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Getting to Gran Soren at level 10. Changing your vocation and minmaxing.

By Senpire

The maximum level in Dragon's Dogma is level 200 (∞).

A lot of people want to get the perfect built, but this requires some forethought. Namely, being able to change your vocation straight after you reach level 10.

With this guide, using simple steps, I'll help you reach this goal!

This guide is tested by myself and also confirmed to work by fellow arisens.

Award

Created by

Senpire
Offline

Category: Gameplay Basics, Maps or Levels, Walkthroughs

Languages: English

Posted

15 Jan, 2016 @ 10:23am

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Guide Index

Overview

Introduction

Normal Mode

Hard Mode

Comments

Introduction

Now, you might wonder "Why is this a beal deal?" or "Why would I want to reach Gran Soren at level 10? Here's a short answer: When ever you level up, you gain stats based on what your current vocation is.

This guide contains spoilers from the beginning of the game. Including certain events used as base lines, as well as mentioning the name of certain quests.

A lot of people that create characters want to min-max them to the best. Doing this requires being able to swap your vocation as fast as possible, to be able to level up using a different vication.
Some people even want to do a 100% save and therefore not miss out on any of the starting quests. Here's a way you can do both!

Normal Mode

Reaching Gran Soren at level 10 on Normal Mode without missing any quests:

Start the game.
Pick up every quest from the notice board. Don't complete any of them yet.
Run straight to the Encampment with rook, but save the man from the goblins by killing them and gain the cape.
Speak to the stone and then go kill the ogre.
Hire and create your own pawn. Hire as high leveled pawns as possible. Make sure to keep Rook for now. Complete the Strength in Numbers quest in the encampment.
Pick up the board notice quest outside of the training grounds.
Return to Cassardis and avoid combat while doing so. Pick up any remaining side-quest you can find.
Complete Lost Faith (which you can start by speaking to the priest at the Clergy/Temple), Grim Tidings (which you can start by speaking to Elvar, which is usually found walking around outside or inside the Clergy/Temple) and Floral Delivery (which you can start by speaking to Benita, in the run-down building next to the tavern).
Talk to Madeleine and complete her escort quest by guiding her to The Encampment. Once again, make sure you do not kill any enemies along the way.
Make sure you have enough money to pay Madeleine, she wants 1000 Gp
Once you're back in the encampment talk to Mercedes and kill the hydra.
Don't spam through her dialogue now. She'll ask you to come with her. Say no. Instead, head back towards Cassardis to initiate "Lost and Found" by first speaking to Elvar, then reach Cassardis and speak with Chief Adoro. He's usually next to the well or around the tavern.
Go back to the encampment and accept Mercede's request to carry on. Rest.
Before you head out, go to the rift stone and disgard all your pawns except your own. This will make it easier to avoid combat.
Run all the way to the waycastle, avoid combat to the best of your abilities. Just run from enemies you encounter. Stick to the right until you can see the ocean and an apple tree, then head straight up the hill and you should be there.
Before you talk to Mercedes, go to the nearby riftstone and recruit as high leveled pawns as possible.
Talk to Mercedes and proceed towards Gran Soren. Kill the enemies blocking your way (you have no other choice).
After you have reached Gran Soren you should be level 10.
Change your vocation at the inn.
You can now head back to Cassardis to complete the side-quests that you didn't complete. Do this before you head towards the Pawn Guild.

Hard Mode

I should first mention that it isn't possible to reach Gran Soren without reaching level 11, unless you have the ability to hire pawns of level 175 or higher. If you do, then follow the steps above.
But if you still want to min-max, there's a way to reach level 10 and change your vocation before you go to Gran Soren! Here's how:

Start from step 7 from the above, though disregard the mentions of not killing any enemies. Kill the ones you need, but try not to overdo it. Farming can come later.
Complete every side-quest except "Deep Trouble."
Escort Madeleine to the Encampment, give her the money and then proceed to talk to Mercedes. Then rest.
Kill the Hydra, then speak to Mercedes.
Don't spam through her dialogue now. She'll ask you to come with her. Say no. Instead, head back towards Cassardis and start the "Lost and Found" by first speaking to Elvar, then reach Cassardis and speak with Chief Adoro. Don't complete "Lost and Found".
After picking up the quest, select the quest "Deep Trouble" from your quest list. If it's not there, talk to the guard at the well in Cassardis.
Complete the "Deep Trouble" quest. This quest will reward you with 2000 Experience once you collect it. If this amount should get you to level 11, then do not collect the reward yet. Instead, jump to step 10.
After either completing "Deep Trouble" or farming monsters, you will have gained level 10 and still be under level 11. If you are still not level 10 by now, simply farm some more monsters.
Once you've reached level 10. Go to Cassardis. Rest in the inn until nightfall.
Visit the coast, and head out onto the docks. There is a woman standing on the far end of the bridge there holding a lantern named Olra. Speak to her. Lend her your aid.
Speak to Olra once you are on the Bitterblack Isles. From there, you can change your vocation.

32 Comments

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CoughingFrog 17 Jun, 2022 @ 10:34am

The hard mode advice is incorrect, even before I got Dark Arisen I had gotten to Gran Soren at lvl 10 on hard mode multiple times on PS3. The trick is to have a pawn with anodyne and instead of trying to fight any of the enemies on the way from the waycastle just keep interacting with the ox leading the cart anytime you run into enemies. This causes it to charge forward meaning less opportunity for the enemies to attack the cart and for your pawns to kill enemies. You can heal the ox by standing in front of the cart with low health causing your pawn with anodyne to try to heal you which will heal the ox as well. It is also not a good idea to take on any super high level pawns or they will murder everything in sight, the highest level you should consider hiring is level 35 and you should unequip their weapons except for the healer. This is obviously all a massive pain in the ass and was only ever worth it before Dark Arisen came out and the Olra trick became way easier.

LemonsParty 17 Jun, 2022 @ 9:56am

@Shadow you can hire your friends pawns at no cost no matter the level

The Time Traveler 15 May, 2022 @ 12:29pm

I dont know why you say HIRE as high lvl pawns as you can. If you're literally just starting the game. the pawns will be your lvl because you have zero rift crystals so hiring "as high as you can" seems a pointless wording. Might as well tell someone at lvl 1 to be wearing endgame lvl 3 bitterback gear before heading out of town because its just as probable.

The Time Traveler 15 May, 2022 @ 12:23pm

If you just port to bitterback once it becomes available after the ogre battle at the fort. You can change vocations there. None of that other shit needed.

Zerfyx 21 Sep, 2020 @ 12:27pm

@soticoto Doesn't work. I did that just a few days ago. They say they can't let you into the city without you providing papers. So while you can reach the city, you can't enter it.

SotiCoto 10 Sep, 2020 @ 9:27am

Kinda pointless guide, all considered...
Besides... did you know you can get through the Ancient Quarry backwards without opening the gates inside? Probably insanely risky to do that with a level lower than 10... but it can be done.
I confirmed it on my last playthrough, though I'd already got to Gran Soren the usual way by that point.
Next NG+ I'm going to see if I can get to Gran Soren without ever even visiting the Encampment, or at least without doing the Hydra event (I don't want to drag Rook with me all over the place)... Either I'll manage to make it there or I'll encounter something I've never seen before. Either way it should be worth a try.

Agidyne 14 Nov, 2016 @ 12:56am

You can go to BBI meet the arisen and you'll be lvl 10 just by doing that quest in the same place you can change vocation

TZODnmr2K5 13 Sep, 2016 @ 10:01pm

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a go!...On another note, while I love Yahtzee's videos, I mistakenly passed on this gem of a game originally, something I do regret.

However, it might be that he only played the original, and not this version, which has most likely been DLC'd/Patched into a different game altogether!

Senpire [author] 12 Sep, 2016 @ 4:05am

Yeah, you've got to be careful with that. But if you're level 10, you could rest at the inn in Cassardis and then speak to Olra at the bridge. Speak to her at the Bitterblack Isles and change your vocation there.

TZODnmr2K5 12 Sep, 2016 @ 2:22am

All I did was do the starting and a few board quests and murder everything that attacks me...I'm already level ten and I've yet to make it to Gran Soren. But yeah, still got my ass handed to me in the well!

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