descriptions are written to describe the areas in question as clearly as possible; thus, one can opt to use the guides as walkthroughs, if need be.

So advance on your own pace, always take on the side areas, explore thoroughly -as there is still plenty of resources to be found outside the secrets- and make final sweeps before exiting the levels. Keep in mind that is not needed to get the items found within the secrets right away, as being in the vicinity of them is enough to trigger the relevant message. All consumables (be it a suit of armor, a health pack or ammunition) has three variants in themselves and learning to discern and conserve them might prove crucial for surviving the harder difficulty levels.

Even though the guide was created while doing a first run on Hard difficulty, the contents of the secrets do not differ on the harder difficulty levels (Hell and Nightmare), thus, it is presumed that they are also the same on the lower ones (Normal and Easy).

More importantly, your runes (i.e. game's way of levelling you up) and character build are saved separately from your game progression for each of the difficulty levels. This means that you can tackle the previous levels once more via the relevant menu, get the missing items and return to your saved game to continue on with an expanded selection. Runes (-G- referring to a golden one) and blood gems (required for unlocking the slots the runes go in) are mentioned in brackets at the end of the descriptions for the secrets they are found in.

The guides also cover the achievements (!) (of which most are tied to secrets and progression) in order of their appearance and provide additional tips (*) where applicable.

Speaking of achievements, two of them need to be mentioned beforehand:

The Dread Templar
Complete the game on Hell difficulty.

The High Dread Templar
Complete the game on Nightmare difficulty.

Hell and Nightmare (the latter is hidden at first, yet the unlocking process is described in the Tutorial section below) are the games hardest difficulty levels. The difference between them and Hard lies not in the number of monsters, but in the damage dealt by them, their health and the number of health packs found laying around in the levels (the ones found in the secrets are not affected though). Yet, the achievements that go with them do not stack - i.e. completing the campaign on Nightmare unlocks the relevant one but not the one for Hell. If you are aiming for 100% achievements, this corresponds to at least two playthroughs.

Here are some rough estimates on the differences, courtesy of FrozenFirebug:

Based off of cursory tests against the initial fodder enemies:
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Normal - 1.0x enemy damage, 1.0x enemy health.
Hard - 1.4x enemy damage, 1.15x enemy health.
Hell - 2.3x enemy damage, 1.3x enemy health. (* and less health packs)
Nightmare - 5.0x enemy damage, 1.3x enemy health. (* only a dozen health packs)
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(*) Only 13 full health packs laying around in the open on Nightmare, not counting the smaller ones scattered around 4 levels of Episode 3. Thus a NM player must rely on secrets for healing.

Now, considering that you have enough experience with the genre, I would recommend doing your first run on Hell; both for making it more of a challenge and for cutting the third run out. Even without the secrets, the resources are already plentiful - not mentioning the fact that Templar becomes somewhat of a powerhouse along the way, thanks to all the skills and runes at his disposal. By the time you finish your first run, you should already have a full knowledge of the game's mechanics and secrets, and thus be ready enough to tackle it once more on Nightmare.

Your call.

Tutorial / Nightmare

This level contains only a single (unmarked) secret.

1/1 - At the starting area, take the path on the right and open the gate that leads to campaign proper. Instead of stepping into the portal, turn around and use the glowing emblem on the right side. Go through the newly-opened door and jump-dash your way to the portal at the end to unlock Nightmare difficulty (you do not need to go through). Taking the tutorial is recommended if this is your first time around, as it also covers the unique features of the game alongside basic shooter mechanics.

(*) Once unlocked, Nightmare difficulty becomes available in the NG and level select menus, as well as for the wave-based Guardian mode.

E1M1: The Beginning

This level contains 7 secrets and a super secret.

This Is Sparta!
Kill an enemy with throwing katana.

Throwing Master
Kill 100 enemies with throwing katana.

(!) You should get your first throwing katana kill in this level. After that, well, you are required to do that a lot more but there is no need to be in a hurry. With additional runes, Katanas become more useful by the by. Even if you do not end up with Throwing Master under your belt by the end of your run, you can return to the level(s) of your choice and grind for the remaining kills.

1/7 - Turn around at the beginning and shoot the skull plate to reveal a hidden alcove containing some ammo.

2/7 - Around the next corner, destroy the crates under the wooden walkway and crawl through the opening to find another hidden alcove.

3/7 - Upon reaching the first save point, turn around and jump-dash from the edge of the walkway onto the beams across to grab the ammo laying out in the open.

4/7 - Following from the previous secret, jump-dash to the armor residing on the ledge below and use the wall next to it to reveal a hidden compartment.

5/7 - Stepping out, get on the rocks behind the crypt, jump-dash onto the roof and grab the ammo stashed on the other side.

(*) It might be better to check the super secret at this point, rather than backtracking for it later.

6/7 - Down the second crypt, jump-dash onto the ledge that can be seen to the right of the walkway. Then turn around and jump-dash onto the wood grain at the corner. Shoot the now visible skull plate to open up an entrance right below. Drop down and follow the path to find a rune and two health packs. (Shotgun Rush)

7/7 - Upon reaching the elevator, hop onto the lever and jump-dash to the walkway to find some ammo stashed in the corner.

The Secret Hunter
Complete a level and discover all its normal secrets.

(!) The achievement gets unlocked at the tally screen that comes up after exiting the level.

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SUPER SECRET - There is a lonely grave near the entrance of the second crypt that reads 'R.I.P.' on approach. Stand in front of it till the on-screen message in question changes to 'A secret door somewhere is now open'. Now return to the gallows tree at the center and check the opening on the left for a passage you can crawl through to reach the previously hidden area behind. (A Blood Gem and an early Double-Barrel Shotgun)

Grandma's Attic
Discover a super secret.

(!) The achievement gets unlocked the moment Templar states that he found a super secret.

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EXTRA - What may be considered 'side area' for this level differs from the rest, as it was served as a Halloween special back in early access. Thankfully, the developer kept it in as a permanent part of the game. To access it, first use the indented part of the rock formation next to the skeleton at the super secret area. Doing so reveals the themed room behind. Get inside, shoot the hourglass found within and return to the room before the red keycard pedestal. Pass through the newly-opened gate and touch the portal to transform the level to its Halloween counterpart.

Be on the lookout for tickets as you carve your way through the level, as in the end, they are used for playing the minigames, facing the unique boss and purchasing the themed rune or the advance weapons on offer - all optional, of course. (Pumpkin Chase -G-)

(*) If on a first run, buying the weapons at this point is not recommended.

E1M2: The Prison - Part 1

This level contains 8 secrets and a super secret.

1/8 - As you cross the bridge, shoot the skull plate above the gate on the right to open up an alcove above. Utilize the bricks jutting out from the right side of the gate to reach the ledge and grab the goods inside.

(*) It might be better to check the super secret at this point, rather than backtracking for it later.

2/8 - Shoot the cracked part of the cavern wall next to the second save point to reach the side area. Soldier on, dive in and as soon as you emerge from the water look to your right for a semi-hidden tunnel obscured by vines. Crawl in to find two health packs.

3/8 - Returning from the side area, use the wall panel next to the SMT energy found in the following room to reveal some ammo.

4/8 - Down in the pit, use the wall behind the Double-Barrel Shotgun pedestal to reveal a hidden armor.

5/8 - As you cross the bridge leading to a portal, drop down to the fuming pit below and grab the rune found under the middle arch. (Templar Rush)

6/8 - Upon reaching the upgrade altar overlooking the abyss, destroy the crates stacked at the corner and use the brick wall behind them to reveal a compartment with some SMT energy.

7/8 - Just before descending to the lower floor of the torture chambers, turn around and use the unlit torch at the foot of the pillar to reveal a ladder that leads to a hidden rune, some ammo and two health packs. (Black Bow Focus)

8/8 - Following from the previous secret, dash to the ledge full of ammo at the next corner. Then turn around and dash to the ledge on the other side. From there, make a final dash to the now visible armor across.

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SUPER SECRET - The first step is destroying the three emblems hidden in the pool beneath the three-way bridge near the start. The first one is located at the foot of the central pillar, while the second and the third are found in the tunnels left and right. An on-screen message appears once all of them are destroyed: 'An ineffective rune has been reactivated'.

After that, return to the pit and look for the glowing symbol opposite the Double-Barrel Shotgun pedestal. Use the symbol to get teleported to an otherwise unreachable area where the goodies (left by Kaneda's[akira.fandom.com]gang, no less) are laying in wait. (The Archer -G-, a Blood Gem and an early Black Bow)

E1M3: The Prison - Part 2

This level contains 10 secrets and a super secret.

1/10 - Just before the metallic walkway, use the indented wall below the duo of torches to the right to reveal hidden ammo.

2/10 - Following from the previous secret, take the path on the right, destroy the crates found in the next room and crawl into the opening to find some ammo behind the corner.

3/10 - Following from the previous secret, shoot the cracked part of the wall in the same room to reach the teleporter to the side area. As you fight through, look for an opening at the foot of the pipe next to the slope that leads to the elevator and drop down to find some ammo and two health packs.

4/10 - Still in the side area, shoot the skull plate below the walkway with the lever on it to open up an entrance to the fenced section in the same room.

5/10 - Back on the main path, right after getting to the lower floor via the metallic walkway, jump on top of the crates stacked under the slope to reach a ladder that leads to a hidden armor and some ammo.

6/10 - Following from the previous secret, look for the unlit torch on the right wall as soon as you pass through the longish corridor. Use that first, then do the same for the bloodstain next to the doorway to reach a hidden compartment. (Katana Mutilate II)

7/10 - Following from the previous secret, descend into the pit and crawl into the drainage pipe right across to find some ammo and two health packs.

8/10 - Upon reaching the yellow keycard, use the wall behind the unlit torch on the side to reveal a hidden compartment that holds some SMT energy.

(*) It might be better to check the super secret at this point, rather than backtracking for it later.

9/10 - As you cross the walkway outside, jump from the corner to the ledge below to grab a bunch of armor plates and some ammo.

10/10 - In the torture room adjacent to the cell block, shoot the demon plate on the wall to get the bookcase in the same room slide open. Follow the path to find an armor, two health packs... and a blueprint.

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SUPER SECRET - Go through the teleporter located on the opposite side of the yellow keycard arena to find yourself in the ledge overlooking the said area. Crawl into the hole at the corner to discover a blueprint on the wall alongside an armor. Return to the torture room in the cell block, shoot the demon plate on the wall and check behind the bookcase to discover the other blueprint (secret #10).

Back in the cell block, arrange the doors so that they are in line with the blueprints (X marks a closed door). Doing so reveals a hidden teleporter in the cell with the bloodstained wall on the second floor. Go through it to find yourself in the otherwise unreachable area that can already be seen above the yellow gate. (Lightning Spear -G-, a Blood Gem and an early Rocket Launcher)

(*) Looks like the poor guy's[fallout.fandom.com]search for the water chip went southways, eh?

Are You an Architect?
Two blueprints?

(!) The achievement gets unlocked the moment Templar states that he found a super secret.

E1M4: Back Below the Surface

This level contains 9 secrets and a super secret.

1/9 - In the starting hall, jump onto the empty pedestal next to the save point first. From there, jump-dash to the the cage across. Get on the jut above, turn around and jump-dash to the ledge on the other side to find some out of sight SMT energy.

2/9 - As you take the elevator out of the initial area, turn around and get into the opening to find an armor and two health packs around the corner.

3/9 - After going through the spider-infested cavern, turn right at the foot of the stairs, destroy the crates at the end and use the wall behind them to reveal a cache.

4/9 - Following from the previous secret, drop down to the lower floor, reach the walkway above the rune via the crates stacked at the corner and get the armor residing on a beam.

5/9 - At the end of the elevator ride in the central cavern, follow the path behind the crates to the right and destroy the cracked wall behind the weapon on offer to reach the side area. Pass through the tunnel, turn right and drop down to the ledge below to find a cache.

6/9 - As you fight your way through the side area, jump-dash to ledge below the altar, turn around and follow the path alongside the cavern walls to reach the rune that can be seen in the distance. (Pistol Slaughter II)

7/9 - Following from the previous secret, use the wall below the upside-down corpse in the infested room to reveal a hidden alcove.

8/9 - Back on the main path, turn right as you reach the surface and jump-dash onto the beam across to get the Rocket Launcher ammo residing there.

9/9 - Following from the previous secret, walk to the other end of the beam and jump-dash your way to the Shotgun ammo residing on the rocks.

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SUPER SECRET - Return to the area that comes after the spider-infested cavern (secret #3) and use the bloodstained wall at the dead end to reveal another way that leads outside. Jump-dash onto the beam and continue towards the candles on the corner. Turn the corner, use the switch, return to the central cavern and make your way to the bloodstained wall near secret #9, which should be open at this point, thanks to that last switch. Get in there and grab the goodies.

Note that the secret door closes after a certain while (as *subtly* implied by Templar himself), so you need to hurry back there to access the hidden room. (Explosion Trap -G- and a Blood Gem)

World-Class Sprinter
Get your running shoes ready.

(!) The achievement gets unlocked the moment Templar states that he found a super secret.

E1M5: The Lair

This level contains 3 secrets.

1/3 - Upon arriving at the lower floor of the ruins, turn around and jump-dash across to get the rune on the ledge. After that, use the mossy part of the rock to the right of the same ledge to reveal a hidden cave. (Templar Hourglass II)

2/3 - Following from the previous secret, return to the upper floor and look for a ledge that can be seen from the opening next to the pillars at the other end. Drop down and time your dash to reach it to find some ammo, as well as Léon's[www.imdb.com]sunglasses and his plant.

3/3 - After the boss battle, turn around and take the other way out of the arena. Cross the destroyed pillar to find a rune on the other side. (Inferno Rocket Expansion)

(*) Return to lower levels to replenish your supplies before moving onto the next episode.

Spider Killer
Kill the Spider.

(!) The achievement gets unlocked after Templar defeats the boss.

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Keep on exploring in the second episode:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2576983455

[erc]

Well, if you mean whether you can unlock the related achievements by only playing the last level on the difficulty levels in question, that shouldn't be possible (as far as remember), since level select only gives you the option of replaying the completed levels on their beaten difficulties. In that case, it shouldn't hurt to start a new game, just to be sure. Your progress (both levels and runes wise) are kept separately for each difficulty level.

[😞 I, Dementia! 🤬]

Can i get achievements for complete Hell and Nightmare difficulty if i start from level select?

[erc]

No problem! In fact, there will be more of the same - most of the secrets are tied to interactable walls like that. Hope the guides will be of help, enjoy.

[HEXEN]

@erc, thanks for the tip! I had no idea there were interactable walls like that. Had to press 'E' for it to open.

[erc]

Hexen, I remember that you need to follow the underhall all the way to the end - at that point, the wall at the end should slide down to let you out.

[HEXEN]

How do I get out of the E1M1 6/7 area? There seems to be no way out.

[erc]

I have just checked the graves in question at the start of my Nightmare run. They do not look like they are affecting anything at all. Still, I am open for additional info on the matter.

[erc]

Wonderboy, I am not sure, wasn't aware of something like that. I will check it out in my next run. Thanks for the heads-up!

[Wonderboy]

Does anything special happen with the graves in the Halloween level? Some spit out enemies, others make a torso pop up, and then some make a gold skeleton arm that's giving you a thumbs up spring out--it feels like that should be something.

[iharabr]

OMG, my bad! I guess as I was playing and ALT + TABing to find the secrets with your guide, I didn't paid enough attention to something clearly described. Thank you one more time, sorry for my mistake and for taking your time with it