Dragon's Dogma 2: How to get into Battahl with or without a permit — Secret passage, smuggle yourself in, and more

As you wander around the map in Dragon's Dogma 2, you'll eventually find yourself at a town with the awkward name of Checkpoint Rest Town. This location has a tall, unscalable gate that prevents your entry into Battahl, the land of the Beastren. The guardsman at the gate tells you that you need a permit to pass through. However, there are multiple ways of getting into the Battahl region, and some of them will even unlock a trophy. 

Here's how to get into Battahl with or without a permit in Dragon's Dogma 2. 

How to get into Battahl in Dragon's Dogma 2

There are multiple ways of getting into Battahl, some legitimate and some otherwise inclined. Here they are listed from the easiest method to hardest. 

Option #1: Get a permit

Simply doing the main quests that Brant offers at the Stardrop Inn in Vernworth will make it so you eventually are given a permit for entering Battahl. Remember, Brant only shows up at the inn at night, so pass the time by talking to the bar keep or sitting on the bench near the inn's outdoor table if he isn't there yet. 

With this permit in your inventory, you're clear to present it to the guard at the gate in Checkpoint Rest Town so you can pass through into Battahl.

Option #2: Smuggle yourself in

Turns out, you can jump into a passing cart as it heads into Battahl and then just ride into this region when the gates go up.

I've done this a few times and the guards surrounding the carriage have never given me problems. Depending on timing, it can take a very long time for a cart to actually pass through the gates, though, so this method requires patience. You'll unlock a trophy for passing into Battahl without a permit, which is another awesome perk of doing this.

Note that you might be stuck in Battahl after sneaking through the gate if you aren't strong enough to take on enemies that beset you. As such, rest at the Checkpoint Rest Town Inn before attempting this so you can immediately travel back to a safer area if needed. Of course, you can always travel back to Portcrystals via Ferrystone if you have one handy. Additionally, there's the secret path mentioned in the following option that you could travel back on. 

Option #3: Take the secret passage into Battahl

Travel along the riverbed northwest of Checkpoint Rest Town and enter the Battahl region that way. You'll encounter several large and powerful monsters in a narrow passageway if you travel this route. This includes (but might not be limited to) a Chimera, a Cyclops, two Minotaurs, Knackers, Saurians, Red Wolves, and Goblins. As such, you need to come prepared to take them down and might want to check out our Dragon's Dogma 2 monster guide for weaknesses and other info. 

As with sneaking onto a carriage, you'll unlock a trophy for passing into Battahl on this path without a permit. Incidentally, this passageway takes you right by a Sphinx location. You can learn more with our Dragon's Dogma 2 Sphinx guide.

Different means to the same end

Dragon's Dogma 2 has proven to be a very complex game that rewards players for exploring and attempting different solutions to the same problem. The same can be said for entering Battahl. While you could just get a permit from Brant and enter through the main gate, you can also smuggle yourself in or fight your way through a monster-infested hidden passage. Of course, if you take the second two routes, you'll unlock a trophy for your efforts. 

Let this be a lesson for you as you continue your Dragon's Dogma 2 adventure. You don't always need to take the obvious path when a quest is given to you. Look for ways to get around the rules, and you might just find that Capcom was clever enough to accommodate your creativity, just like how Larian Studios did the same with solving Baldur's Gate 3 challenges.