In Valor Mortis, Ambers are perks you equip on William at any Lantern to alter his combat, healing and Nephtoglobin management. The collection contains 29: fourteen have one rank, and the remaining fifteen have ranks I, II and III, unlocked by finding duplicates. Chests across the regions contain most of them; tougher foes drop a few, and conversations award four.
Quick answer: Earn the Ambersmith trophy by collecting all 29 Ambers. Find them in chests, as enemy drops or through four conversations. None can be missed, and you can collect every one after finishing the story.
All 29 Ambers and where to find them
For every Amber, this lists its effect, rank count and possible locations. If an Amber has multiple listed locations, it can be found at each one; the extra copies increase the rank of an Amber you already have.
| Amber | Effect | Ranks | Where to find |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bottomless Well | Nephtoglobin gradually recovers after being lost | 3 | The Battlefield chest; City of Orphans drop; conversation |
 Bountiful Harvest | Nephtoglobin Remnants restore Health | 3 | City of Orphans drop (Volunteers) |
 Butcher’s Carnage | Melee hits heal you; Flasks no longer heal | 3 | Look for chests first in The Battlefield, then in Vale of Wrath, with The Outskirts also on the list. |
 Dilated Moment | Aiming slows time, drains Endurance, cuts gun damage | 1 | The Battlefield, Vale of Wrath chests |
 Dominatus | Critical Attacks restore Health | 3 | The Outskirts (two), Valley of Ashes chests; Caverns drop |
 Duellist’s Focus | Longer melee parry window | 1 | The Battlefield chest |
 Equivalent Exchange | Spend Health when Nephtoglobin is empty | 1 | Vale of Wrath drop (Risen Sapeur) |
 Fire Breathing | Attacking mid-dodge causes a burning blast | 1 | Fortress drop (Remnants of the Iron Regiment) |
 Glass Soldier | More melee damage, more damage taken | 3 | Fallen Village, The Outskirts chests; Outskirts and Fortress drops |
 Indestructible Shell | Less damage from explosions | 3 | Search Valley of Ashes first, followed by Cursed Hollow and Fortress. One chest is trapped. |
 Iron Grip | Faster, uninterruptible Flask use | 1 | The Battlefield chest |
 Life Diverted | Flasks restore Nephtoglobin; Transmutation damage heals you | 3 | Start with The Battlefield, continue to Cursed Hollow, and check City of Orphans and Fortress for chests. |
 Limit Break | Excess Flask healing becomes temporary Health | 1 | Caverns chest |
 Lucky Shot | Chance a shot costs no ammo | 3 | Caverns, Vale of Wrath, Fortress chests (one trapped); conversation |
 Lunatic’s Grasp | Faster Ignite and Stasis buildup, lower resistance | 3 | Caverns, The Outskirts, University chests (one trapped) |
 Marksman’s Bane | Parry bullets; each parry grants a Pistol round | 1 | Valley of Ashes chest |
 Payback | Taking a hit at low Health triggers a Stasis blast | 1 | University drop (Remnants of the Iron Regiment) |
 Perfect Copy | Ranks up your other Tier 1 and 2 Ambers | 1 | Valley of Ashes chest |
 Perfectionism | More melee damage at full Health | 3 | Search Valley of Ashes, followed by Caverns and then Vale of Wrath, for chests. |
 Potent Concoction | Flask restores Nephtoglobin and Health | 3 | Valley of Ashes, Fortress chests (one trapped) |
 Silent Squeak | Quieter movement, harder to detect | 1 | Conversation |
 Sixth Sense | Perfect Dodges boost Firearm damage | 1 | City of Orphans chest |
 Sleight of Hand | Faster reloads and weapon swaps | 1 | Conversation (An Unheard Farewell) |
 Surplus | More Catalysts per kill | 3 | For chests, visit Valley of Ashes first, then Caverns, and finally The Outskirts. |
 Tomorrow’s Promise | Health regen after Flask use; timer resets | 3 | Fortress chests (one trapped) |
 Transmuted Persistence | Transmutation damage restores Recoverable Health | 1 | The Battlefield chest |
 Volatile End | Weak Point shots trigger an explosion | 1 | The Battlefield, Fallen Village chests |
 Warrior’s Fury | Kills briefly boost movement speed and damage | 3 | Fallen Village chest; Cursed Hollow and University drops |
 Wound that Heals | Lost Health gradually returns | 3 | The Battlefield, Vale of Wrath chests; Vale of Wrath drop |
Amber values by rank
Each Amber effect has specific numerical values. When three numbers are listed, they correspond to ranks I, II and III, respectively.
| Amber | Values |
|---|---|
| Bountiful Harvest | Health per Remnant 3% / 4% / 5% |
| Dominatus | Health per Critical Attack 50% / 75% / 100% |
| Equivalent Exchange | Health per Nephtoglobin point 1.1 |
| Fire Breathing | Explosion damage 20; radius 5m |
| Indestructible Shell | Explosion damage reduction 40% / 50% / 60% |
| Iron Grip | Flask use speed x1.5 |
| Life Diverted | Transmutation damage returned as Health 60% |
| Limit Break | Bonus Health lasts 15 seconds |
| Lucky Shot | Ammo-save chance 10% / 15% / 20% |
| Payback | Explosion damage 20; radius 5m |
| Perfectionism | Melee damage at full Health 10% / 15% / 20% |
| Potent Concoction | Nephtoglobin restored 20% / 30% / 40% |
| Sleight of Hand | Reload and switch speed x1.2 |
| Surplus | Extra Catalysts 10% / 12.5% / 15% |
| Tomorrow’s Promise | Regeneration 10 / 10 / 10 s; healing factor 1.1 / 1.2 / 1.3 |
| Transmuted Persistence | Recoverable Health factor 2 |
| Volatile End | Explosion damage 50 |
| Warrior’s Fury | Duration 8 s; movement speed x1.05 / 1.1 / 1.2; extra damage 10% / 20% / 30% |
Nine Ambers waiting in the opening area
The Battlefield, the Chapter I region, hides a cluster of Ambers in chests before you move on. Clearing it thoroughly hands you nine in a single pass, which is the fastest early jump in options for your first few Amber slots.
- Bottomless Well
- Butcher’s Carnage
- Dilated Moment
- Duellist’s Focus
- Iron Grip
- Life Diverted
- Transmuted Persistence
- Volatile End
- Wound that Heals
The Valley of Ashes is the next dense pocket. Its chests hold Dominatus, Indestructible Shell, Marksman’s Bane, Perfect Copy, Perfectionism, Potent Concoction and Surplus, so comb the Military Camp and the quarry areas as you pass through.
Four Ambers come from conversations
Bottomless Well, Lucky Shot, Silent Squeak and Sleight of Hand can each be given to you through dialogue rather than pulled from a chest. Bottomless Well also sits in a Battlefield chest and drops from a Risen Lancer in the City of Orphans, and Lucky Shot appears in several chests as well, so missing a talk does not lock you out of either one.
Silent Squeak is the exception. It comes only from conversation, so it is the one to be deliberate about. Sleight of Hand is the reward for finishing the An Unheard Farewell side quest, started near the Demolished Path Lantern in the Valley of Ashes.
Trapped chests to approach carefully
Several chests detonate the moment you open them. The ones holding Indestructible Shell, Lucky Shot, Lunatic’s Grasp, Potent Concoction and Tomorrow’s Promise can each be trapped, often surrounded by explosive horse carcasses or barrels. Open them, then dodge backwards and wait out the blast before collecting the Amber from what remains.
With the trapped chests that sit among explosive carcasses, you can shoot one of the carcasses from range first to clear the area, which makes the final pickup far safer.
Two Ambers that rewrite your Ferrofluid Flask
Before equipping either one, note how Butcher’s Carnage and Life Diverted alter your Ferrofluid Flask. Butcher’s Carnage restores Health when you land melee hits, but Flasks no longer heal you. Life Diverted makes Flasks restore Nephtoglobin rather than Health and returns 60% of your Transmutation damage to you as Health.
If you lean on Flasks to survive, either Amber pulls that safety net away. Pair them with a healing source you trust, such as melee lifesteal for Butcher’s Carnage or steady Transmutation damage for Life Diverted, before you commit.
Unlocking the Ambersmith trophy
You equip Ambers at any Lantern through the Character Progression menu. Your first Amber slot unlocks at Level 5, and more slots open as you keep spending Catalysts to level up, to a cap of five equipped at once.
Fourteen of the 29 exist in only a single spot, so those are the ones most likely to slip past you. Watch for these in particular:
- Bountiful Harvest, Duellist’s Focus, Equivalent Exchange, Fire Breathing
- Iron Grip, Limit Break, Marksman’s Bane, Payback
- Perfect Copy, Silent Squeak, Sixth Sense, Sleight of Hand
- Tomorrow’s Promise, Transmuted Persistence
Visit every region, open its chests, defeat Amber-dropping enemies and collect the four Ambers from conversations. The Ambersmith trophy, “Gather all Ambers,” unlocks as soon as the last Amber enters your inventory; duplicate copies used to increase ranks aren’t required.
