Darkest Dungeon II
Darkest Dungeon II

The Runaway: Pyromaniac & Healer — Darkest Dungeon II Walkthrough

Master The Runaway in Darkest Dungeon II. This guide covers optimizing her Pyromaniac path for Burn damage or her Healer skills for support.

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The Runaway: Pyromaniac & Healer

The Runaway is a versatile hero capable of both dishing out significant Burn damage and providing crucial healing and stress relief to the party. Mastering her unique blend of offensive and supportive abilities is key to her effectiveness. This guide will walk you through optimizing her for various roles.

Skill Prioritization & Paths

The Runaway's effectiveness hinges on selecting the right path and upgrading her core skills. Consider these options:

  • Arsonist (Offensive Path): This path significantly boosts her Burn damage and token generation.
    • Key Skills to Upgrade:
    • Searing Strike: Your primary single-target Burn application. Upgrade for increased damage and Burn intensity.
    • Firefly: Excellent for applying Burn to multiple targets, especially in the back ranks. Upgrade for wider area of effect and higher Burn.
    • Cauterize: While primarily a heal, the Arsonist path enhances its Burn application on enemies. Upgrade for improved healing and Burn.
    • Runic Flare: A powerful ultimate ability that deals massive Burn damage. Upgrade for higher damage and a chance to apply additional Burn tokens.
  • Survivor (Supportive Path): Focuses on healing, stress relief, and defensive utility.
    • Key Skills to Upgrade:
    • Cauterize: Becomes your primary healing ability. Upgrade for increased healing potency and removal of negative tokens.
    • Hearthlight: Crucial for removing Blind and applying Dodge tokens. Upgrade for increased Dodge chance and additional token removal.
    • Smoke Screen: Excellent for applying Blind and Daze to enemies, reducing incoming damage. Upgrade for higher chance to apply tokens and longer duration.
    • Runic Flare: While less impactful offensively on this path, it can still provide a burst of damage in a pinch. Upgrade for reduced cooldown.

Trinket & Item Synergies

Selecting the right trinkets and combat items can dramatically enhance the Runaway's capabilities. Prioritize items that complement her chosen path.

Arsonist Trinkets:

  • Smoldering Hymnal: Increases Burn damage and duration. Found in The Shroud regions or as a random drop from Cultist encounters.
  • Charred Locket: Boosts Burn chance and provides a small resistance to Burn. Often found in The Sprawl regions.
  • Greater Ignis Fragment: Significantly increases Burn damage and applies a small amount of Burn to the Runaway, which can be mitigated by Cauterize. Rare drop from Lair Bosses.

Survivor Trinkets:

  • Medic's Satchel: Increases healing done and provides a small resistance to Blight. Common drop from Road Encounters and Assaults.
  • Blessed Incense: Boosts stress healing and provides a chance to remove negative tokens on heal. Found in Shrines of Reflection or as a reward from Academic's Studies.
  • Ancestral Handkerchief: Increases resistance to various negative tokens and provides a small amount of stress resistance. Extremely rare drop from The Mountain bosses.

Combat Items for Both Paths:

  • Bandage: Essential for removing Bleed and providing a small heal. Always carry several.
  • Laudanum: Crucial for stress relief, especially for heroes with high stress thresholds.
  • Healing Salve: Provides a more substantial heal than Bandages.
  • Fire Bomb: Synergizes well with the Arsonist for additional Burn application.
  • Smoke Bomb: Useful for applying Blind to high-priority targets, regardless of path.

Strategic Combat Application

The Runaway's position in the party and her target prioritization are critical for success.

Arsonist Strategy:

  • Position: Ranks 2-3 are ideal, allowing access to both front and back-rank Burn skills.
  • Opening Moves: Start with Firefly to apply Burn to multiple enemies, then follow up with Searing Strike on high-priority targets.
  • Target Prioritization: Focus on enemies with low Burn resistance or those that pose an immediate threat. Enemies with high HP but low damage can be left to slowly burn.
  • Synergy: Pair with heroes who can apply Vulnerable tokens (e.g., Highwayman's Point Blank Shot) to maximize Burn damage.

Survivor Strategy:

  • Position: Ranks 3-4 are generally best, keeping her safer while allowing her to reach all allies with healing.
  • Opening Moves: Use Hearthlight to clear Blind from allies or apply Dodge to vulnerable heroes. Smoke Screen can be used on dangerous enemies.
  • Healing Priority: Prioritize allies with critical HP or those afflicted by damaging DoTs (Bleed, Blight).
  • Stress Management: Utilize Hearthlight for minor stress relief and Laudanum for more significant stress spikes.
  • Synergy: Works well with tankier heroes who can absorb hits, allowing her to focus on sustained healing and support.

Remember, the Runaway's strength lies in her adaptability. Don't be afraid to experiment with different skill combinations and trinkets to find what works best for your specific party composition and the challenges you face in the Darkest Dungeon.