Hero Paths in Darkest Dungeon II: Stats and Tips

A front rank fighter who cleanses and slays with holy fire.

Smite

• Execution 1 or 2 if target is Burning instead of dealing +50% damage if target has Combo
• -1 or -2 Stress on Killing Blow

Reap

• Execution 1 when target is Burning
• +1 Strength on Killing Blow instead of healing Self for +15% HP if target has Combo

Tenacity

• Self: Melee Skills heal for 15%-20% if target is Burning (4 turns) instead of adding 2 Shields to ally and 0-1 Shield to Self

Aggressor is all about killing enemies who are on fire.

A self-sufficient defender who protects allies while regenerating injuries.

Smite

• -1 or -2 Stress if enemy has Combo instead of dealing +50% damage if target has Combo
  

Rallying Cry

• On Ally: 2-3 Guarded instead of removing Debuffs
• On Ally: +30% Healing Received, transfer or copy Regen if target has less than 33% HP
  

Tenacity

• Self: +30%-50% Healing received (3 rounds)
• Self: 3 Shields instead of adding 2 Shields to ally and 1 Shield to Self
• Self: +20% Debuff resistance instead of +10% Debuff resistance to Ally and Self

Templar is more of a tanky role. He generates more block, heals more HP and can guard allies.

An armored supporter with improved reach, capable of healing and wide-range buffs.

Zealous Accusation

• Targets enemies at 2 back ranks instead of 2 front ranks
• Can use the ability from 2 back ranks instead of 2 front ranks

Battle heal

• 4 uses instead of 3
• Heals ally for 30% HP instead of Healing ally for 25% and self for 10%
• Can heal ally at any rank instead of only two at the front

Rallying Cry

• Immobilizes entire party instead of removing debuffs from a single ally

Tenacity

• Party: 1 Shield instead of adding 2 Shields to ally and 0-1 Shield to Self
• Party: remove Daze of Stun debuffs

Banneret has improved support abilities and can work better from back positions.

A back row taskmaster capable of driving allies forward, whatever the cost.

Stance passives provide recovery on killing blows.

3 Regen on Killing Blow in Offensive stance

-1 Stress on Killing Blow in Defensive stance

Skilled at disrupting the enemy, creating openings for allies to exploit.

Stance passives overpower or undermine Debuff Resist.

+20% Debuff Chance in Offensive stance

Applies -5% Debuff Resistance (3 turns) to enemy with Sword skills in Defensive stance

A rank-flexible, extremely high-risk role with high damage potential.

Stance passives increase power and risk alike, stacking up to 5 times. Effects are lost when damaged.

+5% Critical Chance in Offensive stance when enemy misses (up to +25%)

-10% Burn, Blight, Bleed resistance in Offensive stance when enemy misses (up to -50%)

+20% Damage dealt in Defensive stance when enemy misses (up to +100%)

+40% Damage received in Defensive stance when enemy misses (up to +200%)

• +25% Max HP
• Melee Skills: +50% Damage
• Healing Skills: +33% Healing Given
• -33% Blight Chance
  

Surgeon is great at positions 2-3. Her only melee skill now will one-shot weakest enemies or leave them to bleed. With 33% healing buff, she is the most reliable healer in the game.

Alchemist is almost guaranteed to poison enemies, including ones that are hard-to-reach. Her biggest drawback is low HP, so rank 4 is the best position for her. Having some tank in the party to taunt enemies will also negate that problem.

• Bleed: -2 Damage
• Blight: -2 Damage
• Disorienting Blast: +20% Stun Chance, +1 Vulnerable
• Ounce of Prevention: +15% Stress Resistance
• Emboldening Vapours: +1 Strength
  

Physician is a path with enhanced buffing and controlling skills.

Improves DMG and CRIT of ranged skills at the expense of melee.

• Melee Skills: -25% Damage
• Ranged Skills: +25% Damage, +5% Crit Chance
• -33% Move Resistance
  

Deadeye is a reliable range damage dealer. Her chances to Critical hit a Combo mark are almost guaranteed (90%). The downsides are easy to deal with - you just don't use melee skills and when pulled to position 1, use Pirouette, which is a ranged skill.

Rank-flexible role that sacrifices ranged DMG for Blight and mobility.

• Ranged Skills: -25% Damage
• -3 Speed
• +2 Blight Damage when Self Stealth
• Flashing Daggers: +2 Blight (+4 if Upgraded)
• Movement Skills: +30% Blight Chance on the Next Turn
  

Venomdrop path of Grave Robber implies a player to combine her Moving and Poisoning skills. You'll have to try hard to get most of her path benefits.

Stealth-oriented role with potent movement skills.

• -20% Max HP
• If Stealth: +50% Damage
• Lunge and Pirouette: +25% Damage
  

Nightsworn is a huge damage dealing path. To get most of her, "Dancing" party is recommended to use (to use Lunge more often). But even without it, you can switch from position 4 to 2 and back again without disrupting most of the team.

• If Rank 1: +25% Damage
• If Rank 3: -25% Damage
• If Rank 4: -50% Damage
• Point Blank Shot: Adds Riposte on Self
  

Rogue is a little trickier path, because the most beneficial Point Blank Shot skill moves him to rank 2. Having Jester to move him back would be great, otherwise consider to use Duelist's Advance on the next turn.

• Ranged Skills: +25% Damage
• Melee Skills: -25% Damage
• +3 Speed
• Grapeshot Blast: Adds Strength on Self
  

Sharpshot Highwayman is flexible and easy-to-use range damage dealer. He is great at positions 2-3-4, but even starting from position 1 isn't a bad choice because of Point Blank Shot damage.

• +15% Max HP
• Apply on Hit: -10% Bleed Resistance (3 turns)
• Ranged Skills: -75% Damage
• Highway Robbery: Steal Positive Token
• Double Cross: Remove Shield
  

Yellowhand shines at controlling and bleeding enemies.

• -20% Damage
• +100% Move Resistance
• Bolster: Remove Vulnerable, Weakness from Self
• 20% chance to give +50% Blight, Bleed, Burn Resistance for 3 turns to each ally
  

Sergeant is Man-at-Arms' even more supportive path. In most battles, his buffs are redundant, but he excels in specific fights (such as the Leviathan boss fight). Even with decreased damage, his Retribution skill remains valuable for taunting enemies and removing positive tokens.

• Riposte and Crush: -25% Damage
• Shield Attack Skills: +50% Damage, +10% Stun Chance
• Stand Fast: Adds x2 Taunt on Self
  

Bulwark is great at handling shields - both for damage and defense.

• +20% Max HP
• Riposte: +25% Damage
• Crush: +50% Damage
• -20% Bight Resistance
• -20% Bleed Resistance
• -20% Burn Resistance
  

Vanguard is undisputed leader among the Darkest Dungeon 2 heroes. His parrying Retribution is a reasonable choice against almost all foes, including final bosses. This path was nerfed several times in early access, but still is very powerful.

• +20% Max HP
• If Rank 1: +25% Damage
• -33% Bleed Chance
• Turn Start: Bleed 3 (25%) (can be resisted)
  

In early access, meeting Ravager on the Crossroad was a sign of a victorious quest. Now, you can unlock this path to always have the highest first-turn damage dealer in your team. Rank 4 reach with Iron Swan makes her great for Act 2 boss fight, Guardian fights and many other encounters.

• -20% Max HP
• +10% Deathblow Resistance
• +33% Bleed Chance
• Bleed-causing Skills: +10% Crit Chance
  

While Berserker excels at bleeding foes, raw damage skills aren't forbidden with the path. She is flexible and can do the variety of actions depending on priority. For the frontal ranks, her health pool is relatively low - some support for her is recommended.

• Gains When Crit Hit: -1 Stress (50%) or -2 Stress (25%)
• Barbaric YAWP: Adds 2Taunt on Self
• Wicked Hack: Removes Shield
• Turn Start: Adds Winded on Self
• Turn End: Adds Shield (75%) per Winded
  

Hellion Carcass is meant for taunting enemies and tanking the incoming damage. It seems that she likes pain like Flagellant, but lack of the damage against bosses may be a cause of failure.

• +33% Burn Chance
• Burn-causing skills: +10% Crit Chance
• -25% Damage
• Turn Start: Burn 3 (25%) (can be resisted)
  

Arsonist is consistent at setting enemies on fire. For the quest in the Sprawl, it's recommended to replace her with Bounty Hunter.

• Healing Skills: +50% Healing Given
• +50% Healing-Over-Time Given
• Combat Start: x2 Dodge, Speed
• -20% Burn Сhance
  

Survivor path encourages a player to use non-fire Runaway skills. Her survivability is much higher when the team has friendly bleed-causing skills.

• -20% Max HP
• If Rank 1: -2 Burn Dealt
• If Rank 2: -1 Burn Dealt
• If Rank 3: +1 Burn Dealt
• If Rank 4: +2 Burn Dealt
• If Rank 1: +40% Damage
• If Rank 2: +20% Damage
• If Rank 3: -20% Damage
• If Rank 4: -40% Damage
• Firestarter: Adds Crit on self
  

Orphan path may outshine Arsonist by the damage she makes, but her output is less consistent.

• +20% Max HP
• +3 Speed
• -20% Bight Resistance
• -20% Bleed Resistance
• -20% Burn Resistance
• To All Allies on Turn Start: +15% Stress Resistance (2 turns)
  

Virtuoso is good at what you expect Jester to be. His high speed allows him to outrun most of the enemies, and higher Health makes him more durable to incoming damage.

• -20% Max HP
• +20% Damage
• +33% Bleed Chance
• Bleed-causing Skills: +10% Crit Chance
• -3 Speed
  

Soloist is an offensive path in which the Jester does a better job at dealing damage instead of cheering up the others. His Solo and Finale skills are the best way to quickly dispatch enemies. The low health drawback is negated by farming Dodge tokens.

• Song skills: +2 Bleed
• Inspiring Tune: +20 Horror Resistance (3 turns)
• Echoing March: +2 Bleed when Moving (3 turns)
• Battle Ballad and Play Out: Adds Crit (10%) or Dodge+ (20%) or Strength (35%) or Shield (35%)
  

Intermezzo is the path that improves several supportive skills. Ally bleed drawback could be negated by increased bleed resistance or having Runaway in a party.

• Chop: +33% Damage
• +33% Debuff Resistance
• +100% Disease Resistance
• -25% Max HP
• -3 Speed
  

Templest replicates the role Leper played in Darkest Dungeon 1 - dealing huge damage and using only one skill to do that. Debuff resistance is especially useful because it prevents blindness.

• Self-Healing Skills: +50% Healing Given
• +50% Stun Resistance
• +50% Move Resistance
• -25% Damage
  

Poet is an impenetrable wall to absorb all the damage because of Solemnity restoring full health. The worst scenario that could happen to Leper is to end up at position 4, but with Poet, that's usually not the case.

• -30% Max HP
• Chop: -75% Damage
• Purge and Intimidate: Adds Vulnurable
• Against Cosmic: +50% Max HP, +2 Speed, +100% Chop Damage
  

Monarch is a path that encourages a player to use skills other than Chop. His Purge and Intimidate skills got buffs, but for dealing damage, you can still use Hew or Break Shield. Monarch Leper is most impressive in Guardian fight and against final bosses.

• Healing Skills: +33% Healing Given
• Cursing Skills: +10% Debuff Chance
• Cursing Skills: Adds Strength (15%), Crit (15%), Dodge+ (15%) on Self
• Turn start: Vulnerable (33%)
  

Ritualist works better at cursing foes and healing allies.

• -20% Max HP
• Ranged Skills: +25% Damage
• Turn Start: Unchecked Power (33%)
  

With ranged damage buff, Abyssal Artillery and Shining Starts are high-priority skills for Warlock.

• +25% Max HP
• Melee Skills: +25% Damage
• Anamnesis: +125% Damage
• Cursing Skills: -15% Debuff Chance
• -15% Debuff Resistance
• Combat Start: Adds Shield+ on Self
  

Aspirant at the front is a decent close-combat fighter.

Rank-flexible role that specializes in debuffs and token removal.

• +1 Conviction on the Turn Start
• Conviction increases Debuff chance

Hand of Light:

• 1-2 damage instead of 2-4
• Weakness on 2 enemies instead of Shield on Self and Strength on Ally
• Targets 2 enemies instead of 1

Illumination:

• Removes 2-3 Positive tokens instead of Dodge

Judgement:

• If 2 Conviction: 1-2 Weakness instead of +100% Damage
• If 3 Conviction: 1-2 Vulnerable instead of 3-4 Burn

Mantra:

• If 3 Conviction: Removes all Negative tokens instead of triggering Consecration effect

Confessor Vestal weakens the enemy team instead of dealing high direct damage.

Rank-flexible role focused on party defense.

• +1 Conviction when enemy hits her
• Conviction increases Stun and Move resistance

Hand of Light:

• 1-2 Damage instead of 2-4 Damage
• Shield on Adjacent Ally instead of Strength

Mantra:

• If 2 Conviction: Heals 15% of Ally HP instead of 20%, Heals 25% of Self HP instead of 0
• If 3 Conviction: Restores Stress instead of triggering Consecration effect

Sanctuary:

• On Self: 1 Shield 1 Shield+ instead of 2 Shield
• On Ally: 3 Guarded instead of 3 Guarded

The Vestal on the path of the Chaplain takes on the role of Defender for their allies.

Back rank support role that specializes in Consecrations.

• +1 Conviction when Consecration effect triggers
• Consecration of Fortitude and Consecration of Light last 5 rounds and have 5 round cooldowns

Mantra:

• Restores 30%-50% HP instead of 20%
• Removes all Consecration tokens instead of triggering Consecration effect

Seraphim Vestal strengthens and fortifies friendly positions with longer Consecration and heals allies better than other of her paths.

Sacrifices Blight potency in favor of flexible positioning, debuffs, and disruption.

Punish:

• Knockbacks 1-2 ranks, less Damage dealt by Blight
• Upgraded Punish adds Combo

Acid Rain:

• Weakens enemies instead of Blighting
• Upgraded Acid Rain adds Combo (33%)

Lash's Gift:

• Heals 20%-30% HP instead of 25%-35%
• Steals all Negarive marks instead of adding Positive ones and removing Stun and Daze
• Upgraded Lash's Gift steals Combo
  

Sepsis:

• Transfers all Negarive marks instead of Blighting
• Upgraded Sepsis transfers Combo
  

Low health grants great potency to Blight and buff alike.

Punish:

• +1 Blight if HP is less than 50%
• -1 Blight if HP is more than 50%

Acid rain:

• +2 Blight if HP is less than 50%

Lash's Gift:

• Uses on Self instead of Ally
• Heals 10% HP instead of 25%-35%
• Removes Combo and all Negative marks instead of adding Positive marks on Ally
• Adds Strength, Crit, Dodge+

Sepsis:

• Heals to 45% HP instead of 35%-50%
• Deals 75%-100% of remaining Blights as Damage
• Removes Blight

A role that revels in divesting others of their burdens. Toxic state gains new effects.

Deathless:

• Self Heals 35%-50% HP instead of losing 20%
• 2 round cooldown instead of 1
• 3 uses per combat instead of limitless

Suffer:

• Steals Horror

Lash's Gift:

• Removes all DOT effects instead of healing 25%-35% HP
• Increases DOT resistance by 20%
• Adds Horror

Sepsis:

• Doesn't heal
• Deals 50%-100% of remaining Blight as Damage
• Doesn't remove Blight if enemy has Combo