Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is easily one of the most satisfying RPGs I’ve ever played (so far), and that’s in no small part due to how its level progression works. Namely, perks define the way Henry is developing his skills, and choosing the right ones is downright crucial early on.
If you’re not particularly keen on using console commands to get through difficult parts of Deliverance 2, you’re going to need to know exactly which perks to grab early on, and which ones can be relegated for later progression opportunities. Down below, I’ve assembled a handy shortlist of all the most important early-game perks in this game, so read up.
10 best Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 perks to get as soon as possible
#10: Flower Power
Survival perk, unlocks at Survival level 8.
Though it may sound like a meme perk at first, Flower Power is actually extremely useful and easy to maintain. All you need to do is to carry at least 30 fresh or dried herbs in Henry’s inventory, and you’ll get a permanent +2 to his Charisma! When you’re hurting for good clothes and progression opportunities, Flower Power may well be the way to eke out some extra rewards or, perhaps, stay in someone’s good graces.
#9: Next to Godliness
Vitality perk, unlocks at Vitality level 10.
Healing is a proper pain in early-game sections of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Perks such as Next to Godliness are thus a huge boon, as they allow you to heal up using relatively common services and features. Simply washing at a tub, pier, or taking a bath will heal Henry up by 10 points. Further, going to bed clean will heal Henry 25% faster while asleep.
#8: Thick-Blooded
Vitality perk, unlocks at Vitality level 6.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s combat system is somewhat unique and takes some getting used to, even if you’re a seasoned RPG player. This means Henry’s going to get hit and cut up early on, no matter what, which means bleeding’s going to be a big problem. Enter Thick-Blooded, a uniquely awesome perk that simply makes Henry bleed much more slowly. Surviving challenging encounters is much easier with Thick-Blooded, you can trust me on that one!
#7: Charming Companion
Houndmasterk perk, unlocks at Houndmaster level 10.
If you’re anything like me, Mutt is always by your side, and it makes perfect sense to maximize the effects of his presence. Unlocking the Charming Companion perk will boost your Charisma by 3 whenever you’ve got Mutt traveling with you, which is a big help in many dialogue trees.
#6: Martin’s Heritage / Radzig’s Heritage
Main level perk, unlocks at level 10.
The two unique Heritage perks are a crucial boon for Henry this early on. Depending on whether he wants to align more closely to his adoptive blacksmith father Martin, or his genetic progenitor Radzig, Henry can choose to be more proficient with swords, crafting, and survival skills or heavy/ranged weapons and scholarship skills, respectively. You can’t go wrong with either, but note that choosing one permanently removes the other from your perk roster.
#5: Deft Hands
Agility perk, unlocks at Agility level 6.
Finding good gear and weapons early on is a problem in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but it’s an even bigger problem when you actually do find a snazzy new mace only to discover Henry lacks the stats to use it. Deft Hands simply reduces the Agility requirement of all weapons by 2. If your Agility level is above that of a weapon’s hard requirement, however, Henry will use less stamina to wield it in combat.
#4: Razor-Sharp
Craftsmanship perk, unlocks at Craftsmanship level 6.
One of my favorite perks in the entire game, Razor-Sharp is just a perfect match for a Henry that wields sharp, edged weapons such as swords and axes. Quite simply, Razor-Sharp further empowers all those grindstone stations strewn around the map by making it so that any sharpened weapon gets an additional 10% damage buff. Note that you need to sharpen the weapon to at least 98% of its total sharpness/durability for Razor-Sharp to activate. However, the effect sticks around until the weapon’s condition drops below 75%, so it’s really easy to maintain.
#3: Pack Mule
Strength perk, unlocks at Strength level 8.
Lugging stuff around is what Henry will be doing all game long. Increasing your carry capacity, then, is an extremely important job. Good thing you’ve got the Pack Mule perk to fall back upon, as it simply boosts your carrying capacity by a cool 12 pounds. Neat!
#2: Against All Odds
Warfare perk, unlocks at Warfare level 10.
Henry is going to be outnumbered in a great many situations in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and these are obviously extremely risky combat scenarios. Perks such as Against All Odds minimize this risk, however, by boosting Henry’s Strength, Agility, and Warfare skills by 2 bonus points whenever he’s outnumbered. A huge help especially during bandit encounters, in my experience.
#1: Jack of All Trades
Speech perk, unlocks at Speech level 10.
Possibly the single most useful early-game perk of them all, Jack of All Trades permanently adds +2 to every single skill check Henry comes across. Further, you’ll also get double the experience points from completing these skill checks! Henry’s stats early on are rather abysmal, and the likes of Jack of All Trades (especially combined with, say, Flower Power) will be crucial if you want to get positive outcomes as often as possible.
Published: Feb 10, 2025 11:44 am