Dragon’s Dogma 2 Dragonsplague Explained: How to Identify & Cure

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has very quickly built a reputation for being rather obtuse and opaque, and if you’re not careful, you could end up with some devastating in-game consequences. Here’s everything you need to know about Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2.

What Is Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2?

Dragonsplague is an illness that pawns can contract in Dragon’s Dogma 2. It wasn’t present in the first game, and is a new feature in the sequel designed to keep you on your toes, and also to add some flavor to the overall narrative and world.

Essentially, if a pawn contracts Dragonsplague, they’ll stop obeying the Arisen’s orders, though you’ll quickly notice that they show improved capabilities and prowess in combat. However, if you leave it untreated for long enough, pawns will eventually start attacking and killing NPCs. This can be absolutely devastating as they can also kill quest-givers and crucial NPCs, preventing you from pursuing important side quests.

While it is possible to revive NPCs at a morgue or just in the general open-world, you need to do so with a Wakestone, and these are very rare one-use items. So as much as possible, I’d recommend keeping an eye out for infected pawns and curing them as soon as possible.

How to Identify Dragonsplague

Now, onto the good news! It’s very easy to identify if a pawn has Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Here are some signs you need to watch out for:

• Pawns blatantly disobey you when you use the d-pad to give an order, and may shout something like, “Don’t tell me what to do!”
• Other pawns in your party will comment on an infected pawn’s behavior.
• Remove your pawn’s helm to check their eyes. Pawns with Dragonsplague will have glowing red eyes that will pulse every few seconds. Even if your pawn has red eyes, the pulse is obvious and hard to miss.
• Infected pawns will have an idle animation where they put their hands to their head and shake in pain.

If you spot any of these signs in any of your pawns, that’s a surefire signal that they have Dragonsplague. If the infected pawn is one that you hired from another player, you need to dismiss them immediately. Do note that you cannot rehire this pawn immediately as they’ll still be infected. The host needs to cure them before they’re safe for hire again.

How to Cure Dragonsplague for Your Main Pawn

If your own pawn is the one that’s been infected, not to worry. It’s possible to cure it. As far as I can tell, there’s only one way to cure Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2 so far. The best way is to just pick up your pawn with R2, then throw them into the nearest body of water and let them drown.

After that, revive and resummon them from the nearest Rift Stone, and they should be completely cured of Dragonsplague. There may be another way to cure them, but for now, this is the only method I know of.

How Do Pawns Get Dragonsplague?

The main way of contracting in Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is by coming into contact with drakes and dragons and fighting them. Rather early on, you’ll start encountering dragons in the open-world, and you can avoid them if you wish, or fight them head-on.

Do be warned that if you choose to fight a dragon, there’s a chance that one of your pawns could get infected with Dragonsplague. Because of this, I’d recommend checking your pawns for any signs of infection immediately after a draconic encounter.

It’s also possible for your main pawn to contract Dragonsplague if they get hired by another player and fight a dragon in the other host’s world. It’d also be good for you to check them for signs after an inn rest, and if the game informs you that they were out adventuring in another world.

Now that you know what Dragonsplague is and how it works in Dragon’s Dogma 2, hopefully this will help you identify it easily and cure it.