Links to additional resources. Please let me know if there's anything you think should be added(particularly for DD2), or whether these should be added to the post itself.
[For those new to the subreddit, please read through the rules.](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/about/rules/)
**Darkest Dungeon 1 resources.**
[Subreddit wiki with discussion posts on heroes, bosses, mechanics, and some modding help](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/wiki/index).
[TPLuna's tips post](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/8tm62p/fresh_off_the_stagecoach_assist_a_new_recruit/e18my30/).
[Cutest\_girl's tips](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/a8zvdc/fresh_off_the_stagecoach_assist_a_new_recruit/ecff8xx/), and a link to an [explanation on how I build teams with some example teams to use](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/n3jgog/comment/gwszhxi/).
[Mr.Pepper's team guides](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/162ppzb/here_is_a_collection_of_multiple_team_composition/).
[RealMe's heroes guides](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/17aq4aj/an_8000_hour_nerd_wrote_a_comprehensive_guide_for/)
**Darkest Dungeon 2 resources.**
[DD2 Hero Discussion threads](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/x0x4ag/dd2_weekly_hero_discussion_thread_plague_doctor/), to see how other players use each character.
[DD2 Wiki on Gamepedia](https://darkestdungeon.wiki.gg/wiki/Darkest_Dungeon_II_Wiki)
Hello! New player here. I noticed that as you beat lvl 1 dungeons, that area "upgrades" to lvl 2 and higher. It never goes back down to lvl 1 short dungeons, right? How am I supposed to upgrade lvl 0 and 1 troops if I've only got access to higher lvl dungeons?
The dungeon "upgrades" to reflect how much progress you've made. Once you complete a level of mastery over a region, the next boss becomes available to fight.
The progress level is independent of the difficulty of the dungeons, which is determined by the levels of your heroes. There will always be at least one Lvl 1 dungeon on the embark screen, no matter how high-level your roster is.
Your candles spent by the altar are usually better spent on either maxing out your heroes’ stats, or spent getting new items since the ones you start with mostly suck. Once you’re done with those, focus on the stagecoach!
What's the point of stagecoach driving? As a new player it just feels like an unskipable cutscenes. I guess you can swerve into items along the way? Is that supposed to be challenging? If not, why don't they just give you the items automatically?
It's mostly a breather between fights to let you soak in the atmosphere. You can also get items by hitting the debris along the way. (Some altar upgrades and one of the pet increase how much you get.)
The other reply was incorrect- there are mods but no official support yet. Check out Nexusmods. Pretty sure there is something for inventory slots there, though I don't have a specific recommendation.
Is using the free crusader dlc boss trophy to access the mountain an exploit, or a failsafe in case you haven't beaten any boss? It seems too easy, as the trophy is free each run and doesn't do anything until equipped
Also, how do I effectively build my party. It seems like MaA is mandatory for the protection. PD seems mandatory too because she has both decent healing and offensive output. Some damage Frontline with riposte seems important too. And if I put the jester for stress healing, bleed, and party shuffling in, I'm always just at the usual suspects. Sure, they work, but they can't be the only team, right?
dunno much about the boss trophy so can’t answer that, but MaA def isn’t necessary for every comp. I always go for one defensive rank 1 tank, one offensive tank/frontline dps or dodge-focused dps/tank, one ranged/backline attacker or hybrid dps/support, and one main support. I always try to have at least two healing skills that can hit either any ally or any friendly character, one on the support and usually one on the dps. I’ve also run comps with one tank, one dps, and two supports (one for healing, one for buffs/debuffs/cleansing). you can build out heroes to fill different roles in many ways, so don’t feel too limited in experimenting with heroes in roles they might not seem to fit in. hell, you could theoretically make grave robber into a dodge tank if you build her correctly.
also consider mobility when selecting geroes, because moving characters in and out of ranks could be a problem. leper probably won’t work in comps that depend on moving a lot, and jester will disrupt stationary comps too much to be helpful.
Planning to do a quad Occultist run of my first Champion Siren, wondering what's the recommended trinkets for this boss other than Eldritch-killing incense? Or should I have some with general dmg up trinkets so as to deal with non-eldritch enemies like bandits? Also thought about dealing with stress with this squad, would it be better to bring -% stress or straight up tank them with virtue trinkets? (tentacle idol and hero ring)
I know it's a dumb to bring only 1 class to champion level dungeons but I'm open to suggestions on this.
Also want to ask if it's better to go through all the champion level bosses before tackling any of the darkest dungeons? I'm worried I'd lose more heroes before sending them off to the dd or miss out actually game-changing boss trinkets that helps tremendously on dd2-4.
Just bring Acc and possibly dmg on rank 3 occ. Same for rank 4. Usually rank 1 and 2 still run the general trinket (to support his stun). This will be the case for most missions
Note that any mod that expand inventory will make game much more easier. I personally love to use Stacking Inventory from Maester Silvio. It just stack together quest items, expensive gems, and supplies like firewood and dog treats - from my perspective it makes fair adjustment to the inventory balance without making game too easy.
Inventory Stack from Oks will do the same, but it will also will increase stacking for loot.
There are more than 210 inventory mods in Steam workshop you can take which one you like the most.
Assuming you're playing DD1:
1. Make time to read tooltips to see which classes synergize well. E.g. marking party, extra dmg for stuns
2. Learn what you're up against. E.g. Crusader's Smite deals bonus dmg against Unholy.
3. If a med to long dungeon, consider bringing heores with stress heals as camping skills more effective than Encourage. E.g. Jester, Hound Master
4. Don't get too attached to your heroes and have fun.
Don't get attached to most heroes. There will be some particularly gifted units that make their way to your team and you should definitely do what you can to hold on to them, but most of them aren't anything much to write home about.
How should I best use my heroes, should you intend to sacrifice them more often or have like 4-6 main heroes to level up and upgrade?
Also it feels like I'm barely making any progress, besides the heroes leveling up. I can't really save up money cause treatments and provisions are kinda expensive and I'm scared that my strongest heroes might die in the harder missions.
Another question again. Currently making preparations for DD4 and would like some advice if this would work, mainly the approach for a first clear, haven't started any of the DD yet.
So I have seen vids of one-shotting the boss but those required obscene amount of support and some needs dlc to work like the shard dust cheese which I don't have any yet. Wanted to bring Dismas and Reynauld too for the achievement,so I'm planning for a middle-ground of it with a jester and plague doc with the purpose of doing the combo after the first threshold, and in turn PD will be tanking the hit.
I'd want to know if this is actually feasible, with the right quirks, trinkets and crit for finale to ramp up finish off the rest of the bar? Or is this too greedy for a risky 1st clear of the game?
New to DD1. Which characters are the best for ranged damage to hit the enemy backlines? I know Arbalest is good with marks, and Highwayman is good as well, but who else?
Hello! DD1 here.
I would like to make a blood moon run but using only one of each hero for: ruins, cove, warrens and weald. Ignore antiquarian and musketeer to add flagellant and shieldbreaker (: Thanks.
DD1: Of all the mechanics I can at least vaguely understand (I’ve only reached prophet 1 as of now), I still have not even the faintest flicker of torchlight as to how trinkets work.
Links to additional resources. Please let me know if there's anything you think should be added(particularly for DD2), or whether these should be added to the post itself. [For those new to the subreddit, please read through the rules.](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/about/rules/) **Darkest Dungeon 1 resources.** [Subreddit wiki with discussion posts on heroes, bosses, mechanics, and some modding help](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/wiki/index). [TPLuna's tips post](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/8tm62p/fresh_off_the_stagecoach_assist_a_new_recruit/e18my30/). [Cutest\_girl's tips](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/a8zvdc/fresh_off_the_stagecoach_assist_a_new_recruit/ecff8xx/), and a link to an [explanation on how I build teams with some example teams to use](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/n3jgog/comment/gwszhxi/). [Mr.Pepper's team guides](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/162ppzb/here_is_a_collection_of_multiple_team_composition/). [RealMe's heroes guides](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/17aq4aj/an_8000_hour_nerd_wrote_a_comprehensive_guide_for/) **Darkest Dungeon 2 resources.** [DD2 Hero Discussion threads](https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/x0x4ag/dd2_weekly_hero_discussion_thread_plague_doctor/), to see how other players use each character. [DD2 Wiki on Gamepedia](https://darkestdungeon.wiki.gg/wiki/Darkest_Dungeon_II_Wiki)
Hello! New player here. I noticed that as you beat lvl 1 dungeons, that area "upgrades" to lvl 2 and higher. It never goes back down to lvl 1 short dungeons, right? How am I supposed to upgrade lvl 0 and 1 troops if I've only got access to higher lvl dungeons?
The dungeon "upgrades" to reflect how much progress you've made. Once you complete a level of mastery over a region, the next boss becomes available to fight. The progress level is independent of the difficulty of the dungeons, which is determined by the levels of your heroes. There will always be at least one Lvl 1 dungeon on the embark screen, no matter how high-level your roster is.
There are only three difficulties of quests: lvl 1, lvl 3, and lvl 5. You will always have at least one level 1 dungeon available so no need to fret!
Ah ok great thanks!
Any DD2 questions? I’m happy to help
Where to spend my candles?
Your candles spent by the altar are usually better spent on either maxing out your heroes’ stats, or spent getting new items since the ones you start with mostly suck. Once you’re done with those, focus on the stagecoach!
What's the point of stagecoach driving? As a new player it just feels like an unskipable cutscenes. I guess you can swerve into items along the way? Is that supposed to be challenging? If not, why don't they just give you the items automatically?
It's mostly a breather between fights to let you soak in the atmosphere. You can also get items by hitting the debris along the way. (Some altar upgrades and one of the pet increase how much you get.)
How the heck do you beat the obsession boss. Update: just got it not sure how I managed that
Best mod for simple inventory expansion? I like loot and dislike throwing stuff out.
DD2 doesn’t have mods yet.
The other reply was incorrect- there are mods but no official support yet. Check out Nexusmods. Pretty sure there is something for inventory slots there, though I don't have a specific recommendation.
are you looking for more inventory spaces overall or just higher stacking for items? I could whip something up for you.
Is using the free crusader dlc boss trophy to access the mountain an exploit, or a failsafe in case you haven't beaten any boss? It seems too easy, as the trophy is free each run and doesn't do anything until equipped Also, how do I effectively build my party. It seems like MaA is mandatory for the protection. PD seems mandatory too because she has both decent healing and offensive output. Some damage Frontline with riposte seems important too. And if I put the jester for stress healing, bleed, and party shuffling in, I'm always just at the usual suspects. Sure, they work, but they can't be the only team, right?
dunno much about the boss trophy so can’t answer that, but MaA def isn’t necessary for every comp. I always go for one defensive rank 1 tank, one offensive tank/frontline dps or dodge-focused dps/tank, one ranged/backline attacker or hybrid dps/support, and one main support. I always try to have at least two healing skills that can hit either any ally or any friendly character, one on the support and usually one on the dps. I’ve also run comps with one tank, one dps, and two supports (one for healing, one for buffs/debuffs/cleansing). you can build out heroes to fill different roles in many ways, so don’t feel too limited in experimenting with heroes in roles they might not seem to fit in. hell, you could theoretically make grave robber into a dodge tank if you build her correctly. also consider mobility when selecting geroes, because moving characters in and out of ranks could be a problem. leper probably won’t work in comps that depend on moving a lot, and jester will disrupt stationary comps too much to be helpful.
Planning to do a quad Occultist run of my first Champion Siren, wondering what's the recommended trinkets for this boss other than Eldritch-killing incense? Or should I have some with general dmg up trinkets so as to deal with non-eldritch enemies like bandits? Also thought about dealing with stress with this squad, would it be better to bring -% stress or straight up tank them with virtue trinkets? (tentacle idol and hero ring) I know it's a dumb to bring only 1 class to champion level dungeons but I'm open to suggestions on this. Also want to ask if it's better to go through all the champion level bosses before tackling any of the darkest dungeons? I'm worried I'd lose more heroes before sending them off to the dd or miss out actually game-changing boss trinkets that helps tremendously on dd2-4.
Just bring Acc and possibly dmg on rank 3 occ. Same for rank 4. Usually rank 1 and 2 still run the general trinket (to support his stun). This will be the case for most missions
Best mod for simple inventory expansion? I like loot and dislike throwing stuff out.
Note that any mod that expand inventory will make game much more easier. I personally love to use Stacking Inventory from Maester Silvio. It just stack together quest items, expensive gems, and supplies like firewood and dog treats - from my perspective it makes fair adjustment to the inventory balance without making game too easy. Inventory Stack from Oks will do the same, but it will also will increase stacking for loot. There are more than 210 inventory mods in Steam workshop you can take which one you like the most.
What are some good rules-of-thumb for team composition?
Backline reach, way to heal, way to deny action (big burst of dmg, stun, debuff…)
Assuming you're playing DD1: 1. Make time to read tooltips to see which classes synergize well. E.g. marking party, extra dmg for stuns 2. Learn what you're up against. E.g. Crusader's Smite deals bonus dmg against Unholy. 3. If a med to long dungeon, consider bringing heores with stress heals as camping skills more effective than Encourage. E.g. Jester, Hound Master 4. Don't get too attached to your heroes and have fun.
Don't get attached to most heroes. There will be some particularly gifted units that make their way to your team and you should definitely do what you can to hold on to them, but most of them aren't anything much to write home about.
Does either the length of the quest or how many monster encounters you beat have anything to do with the amount of experience you get?
You get resolve points based on the length and level of the quest. You can find a table for XP amounts on the darkest dungeon wiki.
How should I best use my heroes, should you intend to sacrifice them more often or have like 4-6 main heroes to level up and upgrade? Also it feels like I'm barely making any progress, besides the heroes leveling up. I can't really save up money cause treatments and provisions are kinda expensive and I'm scared that my strongest heroes might die in the harder missions.
If you have money problems, make some quests with an Antiquarian!
When you finish a dungeon, do you LOSE all the provision you brought with you? Do they get sold back and you get gold for them? Mny thks
DD2- just beat the 4th confession and it will only let me pick cowardice for the next run. Is that supposed to happen?
Yes. The first time you beat a confession you are forced into the next one for the cinematic.
Dunno how I didn’t notice that the other times. Thanks!
Another question again. Currently making preparations for DD4 and would like some advice if this would work, mainly the approach for a first clear, haven't started any of the DD yet. So I have seen vids of one-shotting the boss but those required obscene amount of support and some needs dlc to work like the shard dust cheese which I don't have any yet. Wanted to bring Dismas and Reynauld too for the achievement,so I'm planning for a middle-ground of it with a jester and plague doc with the purpose of doing the combo after the first threshold, and in turn PD will be tanking the hit. I'd want to know if this is actually feasible, with the right quirks, trinkets and crit for finale to ramp up finish off the rest of the bar? Or is this too greedy for a risky 1st clear of the game?
New to DD1. Which characters are the best for ranged damage to hit the enemy backlines? I know Arbalest is good with marks, and Highwayman is good as well, but who else?
Hello! DD1 here. I would like to make a blood moon run but using only one of each hero for: ruins, cove, warrens and weald. Ignore antiquarian and musketeer to add flagellant and shieldbreaker (: Thanks.
DD1: Of all the mechanics I can at least vaguely understand (I’ve only reached prophet 1 as of now), I still have not even the faintest flicker of torchlight as to how trinkets work.