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Spent 20 hours playing normal then changed to hard, bulky gnome hit for 200 on normal now 1 hit kill. anonymous

Hard Mode is one of the two feature modes introduced by the Dragon's Dogma DLC Challenge Pack: A Trial for Adventurers. This DLC is included free in Dark Arisen.

Overview[]

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Duke's Armor as a reward.

Hard mode implements increased difficulty for the Arisen:

  • Arisen's damage taken is significantly increased.
  • Enemy Stagger and Knockdown resistance is tripled.
  • The Arisen's Stamina usage is accelerated.
  • Enemies can drop a sum of Gold when killed. The coin pouches dropped are randomised, slaying one Goblin may yield only a single small Coin Pouch, slaying another may yield two giant coin pouches.
  • Experience Points, Discipline Points, and Rift Crystal earnings from the Arisen's pawn's rentals are doubled.

Hard Mode rewards the player with an Abyssinal Outfit after completing The Final Battle, and a Set of Duke's Clothing is awarded after completing The Great Hereafter.

Switching to and from Hard Mode[]

Switching modes from Easy/Normal to Hard will restart the game from the beginning of the story, i.e. with the Character Creation screen, followed by Harbinger of Destruction. All current progress with respect to levels and equipment inventory will be carried over. This prevents easy obtainment of Set of Duke's Clothing, the Abyssinal Outfit and the Hardened Veteran trophy/achievement by late switching to Hard Mode.

However, if a player attempts Hard Mode and wishes to switch back to Easy/Normal mid-game, the storyline will continue from where the player made the switch out of Hard Mode.

Difficulty and rewards[]

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Abyssinal Outfit (Clothing).

Defeating The Dragon gives an additional reward of the Abyssinal Outfit vest, and completing the entire quest rewards one copy of Set of Duke's Clothing.

Damage and stamina[]

  • The Arisen will sustain more damage than normal (4.5x) and stamina usage will drain faster. Pawns are unaffected by Hard Mode.
  • Stamina drain from skill usage and spellcasting is approximately 50% higher than that of Normal Mode. Stamina drain from running is unchanged from Normal Mode.
  • The effects of Damage Reducing Augments is increased.

Monsters[]

  • Enemy Stagger and Knockdown resistance is Tripled. This makes it dramatically harder to inflict.
  • Enemy health is unchanged.
  • Enemy intelligence and behavior is unchanged.
  • The online or offline Ur-Dragon intelligence, behavior, and difficulty is unchanged. Entering the Chamber of Lament will switch the difficulty automatically to Normal Mode, netting the same rewards as Normal and Easy mode. Difficulty then reverts to the player's selected setting upon leaving the Chamber of Lament.
  • Some of the Goblin mobs in Gransys will spawn with 1-3 more members.

Gold[]

Hard_mode_night_time_Gold_drop_demonstration_143,000_Gold_in_5_minutes_(B)

Hard mode night time Gold drop demonstration 143,000 Gold in 5 minutes (B)

Several large gold drops can be obtained within a few minutes of outdoor gameplay. In this example, 143,000 Gold is obtained during five minutes of slaying Hobgoblins in the Verda Woodlands near the Conqueror's Sanctuary

Gold drop rates are significantly increased in the open world and dungeons of Gransys and The Everfall (Post-Dragon). Bitterblack Isle gold drops are unchanged from Normal Mode. Even Goblins, Bandits, Undead, Saurians and Wolves will randomly drop Giant Coin Pouches. This is mostly noticeable when travelling the open world at night where large Gold drops increase.

  • Fauna such as Rabbits, Rats, Oxen, Deer, Spiders and Boars do not drop Gold.
  • In Post-Game, the guards in Gran Soren's Noble Quarter do not drop more than 100 Gold each.
  • When travelling the open world, pay close attention to the enemy corpses slain by pawns : gold from foes slain at a distance by Strider and Ranger pawns can go unnoticed.

Rift crystals and Experience Points[]

  • Random Rift Crystal drops, even with the Fortune augment equipped, seem to be nullified, favoring Gold drops instead.
  • Experience gain is double that of Normal Mode for slain enemies. This can be stacked with a Weal item like a Blessed Flower or Martyr's Talisman to quadruple the experience gain over Normal Mode. Quest experience point rewards are the same as Normal Mode.
  • Discipline points for vocation leveling is also double that of Normal Mode. The amount of Discipline Points earned depends on the number of pawns in the party, pawn levels and/or items that boosts discipline points gains such as the Ring of Perseverance and Asura Armor.
  • Rift Crystal earnings for rented pawns are also doubled in Hard Mode.  This effect also stacks with a Weal item.

Tips[]

  • Stamina exhaustion can be a problem due to the higher rate of Stamina drain in Hard Mode.
    • The Augments of Athleticism, Proficiency (for skill use), Conservation (for spellcasting), and Arm-Strength (for climbing), as well as Grit and Sinew can be indispensable.
    • Carry a good supply of Stamina curatives at all times to avoid being left vulnerable from stamina exhaustion.
    • If possible, wearing Lv.3 Bitterblack gauntlets with the bonus "Restores stamina when you deliver the killing blow to an enemy" will help offset stamina loss.
    • Dagger users can use Forward Roll instead of running for quicker travel without stamina loss.
    • Exercise skill discipline! Skill-spamming is foolhardy in Hard Mode.
  • Dying can be a problem due to the higher rate of damage sustained in Hard Mode.
    • The augments Sanctuary and Predation can save a lot of Wakestones.
    • Always make sure a good supply of health curatives is carried.
    • Employ more blocks and dodge rolls in Hard Mode, as even regular Chimeras can be surprisingly powerful.
    • Save the game frequently!

Notes[]

  • In contrast, in Easy Mode damage is halfed, compared to normal mode.

Bugs[]

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