PSA: Camp outside to keep the Dragonsplague away in Dragon’s Dogma 2

If you’ve played Dragon’s Dogma 2 for a while or browsed social media, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the dreaded Dragonsplague. This deadly illness affects Pawns, and the consequences can be fatal. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid it entirely, and here’s how to do it.

What is Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2?

Just so we’re all on the same page, let me explain what Dragonsplague is and why it’s a big deal. Dragonsplague can only be contracted by Pawns. If left alone, these infected Pawns can transform when you sleep at an Inn and lay waste to entire villages. Nobody is safe, not even quest-givers. There are some unconventional methods of “curing” Dragonsplague, but a few clever ways exist to avoid it entirely.

Dragonsplague can infect Pawns who’ve battled a Drake. Once caught, the infection can spread to other Pawns, even hired ones.

How to Avoid Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2

As this deadly transformation happens when you rest at Inn’s, you can bypass it by sleeping rough instead. 

You can rest at campfires outside without paying the extortionate room fees. You can also cook food on the campfire for various buffs. Your Pawns may moan about your lifestyle choice, but it’s a small price to pay.

Another way to avoid Dragonsplague is to keep your original Pawns, as every time you hire new help, there’s a chance they are infected. You can tell if a Pawn has Dragonsplague by its red eyes, but this is cheekily omitted during the hiring process or in the rift. 

I’m a fan of my original lineup and didn’t even know Dragonsplague was a thing for multiple hours. If you rarely rest at Inns and have a team you like, you may not even encounter the illness until you hit the endgame.

Is there a downside to avoiding Inns in Dragon’s Dogma 2?

Inns are worth visiting for their Storage service, which you can safely use without contracting Dragonsplague. Inns are a license to print money in Dragon’s Dogma 2 as they charge 2000 Gold for a room. That said, you need to sleep in an Inn or house to receive rewards from your Pawn completing quests, so there are pros and cons.

I’ve been fine without rewards from Pawns, but there’s no “wrong” way to play Dragon’s Dogma 2. One of the best things about the title is how open-ended it is, so if you want to devour the world with Dragonsplague, go for it!

If Dragonsplague has ravaged your precious save file, fear not; there are ways to fix it, even if they are time-consuming.