Vocations, Strengths and Weaknesses, all Part of a Whole - Writings of an Aged Arisen

This is a guide for the classes in Dragon's Dogma, called Vocations, meant for both player and Pawn, and is a great primer to get started.

Vocations, an Introduction

Welcome to a guide to Dragon's Dogma's Vocation class system. This is written in an assumption that you are familiar with basic game-play mechanics and are familiar with menu navigation, as well as reached the central hub of the game, Gran Soren. This guide will also contain some spoilers of a more game mechanics basis, so fair warning.

Dragon's Dogma has a total of 9 Vocations[dragonsdogma.wikia.com] open to the Arisen. 3 basic Vocations (Fighter, Strider, Mage), 3 advanced Vocations (Warrior, Ranger, Sorcerer) and 3 hybrid Vocations (Assassin, Magick Archer, Mystic Knight). Basic Vocations are a balance between offensive capability, defensive strength, and tactical options, with advanced Vocations tilting more towards the offense. Hybrid Vocations are more unique, combining two Vocation's tools and capabilities (or similar) into an interesting whole, and are limited to the Arisen.

One can change between Vocations either at the central hub at the Inn in Gran Soren, and much later on Bitterblack Isle when doing Dark Arisen content. There are 9 levels of progression in each Vocation, with each level unlocking newer and better Skills and Augments[dragonsdogma.wikia.com]. Once a Vocation has been unlocked, any and all progress on said Vocation will remain, so if you decide to spend some time on, say, a Strider, you wont lose progress in your previous Vocation, and if you switch back, all your Strider progress will remain, at no cost to you.

Discipline Points[dragonsdogma.wikia.com] are a sort of skill point currency earned alongside Experience Points. The game is designed so that the lower amounts of EXP earned, the higher DP accumulated as a percentage of the EXP earned, so it is still rewarding to go and fight weaker enemies even if you feel you've out-leveled them. DP is used to purchase Skills and Augments.

The best part is that any unlocked Augments can be used in any other Vocation, which quickly becomes the key to creating well-crafted and nigh-unstoppable Vocation builds for yourself and your Pawn.

When setting up one's Skill layout and Augments, remember you cannot switch them on the fly out in the wild, and you must return to the Inn in Gran Soren (or a certain NPC at Bitterblack Isle) to swap things out. Consider that and all of your options before setting out. Sometimes being able to slash upwards to take care of flying enemies is what you need, instead of a ground attack.

As Dragon's Dogma is one part player skill and one part gear, one cannot stand without the other, unlike other games that are said to be similar. Even if you are the best player in Dragon's Dogma, you'll still lose against Goblins if you try to fight with bad gear. If you find your chosen Vocation not performing as well, consider upgrading your gear first, then Skill choices, before taking a longer look at your play-style.

Lastly, Character Stat Growth[dragonsdogma.wikia.com] per Vocation levelup is another minor factor to consider. Whilst it is superfluous to overall play experience whether or not you "min-max" your stats per level-up, some people prefer to do so, even if the end result is at most a power gap of 5-10%, pushing close to 15% if we're talking extreme case scenarios like a pure-Fighter/Warrior from 1-max level trying to Mage/Sorc at endgame, which is not what a majority of players play as, and is a gap even mid-high tier gear can cover for.

My advice regarding Stat Growth min-maxing remains the same as it was back in 2012, when the game first came out on consoles: Play what you want, how you want, when you want, just gear up, because in the end, its not worth the hassle of being forced into a single play-style for tens of hours just for a measly 10% your gear will overshadow anyway. You'll end up with a more generalist build which may end up being flexible and thus allow you to experiment in the endgame what really works for you in Bitterblack Isle, or similar.

The Fundamentals are Always a Master's Choice. Basic Vocations.

The three Basic Vocations in Dragon's Dogma are the Fighter, the Strider, and the Mage. Yes, they are somewhat archetypal, but all of them play in ways that can make them seemingly break from the mold. For example, Fighters have an equal chance to deliver massive damage on the field as well as a Mage, and a Mage has equal opportunity to deliver damage in the melee range as a Fighter, if careful. Striders can mix it up in the short range as well as long range, and so forth.

These vocations all see use all the way to the endgame, thanks to smart Skills and Vocation mechanics that cannot be accessed by other Vocations. For example, a Fighter's Shield and capability to negate damage thrown his way makes him a natural tank in any party composition. A Strider's Bow allows the use of the target AoE attack Cloudburst Volley, unique to the Strider. Mages are unique by their singular access to healing and curing magic. Not even Sorcerers enjoy such.

They are mainstay options in any party composition, and as such, are always recommended equally from one another, and usually recommended over even Advanced Vocations for party members unless there's a clear need for said Vocations.

The Indomitable, the Shieldbearer, the Fighter.

The Fighter is a mainstay member of any solid party composition. Not only of their fierce melee prowess, but of their unique capacity of their Shield, and their capability of being able to attract and absorb immense amounts of damage and drawing aggression to themselves, away from their party members. Even the Shield is a weapon and a tool, used to slam down enemies, or used as a springboard, to give other party members a boost upwards during a fight. They enjoy the best defense growth per level up, and as with any of the Vocations, they remain competitive up to the endgame.

They are not without weaknesses, chief among which is the obvious: their lack of reach and ranged capability. They also have weaker resistances to magical attacks, and due to their naturally heavy set, thanks to heavier armor, they do not enjoy the movement capabilities of the Strider (double jump) or the Mage (levitation float). They also suffer in being focused on Attack and Defense stats per level-up, leaving their Magick stats low.

A Fighter's repertoire of Skills and Augments support their physical powerhouse nature. Blink Strike act as a closer into the enemy's ranks as well as a quick exit out of potential harm, a standard move any Fighter should have. For flying enemies, Skyward Lash if they're within reach. To make enemies fly instead, Tusk Toss. For a crowd specialist, Broad Cut and Compass Slash see much use, with the former is an evasive step backwards, and the latter a 360 attack. Hindsight Slash is a dodge and an attack in one. Flesh Skewer stabs and skewers an enemy on their blade, as the blade is twisted. Enemies are down but not out? Downthrust makes sure they regret taking a nap. Stone Will lets the Fighter charge up and become resistant to damage for a time, and for a coup de grace, Legion's Bite is a wide-area massive damage attack for a lot of Stamina.

A Fighter does not only use their Sword, but their Shield as well. Shield Summons is a mainstay, attracting the attention of nearby enemies. Cymbal Attack unleashes a barrage of attacks with the shield. Shield Strike is a more focused single attack that causes the enemy to drop their guard. Springboard lets the Fighter act as, well, a springboard for other party members who need a vital boost into the sky. Sheltered Strike uses both the shield and the sword, unleashing a flurry of stabbing attacks. Perfect Defense locks the Fighter in a perfect defense stance, blocking most forms of damage.

The Core of a Fighter's Skills improve their attack combo, improve their Shield blocking to allow for timed blocking benefits, and allow for rolling after a fall, as a quick recovery or to reduce fall damage.

A Fighter's Augments support their combative nature, with sword and shield. Fitness halves the Stamina cost of lifting objects or when grappling. Vigilance is a straight increase of HP by 100. Egression allows for quicker escapes from being grappled. Sinew allows a Fighter to carry 20kg more before being weighed down. Exhiliration increases Strength when health is critically low. Prescience makes perfect blocking easier. Vehemence increases Strength by 10%.

The Swift, the Acrobat, the Strider.

The Strider is an excellent addition to any party. Their quick flurry of slashing attacks with their Dual Daggers and their solid ranged capacity with their Bow means that they can sit at any range and deliver their damage. Versatile, agile, and tricky to fight, a good Strider will use everything at their disposal to turn the tide, from their interesting stuns to their pinpoint accurate shooting. They also gain the most Stamina per level-up, leaving them with the most growth in this department, allowing them more options to act with such a large pool for Skills or more.

Being versatile means that they're not as focused and powerful as other Vocations, and as such do not have as high physical attack or defense compared to the Fighters, or magical for Mages. They are also heavily reliant upon their agility to avoid damage as a result. Their stuns are not all that powerful enough to stun larger foes, as those require some strength to the attacks. Their stat growth per level-up is also middle of the line. Whilst great for generalist builds or a good base to work off on in the early game, it may not be as ideal in the long run.

A Strider's Dual Daggers are both tool and weapon. Scarlet Kisses unleashes a continual flurry of slashes on a single target. Biting Wind weaves through an enemy, slashing them as they pass, and is spammable in a group. Toss and Trigger is a 1-2 combo that strikes an enemy into the air, then detonates a spray of powder as the enemy is aloft. Ensnare throws out short range cords to snare and yank enemies to the ground. Helm Splitter is an aerial vertical spin, Daggers extended. Dazzle Hold is a small stun grenade, essentially. Reset is a very powerful Skill that neutralizes the Strider's stance, perfect for recovering from being struck in the air. Sprint is what it says on the tin, with additional combat options.

The Bow is another of the Strider's weapons, allowing for ranged fire. Threefold Arrow is 3 arrows in 1 attack. Triad Shot spreads those three arrows in a horizontal line. Cloudburst Volley fires arrows into the air to rain down upon an area. Full Bend pulls the bow for a more powerful shot. Splinter Dart is an explosive form of Cloudburst Volley, allowing the Strider to control when it goes off in mid-flight. Whistle Dart is a short duration distraction in arrow form.

Strider Core Skills improve their attack combo, bow fire rate, and add more evasive rolls to their repertoire as well as a double jump, improving their natural agility.

The Strider's agile nature is expanded upon in their Augments. Dexterity speeds up climbing up cliffs or other terrain. Endurance increases Stamina by 100. Damping decreases bow recoil. Eminence increases Jump Attack damage by 30%. Grit halves recovery time when out of Stamina. Arm-Strength halves Stamina loss when clinging onto things or terrain. Leg-Strength reduces the Strider's weight class by one level for the purposes of moving, making them move faster even though weighed down by their inventory.

The Elemental, the Mystical, the Mage.

The Mage, like the Fighter, is a mainstay in any party, mainly for their unique access to healing and curing magic. Combine this with their offensive magic and ability to enchant elemental effects to their party, they are vital to any party in almost every situation. Their high stat growth in Magick stats adds to their capabilities in this department.

They do suffer the unique weakness of being completely useless once they are Silenced, a debilitation that is a death's knell to any magic caster. Combine this with their weak physical defense and you have a rather squishy Vocation. They are meant to stay in the back and support, either by strong offensive magic, or supportive healing, curing, and enchanting magic. Their Stamina, Attack, and Defense growth is some of the lowest among the Vocations (other than the Sorcerer) and is not ideal in the long-term if plans are set for a generalist or a Vocation build that isn't magically based.

A Mage has a wide assortment of magical spells within their reach, via the use of their Stave. The main reason why parties need a Mage is their Anodyne and Halidom, with High versions healing or curing more. Their main offensive set is their fire, ice, and lightning magic, in the form of Ingle (fireball), Frazil (cloak of frost when held, wave of frost when let go), and Levin (lightning from the skies). Their enchantments are of the same elements aforementioned, with Holy and Dark magical types as well. Mages also have access to wider-area attack spells in the three main elements as well, with Comestion (wall of fire that launches enemies into the air), Frigor (large chunk of ice that can be used as a stepping stone), and Brontide (wide-reaching whip of lightning).

They also have access to debilitating magic, like Grapnel, which is a dark-based anchor on a single target. Blearing and Silentium blind and silence enemies caught in it, respectively. Lastly, Mages can cast Spellscreen, which improves the attributes of allies in its range.

A Mage's Core Skills improves their base Magick Bolt, allowing a charged version, as well as create small spheres of magic that surrounds them, damaging any that come close. They also can learn to Levitate, allowing a Mage to slowly float towards the ground, great for crossing chasms.

Augments for a Mage are based around improving their magical defense and giving them a second hand when the chips are down. Equanimity adds 20% Magick when their health is critically low. Intervention reduces damage taken from elemental effects by 15%. Apotropaism increases Magick Defense by 30. Beatitude increase the duration of Curative Magick by 50%, perfect for Anodyne and Halidom fields. Perpetuation is the same for enchantments, by 30%. Attunement increases Magick by 10% and Inflection reduces the damage taken when casting.

Advanced Needs require Advanced Solutions. Advanced Vocations.

Advanced Vocations are what they are on the tin: advanced variations of the Basic Vocations, only far more offense oriented and as such deliver more damage on the field, at cost of their defensive capabilities. This is desirable considering the faster-paced nature of Dragon's Dogma, rewarding quick, decisive combat over long, extended battles.

Each Vocation carries their own unique capabilities, and in certain cases, entirely new ones onto the field that Basic Vocations do not have access to. Warrior's forgo the Sword and Shield for a larger two-handed weapon and use its heft and range to decimate foes. Rangers forego the Bow and instead use the longer-range Longbow, sniping enemies with high damage single-target attacks. Sorcerers use Archstaves that allow them to cast far more devastating spells onto the field.

The Brute, The Vanguard, the Warrior.

Warriors, armed with larger Longswords and Warhammers, use both their hands on their weapon, and are respected for it. More offensively oriented than the Fighter, their larger weapons deliver more punch and reach. With the highest HP growth, strong defense, and wide swings on their normal attacks, they are a staunch juggernaut on the front lines.

They are not without downsides. They no longer have the Shield their Fighter foundation uses, and as such suffer more HP damage overall without the ability to block. Since they also only use their two-handed weapon, their skill choices are limited as well. The weapon's heft also leaves then open for extended periods during their slow swings, and are forward-facing in their attacks, which widen their already vulnerable state. They are also far more offense-oriented in skills, leaving little defensive measures. They are also weaker to magical attacks, and again, due to their focus on such a large, hefty weapon, are slowed down, weaker during a climb attack, and have no ranged offense whatsoever.

They are all about strong, powerful swings with that massive weapon, and nothing else.

Warriors have a multitude of charging attacks at their disposal, starting with Savage Lash. Act of Atonement is similar to this, except it stores damage taken when not defending for the attack, releasing it all in one giant strike. The ultimate form of this charging attack mechanic is Arc of Might, with a max 10-second charge time. They do have some relation to their Fighter foundation with similar skills like Escape Slash (backwards step with wide slash), Upward Strike (stab then vertical slash), and Ladder Blade (offers flat of blade as springboard). For crowds, Spark Slash sweeps in a near-360 circle around them, and they can still call attention to themselves with Battle Cry.

Warrior Core Skills improve their current attacks by extending and adding to the standard combos, as well as improve their fall or knock-back recovery by giving them some an option to roll from a hard landing.

Warrior Augments are some of the strongest in the game on the physical side. Bastion increases Defense by 50. Clout increases Strength by 20%, a mainstay for any Strength-based character. Impact increases knockdown from attacks, whilst Audacity reduces it for the Warrior. Ferocity increases the damage of Core Skills by 10%, and Proficiency reduces the Stamina cost of Physical weapon skills by 25%. Lastly, Temerity halves the damage received when charging an attack.

The Marksman, the Eagle Eye, the Ranger.

Rangers are deadly ranged snipers with their Longbow. An extremely powerful ranged weapon, it allows Rangers to hit harder and reach farther. With the added range this change gives them, Rangers are more free to stay back and apply their effects to a wider area. They also gain special effect arrows that wound, hinder, or incapacitate enemies outright. With their focus on a large multitude of skills, their Stamina growth per levelup is also the highest by nature, allowing them to do more.

They however give up the flexibility of the Bow in taking up the Longbow, and as such suffer in the short-range. They keep their Daggers from their days as a Strider, but that is it. Their melee options are still the same as the Strider, and arguably is a detriment to them as they thus cannot leverage the longer range the Longbow gives them. They also inherit the same low defense rating from the Strider, making them a squishy target when caught unawares. The Longbow is of greater heft than the Shortbow, and as such slows down the Ranger when aiming with it, alongside high Stamina use when skills are involved. One needs to be an smart, agile Strider to survive as a Ranger.

They are powerful snipers, first and foremost, and a Strider second.

As they inherit many of the Strider's Dual Dagger Skills, a Ranger makes for a good Strider when caught in the short range. This however is not the Ranger's true focus, and is more or less just a stopgap to prevent them from being too overspecialized.

The real fun is in a Ranger's Longbow. Many Skills leverage the high damage and range of the Longbow, some with tricks up their sleeve, with some familiar faces returning. Dire Arrow is a charged single-target attack, whilst Heptad Shot is a sweep of 7 arrows to the front. Sixfold Arrow is a rapid fire stack of arrows fired at once. For a more sniper-like shot, Meteor Shot focuses the Ranger to aim far. Very far. And for when the Ranger must absolutely kill something in a single shot, Gamble Draw draws all the Ranger's stamina into a single shot, delivering very high amounts of damage, easily endangering bosses at equally endangering a now exhausted Ranger.

A Ranger is not without some utility at their disposal. Fearful Din is more or less a short-duration flash-bang grenade in arrow form. Whirling Arrow is a drill of an arrow, delivering multiple hits to anything in its flight path, great for when using Poison or Oil arrows to apply their effects. Invasive Arrow is a poisoned arrow that deals little damage, but weakens the Defense of the target, or the target body part when hit.

Ranger Core Skills are similar to the Strider's Core Skills in terms of Dual Daggers and general capabilities. They can get improved combo attacks for the Dual Daggers, improve their jump height with a double jump, evasive rolling, and for the Longbow, improve rate of fire.

Ranger Augments are a mix of utility and bow support designed to support such a flexible long-ranged Vocation. Longevity increases Max HP by 100. Efficacy increases restorative effects for HP and Stamina by 20%. Radiance increases the lantern's illumination radius by 20%. Trajectory improves arrow range by 30%. Precision stabilizes aim when moving. Morbidity increases cumulative damage to enemies debilitated with non-magical effects by 30%, like poison, and Stability prevents environmental winds from blowing the Ranger away.

The Mastro, The Prestige, The Sorcerer.

Sorcerers are the deadliest magic casters in Dragon's Dogma, able to wield the powers of fire, ice, and lightning upon their foes in spells that can span the entire battlefield. Their spells bring harm to their foes, boon to their allies, all the while crippling the enemy with powerful debilitating magicks, that only get better for the Sorcerer with their high Magickal Defense and Magick Attack growth per level-up.

They sadly suffer the same weaknesses of the Mage, only expanded upon. Their spells take longer to cast and such they are vulnerable for longer. They also do not have access to healing and curing magic during their days as a Mage, and are naturally squishy, with no evasive or defensive moves open to them. They are also out of their element once they fight an enemy who is naturally magically resistant to their spells.

Sorcerers inherit the same capabilities and spells during their time as a Mage, sans healing and curing magic. They do have larger, more damaging spells at their disposal, such as Bolide to call down firey meteors, Gicel forms sharp, deadly ice wave-spikes at the enemy, and Fulmination turns the Sorcerer into a walking Plasma Globe.

They also gain some new elemental spells, like Seism rocking and exploding the very ground the enemy stands on, whilst Maelstrom is a pocket tornado cast against the Sorcerer's enemies.

Sorcerers also gain Exequy, a sigil that guarantees the death of those marked once the cast is complete. Necromancy spawns the spirits of the dead as ghostly skulls that surround and protect the Sorcerer, and periodically launch themselves at nearby enemies. Petrifaction is one of the most dangerous debilitations a Sorcerer has at their disposal to cast against their enemies, petrifying foes that soon slow, then become stone.

Sorcerer Core Skills are more or less a carbon copy of their Mage days, except one needs to relearn how to focus with their new archstave.

Sorcerer Augments leverage and expand upon the magical nature of the Sorcerer. Awareness increases Magick Defense by 50, with Acuity increasing Magick by 20%, perfect for any magic-based character. Emphasis puts, well, emphasis on a Sorcerer's spells, increasing knockdown. Articulacy reduces all spell cast times by 15%, whilst Conservation reduces the Stamina consumed when a magick weapon skill is used. Gravitas makes you harder to knock down as you are casting, and Suasion increases the sale value of your items by 15%, which can prove useful for a down-on-their-luck Arisen trying to sell off goods.

A Mix of One and the Other, more than the Whole. Hybrid Vocations.

Hybrid Vocations are the last 3 Vocations open only to the Arisen (player), and are not possible options for any Pawn. These highly flexible mixtures of Vocations combine magical and mundane, and using the foundations of either create a unique play-style mix that truly shines in the hands of an Arisen that "gets" that Hybrid Vocation.

There are three Hybrid Vocations currently in the game Assassin's are a mix of the Fighter and Strider able to use Swords, Shields, Dual Daggers and the Bow, though not all at once, Magick Archers combine the Strider and Mage, inheriting the Dual Daggers of one, able to use the Stave of the other, and inheriting a brand-new weapon type, the Magick Bow. Mystic Knights are a mix of Fighter and Mage, able to use Swords, and Staves, but inherit the use of the Mace and Magick Shield, unique to that Vocation.

Versatility. Deadliness. The Assassin.

Assassins are the most flexible and versatile characters you can have in Dragon's Dogma. Able to bring forth Dual Dagger, Sword, Shield, and Bow skills to the front-lines, they can pick and choose what playing style they prefer and maximize what they want as they choose (after the requisite visit to the Inn to swap). They have skills and abilities that maximize their mastery of such varying weapons, with a high-risk, high-reward play-style with multiple defensive counterattacks and extremely powerful offensive attacks, assisted by a set of toxin, poison, and explosive tools on top of being able to become invisible.

They are high-risk by nature, and with their background, are the most difficult Vocation to pull off if you want to maximize their nature with counterattacks due to their inherently low defense. Their reliance on lighter clothing emphasizes this, as they are maneuver combatants, not high-armor fighters. Many an aspirant Arisen have ended their careers by foolishly trying their hand at this high-risk play-style, only to falter. It certainly does not help that Discipline Point by Discipline Point, they are one of the most expensive to invest into.

As the Assassin's skill-set is broad, covering no less than 4 separate weapon families, they inherit the most from wide Vocation exploration, but at the same time add to their difficulty in understanding and maximizing the Vocation to its maximum. They also gain unique Assassin-only Skills for each of the weapons in turn, adding to the complexity.

For Swords, Assassins gain several new moves to add to their already expansive collection. Intimate Strike is a stab, followed with a "get-over-here" withdrawal, pulling an enemy close to you for a great setup and followup. For larger foes, one can get equally intimate with Gouge, stabbing the whole of the blade into the enemy and twisting the blade, delivering massive damage. Powder Charge places and explosive on the ground, triggered by the Assassin, great for creating an on-the-spot trap. For the flashy, Windmill Slash spins one's sword in front of the Assassin, delivering a large amount of damage in a short period of time, and for the truly skilled, Clarity is a block with the sword turned counterattack when used correctly, and is the skill that allows smart Assassins to forego the Shield and use the Shortbow instead.

The Shield is not without new moves for the Assassin. Thanks to the faster moves of the Assassin, they can charge into battle, shield raised with Moving Castle. With Flight Response, they use the very strikes of their enemies on their shield as a boost into the air, and similar(and opposite) to the Fighter, they can charge themselves up with Staredown, increasing Strength at cost of lowered Defenses for a time.

For the more agile Assassin, Dual Daggers offers them the same agile options from the Strider, only with more counterattack and debilitation options. Back Kick is a quick one-two retreat into a forward kick, great for dodging an attack only to return the favor with a kick to the face. Masterful Assassins can use such short daggers in a counterattack attempt with Easy Kill, countering with a slit throat, or a multi-hit dagger uppercut if the target is a large enemy. For those of a more debilitating bend, Spiderbite halts the target with a strike, leaving them open to a poison needle kiss, and finishing with a knockdown. Assassins can go even faster with Wind Harness, and if discretion is required, Stealth, which acts more like a temporary god-mode rather than full on invisibility.

The Bow remains the Assassin's form of ranged offense, and as such inherit much from the Strider. Puncture Dart lets the Assassin fire an arrow that punches through multiple targets, delivering damage along the way, and is an excellent way to maximize application of debilitations via arrows, like Poison. Keen Sight is an Assassin's choice for sniper-level arrow warfare, and Blunting Arrow allows an Assassin to strike a target with a torpor-inducing toxin, slowing down the target.

Assassin Core Skills run the gamut from Sword, Dagger, Bow and Shield skills that improve attack combos, rate of fire, and inherit the same double-jump capability of the Strider.

Assassin Augments are unique in that they are the only Augments that have benefit at night, and sharply emphasize its high risk, high reward play-style. For example, Entrancement increases Maximum Stamina by 100 at night (9PM-3AM). Sanguinity does the same for HP. Bloodlust increases Strength and Magick by 20%, Defense and Magick Defense by 30% at night as well. Preemption doubles the damage dealt to unaware (not in combat stance) enemies, though this can be buggy at times. Watchfulness halves your own damage when you are not in combat stance, great for mitigating first strike surprise attack damage. Toxicity sharply increases poison catching on enemies when applied, and Autonomy increases Strength and Magick by 20%, Defense and Magick Defense by 30% when adventuring alone, and can stack with Bloodlust.

Focused Magery. Deadly Agility. The Magick Archer.

The Magick Archer is a unique combination of Mage and Strider, and as they use the Dual Daggers for close-in work and able to use Staves as well, their real weapon is their Magick Bow, which allows them to fire focused bolts of magic that can lock onto enemies, relieving the need for pinpoint accuracy from the Magick Archer, allowing them to focus on Magick Bow spells, which do cast faster than normal. They inherit the high agility of Striders, and as their Magick Bow's spells are naturally elemental in nature, a Magick Archer does not require enchantments from a Mage to deal optimum elemental damage. Versatile and blessed with very high Magick Defense growth per level-up, they are resistant to magic attacks as well as agile enough to avoid physical ones.

They however suffer from the same weakness as all other magic Vocations in the game, and that is being Silenced. If they are, they are immediately stunted and unable to cast magic spells on both Magick Bow and Dual Dagger. They also cannot use specialist mundane arrows like Blast, Poison, or Oil arrows. They are also difficult to build for, requiring more Magick than Strength due to their focus on magical damage. The Magick Bow's attacks are slower than a mundane bow, and also cost more Stamina. The auto-seeking shots can be argued is a weakness as well, and as always, for a magic-based Vocation, they are weak against magically resistant foes.

A Magick Archer's Stave skills are of a limited set from the Mage, missing out on enchantments, healing and curing magic, and debilitations, instead on focusing on fire, ice, and lightning spells. They do gain a unique spell for themselves, Perdition, which curses foes who enter its sigil range.

Dual Daggers are where Magick Archers have some new abilities to play with. Inheriting a large majority of Strider skills, they gain some more magic-based ones. Shadowpin causes the Magick Archer to plunge their blades into the ground to create a Dark sigil that holds and traps enemies caught in it. Magick Rebuffer is a holy sigil that improves Magick Defense except against undead, in which case it reduces the undead's Magick Defense (and later attack with the upgraded version). Backfire sets the Magick Archer ablaze in a skin of fire, slowly damaging them as well as harming others within reach. Scension is a holy pulse of magic charged then released with a flick of the daggers, great for dealing with those weak to holy, and Sunburst is an aerial ground slam, magically charged with fire.

(correction to Magick Rebuffer thanks to Biggvs Dickvs)

The real meat and bones of any good Magick Archer, their Magick Bow is both weapon and focus of their abilities. Threefold Bolt is an ice-based charged flurry of ice magic arrows. Seeker Bolt is a Holy flurry of magical arrows, pre-locked on up to 5 foes or targets and attacked all at once. Ricochet Seeker is a lightning magical arrow that ricochets around, increasing in damage with each bounce, highly effective in cramp quarters like a hallway. Funnel Trail is a dark magical arrow that draws in lightweight enemies, leaving them open to other attacks. Explosive Bolt is a fire magical arrow that sticks in a target, awaiting a strike to trigger its explosion. Bracer Arrow is a holy buff that increases the targeted allies' stagger and knockdown resistances. Ward Arrow is similar, but buffs everyone, including the Arisen, and makes them impervious, curing of current debilitations and makes them temporarily immune. If in need of light, Magickal Flare is a holy magic arrow that becomes a very bright flare, perfect for when at night and needing light, and can blind enemies from the sudden brilliance. And for the desperate, insane, or both, Sacrificial Bolt is a dark spell that wholesale sacrifices a random Pawn (i.e. not revivable, must be retried again from the Rift) in your party to feed the ultimate magic arrow, that absolutely destroys all but the toughest bosses.

Magick Archer Core skills improve attack combos for the Dual Daggers, inherit the same evasive options of the Strider, as well as the Stave skills of a Mage. The Magick Bow's base attack can also be improved this way.

Magick Archer Augments, outside of one or two, a bit of a mixed bag in comparison to the excellent Magick Bow Skills. Potential increases your max Stamina by 100. Resilience halves fall damage, so long as it doesn't outright kill you to begin with. Resistance reduces cumulative damage from non-magical debilitations, and Magnitude increases debilitation effects from magical effects. Allure doubles the increase in Affinity gained when give items to non-pawns, and Regeneration regenerates your HP at 1HP per 3 seconds.

The Shielded. The Magical. The Mystic Knight.

Mystic Knights are the resulting combination of Fighter and Mage, able to cast powerful magical spells as well as wear and use heavy armor and weapons. The only Vocation able to enchant the entire party's weapons at once, their magical capabilities extend beyond a Mage as they weave their magicks onto their shield, as an additional surprise on top of an already stalwart defense. They also do not suffer the main weakness of melee Vocations, in that they do have some ranged capability via said magical abilities. And if melee is required, their access to Swords and their Vocation-specific Maces make short work of annoyances, and delivers great punch to those that require more than a slight tapping.

They do however suffer the same primary weakness as all spell-casters: being Silenced. Without their spells, they are a hobbled Fighter. Due to their reliance on heavy armor, they are also slower to react and counter against large numbers, and even with said heavy armor, are surprisingly knockdown prone. They also suffer from lengthy cast times, especially for their Vocation-specific spells. They are also more reliant on Magick than expected, though a modicum of Strength is still required for their normal attacks.

Mystic Knights have access to Sword and Stave skills, and as such inherit some from both Fighter and Mage in this department. Sword skills apply as well to the Vocation-specific Mace, as its considered a Sword for such purposes.

For the Sword or Mace, Sky Dance is an aerial forward attack, driving the Mystic Knight forward in the air, useful as both an attack and a movement skill. Perilous Sigil is a short-cast sigil that blasts enemies back, creating a psuedo-protective field where the Mystic Knight can find some solace in. On the opposite end, Funnel Sigil draws in lightweight foes, making them easy prey for your party. Stone Grove focuses magic into your weapon to be used to strike into the earth, causing the very earth around to explode upwards. And the key spell for many Mystic Knights, Magick Cannon creates a sphere that when struck fires off magic shots that seek foes.

Stave skills for the Mystic Knight are limited similar to Magick Archers, missing out on healing, curing, enchanting, and debilitating magic, instead only giving the offensive magic spells. They do get Sopor, a sigil field that causes enemies to fall asleep within range.

A Mystic Knight's Magic Shield skills are the other half of a Mystic Knight's power. They gain Counter spells, of Fire, Ice, Lightning, Holy and Dark, that explode in that elemental effect when the shield is struck, with perfect blocks conjuring a spell aimed at the enemy in turn. Enchanter skills enchant the weapon of the Mystic Knight as well as their party-mates with the associated element. Holy Wall creates a broad magical shield based around your actual shield, increasing its surface area and thus, coverage. Demonspite converts blocked damage into bolts of Dark magic centered around the shield, ready for release. Holy Aid converts blocked damage into healing. And for a coup de grace, Holy Glare is a long-cast spell that fires holy light all around you, lasting 10 seconds.

As the Mystic Knight is a unique combination between the Fighter and Mage, several Core Skills are inherited from both Vocations, in both Stave and Sword. Magick Shield is the only unique one, reflecting attacks back towards the attack on perfect block, gaining extra effects which synergies with Counter spells and more.

Mystic Knight Augments improve defenses, shield use, as well as party-oriented ones. Fortitude increases Defense by 30. Adamance halves the Stamina cost of blocked attacks on your shield. Periphery improves your footing when you block attacks, increasing resistance to stagger by 50. Sanctuary improves both your Defense and Magickal Defense by 50% if you health has gone critically low. Reinforcement grants 20% Defense and Magickal Defense to Pawns you revive for 1 minute. Retribution is the same, but for Strength and Magick, and Restoration restores more HP to revived Pawns (75%).

Endword and Other Guides

The Vocations one start with represent both the foundation and structure of your combat capabilities in Dragon's Dogma. They will be mainstay options in all stages of the game, and as such will be constant reminders of where you come from. Advanced Vocations are interesting upgrades that whilst do not dethrone the basic Vocations in utility at all points of the game, they offer additional options to both the Arisen and Pawns. And finally Hybrid Vocations are Arisen-only Vocations meant to expand upon flexibility you can gain from Vocation combinations that end up into unique Vocations on their own.

Choose well, and you will go far. May you find what you seek, Arisen.

If you find this writing to be of use to you, please do leave tangible feedback to me as a rating or a comment. Not only does the rating help the guide in general in Steam's search algorithm, it also tells me if the guide is indeed worth your time. Comments also help a lot by telling me what sort of information you need that I may not have covered clearly enough in the guide itself, which helps me help you.

If you wish to know some hints and tips in getting started as a newly Arisen, my first Writing is here:
Tips and Hints to Newly Arisen

If you wish to know more about your Pawn, my Writing on that subject is here:
Your Pawn, Your Shadow, and Your Reflection

If you wish to know more about Debilitations and Archmagickal effects, that Writing is here:
Debilitatiions and Archmagicks

[Chaos Warrior Gaming]

Incredible.

[ORGANISED CHAOS]

A very in-depth and useful guide. This will prove to be quite useful.

[Vic]

In terms of DPS, ranger is more than twice as fast as the competition. Tenfold arrow and blast arrows is the fastest boss killer besides Maker's Finger in the entire game, the second one that came close might surprise you, but is the Mystic Knight using Holy Full Moon Cannon. Even Striders and Assassins have strictly better kill times if using blast arrows than with daggers.

[Vic]

Stat growth does end up mattering in a not superficial way when you play classes that are stamina dependent. Stamina growth can be affected to the extent it can interfere with getting an Exequy off or limiting spells before resetting your stamina. The great gamble is a purely stamina based skill for damage.

Not only that but you can tell whose pawns are pure pawns by the fact all of the mages and sorcerers are just dying too damned fast to do anything at all and get exhausted quickly, leading them to running around and being useless as shit.

[Norinia]

Magick Archer is currently my favorite. The tracking helps with the smaller, peskier, foes, and up to ten spots can be targeted with that Hunter Shot attack, which smashes bigger foes pretty well. (Also I got to play with richocet shot in a cave with ogres. Fun smashing those lushes for once, instead of being trampled.)

The only actual weak spot I've found is against Golems I think they're called? That tracking made it near impossible to get a good shot on the gems, so I went in the old fashion way with my daggers :) but any enemy that has tiny only way to kill weaknesses can be a pain in the *ss when it comes to that I guess.

[iceesar2014]

my favored vocations: mystic knight and a deadly sorcerer (non-healer one)

[Vira Edenfell]

"And the key spell for many Mystic Knights, Magick Cannon creates a sphere that when struck fires off magic shots that seek foes."

This is compounded by the fact that (when I last played at least) you can stack them. You can get about three out (four if you want, but then the first one has a fairly low remaining duration) more or less on top of each other, making one attack equal to three. If you were a mage -> Magick Archer -> Mystic Knight like I was, you deal serious damage with this.

[TheCultCompound]

wait so i wasn't supposed to start on bitteblack isle... lmfao

[duckymouse]

I've really enjoyed reading all your guides - on top of them being incredibly helpful, I love your writing style. I tend to seek them out whenever I have an issue now, thank you so much!

[Raining Tacos]

good job!