Summary
TheDragon’s Dogmafanbase is anticipating the upcoming launch ofDragon’s Dogma 2. What once seemed like a pipe dream for the cult classic Capcom title is now a reality, and this sequel is tailor-made to satisfy its community all over again. Players will take control ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s Arisen as they set out across a vast world, joined by an AI party of Pawns. Adventures will organically unfold once more thanks toDragon’s Dogma’s complex mechanics, and plenty of new features are expected to make the sequel even more exciting.
Monsters, quests, and other attractions are among them, but it’sDragon’s Dogma’s vocation system that ties them all together. Vocations served as the classes ofDragon’s Dogma, andDD2brought them back with plenty of shake-ups. There are already10 revealed vocations inDragon’s Dogma 2compared toDD1’s nine, and there have been hints that more are to come, such as one locked behind the once-per-playthrough Sphinx encounter. Vocations determine so much about an Arisen and their Pawns that players should start familiarizing themselves withDragon’s Dogma 2’s offering early.
Basic Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Fighter
The classic Fighter is among the initial Basic vocations, and while it seems plain even by the standards ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s traditional fantasy setting, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Currently, the Fighter is the onlyDD2vocation that natively wields a shield, allowing for a complex mixture of offensive and defensive play. Said shield was actually a key reason whyDragon’s Dogma 1players often preferred Fighter over its Advanced equivalent Warrior, so close-quarters combatants shouldn’t sleep on it.
Archer
Fans of more indirect approaches will want to try Archer instead. This vocation is based on the Advanced Ranger vocation fromDragon’s Dogma 1, but these ranged specialists may not have emergency melee options anymore. Ranger, and its Basic counterpart Strider,feature inDragon’s Dogma 2as the Archer and Thief, with each inheriting either all their ranged or all their melee abilities. Fortunately, targeting weak spots on the fly and grounding aerial enemies should more than justify an Archer’s presence, even before it starts sniping with special arrows.
Thief
The nimble Thief has inherited the Strider’s twin daggers, which should still be threatening enough even without a bow. It sounds like Thieves have lost little else from their Strider days, during which they were among the best vocations inDragon’s Dogma. Acrobatic attacks that will pleasethose who loveMonster Hunter’s Dual Blades, potent bonuses to climbing on large monsters, and the ability to steal from monsters and NPCs make the Thief an easy recommendation for newDragon’s Dogma 2players.
Mage
Currently, the last known Basic vocation inDragon’s Dogma 2is the humble Mage. Like inDD1, the Mage specializes in a wide variety of offensive, buffing, and healing magicks that can be cast quickly at lower tiers.Dragon’s Dogma 1Mages suffered more than any other vocation from being replaced by their Advanced Sorcerer counterpart, butDragon’s Dogma 2should remedy this by emphasizing the Mage’s speed and varied spell list.
Advanced Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Warrior
Anyone seeking the highest melee damage inDragon’s Dogma 2can look no further than the Warrior. This straightforward vocation apes theGreatsword and Hammer’s charged abilities fromMonster Hunterand fittingly has both weapon types in its repertoire. Warriors were infamously over-specialized inDD1, lacking the versatility of every other class, butDD2Warriors should benefit from new skills on top of emphasized super armor during animations.
Sorcerer
The magical powerhouse ofDragon’s Dogma 2is the Sorcerer, a heavy caster specialized in the higher tiers of offensive magicks. Sorcerers are the best demonstration of howDragon’s Dogma’s magic systemtops most action-RPGs in sheer destructive scale, and inDD1that was ample reason to field one.DD2Sorcerers sound less versatile than their old selves, but some implied synergy with other casting vocations means they are more than slow magical artillery.
Hybrid Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Magick Archer
Hybrid vocations remain exclusive to Arisen player characters, often due to sporting functions too complex or risky forevenDragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawn AIto safely handle. Magick Archers are currently the only returning Hybrid vocation, and their Pawn-unfriendly features likely include sacrificing maximum HP, and potentially allied Pawns, for big attacks. Like their past selves, Magick Archers wield magical arrows to paint targets for homing shots, set traps, heal allies, and do plenty more, though their useful magic comes at the cost of some of an Archer’s niche strengths.
Mystic Spearhand
The first new vocation revealed inDragon’s Dogma 2was the Mystic Spearhand, a Fighter/Mage combination that seems to have replaced the first game’s Mystic Knight. It’s likely that the Mystic Knight had too much overlap with other classes, so this more distinct vocation was developed in its place.
Using their twin-headed Duospear, Mystic Spearhands have a huge bag of tricks like teleporting similar toFinal Fantasy 15’s Warp Strike, and magically picking up and throwing foes. Players desiring a unique play style will definitely want to try this vocation.
Unclassified Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Trickster
However, when it comes to uniqueness, nothing comes close to the Trickster.Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Trickster is novel for fantasy RPGs, able to exploit enemy AI and terrain in lethal ways. Complete with various other tools like powerful Pawn buffs and scouting abilities, nothing else compares to playing a Trickster. Notably, its vocation icon shares an ornate border and split color scheme with confirmed Hybrid vocations, but no Basic vocations with pink or purple icons have been revealed.
Warfarer
Speaking of special icons, the Warfarer’s crest is completely distinct, suggesting it belongs to a new vocation category. Acting like a custom vocation, it trades lowered base stats for the chance to equip multiple weapons and learn skills from any vocation.
In this way, the ambitious Warfarer does its best to staytrue to the originalDragon’s Dogma’s mechanical scalewhile makingDD2’s proportionately larger. CertainDragon’s Dogma 1vocations did support multiple weapon types, but they had to pause to swap them, and skills needed their corresponding weapon to work. ExpertDragon’s Dogma 2players may happily ignore those limitations and could spend multiple playthroughs crafting potential Warfarer builds.
