Darkest Dungeon Guide
Seeing as Darkest Dungeon 2 is out, I thought I’d have another play of the old version before I decide if I want to buy the new one. Mostly, the game was hard but awesome. Against that, it has the worst, the most annoying inventory management game of anything I have ever played – and I’ve played computer games since the 8088 XT was cutting-edge tech!
There is no technical or logical reason for it to be as ridiculous as it is, so I think the developers were just arses!
“It’s MEANT to be hard.”
Well, no, not in this way; they are just arses!
You need so many supplies that you have no space to carry loot back.
But you need loot to cover the cost of upgrades.
And if you dump supplies, you run an increased risk of having to flee or getting wiped. So, it’s frankly stupid.
You have very few slots, but instead of, say, 60 torches (1 slot), you need 12+12+12+12+12 (5 slots).
Same cap issue with gems, portraits, everything.
Also, a shovel is destroyed with one use! WTF? Keys (lockpicks) I can understand, but a shovel…
And you discard all supplies after a run (at a loss) and buy them back again at marked-up prices. Again, stupid.
Anyway, this aside, or because of this, stocking up for a run is management hell, hence these tips.
As a general rule, though, taking a few extras is best if you can afford it, especially for torches. You do get better XP and loot for fighting in the dark, but it’s a lot more stressful, and the monsters get the jump on you all the time. (I prefer to play cautiously; after all, you can’t collect if all your party is dead.)
I’ve included links to resources at the end.
Curios: Touch? Loot? Or avoid?
Looting, all areas:
Safe to open: Crate, sack, discarded pack, torch sconce
Heirloom chest: open with key in case of hidden compartments
Unlocked strongbox: just loot (chance of blight)
Eldritch altar: purify with holy water to remove a negative quirk
Shambler’s portal: Use a torch to summon the Shambler boss. Hard fight, good loot, but risky!
Stack of books: I recommend you ignore as only 1 in 5 (22.5%) are positive, the rest are less favourable.
Looting: RUINS
Alchemy table: use herbs to cleanse for gold.
Altar of light: use holy water for buff
Bookshelf: I recommend ignoring. 20% map, 13.3% positive quirk, otherwise…
Confessional: use holy water to reduce stress by 30
Holy fountain: use holy water for extra heals
Iron maiden: use herbs to cleanse before looting
Locked cabinet: use key (or shovel) to open before looting
Locked sarcophagus: use a key (or shovel) before looting
Sarcophagus: Recommend opening, noting a 20% chance of a negative quirk when looting
Suit of armour: loot for buff and positive (ruins) quirk
Looting: WARRENS
Bone altar: gives buffs
Dinner cart: cleanse with herbs for food and loot
Makeshift dining table: cleanse with herbs for food and loot
Moonshine barrel: cleanse with herbs for damage buff
Occult scratching: avoid, walk on by, despite the chance of positive quirk!
Pile of bones: use holy water before looting
Pile of scrolls: burn with a torch to remove a negative quirk
Rack of blades: use bandage to protect hands before looting
Sacrificial stone: 50% chance of stress +50, but 50% chance of positive gains.
Looting: WEALD
Ancient coffin: safe to loot
Beast carcass: Ignore unless hungry. Cleanse first with herb for two food.
Eerie spiderweb: use bandage to protect hands before looting
Left luggage: Trapped! use key (or antivenom) to loot
Mummified remains: Infected! Use bandage to protect hands before looting
Old tree: Poisonous! Use antivenom before looting
Pristine fountain: use holy water for addition stress relief
Shallow grave: Diseased! Use to shovel to loot, or risk disease
Traveller’s tent: Risky: 12.5% chance of stress +25, but worth looting otherwise
Troubling effigy: use holy water to remover a negative quirk
Looting: COVE
Barnacle crusted chest: use shovel to aid looting
Bas-relief: ignore, just keep walking, not worth the risk
Brackish tide pool: use antivenom to purify before drinking, for heals
Eerie coral: use herbs to remove a negative quirk
Fish idol: use holy water to gain a damage buff
Fish carcass: Diseased! Use herbs to purify for safe looting
Giant oyster: use shovel for loot (or dog biscuit for dodge buff)
Ship’s figurehead: safe to touch
Suggested supply requirements
As suggested by common sense and by Psychedelic Adventurer (The Complete Guide to Provisions), you can vary these according to party makeup
(e.g. Some heroes can cure bleeding or blight. Against this, if you are curing instead of killing, you are prolonging the fight and the risks.)
Suggested heroes:
Ruins: Crusader, Vestal, Bounty Hunter, Leper, Hellion, Plague Doctor
Cove: Plague Doctor, Bounty Hunter, Occultist, Abomination, Arbalest
Warrens: Hellion, Hound Master, Plague Doctor, Occultist, Highwayman, Man-at-Arms
Weald: Highwayman, Leper, Abomination, Vestal, Hellion
(Darkest Dungeon: Occultist, Leper, Hellion, Grave Robber, Vestal)
(Darkest Dungeon: [Occultist or Highwayman], [Grave Robber or Houndmaster or Man-at-Arms], and [Crusader or Hellion])
(Crimson Court: Vestal, Jester, [Crusader or Flagellant or Man-at-Arms], and [Leper or Helion or Flagellant])
(Colour of Madness: Vestal, [Jester or Flagellant], Man-at-Arms, Man-at-Arms (second))
| Supplies: | Ruins: | Cove: | Warrens: | Weald: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Torches | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Keys | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Holy water | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Shovels | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Herbs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Bandages | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Antivenom | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Supplies: | Ruins: | Cove: | Warrens: | Weald: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Torches | 12 | 12 | 16 | 12 |
| Keys | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Holy water | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Shovels | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Herbs | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Bandages | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Antivenom | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Supplies: | Ruins: | Cove: | Warrens: | Weald: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Torches | 16 | 16 | 20 | 16 |
| Keys | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Holy water | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Shovels | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Herbs | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| Bandages | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Antivenom | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Links
See also:
Farmstead:
No torches, shovels, or food (unless hearth Curio camping), only 1+ keys
Courtyard:
Plenty of everything, except keys, ‘cos lack of space.
Darkest Dungeon: dungeon wiki
Darkest Dungeon: Quirks
SegmentNext: Best Building Upgrades To Get First In Darkest Dungeon
See especially:
The Complete Guide to Provisions (By Psychedelic Adventurer)
A quick guide to help you choose the right equipment for each dungeon type, and what party members to take.
