Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a behemoth of an open world experience with a map that’s four times larger than the first game. We’re already 40+ hours into our own playthrough, and we feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface!
It can feel overwhelming to decide where to begin your journey as the Arisen, so that’s why we’ve compiled five things you should do early game to set yourself up for success.
Disclaimer: The following guide contains mild spoilers for Dragon’s Dogma 2 including quest names, quest rewards, and NPC names.
1. Hire Official Pawns
One of the biggest misconceptions of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is that you need plenty of Rift Crystals (RC) to summon Pawns. When in reality, the game gives you several ways to hire Pawns for 0 RC, and ways to save up RC over time in case you feel like splurging.
Hiring Official Pawns are an excellent way to start off your journey, because they cost 0 RC and can go up to Level 10. Besides your Main Pawn, you can hire another two Official Pawns to join your party. There are also Official Pawns based on your favourite influencers and streamers, if that’s your kind of thing.
If you’re already above Level 10, don’t worry! You can easily find 0 RC Pawns in the Rift and wandering around the open world, although you might have to spend a little RC if you’re looking for a Pawn with a significantly higher level than the rest of your party.
Another alternative is hiring your friend’s Pawn which is completely free, although this feature is only available if they’re playing on the same platform as you.
2. Ride an ox cart
Fast traveling isn’t the most accessible feature in this game, so familiarising yourself with the Ox Cart Station will save you loads of time in your playthrough. The Ox Cart from Vernworth travels to and fro between Melve, Checkpoint Rest Town, and Bakbattahl and costs 100 to 200 Gold per travel. It’s way cheaper than travelling by Ferrystone all the time, that’s for sure!
Here’s the complete list of Ox Cart Stations and destinations for your easy reference:
- North Vernworth Oxcart Station: Vernworth to Melve
- West Vernworth Oxcart Station: Vernworth to Checkpoint Rest Town
- North Border Checkpoint Oxcart Station: Checkpoint Rest Town to Vernworth
- South Border Checkpoint Oxcart Station: Checkpoint Rest Town to Bakbattahl
- Bakbattahl Oxcart Station: Bakbattahl to Checkpoint Rest Town
3. Buy a house
Adventuring is dangerous business, and it’s important to rest frequently to keep your entire party’s Loss Gauge as low as possible. However, camping by the roadside gets tiresome after awhile, and paying 1,000 to 3,000 Gold to rest at an Inn is out of the question.
Thankfully, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has an early game quest that allows you to buy a house where you can sleep for free! To trigger this quest, find an NPC named Mildred hanging around the Common Quarter corridor at the rear entrance of the Stardrop Inn. Upon completing her quest, she will offer to sell her house to you for 20,000 Gold.
4. Get your first Portcrystal
As you explore more of the map, you’re going to outgrow Ox Carts — and fast. That’s where these portable, reusable Portcrystals are going to become your best friends. Unlike the permanent Portcrystals you can find in Vernworth and Harve Village, you can place these Portcrystals down anywhere in the world and teleport back later using a Ferrystone.
The easiest way to get your first Portcrystal is to complete the Feast of Deception main quest line. However, this is also the first soft-block in the game that locks you out of several side quests. Thankfully, there are two other ways to get your first Portcrystal without progressing the main quest.
The first method is by completing the Gift of the Bow side quest, which you can trigger by speaking to an elf named Glyndwr standing outside Roderick’s Smithy. You will need to be an Archer to complete his quests, but you can easily change your vocation at the Vocation Guild. Complete all of his side quests, and you will receive a Portcrystal as a reward.
The second method is tougher — or easier — depending on how you look at it. Look for the Forested Griffin’s nest right below the Misty Marshes, located south-west from Sacred Arbor and north-west from Harve Village. There will be a Portcrystal in the Griffin’s nest, although you might have to fight for it (or you know, just steal it and run for the hills).
If you’re seeking a joy ride, you can also grab onto the first Griffin you find in Vermund and follow it all the way back to its nest to find the Portcrystal.
5. Complete the main quest until Feast of Deception
We know the allure of the open world is difficult to resist, but trust us when we say focus on the main quest — just for awhile. All the main quests leading up to Feast of Deception effectively functions like a long tutorial and provides you with a lot of useful items to guide you through the rest of the game.
As mentioned earlier, it is also the first soft-block in the game that locks you out of several side quests. Although no one is 100% sure of which side quests get cancelled (it’s a massive game!), these are the ones we’ve observed so far:
- The Ornate Box
- The Arisen’s Shadow
- Readvent of Calamity
BONUS: Remember the location of your first Seeker’s Token
Seeker’s Tokens are collectibles you can find in hidden spots on the map. You can trade these in at Vocation Guilds to collect special rewards. Of course, we won’t say why it’s important to remember the location of your first Seeker’s Token, but drop a pin on the map once you find it. You’ll thank us later.
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Read our first impressions review of Dragon’s Dogma 2 here.
