How to gain and use Mastery points in Darkest Dungeon 2

Every character in Darkest Dungeon 2 has a specific set of skills that make them a nightmare for, uh, the other nightmares in that grim world. Moreover, you’ll be able to upgrade those skills to make them stronger. Here’s our guide to help you gain and use Mastery points in Darkest Dungeon 2.

The sources of Mastery points for your skill upgrades

Generally speaking, you’ll earn Mastery points in Darkest Dungeon 2 through the following means:

• Battles – Marked encounters on the map, and even some random ones, might provide you with Mastery points.
• Hero Shrines – The Hero Shrines that you discover in zones will provide points, as well as a new skill for the chosen character.
• Lairs – Considering that Lairs have tough bosses, such as The Dreaming General in The Tangle, then you can expect this type of reward, too.
• Clears – The Guardian fights at the end of each zone will always grant points.
• Task completions – Before you leave the Inn, make sure you review the special task in each zone before setting out. Some of these might grant you a Mastery point upon completion. Examples include reaching the next Inn while avoiding the Hoarder or only fighting one resistance encounter.

Which skills to prioritize with your Mastery points in Darkest Dungeon 2

The Mastery points you acquire in Darkest Dungeon 2 are a pooled resource for the entire party. As such, you need to prioritize the right skills only at the start of your run due to limitations. For instance, if you only have three points, you can’t just wantonly spend without a care in the world.

Here are our suggestions for the starting characters:

• Plague Doctor – Battlefield Medicine, Ounce of Prevention, and Noxious Blast.
• Grave Robber – Poison Dart, Absinthe, and Flashing Daggers.
• Highwayman – Duelist’s Advance and Pistol Shot.
• Man-at-Arms – Bolster and Hold The Line.

After fully clearing a zone, there’s a good chance that you’ve got half a dozen Mastery points to spend. This is when you can boost the ones that you weren’t able to pick earlier. By the time you fully clear your second zone, you’ll probably upgrade the rest, too.

Lastly, it bears mentioning that Mastery points don’t carry over across multiple runs in Darkest Dungeon 2. As such, even if you managed to level up every character’s skill, they’ll be back to their default states once you clear (or fail) Act 1.