Six optional questlines sit alongside the main campaign in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and each one ends in a concrete reward like an outfit, a weapon, a trinket, or a stack of Reales. None of them are required to finish the story, but several give you gear that makes the rest of Edward Kenway’s voyage smoother, so it pays to knock them out as they open up.
Quick answer: Most side quests become available after you finish the main mission This Old Cove. The one exception is Mayan Mysteries, which only starts once you complete Overrun and Outnumbered.
When side quests unlock
The bulk of the side quests are gated behind a single story beat. Once This Old Cove is done, Former Glories, Damn Fine Gear, Art Lover, Blackbeard’s Treasure, and Captain Stede Bonnet all become reachable. You do not need to hunt for a quest giver to flag most of them; they tie into locations and collectibles across the Caribbean.
Mayan Mysteries opens later. It stays locked until you clear Overrun and Outnumbered, after which you can start gathering the Mayan Stelae and working toward the seal in Tulum. There is no benefit to rushing it early, since the collectibles it needs are spread across the map anyway.
All six side quests, locations, and rewards
| Side Quest | Starting Location | Objective | Main Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Former Glories | Great Inagua, Gibara | Fully upgrade the Manor and restore every building | Edward the Legend Outfit |
| Damn Fine Gear | Great Inagua, Gibara | Collect every Templar Key and open the armor room | Templar Armor |
| Art Lover | Great Inagua, Gibara | Collect 25 Art Collection items | Le Bourgeoys Blades |
| Mayan Mysteries | Tulum, Conttoyor | Collect all 16 Mayan Stelae and unlock the seal | Mayan Outfit |
| Blackbeard’s Treasure | Anotto Bay, Charlotte | Follow Blackbeard’s treasure map | Blackbeard’s Portrait |
| Captain Stede Bonnet | Mystery Island, Navassa | Find Stede Bonnet’s ship and crew | Stede Bonnet’s Dagger |
The Great Inagua quests: Former Glories, Damn Fine Gear, and Art Lover
Three of the six quests are anchored to your home base at Great Inagua, and they reward long-term investment more than combat. Former Glories asks you to rebuild the base. Completing it means fully upgrading the Manor and restoring every available building, which pays out both the base upgrades themselves and the Edward the Legend Outfit. If you are already banking Reales from Naval Contracts, the Manor bills are much easier to cover.
Damn Fine Gear is the one worth prioritizing. It centers on the Templar Armor, one of the game’s signature rewards. To finish it you need to collect all five Templar Keys, then open the locked armor room inside the Manor. Alongside the armor itself, the quest hands over the Templar Cross trinket, 10,000 Reales, and 45 Bones. The keys come from completing the Templar Hunts, so that questline feeds directly into this one.
Art Lover rewards exploration. You gather 25 Art Collection items scattered around the Caribbean, and for your trouble you get the Found Coin trinket and the Le Bourgeoys Blades, a pistol sword set. It takes patience rather than skill, so it suits anyone chasing full completion.
Mayan Mysteries: 16 Stelae and the Tulum seal
Mayan Mysteries begins at Tulum, Conttoyor, but only after Overrun and Outnumbered is complete. The goal is to collect all 16 Mayan Stelae and then unlock the ancient seal in Tulum. Finishing it grants the Mayan Outfit and the Yax Tun Pendant. Because it rewards traversal and puzzle-solving over fighting, it is one of the more distinctive quests in the set.
Blackbeard’s Treasure and Captain Stede Bonnet
These two quests lean on the game’s expanded pirate storylines. Blackbeard’s Treasure starts at Anotto Bay, Charlotte, and follows the trail the legendary pirate leaves behind. Use his treasure map and you eventually dig up his hidden hoard, which pays out Blackbeard’s Portrait. The reward is mostly a collectible, but it rounds out a completion run.
Captain Stede Bonnet begins at Mystery Island, Navassa. Your task is to track down Bonnet’s missing ship and crew on the island. It is a short quest, so it makes sense to wrap it up as soon as you first reach Mystery Island. Completing it yields Stede Bonnet’s Portrait and Stede Bonnet’s Dagger.
You will know a quest is done when its reward drops into your inventory and its entry closes out in your log. If a quest refuses to start, check its unlock condition first; the most common reason is trying to begin Mayan Mysteries before Overrun and Outnumbered, or reaching for the others before This Old Cove. Tackle each one as it opens rather than saving them for the endgame, and the outfits and gear will carry you through the rest of the Caribbean in far better shape.
