What is the best Pawn inclination in Dragon’s Dogma 2?

Pawn inclinations are a characteristic of the Pawn NPC companions that accompany you in Dragon’s Dogma 2. The game only gives you a vague description of each inclination when you’re creating your Pawn, so it’s hard to know which one is best.

There really is no single best Pawn inclination in Dragon’s Dogma 2. The Pawn inclination that’s best for you will depend on your Arisen’s character build, on your personal playing style, and on your Pawn’s vocation. For example, my Arisen is an Archer, so I chose the Straightforward inclination for my first Pawn, a Fighter, so she keeps enemies busy while I attack from range. But any of the Pawn inclinations might be best for you and your Arisen.

All DD2 Pawn inclinations and how they work

Kindhearted

The Kindhearted Pawn inclination is a good fit for a wide variety of Arisen builds and playstyles. This is because the main benefit of a Kindhearted Pawn is that they will prioritize healing you, which means you can focus on the fun and games of combat without worrying about where your next health boost is coming from. It’ll be up to you to dish out all the damage, though.

Calm

Pawns with the Calm inclination are arguably the smartest available in Dragon’s Dogma 2, but they’re intelligent in a fairly self-serving way that might not be what you’re looking for. If your Arisen is a high-damage tank that likes to take on enemy champions toe-to-toe, then a Calm Pawn could be the perfect companion, as they always prioritize finishing off weaker enemies. This can be very useful, but it does mean they’re not well suited if your Arisen needs a bodyguard.

Simple

Choosing the Simple Pawn inclination will result in a companion who’s generally well-balanced, but better suited to exploration than to combat. Simple Pawns like exploring and gathering items, which makes them ideal if you’re confident in combat, but don’t want to spend time searching every nook and cranny of every path. But if you want a Pawn that you can count on in a fight, then the Simple inclination isn’t the best choice.

Straightforward

As I mentioned above, I chose the Straightforward inclination for my first Pawn because I wanted a buddy that would get stuck into a fight, allowing me to hang back and shoot from range. I’d say that the Straightforward inclination is a good choice for your first Pawn unless your Arisen is a Fighter, in which case you’d be better off with one of the more support-oriented inclinations. As you progress and get better able to handle combat without help, the Straightforward inclination will become less useful. But in the early game, it’s definitely a good option.

Your choice of inclination doesn’t just affect your Pawn’s behavior, it also affects how they talk and what they say. Unfortunately, no matter which inclination you choose, your Pawn will be inclined to talk a lot, so here’s how to shut them up.