Though a far less common currency than Gold in the world of Dragon's Dogma 2, Rift Crystals — RC for short — are arguably just as important in some ways. Not only will you need these to hire any Pawns that are above your current level, but they're also used to purchase valuable items like Art of Metamorphosis books for changing your appearance or special consumables that allow you to alter your Main Pawn's specialization and inclination.
RC is generally pretty tough to come by, but there are a number of different ways you can find it as you adventure through the realms of Vermund and Battahl. And yes, while you certainly can buy crystals with microtransactions, purchasing them doesn't feel required whatsoever. I still strongly dislike that they're being sold in a $70 single player RPG, mind, but it needs to be said that you can earn plenty of RC in-game.
In the quick guide below, I go over every known method of obtaining RC, as well as what I consider to be the best way to earn good amounts of it throughout your playthrough.
How to get Rift Crystals in Dragon's Dogma 2
The most common way you'll get RC is by finding and activating Riftstones around Dragon's Dogma 2's open world. These look like a pile of rocks on top of a circular staircase made out of stone bricks; when you approach them, you'll get a prompt to interact with them, and when you do this, you'll get 30 RC. You'll also gain the ability to use the Riftstone to access the Rift and swap out some of your hired Pawns if you wish to do so. There are plenty of these throughout the game, so keep an eye out for them.
You get RC when another player hires your Pawn from the Rift, with the number of crystals earned determined by the amount of time they spent using them. You can get tons of RC if several players use your Pawn for multiple in-game days, though this method isn't exactly consistent since it relies on other folks. You and your friends can use each other's Pawns, though.
Rarely, you can also find RC in treasure chests. Rift Crystals aren't a common reward from them — in most cases, they'll contain crafting materials, pieces of gear, or Gold — but when you do get RC from chests, you can expect a big chunk of them. For example, I found one in a forest near Vermund's capital city, Vernworth, that gave me 135 RC.
It's also possible to get RC from enemy drops, though this is extremely rare. I wouldn't expect to find many crystals (if any) from combat, though it's certainly been nice on the occasions where it's happened for me.
Best way to earn Rift Crystals in Dragon's Dogma 2
Of all the different methods to get RC, focusing on having your Pawn get used by other players is by far your best option. While you can't guarantee people will use your Pawn unless you ask a friend to hire them, there are several ways to make your Pawn more appealing.
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Above all else, it's important to make sure that you keep your Main Pawn properly geared for the level they're at, and upgrade their weapons and armor whenever you have the materials and Gold necessary to do so. Pawns without good equipment (I'm already seeing the underwear Pawns) will deal terrible damage and die very quickly, making them unreliable; make sure your Pawn is one your fellow Arisen can depend on.
You should make sure your Pawn has a synergistic set of Weapon Skills, too, and also unlock all of their Core Skills as soon as possible. This will ensure that they'll excel at the role they're supposed to fill; people will generally want Fighter Pawns to be their "tanks," for instance, so if your Pawn is a Fighter, consider giving them Weapon Skills like Shield Summons and Impeccable Guard that help them hold aggro and defend themselves.
I also recommend setting Pawn Quests for your Pawn, and offering good rewards for completing them. I wouldn't offer exceptionally rare or important items, but sizable sums of Gold, gemstones that can be sold for a good amount of Gold, high-tier healing consumables, and upgrade materials all make for attractive quest rewards.
Giving your Pawn a funny name and/or a goofy appearance will probably help get other players to hire them, as well. Check out subreddits like r/DragonsDogma, r/DDDASliders, and r/FashionDogma if you're looking for inspiration or sliders to copy, as fans are posting plenty of these every day. Alternatively, you could also focus on making your Pawn very pretty or handsome.
Dragon's Dogma 2 is available now, and it's one of the best Xbox games and best PC games you can play in 2024 if you love action RPGs with deep, varied combat and rich fantasy worlds. Capcom's new title is playable on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 for $69.99.
