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Dungeonborne brings extraction-style gameplay to the fantasy genre, creating an interesting blend of genres. Similar in scope to Dark and Darker, players explore creepy dungeons with the goal of slaying monsters and other players, and of course, securing powerful loot for themselves. It’s certainly a challenging genre, and you have to be careful around every corner. If you aren’t used to this style of game, here are some tips to get you started.
Now that Dungeonborne is in early access, players worldwide have been getting into the fun, and so people of all skill levels are diving in. The tips below are designed to help you get your feet wet, so you can have a leg up on other beginners in this style of dungeon crawler.
Tips for starting Dungeonborne
1) Ignore the meta - play what you want
There will always be arguments about what the best equipment, classes, and enchantments in Dungeonborne are. Many of these critiques are valid, but it’s more important to decide what works best for you. Instead of focusing on the most meta classes, try a few and see what works for you. Consider their attack combo, how sturdy they are in battle, and if they fulfill the requirement of what’s enjoyable for you.
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I started as a Death Knight, for example, because I like the grim darkness of being a skeletal warrior with cool Soul abilities. But there’s really no wrong way to play this game. As long as you’re enjoying the adventure, that’s what’s important.
2) Keep an eye on your passives, and build around them
When you’ve picked a character in Dungeonborne, you’ll be able to highlight their stats in the Stash menu. Every stat has something it’s linked to when it comes to your character. When you reach certain stat thresholds, you’ll gain access to powerful Passive abilities. In the case of the Death Knight, the Strength stat offers Grim Harvest at STR 54.
It makes Grasp of the Grave generate 20 Soul Energy if it hits an enemy target. After you decide what to play, it’s important to know what stats you’ll need to prioritize. That way, when you’re unlocking equipment or looting, you know what’s most important to you.
3) Unlock Heirlooms as soon as possible
Few things in Dungeonborne are more important and crucial to your success than Heirlooms. They’re easy to craft, and you can find them on the Heirloom tab in the camp menu. The way it works is relatively simple. Dismantle equipment as you’re playing through the game—White rarity and above. The smith will give you a currency that corresponds with that particular rarity.
You can then use that to craft Weapon and Armor heirloom pieces. These are account-wide unlocks, so even if I craft a few swords for my Death Knight, I can take those over to other melee classes and use them there, if I wish. You unlock and then craft them to gain access.
4) Take the time to loot everything but prioritize rarity
In the early hours of Dungeonborne, loot everything you can get your hands on. You need it for money and dismantling for your heirlooms. But as the hours go on, you’re going to want to be at least a little picky on what you focus on. When you slay an enemy, you’ll see a glow that shows you can loot them.
This loot aura will be White (Common), Green (Magical), Blue (Rare), or Purple (Epic), similar to what you might see for gear in World of Warcraft. The color will be based on the highest rarity gear that corpse has. While it’s important to bask in the power of being a Loot Goblin, pick the good stuff first when you can.
5) You don't have to fight everyone
Sure, it’s fun to dive into combat at any given opportunity, but that’s not always the wise move. One of the most important things to learn in this kind of game is when it’s safe to get into a fight. You might be outnumbered, or the other player might be in a better position.
This goes for monsters, too. It’s easy to jump on an enemy in Dungeonborne, and thanks to the dimly lit rooms, you don’t see the two or three other monsters waiting in the wings. Sometimes, you have to be careful and consider what’s around you before committing to a fight. Discretion is the better part of valor sometimes, and if you want to leave with your loot intact, don’t die.
This is just part of what will make you successful in Dungeonborne. It’s a challenging, complex dungeon crawler extraction MMO, with so much to learn. Whether it’s mastering combos, learning what each class does, or learning where to strike enemies, it all takes time.
