what am i doing wrong?can anyone help?

[icarus the improviser]

i don't understand the game honestly, So i reached the first capital, and now i am getting my ass kicked by everyone but small goblins,harpies, and groups of thieves with more than 5 people, but as soon as i go to explore or do a quest that requires that i go somewhat far from the capital i get my ass kicked so hard that i could do a front flip if i wanted to.

what am i doing wrong?how do i find recipes? why do my companions suck so hard in combat?am i supposed to change them often?because i like having the same companions troughout the same jorney. Do quests have any indication of level restriction? so i don't just go 20 minuts out of my way to get my ass whopped?

what do i need to know to prepare for combat?

[Fredericks of Cursewood]

I would switch pawns about every 5 levels in the game. Some of the escort quest are almost impossible to complete early in the game. Especially the one for Reynard which is basically a suicide mission for someone new to the game.

If you made it to Gran Soren, go back to Cassardis and complete the quest there and explore the area at your leisure.

[zadymek]

1. There's only one capital :)
2. Ever tried to run, y know, from danger. That's how you travel through Gransys at the beginning, running away like a little pu$$y, till you grow up. And when you get stronger bandits become cannon fodder.
3. Level up (and more importantly rank up), get better stuff or enhance the one you've got. This is the mantra of most games with leveling out there.
4. Recipes? Try Combining everything with everything I guess, or visit the wiki ;)
5. The hired comapanions don't level up in your game so you have to replace them once in a while. Also, fresh/low level Pawns tend to know jack s#it. The higher level ones are more experienced. You can check their knowledge rating, along with owner info, sklls and inclinations during "recruitment process" (yes I mean dialogue ;)
6. Quests can't have level indication cause level means next to nothing in this game. And various builds will handle quests differently anyway. Stats, gear, party composition, skills (and SKILL), that's what matters.
7. What do you need to know? Well, try different things and listen to what your Pawn advises: it learns new stuff and you can also hire more experienced Pawns so they'd teach your Pawn, that's what you need to know.

[Striker]

Offhand I'd say you are learning. Noting wrong about that. Learning NOT to go wandering around in search of prey until you have better weapons and armor. Learning that those missions on the boards at the GS and Cassardis Inn, the Pawn Guild and the GS Tavern etc... are not level related. Attempting some of them early on will get you killed. Better gear costs $. Money is readily available. Simply start killing those oxen right outside the gates of GS. Some will drop Beefsteak which, when aged for 2-3 days, you can sell for 2K a pop. There is little chance of you getting killed while doing so.

In many ways your pawn is more important than you are. I give better weapons and armor to my pawn than I use myself (as an Arisen). Why? Because I need my pawn to get rented and the better stuff it has the better chance I have that it will be rented by other players. A percentage of exp gained by slaying foes goes towards Discipline points (DCP). DCPs are what get you access to more skills/augments and even access to other vocations. $ and DCPs are the two forms of currency in this game.

[Grr. [SG CMD] Majah Lazah]

coinwolves travel in packs
learn the tells and weaknesses
if all else fails cheat and hire death pawns

Especially the one for Reynard

First companion quest I did was escorting Berne to the shadow fort at level 10. Good times.

[Guh~hey~hey~♫]

You're supposed to change pawns when you level up so they kinda match your level. You dont need to change every level, but once every 5 levels or so is recommanded.

But now pawns are optional and you can pretty much complete the entire game alone... against the hardest ennemies I usually prefer being solo because pawns most of the time mess up all strategies by hitting randomly, taking agro to run away or other stupid things...

If ennemies outmatch you, they're probably higher level than you or are some sort of bosses (you took the left turn after the encampement and met those fighter bandits ?). If it's just a single ennemy that outmatch you, there's a simple remedy: throwblasts (the complicated remedy is strategy, bestiary knowledge and skills).
If all ennemies you encounter kick your azz, you're in the wrong place, go back to a less dangerous/more appropriate for your level area. Or if you really need to go that way, just run past them....
Another thing you need to know is that at night more dangerous ennemies spawn in wild areas.

[Spelunker]

Here are a few tips:

1) Use the Wiki. It can answer most questions.
https://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon's_Dogma_Wiki
2) If you find something too hard there's no shame in running away. Better yet use your Eternal Ferrystone to teleport you out. (If you haven't found this go to an inn and check your inventory)
3) Think about tactics. Some creatures can be taken out at range, others are weak against Magick or melee. If you're struggling in a combat consider changing vocation or the mix of pawns in your group. If you hire friends pawns you can hire higher lvl pawns at zero cost (you'll earn less XP though). Hiring pawns of a lower lvl than you or running with less than a party of four will earn you more XP
4) All beasts have weaknesses e.g. certain points on their body or to different elemental attacks e.g. fire, ice, etc. The wiki give's tips for defeating each beast if you want more info on this.
5) Listen to your pawns. They often give tips for quests and fighting beasts, especially if they have 3* knowledge. e.g "It's weak to blows to the head master. " or "It hates fire".
6) Think about your Augments, these can make quite a difference. Personally as soon as I reach 10th lvl I try and get some Warror ranks as they have some of the best Augments, especially for melee. Bastion is great for defense at low level. Ferocity, Impact and Clout are must haves for melee IMO.
http://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Augments
7) Here's alist of materials you can combine:
https://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Combining
8) Gear is more important than stat bonuses etc in this game.
9) ALWAYS keep at least one of every material you pick up. This means you can forge copies at the Black Cat if you need more. All have a use and many are needed for upgrading items.
10) There are 7 stages to the main story. Some side quests become unavailable when you move to the next stage so check the wiki first. Helpfully the NPC you speak to at these points will always ask if you wish to proceed. I'd also advise doing a HARD save (go into a rift stone) before starting any quest.
http://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Quests


Hope that's helpful
N.B If you want to keep the same pawns try releasing them every few lvls when you reach a rift stone. Then rehire them. If they are the pawns of active players they may have increased lvl during this time. To make sure you are hiring the pawns of active players put your pawns details on this thread run by Karathrax:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/367500/discussions/1/

[phdearman]

Send me a friend request and you can summon my 90+ freely and that should add a little bit of a crutch if you want it, that'll let you go to where you feel like and enjoy the game a little more but also get into grueling combat if you feel you want to

[icarus the improviser]

Originally posted by phdearman:

Send me a friend request and you can summon my 90+ freely and that should add a little bit of a crutch if you want it, that'll let you go to where you feel like and enjoy the game a little more but also get into grueling combat if you feel you want to

won't that break game progression?

[Guh~hey~hey~♫]

Of course it will... but this game beg to be broken one way or another :3

My favorite is to go rush BBI at level 10 and start the story/augment farming once max level....

[Spelunker]

Another quick tip. If you (or one of your pawns) use a rusty weapon it causes torpor (slows them down) in many beasts making them much easier to kill. Once torpored you can switch back to a more powerful weapon.
http://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Torpor

[I got 1984'd]

I started with free level 40 pawns, one a tank and the other a support mage. Had no trouble up until everfall, and I had to let them go.