In the game Dragon’s Dogma, selecting the best inclinations for a mage pawn is crucial to ensure effective combat performance and overall synergy with the main character and party. Inclinations dictate how a pawn behaves in battle, including whether they focus on offense, defense, or supporting allies. For mage pawns, choosing the right inclinations can significantly impact the success of both solo and group encounters, as their spells and abilities are versatile but require proper strategy to maximize their effectiveness. Understanding which inclinations complement the mage class helps players create a pawn that adapts intelligently to different combat scenarios and supports the party efficiently. With careful consideration, the mage pawn can become a vital part of your adventuring team, providing crowd control, elemental damage, and healing when needed.
Understanding Mage Pawns
A mage pawn in Dragon’s Dogma is a support and damage-dealing character that primarily uses magic spells to attack enemies or aid allies. Mage pawns can learn a variety of elemental spells such as fire, ice, and shock, as well as healing and buff spells. Because their role is highly versatile, inclinations are key to defining how they react in combat. The wrong inclinations can result in wasted spells, poor positioning, or ineffective support, while the right inclinations make them proactive and efficient in both offensive and defensive roles. Understanding a mage pawn’s abilities and strengths is the first step in determining which inclinations will optimize their performance.
What Are Pawn Inclinations?
Pawn inclinations are personality settings that dictate how AI-controlled pawns behave in combat and exploration. They can be categorized into primary and secondary inclinations
- Primary InclinationsThese dictate the main behavior pattern, such as attacking aggressively, supporting allies, or defending.
- Secondary InclinationsThese act as a backup behavior, influencing actions when the primary inclination is not applicable.
For mage pawns, these inclinations determine how they prioritize spellcasting, healing, or using elemental attacks. Choosing inclinations that align with the player’s combat style ensures the pawn contributes effectively during battles.
Recommended Primary Inclinations for Mage Pawns
The choice of primary inclination for a mage pawn should reflect their role as a magic user who can provide both offensive and supportive capabilities. Several inclinations work particularly well
Medic
Choosing Medic as a primary inclination emphasizes healing and supporting allies. A Medic mage pawn will prioritize using spells like Cure, High Cure, and Protective spells on party members when health is low. This inclination is highly valuable in parties with multiple melee fighters who take damage frequently. A Medic inclination ensures the mage pawn maintains party survivability, making it ideal for players who focus on melee combat themselves. While less aggressive, a Medic mage still has the capacity to cast offensive spells when enemies are weak or unthreatening.
Utilitarian
The Utilitarian inclination allows the mage pawn to balance offense and support, making decisions based on the greatest overall benefit to the party. This inclination encourages the mage to use offensive spells on dangerous targets, cast buffs on allies, and provide healing when needed. Utilitarian is ideal for players who prefer adaptive party support, as the pawn will respond to the ebb and flow of battle, prioritizing actions that maximize overall party effectiveness. For example, the pawn may cast Fireball on clustered enemies while using High Cures on the player or other pawns at the same time.
Scather (Situational)
Although primarily an offensive inclination, Scather can be effective for mage pawns in certain situations. A Scather mage focuses on targeting enemies that are actively attacking allies, providing counter-offensive support. This inclination can be particularly effective when paired with a tanky player or pawns that draw enemy attention, as the mage will use spells to punish enemies who threaten party members. It’s recommended to combine Scather as a secondary inclination if your primary focus is Medic or Utilitarian, allowing the pawn to react dynamically to threats while still providing healing and buffs.
Recommended Secondary Inclinations for Mage Pawns
Secondary inclinations influence the mage pawn’s behavior when the primary inclination is not fully applicable. Combining inclinations thoughtfully improves combat efficiency
Challenger
Challenger as a secondary inclination encourages the mage to focus on the nearest enemy, applying offensive spells more aggressively. This is useful when paired with Medic as a primary inclination, ensuring the pawn contributes to damage output without abandoning their supportive role. A Challenger mage can weaken enemies quickly, preventing prolonged battles and reducing damage taken by the party.
Guardian
Guardian is another useful secondary inclination that focuses on defending allies, either by positioning or targeting enemies that threaten party members. This is especially effective for mage pawns in large battles with multiple enemies. Guardian as a secondary inclination complements a Utilitarian primary inclination by ensuring that the pawn considers ally safety in addition to offensive actions.
Considerations for Choosing Inclinations
When determining the best inclinations for a mage pawn, consider the following factors
- Party CompositionIf your party has multiple melee fighters, a Medic primary inclination is invaluable. If your party lacks healing, a support-focused inclination prevents unnecessary deaths.
- Player Combat StyleAggressive players who focus on offense may prefer a Utilitarian or Scather mage, while defensive players benefit from a Medic mage pawn.
- Spell LoadoutConsider which spells your mage pawn has learned. A pawn with strong offensive spells may benefit from Scather or Challenger, while one with multiple healing and buff spells excels as Medic.
- Enemy TypesIn areas with large groups of enemies or elemental weaknesses, an adaptive Utilitarian mage can maximize efficiency by switching between elemental spells and healing.
Balancing Inclinations for Optimal Performance
The most effective mage pawns often have a primary inclination that focuses on support, such as Medic or Utilitarian, and a secondary inclination that emphasizes targeted offense, such as Challenger or Scather. This balance allows the pawn to adapt to changing battle conditions, prioritize healing when necessary, and contribute meaningful damage to enemies without neglecting their supportive role. Additionally, adjusting inclinations as your pawn levels up and learns new spells can further optimize performance for high-level encounters and challenging boss fights.
Choosing the best inclinations for a mage pawn is a critical step in creating an effective AI companion in Dragon’s Dogma. Primary inclinations like Medic and Utilitarian ensure that the mage provides reliable healing, buffs, and support while maintaining offensive capability when needed. Secondary inclinations such as Challenger or Scather complement the primary behavior by enabling targeted offense or ally protection. By considering party composition, player combat style, spell loadout, and enemy types, players can configure a mage pawn that enhances the party’s overall effectiveness and adapts intelligently to the flow of battle. Ultimately, the right combination of inclinations transforms a mage pawn from a passive spellcaster into a proactive, versatile, and indispensable member of the adventuring team.