Capcom revealed new gameplay mechanics for Dragon’s Dogma 2 during Sony’s State of Play showcase.
These new mechanics come in the form of the new Warfarer vocation, Vocation Maisters, and the Dragonsplague Illness. Although these new features were heavily featured in the trailer Capcom showcased during the event, it is only through Capcom Promotion Producer Ken Mendoza that we know about them.
A New Vocation
According to Mendoza’s PlayStation Blog post, the Warfarer vocation is the jack of all trades of all the vocations available to the Arisen. As the trailer showcased, this vocation allows players to switch weapons mid-battle, allowing them to adapt to the circumstances during a fight and deal damage however they want.
As a result, players can access and chain various attacks from multiple vocations to match the needs of the battle. For instance, players can have the Arisen equip a staff for magic attacks, a greatsword for dealing damaging attacks up-close, and use daggers when they need to grab on large enemies.
However, this vocation demands that the Arisen lug various items to access its wide array of vocations, consuming inventory space. The stats the vocation provides are also not as high as the other, more specialized ones.
Vocation Maisters
To help the Arisen master the game’s vocations, players can visit Vocation Maisters that have mastered their vocation of choice. Gaining their approval will grant players special tomes that either unlock new vocations or acquire new skills called “Maister’s Teachings.”
The new skills Vocation Maisters help unlock may be the pinnacle of a vocation. For instance, the Maister’s Teaching of the Archer, Heavenly Shot, lets the Arisen fire an arrow that deals the maximum damage while consuming all of their stamina. Similarly, the Maister’s Teaching for the Mystic Spearhand, Wild Furie, lets the Arisen deal magick and physical damage through a magical double simultaneously.
Dragonsplague
Mendoza also made mention of a contagious disease only Pawns can get – Dragonsplague. Pawns infected with the disease will show behavior changes (i.e. being more confident than normal) and have improved stats. While the infected Pawn won’t fall ill during the disease’s onset, not treating it in time will “result in devastating calamity.”
During its late stages, the illness will alter the infected PAwn’s appearance – their skin will turn black with an oozing red aura to match, along with glowing red eyes. Although Mendoza didn’t mention how Pawns could get the disease, they could catch it during their travels between worlds, making sharing them with other players something worth considering seriously.
Whether the player views this disease as something beneficial or an illness to be cured is up to them.