Relationships and Affinity System Guide

In the twisted depths of the foreboding abyss that is Darkest Dungeon 2, where sanity teeters on the precipice of oblivion, a sinister force stirs. As heroes embark on their treacherous expeditions, they are not only confronted by eldritch horrors but also entangled in a web of intricate relationships.

Beneath the veil of darkness, the Relationships and Affinity System slumbers, a malevolent entity that weaves its insidious influence upon the brave souls who dare to venture forth. Within this cursed realm, the bonds formed between heroes are as fragile as a flickering candle flame, vulnerable to the chilling winds of the unknown.

In this wretched realm, positive relationships hold the promise of salvation. Heroes who forge bonds of camaraderie and trust shall find their skills honed to perfection. The echoes of their shared experiences resonate, granting them powerful buffs that may prove to be the difference between life and a descent into madness.

But beware, for the ancient cosmic forces that lurk in the shadows delight in sowing discord among these valiant warriors. Negative relationships fester like a festering wound, festering and spreading their venomous influence. Such poisonous connections breed distrust, stifling the heroes' abilities, locking away their skills, and casting a pall of despair upon their souls.

Thus, this guide materializes, a beacon of hope amidst the encroaching darkness. It seeks to illuminate the path through the labyrinthine corridors of relationships, offering insight and guidance to those who would dare to tame the eldritch tides. With its forbidden knowledge, you shall navigate the treacherous waters, skirting the jagged rocks of conflict and steering toward the shores of harmony.

Prepare yourself, dear reader, for the abyssal depths you are about to plumb. Embrace the forbidden wisdom that lies within these pages, for it is your shield against the encroaching horrors. As you delve into the murky realm of relationships, remember that the line between triumph and tragedy is as tenuous as the sanity of a shattered mind.

May the ancient gods of wisdom guide your path as you navigate the intricate dance of affinity and strife. May your heroes find solace in the embrace of trust and companionship, and may they emerge from the darkest depths victorious, their souls forever scarred by the eldritch revelations that await.

Understanding Affinity

Affinity levels range from 0 to 20, with higher levels indicating stronger positive relationships and lower levels indicating stronger negative relationships. Starting the game, heroes have a base affinity of 9, which is considered neutral, and the first Inn has a -10% chance of developing positive or negative relationships.

Affinity is the value that determines the nature of each pair of characters’ Relationship within your party. Every pairing will have an Affinity value of 9, or neutral, at the start of each run, and this value may increase or decrease as you progress based on your decisions and encountered events. Character interactions, including dialogue during travels (or "barks"), and their reactions to combat events can affect these values.

Characters' Quirks and current Stress levels can also impact Affinity values. To mitigate negative Affinity results, you should try to keep Stress to a minimum and use the Field Hospital to remove negative Relationship Quirks.

Following each rest at an Inn, a pair of characters may form a Relationship, either positive or negative, based on their Affinity value. The resulting Relationships can significantly alter gameplay by adding Blessings or Curses to the Skills of the Relationship members. Characters in a Relationship can also act independently during combat, either aiding or hindering their partner depending on the nature of their Relationship. Be aware, Cursed Skills cannot be unequipped, meaning they’ll be stuck in your loadout for the rest of the run.

Increasing Affinity

Affinity can be manipulated by your actions during combat and various decisions during travels or at specific locations

• During combat, performing actions like healing allies, buffing them, or attacking enemies together can increase affinity. Pay attention to these opportunities during battles.
  
• Inn items like Playing Cards, Book of Bawdy Tales, Poetry, and Whisky Barrel can affect Affinity. Use these items strategically to improve relationship scores. It’s worth noting that some of these items will only become available as you progress and increase your Profile Rank by spending candles at the Altar of Hope.
  
• Certain nodes in the game present opportunities for heroes to share the same decisions or choices, which increases their affinity. Affinity changes from decisions at these locations are shown in advance, ensuring you’re fully informed on the consequences of the action you’re about to take. Decisions with a golden outline typically lead to positive +1 Affinity change, while those with blue outlines lead to a negative -2 change.

Losing Affinity

Affinity can also be lost, so it's crucial to minimize the chances of negative relationships:

• Negative affinity can be lost randomly during the road. High stress increases how often this occurs.
  
• Negative reactions can occur during combat when heroes perform certain actions that are perceived negatively by others. High stress increases the chances of negative affinity loss.
  
• Upon reaching 10 stress, heroes can have a meltdown that gives them -3 relationship with each hero.

Positive Relationships

Positive relationships provide significant combat advantages. There are three categories of positive relationships:

• Respectful: Provides buffs to blessed skills, such as increased strength and dodge chances. Heroes may follow up on each other's attacks or respond to enemy hits.
  
• Hopeful: Reduces stress and grants buffs to all stats. Heroes may provide stress healing and remove horror effects.
  
• Amorous: Enables healing between partners and grants various buffs. Heroes may take hits for each other or provide substantial healing.

Negative Relationships

Negative relationships can hinder your team's performance. There are four categories of negative relationships:

• Suspicious: Inflicts debuffs like taunt and vulnerability. Heroes may have negative interactions during combat.
  
• Envious: Increases stress and negatively affects relationships. Heroes may exhibit jealousy, causing stress-related issues.
  
• Hateful: Causes damage to the hero during combat. Heroes may target each other, resulting in harm.
  
• Resentful: Imposes debuffs like blindness and weakness. Heroes may have negative interactions and stress-related problems.

Strategies and Tips

• Utilize inn items strategically: Inn items like whiskey can improve relationship scores. However, be aware of potential negative effects, as some items have a chance reduce affinity. Sometimes it is not clear so look for diamonds at the bottom of item descriptions. It may be wise to prioritize spending candles to unlock additional inn items such as the Songbook of Touching Dirges.
  
  
• Prioritize positive relationships: Focus on nurturing positive relationships through careful management and interaction. Choose options that increase relationship scores during road encounters and other events. It may often be wiser to consider relationships over more desirable outcomes.
  
  
• Use abililties that interact with party members: Relationship gains seem to happen randomly when buffing, healing, or moving party members.
  
  
• Explore stress management options: Seek out stress management items like laudanum or utilize abilities that can help reduce stress and upgrade them early. In addition, finding oasis locations during your journey may provide an item that will greatly alleviate stress levels and contribute to maintaining positive relationships. Moreover, there are also specific Skills that can help manage Stress levels and thus Affinity. The Plague Doctor’s skill, Ounce of Prevention, for instance, is exceptionally helpful. It can be cast on the entire party, raising resistances and removing Stress. There are other heroes with similar abilities, such as the Man-at-arms, Hellion, Jester, and Leper.
  
  
• Utilize pet companions: Unlock and utilize the orphan wolf pup companion to provide +10 percent positive relationship chance, and +5 stress resistance per luxury stagecoach upgrade. If you have all four inventory slots unlocked on the stagecoach, and equip four luxury upgrades, you can get a +20 percent stress resist across the board, which will greatly help you avoid meltdowns.
  
  
• Upgrade the stagecoach and utilize starting funds: Invest in stagecoach equipment upgrades such as Tea Service (+6% positive relationship gain) or the Leaf Suspension (+4%). Remember to purchase the alcohol from the first tavern, which can reduce stress and improve relationships right from the beginning of your expedition. In addition, the Windchimes upgrade will reduce stress by 1 to a random ally after each location.
  
  Leverage the Bounty Hunter's neutrality: With the Bounty Hunter in your party, take advantage of their unique ability to neither gain nor lose affinity with anyone. When faced with situations where characters disagree or refuse to fight, the Bounty Hunter often provides an option that ensures that no affinity is lost between your permanent party members, maintaining the delicate balance of relationships. (Tip from Okonkwo Jones)
  
  
• Be prepared for setbacks: Accept that the relationship system introduces an element of randomness and be prepared for setbacks. If negative relationships occur and skills are locked, reassess your strategy, and learn from each run to improve your future attempts.
  
  
• Adapt your strategy: If negative relationships occur and affect your party's skills, adjust your strategy and explore alternative synergies to compensate for the changes.

Conclusion

Now, brave soul, go forth and face the depths with newfound knowledge and courage. May your relationships be your salvation or your undoing. May you find glory or be consumed by the all-encompassing darkness.

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[Badger King]

Oh, and another tip: sometimes moving your characters can increase or decrease the affinity. Commonly it happens when moving manually (the "Move" skill). I don't really know what affects it being positive or negative relationship gain, but it seems stress affects it

[Badger King]

You made a mistake. Cursed skills can't be unequiped untll the next inn, not for the rest of the run. Great guide though

[gilles]

Thanks for the guide.
Hopefully you'll extend it with affinity thresholds (i.e. characters becoming "friendly" when reaching 14+ in affinity, or unfriendly for 8-), and maybe some math (i.e. base chances of +/- relationships according to affinity, and ways to improve/degrade it, like quirks, pets, etc.)

[Okonkwo Jones]

Great guide on the kind of obtuse system!
one tip you might want to add: If you have Bounty Hunter in your party, he neither gains nor loses affinity with anyone. therefore when you're at a node and two characters disagree (or no one wants to fight) BH frequently has an option, and therefore no affinity between your permanent party members is lost!