Pawn Inclinations in Dragon’s Dogma 2 (often abbreviated DD2) are a key mechanic that shapes how your companion characters called pawns behave in combat and while exploring the world. These inclinations act like personality traits, influencing whether a pawn charges into battle, focuses on support, seeks loot, or stays cautious during tough encounters. For players seeking to get the most out of their party, understanding pawn inclinations is essential because they affect how efficiently pawns contribute to your success, how they complement your chosen vocation, and even how they react to threats and opportunities during your adventure in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
What Are Pawn Inclinations in DD2?
In Dragon’s Dogma 2, pawn inclinations are the behavioral tendencies assigned to a pawn that influence decisions in combat, exploration, and support roles. Unlike static stats such as strength or health, inclinations shape a pawn’s personality and priorities, affecting how they act without direct player commands. These traits help determine whether a pawn leans toward aggression, support, clever tactics, or a more balanced approach.
Pawns accompany the player character, the Arisen, throughout their journey. You can hire pawns created by other players or assign an inclination to your Main Pawn, the central companion in your own party. By carefully considering pawn inclinations, players can build a party whose personalities and combat styles complement each other.
The Four Main Pawn Inclinations
Dragon’s Dogma 2 features four primary inclinations that govern a pawn’s behavior. Each inclination provides a distinct playstyle influence, allowing players to tailor a pawn’s role for both combat and exploration.
Kindhearted Inclination
The Kindhearted inclination emphasizes support and assistance. Pawns with this trait focus on helping allies by using restorative abilities and prioritizing healing when needed. They tend to act as team players who watch the party’s overall wellbeing and respond quickly to threats by providing aid. This inclination suits vocations that lean toward support roles, such as Mages or Sorcerers, because the tendency to use spells that benefit the group enhances survivability.
Calm Inclination
Pawns with the Calm inclination adopt a more thoughtful and defensive mindset. These companions focus on survival and strategy, often using evasion, positioning, and defensive skills to endure in combat. A Calm pawn will usually avoid unnecessary risk and act cautiously when engaging tough enemies. This approach can be especially useful if you prefer a methodical combat pace or want pawns that stay alive longer during extended battles.
Simple Inclination
The Simple inclination is marked by curiosity and a love for exploration. Pawns with this trait are inclined to seek out loot, investigate the environment, and help with resource gathering. While they are still capable in battle, their exploratory nature makes them excellent companions when traversing open areas, hunting for treasure, or uncovering hidden resources. Simple pawns can be great assets for players who enjoy a balance between combat and exploration aspects of the game.
Straightforward Inclination
Straightforward is the most aggressive inclination and is characterized by its pawns’ eagerness to charge straight into combat. These pawns focus on drawing enemy attention, dealing damage, and engaging foes headon. This inclination makes pawns more offensiveminded, which can be especially effective for vocations such as Fighters, Warriors, or Thieves, who thrive in direct battle. A Straightforward pawn’s bold approach can take pressure off the Arisen in chaotic fights.
How Inclinations Affect Gameplay
Pawn inclinations influence how pawns make tactical decisions in battle. For example, a pawn with the Kindhearted inclination may prioritize healing spells and support actions, while a Straightforward pawn will focus more on attacking enemies without hesitation. These behavioral choices help define the role a pawn plays in the party and can significantly impact combat flow, especially in tougher encounters with large monsters or bosses.
Inclinations can also affect pawns outside combat. For instance, those with a Simple inclination might actively seek items or loot in the environment, which can be a boon for players who want to collect resources without constantly checking every corner manually. This functionality makes inclinations valuable beyond just inbattle performance and helps tailor your team to your playstyle.
Synergy With Vocation
Matching a pawn’s inclination with an appropriate vocation can greatly enhance their effectiveness. For example, a calm pawn paired with a vocation that uses ranged attacks or magic may focus on avoiding unnecessary damage while supporting from a safe distance. A straightforward pawn with a melee vocation will likely excel at drawing enemy aggression and dealing consistent damage. Players who build a balanced party with complementary inclinations and vocations often find it easier to tackle challenging content.
Changing Pawn Inclinations in DD2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 allows players to change their Main Pawn’s inclination using special items called Rift Incenses, which can be obtained from vendors such as those in Vernworth. These incenses let you change the pawn’s inclination to fit a new role or strategy without having to create a new pawn from scratch. It’s important to choose wisely because each Rift Incense costs Rift Crystals, a valuable ingame currency earned through exploration, defeating enemies, and completing quests.
There’s also a more exploratory option called Ambivalent Rift Incense, which randomly assigns a new inclination to a pawn. This can be useful for players who want to experiment with different playstyles or discover unexpected synergies among inclinations and vocations. Changing inclinations gives players the flexibility to adapt to new challenges as they progress through the game.
Benefits of Understanding Inclinations
Knowing how pawn inclinations work can make a significant difference in how players approach playthrough strategies. Pawns with complementary inclinations provide better balance in combat, while mismatches might lead to confusion or inefficient roles. For example, a Straightforward pawn in a supportheavy team might charge into danger when not needed, drawing enemy attacks prematurely. Conversely, pairing a Calm pawn with a heavily offensive group can sometimes slow down combat flow if the pawn holds back too much.
Building a Balanced Party
- Include a Kindhearted pawn to ensure healing and support when fighting tough enemies.
- Use a Calm pawn to maintain defensive stability and avoid reckless engagement.
- Add a Simple pawn to help with exploration and gathering resources.
- Employ a Straightforward pawn to take control of aggressive combat situations.
Careful party composition can make your journey through Dragon’s Dogma 2 smoother and more enjoyable, especially when confronting formidable foes or navigating complex environments.
Pawn inclinations in Dragon’s Dogma 2 are more than just labels they are strategic tools that shape how your companions act in battle and beyond. By selecting the right inclinations and pairing them with suitable vocations, players can create a harmonious and effective party that supports both combat success and efficient exploration. Changing inclinations when needed adds flexibility, allowing your pawns to evolve alongside your own playstyle. For any adventurer in the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2, understanding and utilizing pawn inclinations is essential to mastering its many challenges.