Dragons Dogma Vocations: The Ultimate Guide to Classes and Gameplay

Understanding the Class System

Unlocking New Vocations

At the heart of Dragons Dogma is the innovative class system, where your choice dictates more than just your appearance; it governs your entire combat style, the weapons you wield, the skills you learn, and the role you play within a party. Selecting and mastering a vocation is crucial for success in the game, as each offers a unique set of abilities and playstyles. The versatility of the class system is a core element of Dragons Dogma, encouraging players to experiment and discover what suits their preferences.

The Companion System

A companion system also becomes important here. You can create a “Main Pawn” to accompany you on your journey. Pawns are customizable companions who are also tied to vocations. You can choose their vocations, equip them with gear, and teach them skills, making them invaluable assets in combat. Your own vocation choice will influence the role your pawn fulfills, providing opportunities for dynamic team compositions and complementary skills.

Skills and Augments

The essence of a successful vocation relies on two critical components: skills and augments. Skills are the active abilities you use in combat, from a Fighter’s mighty swings to a Mage’s devastating spells. Augments, on the other hand, are passive abilities that provide stat buffs and other benefits. For example, an augment might boost your strength, increase your defense, or improve your stamina regeneration. Mastering both skills and augments is crucial for character customization and creating builds.

Vocation Progression

As you fight with a vocation, you will gain experience specific to that class. As you progress and achieve specific milestones you will unlock new skills and augments, further diversifying your character and enabling you to specialize in various ways.

Detailed Overview of Each Class

Beginners’ Vocations

There are three core vocations that players begin with, providing a solid foundation for understanding the diverse combat system.

Fighter

The Fighter vocation is the foundation of the front line. This class excels at close-range combat, specializing in melee weapons like swords and shields, and is designed to withstand enemy attacks.

Playstyle and Strengths

Fighters are the tanks of Dragons Dogma. They are robust, capable of absorbing significant damage, and excel at getting up close with enemies. They are the protectors of their allies, drawing aggro and creating openings for more offensive classes. Fighters are ideal for new players, offering a straightforward and accessible playstyle.

Weapons and Equipment

The Fighter’s main weapon is the sword, from simple blades to greatswords for heavy-hitting attacks. They always utilize a shield.

Key Skills and Augments

Skills typically focus on offensive attacks, defensive stances, and skills to draw aggro. Augments often boost health, stamina, and defense.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Fighter

• Pros: High survivability, simple to learn, strong crowd control, good in solo play.
• Cons: Limited range, relatively slow attack speed, not always the most effective at dealing damage quickly.

Strider

The Strider is an agile and adaptable vocation, focusing on swift movements, dexterity-based attacks, and climbing on large enemies.

Playstyle and Strengths

Striders are nimble and versatile. They can engage in close combat with daggers, and inflict ranged damage with bows. The climbing skill is central to this vocation, and it becomes invaluable for targeting enemy weak points.

Weapons and Equipment

They use daggers for close-quarters combat and bows for ranged attacks.

Key Skills and Augments

Skills are centered on mobility, quick attacks, and climbing techniques. Augments improve stamina, attack speed, and climbing ability.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Strider

• Pros: High mobility, good damage output, can attack from both ranged and melee positions, excellent against large enemies.
• Cons: Lower defense than the Fighter, requires precise positioning, stamina management is critical.

Mage

The Mage vocation is the support and spell-casting class in Dragons Dogma. Mages use a variety of spells to heal allies, support party members, and deal ranged magic damage.

Playstyle and Strengths

The Mage is a support class that specializes in various spells for healing allies and attacking enemies from a distance. Mages are essential to any party, providing essential buffs and debuffs.

Weapons and Equipment

Mages wield staves as their primary weapons, which are essential for casting spells.

Key Skills and Augments

Magic skills are the central aspect of this class. These include spells for healing, buffing allies, and elemental attacks.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Mage

• Pros: Powerful healing and support capabilities, ranged damage, versatile spells.
• Cons: Low defense, susceptible to physical attacks, slow casting times.

Advanced Vocations

Once you reach a certain point, you can unlock more complex and powerful vocations, building on the foundation provided by the beginner classes.

Warrior (Unlocked from Fighter)

The Warrior is the evolved form of the Fighter, specializing in heavy weaponry and devastating blows.

Playstyle and Strengths

Warriors are a melee class that specializes in dealing colossal damage with slow, powerful attacks. They sacrifice speed for devastating strength.

Weapons and Equipment

This class exclusively uses two-handed weapons like greatswords and hammers.

Key Skills and Augments

Skills focus on powerful swings, area-of-effect attacks, and defensive stances. Augments often increase strength, damage output, and resistance.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Warrior

• Pros: Very high damage output, excellent crowd control, strong against single targets.
• Cons: Slow attack speed, vulnerable during attacks, less mobile.

Ranger (Unlocked from Strider)

The Ranger takes the agility of the Strider and combines it with a focus on archery. This vocation specializes in long-range attacks and stamina management.

Playstyle and Strengths

Rangers are the masters of ranged combat, inflicting high damage from a distance and excelling at stamina management. They are highly effective at picking off enemies.

Weapons and Equipment

Rangers use longbows to deliver deadly arrow strikes from a distance.

Key Skills and Augments

Skills emphasize ranged attacks, stamina management, and multiple-shot skills. Augments focus on increasing strength, dexterity, and stamina.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Ranger

• Pros: High damage output, excellent at ranged combat, versatile.
• Cons: Vulnerable in close combat, stamina management is crucial.

Sorcerer (Unlocked from Mage)

The Sorcerer is the evolved form of the Mage, focusing on powerful, long-casting offensive spells.

Playstyle and Strengths

Sorcerers use powerful offensive magic to inflict massive damage.

Weapons and Equipment

They wield staves that are essential for casting spells.

Key Skills and Augments

Skills are centered on massive elemental attacks and debuffs. Augments increase magical power, casting speed, and stamina.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Sorcerer

• Pros: Extremely high damage output, massive area-of-effect spells.
• Cons: Very slow casting times, vulnerable during casting, low defense.

Mystic Knight (Hybrid class – needs to be unlocked)

The Mystic Knight is a unique hybrid class, blending magical abilities with melee combat.

Playstyle and Strengths

This vocation specializes in blending magic and melee attacks. They are a versatile class, capable of both offense and defense.

Weapons and Equipment

They use magick shields and swords.

Key Skills and Augments

The focus is on magical buffs, melee-magic attacks, and defensive abilities. Augments improve magical and physical defense, as well as offensive skills.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Mystic Knight

• Pros: Balanced versatility, strong defense, good offense.
• Cons: Requires careful management of both magical and physical stats, can be difficult to master.

Assassin (Hybrid class – needs to be unlocked)

The Assassin is a class specializing in hybrid combat with a focus on stealth and critical hits.

Playstyle and Strengths

The Assassin is a versatile class with capabilities in both melee and ranged combat, emphasizing stealth tactics. They also excel in dealing critical damage.

Weapons and Equipment

The class can use daggers, swords, and bows.

Key Skills and Augments

Skills revolve around stealth, fast attacks, and ranged attacks. Augments improve physical attack, stamina, and critical hit chances.

Pros and Cons of playing as an Assassin

• Pros: High damage output, multiple combat options, and good mobility.
• Cons: Lower defense, stamina management is crucial, complex to master.

Magick Archer (Hybrid class – needs to be unlocked)

The Magick Archer is another hybrid class that combines ranged attacks with magical support.

Playstyle and Strengths

This vocation specializes in ranged attacks combined with supportive magic.

Weapons and Equipment

They use magick bows.

Key Skills and Augments

The focus is on ranged magical attacks, and support skills. Augments improve magical damage, ranged attack, and stamina management.

Pros and Cons of playing as a Magick Archer

• Pros: High damage output, strong support skills, good versatility.
• Cons: Can be challenging to master, requires good positioning.

Choosing the Right Class: Tips and Strategies

Choosing the right vocation can be challenging, as each class provides its own unique experience. There are several important things to consider.

Consider your playstyle

The most important step is to determine what kind of gameplay you prefer. Do you prefer getting up close with your enemies, or do you prefer attacking them from a distance? Do you prefer support roles or do you like to deal damage? Understanding your preferences is the first step toward finding the right class for you.

Experiment with Different Vocations

Do not be afraid to try out different vocations. Trying each class can help you determine what class you like best. Try to use all the core vocations to learn the basic game mechanics.

Synergies Between Vocations

Consider how each class plays with others. If you prefer playing with pawns, you may want to use a class that works well with others. Experimenting with party composition is important.

Advanced Tips and Strategies

You should experiment with builds and skill combinations. Some skills work better together, so finding the right combination will make your combat more effective.

Conclusion

The *Dragons Dogma Vocations* system is a crucial aspect of the game. Each class offers a unique experience, encouraging players to explore different playstyles and strategies. Whether you prefer the tanking capabilities of the Fighter, the agility of the Strider, the magic of the Mage, or one of the advanced hybrid classes, there is a vocation for everyone.