Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire: Complete Guide

This guide covers Deadfire for new and returning players: choosing a class or multiclass, attributes, party building with the real companions and sidekicks, how combat, resting and injuries work, ships, factions, the three expansions, and missables and difficulty advice.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC patch (2019 update line, including turn-based mode, added January 2019). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status: a finished game from Obsidian with no further patches. It supports real-time-with-pause (RTwP) and turn-based combat, the latter added in January 2019. The console version came later (January 2020), and the Switch version was cancelled in 2022.

Quick Start

Single class or multiclass, pick one and commit. Single-class characters get the highest-tier abilities (power level 9). Multiclass characters gain power levels every 3 levels and top out at level 7 abilities, but get two toolkits.
Pick RTwP or turn-based at the start. Turn-based changes how attributes are valued. Dexterity (action speed) matters much less there.
Choose companion classes carefully. When a companion joins, you permanently pick their class or multiclass.
Learn the penetration system. Your weapon's penetration against enemy armour decides your damage. Low penetration gets heavy penalties, so switch weapon type against armoured enemies.
Rest to clear injuries. Getting knocked out gives injuries, and stacking too many can kill a character permanently. Rest with food for buffs.
Explore every island. The Deadfire is open. Side quests, bounties and treasure are where most loot and XP come from.
Watch faction standing. The Huana, Royal Deadfire Company, Vailian Trading Company and Príncipi sen Patrena all compete, and your choices close some doors.
Talk to your companions. They have opinions on each other and on you, which drives their relationships, conflicts and personal quests.

Character Creation

Attributes

Attribute	What it does	Who wants it
Might	Damage and healing	Nearly everyone who deals damage or heals
Constitution	Health	Front-liners and melee
Dexterity	Action speed (attack and cast recovery)	Everyone in RTwP, less so in turn-based
Perception	Accuracy, interrupts	Damage dealers and ranged
Intellect	Duration and area of effect	Casters, chanters, support
Resolve	Concentration and Deflection	Tanks, and casters who get hit

Rule of thumb: pick two "need" stats for the role and one or two "nice" ones, and don't drop anything below a reasonable baseline unless you understand the build.

Classes and subclasses

There are 11 classes, each with subclasses:

Class	Subclasses
Barbarian	Berserker, Corpse-Eater, Mage Slayer, Fury Shaper
Chanter	Beckoner, Skald, Troubadour, Bellower
Cipher	Ascendant, Beguiler, Soul Blade, Psion
Druid	Fury, Lifegiver, Shifter, Animist, Ancient
Fighter	Black Jacket, Devoted, Unbroken, Tactician
Monk	Helwalker, Nalpazca, Shattered Pillar, Forbidden Fist
Paladin	Bleak Walkers, Darcozzi Paladini, Goldpact Knights, Kind Wayfarers, Shieldbearers of St. Elcga, Steel Garrote
Priest	Berath, Eothas, Magran, Skaen, Wael, Woedica
Ranger	Sharpshooter, Ghost Heart, Stalker, Arcane Archer
Rogue	Assassin, Streetfighter, Trickster, Debonaire
Wizard	Conjurer, Enchanter, Evoker, Illusionist, Transmuter, Blood Mage

Popular multiclasses

There are 55 combinations, each with its own name. Proven ones:

Multiclass	Classes	Why it works
Sage	Monk + Wizard	Self-buffing melee. Pairs with Swift Flurry. Fextralife's build uses Citzal's Spirit Lance
Inquisitor	Paladin + Cipher	Flames of Devotion plus Soul Annihilation for huge single hits
Holy Slayer	Paladin + Rogue	Sneak Attack damage with paladin durability
Savage	Barbarian + Ranger	Driving Flight bow damage. Your pet tanks. Commonly built around Frostseeker (war bow)
Brute	Barbarian + Fighter	Carnage cleave with fighter sustain
Swashbuckler	Fighter + Rogue	Tough, simple melee DPS
Cleric	Fighter + Priest	Sturdy front line with priest buffs and heals
Mindstalker	Cipher + Rogue	Charms and crits
Psyblade	Fighter + Cipher	Phantom Foes for flanking debuffs
War Caller	Fighter + Chanter	Durable chanter with invocations
Battlemage	Fighter + Wizard	Tanky caster
Spellblade	Rogue + Wizard	Burst from stealth and spells

For a first playthrough, a single-class Chanter, Paladin or Priest is forgiving, and a Swashbuckler or Brute is simple and strong.

Party Building

Companions (full personal quests and relationships)

Companion	Notes
Edér	Returning friend, a natural tank
Aloth	Returning wizard
Pallegina	Returning paladin, a front-line option
Xoti	Priest with a lantern. Strong support
Tekēhu	Huana water-godlike caster
Serafen	Pirate cipher
Maia Rua	Ranger, tied to the Royal Deadfire Company

Some companions have strong faction ties, and certain story choices can make them leave. Read the dialogue cues before big faction decisions.

Sidekicks (no personal quests)

Rekke, Ydwin, Fassina, Konstanten, Mirke (from the free Rum Runner's Pack) and Vatnir. Use them to fill a missing role if you've fallen out with a companion or want a different lineup.

Balanced five-person party

1 tank (Edér or Pallegina in a fighter or paladin build)
1 support/healer (Xoti as priest)
1 controller or caster (Aloth as wizard, or Serafen as cipher)
2 damage dealers (you plus Maia Rua or Tekēhu)

Combat Essentials

Accuracy vs Defence: hits, grazes, misses and crits depend on your Accuracy against the target's Deflection, Fortitude, Reflex or Will.
Penetration vs Armour: match weapon penetration to the enemy's armour. Pierce, slash, crush and damage types matter against different armour.
Afflictions and inspirations: afflictions (for example Weakened or Blinded) lower a stat, and inspirations raise it. Stacking inspirations and cleansing afflictions win fights.
Engagement: melee characters lock enemies in place, and moving out of engagement provokes a disengagement attack. Put your tank in front.
Resources: classes use per-encounter resources (Focus, Phrases, Wounds and so on) or per-rest spell tiers depending on the class. Spend them freely in hard fights.
AI scripts: in RTwP, turn on and customize party AI for trash fights, and micro-manage bosses.

Resting and injuries

Knocked-out characters get injuries. Resting clears them and applies food bonuses. Carry camping supplies and good food. A late-game party runs on rest buffs.

Skills

Deadfire splits skills into:

Active skills: Alchemy, Arcana, Athletics, Explosives, Mechanics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
Passive (conversation and world) skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, History, Insight, Intimidate, Metaphysics, Religion, Streetwise, Survival

Spread them across the party. Mechanics (locks and traps) and Athletics are very useful early. Several conversation checks use the best score in the party.

Ship and Travel

Your ship is your base and your way of getting around the archipelago. You'll manage:

Crew: hire, assign roles and keep them fed and paid.
Upgrades: sails, hull, cannons and cabins improve speed, durability and combat.
Ship combat: a text-based tactical minigame where you close range, fire cannons and board. If ship combat isn't for you, boarding lets you switch to a normal party fight.
Supplies: food, water and repairs. Running out hurts morale and crew.

Factions

Faction	Style
Huana	The native Deadfire people. Traditional and caste-based
Royal Deadfire Company	Aedyran colonial military
Vailian Trading Company	Mercantile and profit-driven
Príncipi sen Patrena	The pirate faction

Each has a questline that ends with a choice of allies for the endgame. Doing quests for more than one faction is possible for a while, but eventually you'll have to pick.

Expansions

Expansion	Summary
Beast of Winter	An icy DLC region with its own storyline
Seeker, Slayer, Survivor	Combat challenge arenas
The Forgotten Sanctum	A wizard-focused storyline with hard, high-level content

Free packs include the Rum Runner's Pack (sidekick Mirke), the Beard and Hair Pack, the Scalawags Pack (crew and upgrades) and The Deck of Many Things.

When to do expansions: they're tuned for mid-to-high levels, so get your party to the late teens before The Forgotten Sanctum, which is the hardest.

Difficulty Advice

Story or Relaxed: narrative focus.
Classic or Veteran: a proper tactical experience.
Path of the Damned: everything maxed, for experienced players.
Extra options include level scaling for enemies and challenges like Trial of Iron (single save). Turn them on only if you want them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing a companion's class casually. It's permanent.
Ignoring penetration. If your hits say "low penetration", change weapon type or add armour-piercing buffs.
Skipping rest buffs. Food bonuses are significant.
Not using AI scripts in RTwP. You'll wear yourself out micromanaging trash fights.
Ignoring companion relationships. Some companions leave over major decisions.
Selling unique items early. Many uniques have upgrade paths later.
Neglecting ship supplies. Crew morale and health drop fast.

Advanced Tips

Stack inspirations: use priest and chanter buffs before big fights and keep the most important ones up.
Weapon swaps: keep a crushing weapon and a piercing weapon ready for different armour types.
Unique weapon enchantments: many uniques unlock bonus properties through upgrades. Plan to build around one early.
Turn-based tuning: initiative and turn order change which attributes matter. Rethink Dexterity and Resolve-based builds for turn-based.
Berath's Blessings: when starting a new game, blessings from past playthroughs can speed up replays.

FAQ

What's the max level? Level 20.

Should I play the first Pillars of Eternity first? It helps with the story, but Deadfire recaps and lets you set your choices from the first game.

Is turn-based better than real-time? It depends on taste. Turn-based is slower but more tactical. Both are fully supported.

Which companions are romanceable? Xoti, Tekēhu and Maia Rua can become romances, and some combinations conflict with each other. Check dialogue as you go.

Are the DLCs worth it? Yes, especially The Forgotten Sanctum and Beast of Winter.

Can companions die permanently? Yes. Too many injuries can kill a character outright. Rest often to clear them.