Pawn inclinations: four behaviors and how to change them
Change your main pawn's inclination with Rift Incense at a campsite. Dragon's Dogma 2 has four inclinations: Kindhearted, Calm, Simple and Straightforward. A Rift chair is not the change method in this game.
Official behaviors and suggested uses
| Inclination | Documented priority | Suggested role |
|---|---|---|
| Kindhearted | Stays attentive to allies and prioritizes support. | A support Mage or a companion kept near the Arisen. |
| Calm | Favors survival, defense, evasion and tactical decisions. | A ranged Archer or Sorcerer; a cautious Mage. |
| Simple | Exploration, gathering and examining the surroundings. | An exploration companion; check combat skills separately. |
| Straightforward | Charges into combat and tackles large enemies boldly. | An aggressive Fighter or Warrior. |
Behavior descriptions follow Capcom's manual. Role pairings are editorial recommendations, not hidden AI scores or guaranteed spell priorities.
How to change inclination
- Buy the desired Rift Incense from Neomith at the Vernworth Pawn Guild.
- Choose the named incense for a specific inclination. Ambivalent Rift Incense changes it randomly.
- Take a camping kit to a campsite and set up camp with your main pawn.
- Interact with the pawn and choose Give Rift Incense. It changes inclination and the matching voice.
- You cannot reconfigure a hired support pawn this way. Hire a pawn whose displayed inclination fits instead.
Best inclination for a Mage
Kindhearted is a sensible first choice when the Mage's job is supporting the Arisen and allies. Calm is an alternative when casting safety is the priority. Neither is a universal best: skills, positioning and the rest of the party still matter.
Check for Palladium, Halidom and the intended enchantment before hiring. Anodyne supplies healing as a core Mage ability. Chirurgeon governs curative-item use; it does not decide whether a Mage can cast Anodyne.
Inclination is not specialization or illness
A pawn can have both an inclination and a specialization. Changing one does not grant the other. Simple is an exploratory personality; Forager is the talent that marks enhancement materials. Kindhearted is supportive behavior; Chirurgeon grants autonomous use of curatives on allies.
Do not diagnose Dragonsplague from a blunt remark alone: healthy Straightforward pawns can be outspoken. Look for a combination of glowing eyes, unusual disobedience and headache behavior. Use the dedicated cure or remove a suspected carrier before resting.
Rift Incense is an item-based change at camp, not training through a Rift chair or dialogue alone. The chair advice belongs to older Dragon's Dogma systems and should not be followed as a DD2 unlock route.
Questions
Can I change inclination after character creation?
Yes. Use the desired Rift Incense on your main pawn at a campsite through Give Rift Incense.
Should a healing Mage be Kindhearted or Calm?
Kindhearted is a useful support-first choice; Calm favors personal survival. Check the actual spell loadout rather than expecting inclination to add healing skills.