Pawns: party setup, hiring and healing
A full party is the Arisen, one main pawn and two hired support pawns. Your main pawn develops with you; hired pawns do not level during their stay and should be replaced as your party outgrows them.
Pawn rules at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many? | One main pawn and up to two support pawns beside the Arisen. |
| Who can be edited? | Your main pawn. Hired pawns retain their owner's build and behavior settings. |
| Available vocations | Fighter, Archer, Mage, Thief, Warrior and Sorcerer. |
| Hiring cost | Higher-level pawns can cost Rift Crystals; inspect the quoted cost before hiring. |
| Can hired Mages heal? | Yes. Anodyne does not require the Chirurgeon specialization. |
How to hire, find and replace pawns
Use a Riftstone to search for support pawns, or speak to wandering pawns in the world. Inspect vocation, level, equipped skills, inclination and specialization rather than choosing by appearance alone. Use a Pawn ID when looking for a specific shared pawn and check the platform when sharing details.
Support pawns do not gain levels alongside you. Dismiss and rehire to obtain an owner's updated pawn, or choose a new support pawn at a suitable level. Dismiss an existing hire when the support slots are full. Do not equip a valuable item on a hire unless you intend to gift that equipment.
The official September 17, 2024 notes cap the hire cost at 3,000 RC when the Arisen is level 51 or above. That is not a promise that every high-level hire costs 3,000 RC; use the actual displayed price.
A practical party and the healing distinction
For a damage-focused Arisen, begin with a healing Mage, a frontline Fighter or Warrior, and a companion that fills the missing ranged or elemental coverage. A support Arisen can instead hire more damage. Inspect a Mage's weapon skills for protection and debilitation removal.
Anodyne is a Mage core ability. Chirurgeon lets a pawn use curative items on allies; it does not unlock healing spells. Inclination influences priorities, specialization supplies an extra autonomous talent, and vocation sets the available combat kit.
Main pawn editing and current commands
Use Art of Metamorphosis at a barberie for supported appearance changes. Do not expect it to replace the main pawn with an unrelated hired pawn or rename them mid-playthrough; the name and moniker can be changed when entering New Game Plus.
The September 2, 2026 update expanded the save slots to three, but each active adventure still has its own main pawn. It added Explore by holding Go and High Five by holding To Me. Help requests recovery and support; Wait keeps the party from rushing ahead.
Check suspicious behavior and glowing eyes before an inn or house rest. Dragonsbaulk Draught is the dedicated Dragonsplague cure added on September 2. Guardian and Orienteer are covered on the specializations page, with their actual update dates and acquisition limits.
Questions
Can I choose a new main pawn by hiring one?
No. Hired pawns occupy support slots. Change your main pawn's allowed appearance, vocation, skills and behavior instead.
Can a secondary Mage pawn heal without Chirurgeon?
Yes. Anodyne is a Mage ability. Chirurgeon concerns autonomous curative-item use on allies.
How do I rename my pawn?
The name and moniker can be changed when entering New Game Plus. Art of Metamorphosis is not a mid-playthrough rename option.