Although Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a solo experience, the exceptional AI systems in place can completely change how you play the game with NPCs. A party of the right NPC Pawns can mean a night and day difference in combat and exploration as well. This Dragon’s Dogma 2 guide is intended to provide broad guidelines to assembling a good team of Pawns that can support your player character on adventures.
Party Composition Tips And Tricks
- In the broadest terms, having one Pawn from each major group of Vocations is the perfect balance you should strive to maintain. So, one true melee (Warrior, Fighter), one ranged (Archer), and one magic (Mage, Sorcerer). A Thief Pawn is not recommended, as it is a melee Vocation without the sturdiness of either Warriors or Fighters.
- The Thief Vocation is only recommended for the player character in the party, and only if there’s a tanky melee Pawn to absorb all of the attention from enemies.
- Generally speaking, your player character should relegate magic wielding to a Pawn, ideally the Main Pawn. This is because they will reliably serve as Mages or Sorcerers from a support position in the backline, buffing and healing both you and your other Pawns in the midst of combat. The micro-management of it all will be taken off your plate, allowing you to focus on dealing damage.
- Mages are also good during exploration, when you come across Chests and other loot in inaccessible areas.
- An exceptional Fighter Pawn, and then later can serve as a damage soak, absorbing both aggro and incoming damage, giving you all the time you need to unleash your own targeted strikes.
- As far as Pawn Specializations go:
- Hawker is wasted, as you will have plenty of opportunities to offload your wares.
- Early on, Forager will come in handy the most, as you scrounge around for resources.
- Chirurgeon is a must for combat, and may be best on the party Archer, as a backup to the magic healer.
- Logistician is nice, perhaps in the early game, but not absolutely necessary. You may want to swap it out eventually, for Woodland Wordsmith.
- The Woodland Wordsmith Specialization is the only way you will be able to properly interact with Sacred Arbor, since you will be able to finally comprehend the Elvish language. While you could have it on a Pawn by default, you can also swap out any other Pawn Specialization for it, using the Woodland Wordsmith’s Tome. Bear in mind that this is a permanent overwriting of their current Specialization.
- The Woodland Wordsmith’s Tome is not the only tome in Dragon’s Dogma 2. You will be finding more through questing, and this will allow you to retain your preferred Pawns if their default Specialization is not to your liking.
- As for Pawn Inclinations:
- Your frontline melee Pawns should be Straightforward: “Candid, flippant, and impulsive. A pawn unbound by precepts. Enjoys the thrill of combat, tackling fierce foes head-on with daring assaults.” That is the essence of what you want the party tank to be in battle.
- Support Pawns are ideally Kindhearted: “Compassionate, devoted, and dutiful. The most obedient sort of pawn. Favors a balanced approach with an emphasis on support. Quick to aid allies in need.” You can rely on a Kindhearted support Pawn to actively seek to aid your player character with healing and buffing.
- Forager may have some overlap with Simple: “Curious, earnest, and adventurous. A pawn with their heart on their sleeve. Enjoys exploring and gathering items. and is always up for a challenge.” Not essential to have, but could possibly make exploratory resource runs smoother and less of a chore. It might even be good to have a Pawn devoted to treasure-hunting, who can be swapped in and out for those situations.
- You will likely not be using Calm: “Rational, shrewd, and strategizing. A pawn characterized by caution. Favors defense and evasion, employing clever tactics to survive at all costs.” This would only be useful on a Thief, which is a Vocation you will avoid having on a Pawn anyway.
- Bear in mind that having two ranged or two magic party members is overkill, and your player character is included in that count. If you choose to play as either of those Vocations, whether starter, advanced, or hybrid, then having a Pawn with the same class is redundant under most circumstances. Instead, opt for an additional Fighter or Warrior, and shore up your frontline.
That’s everything to know about the ideal party composition in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
