The Diablo 4 Faded Plaques are one of the many mysteries you'll encounter while travelling across the world of Sanctuary. These little messages read "Most of the description has been lost to time. A few barely legible words read…" Then each one contains a unique description that clearly requires action on your part to solve its riddle.
If you're just starting out with your class, you might want a strong beginner build to try, whether that's Barbarian, Rogue, Druid, Necromancer, or Sorcerer. Otherwise, here's how to solve each of the Diablo 4 Faded Plaques to unlock their secret and get yourself a little something for your trouble.
How to activate Faded Plaques
As you explore Sanctuary, from its darkest caves to its perilous mountain peaks, you'll find statues with "Faded Plaques" attached to them. Each one features a worn description, but it's not immediately clear how you're meant to interact with these messages. To activate a Faded Plaque, you have to use a specific emote, hinted at in the text passage you just read.
For example, if the barely legible passage reads: "…BID FAREWELL…all…you love…" then it wants you to use the "Bye" emote on the statue. Do this and you'll be granted a temporary boon or reward, similar to the blessings you get from shrines. If you played the beta and encountered the Secret of the Spring quest, you'll already know how much Diablo 4 loves using emotes in puzzles.
Here are all of the Faded Plaques I've encountered so far, which emote you need to perform in front of them, and what they give you:
Bid Farewell
Text: …BID FAREWELL…all…you love…
Emote: Bye
Reward: Speed increase
Provoke
Text:…dare…PROVOKE…ire…fate…
Emote: Taunt
Reward: Lots of health potions
Atone
Text:…ATONE…thy darkest…sins…
Emote: Sorry
Reward: Become unstoppable
Give Aid
Text:…GIVE AID…meek…powerless…
Emote: Help
Reward: Grants a barrier
Greet
Text: …GREET…death…open arms…
Emote: Hello
Reward: Makes you invisible
It's worth noting that you have all of these emotes in your wheel from the start of the game, but you might need to cycle across to the second wheel by pressing E and using the mouse wheel to access them. When you use each on the statue, also make sure you're standing in the circle just in front of it.
