Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an absolute behemoth of a game and you will certainly make mistakes along the way—but that doesn’t mean you have to make the ones I did and you can instead learn from our beginner’s tips.
Whether you are new to Dragon’s Dogma 2 or are a returning player from the original game 12 years ago, there’s plenty to learn about the world that Capcom has created and you will be punished if you do not prepare.
Fortunately for you, I’ve sunk hours into the game already and have used my experience to provide a range of tips to ensure that you fully embrace your power as the Arisen.
Don’t go out at night
Early on in the game, Dragon’s Dogma 2 warns you to explore after sunset “at your own peril”—and it’s wise to follow those words, as darkness is not a fun time to be out and about especially early on in the game.
Venturing out at night makes it difficult to see your surroundings; there are plenty of extremely dangerous beasts and enemies that will jump out all while making some pretty terrifying sounds as they do, so it’s best to just remain safely in an inn or at camp and rest up.
Stick to main roads
The vast map in Dragon’s Dogma 2 makes it extremely easy to get lost while you are on your travels, so sticking to the main roads is the best way to stop that from happening—and it comes with the added benefit of having fewer threats, at least most of the time.
Smaller roads often come with much more menacing enemies, like Ogres or Golems, while the main roads will largely have the standard set of Goblins, Harpies, and Wolves which are much easier to deal with.
There are some exceptions, however, so combine this piece of advice with my next one.
Don’t be afraid to run away
The majority of games make high-level enemies hidden away in areas that are specifically designed for you to encounter later on in the game, providing you with warnings if you do stray too close—but Dragon’s Dogma 2 is not one of those games.
Whether it’s a Griffin or a Dragon, huge beasts are lurking and will happily attack you. Just because they’re nearby when you’re at an early level doesn’t mean they can be defeated and it’s not an invitation to fight. Sometimes, the best course of action is to run away.
Be warned though: This practice doesn’t always work. On several occasions I’ve accidentally led these dangerous creatures back to civilization resulting in sheer chaos, but at least you can hide away.
Plan your rests
As you fight enemies and take damage, the maximum health you can have is lowered and you may also be inflicted with effects like Drenched, Poisoning, and more. To get your health back to where it should be and remove such effects, you need to rest.
When you have a long journey ahead of you, this is easier said than done, so it’s wise to plan ahead. Make sure you’re stocked up on Camping equipment and food to cook, as there’s nothing worse than being near the end of the journey but having a mere slither of health left and dying repeatedly to the one remaining enemy that stands between you and your destination.
Trust me, I found that out the hard way.
Vary your Pawns and always have a Mage
You can change the vocation of your main Pawn at any time and it’s wise to ensure they are always different from you, while you should fill the rest of your party with other Vocations. As I’m a Thief and my main Pawn is an Archer, I always ensure the other two Pawns do not fit either of those categories.
Similarly, make sure you always have a Mage in your crew as this saves you from constantly having to use and craft potions. One of the basic skills Mages have is to heal you and your Pawns, which is useful during battle as well as after.
On the one occasion where I didn’t have a Mage in my party, I swiftly regretted it.
Unlimited stamina in towns and cities
Keeping tabs on your stamina is important when adventuring and in battle but you don’t need to worry while in towns and cities, as Dragon’s Dogma 2 provides you with an unlimited amount—so it’s easy to whizz around town and do whatever you need.
Use this to your advantage and do as much in a single visit to a town or city as you can, with organizing your storage and upgrading gear on top of the priority list every time you return to civilization.
Pass time on a bench
Certain quests in Dragon’s Dogma 2 require different times to become active and, if you want to make a long journey shorter by hitching a ride on an Oxcart, this can only be done in the morning. Thankfully, you don’t have to camp or pay for a night at the inn to pass the time.
If you’re full of health, you can just pass the time by sitting on a bench, which can be done repeatedly so you can hit the precise window you need. Even when you have a house, it’s still an extremely useful tool as benches can be found everywhere.
Steal everything
There is plenty to gather in the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 and you should collect it all. While games like Skyrim and Starfield may have made you nervous about just grabbing things from people’s houses, you don’t need to worry about that here.
Stealing isn’t a thing in Dragon’s Dogma 2, as far as we can tell, and I’ve happily plundered everything I possibly can from people’s houses—even doing it in plain sight while the family had sat down to dinner.
This can give you everything from gold to potions and coins, so it’s always worth checking every nook and cranny to bolster your supply.
Combine items
Weight management in your inventory is absolutely necessary as being overburdened results in your stamina being reduced much quicker which is a huge problem in battle. Thankfully, there are ways to reduce this.
Many materials can be combined to make useful items which in turn reduces the amount of weight you are carrying. Having five potions is much better than having several different materials bunched together, so do this in your inventory as often as you can.
While we’re at it, don’t forget that you can also give items to your Pawns to carry and make good use of the Storage you can find at every inn you visit.
Switch Pawns often
Though you may think it’s wise to stick with the same Pawns on your journey, the reality is that you should be chopping and changing regularly. You can get some great upgrades without having to spend any RC and, soon enough, you’ll have an ample supply anyway.
Switching Pawns provides allies with a higher level, making them more useful in battle, and also makes it more likely that they will have useful specializations. In many cases, fresh Pawns also result in getting a quest guide who can direct you to your next objective—which makes the journey much quicker.
