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.

Sources

• Steam store page
• Wikipedia: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
• Fextralife: Classes
• Fextralife: Multiclass combinations
• Fextralife: Companions
• Fextralife: Builds
• Fextralife: DLC