Occultist (Darkest Dungeon II)

"Witness the infernal and blasphemous power of the void!"

The Occultist is a Hero in Darkest Dungeon II.

Class Description

 * Back Rank
 * Ranged Dmg
 * Healer
 * Offensive Support

Combat Skills

 * The Occultist will always start each run equipped with Dd2 ability sacrificialstab.png Sacrificial Stab, Dd2 ability abyssalartillery.png Abyssal Artillery, Dd2 ability weakeningcurse.png Weakening Curse, Dd2 ability wyrdreconstruction.png Wyrd Reconstruction, and Dd2 ability daemonspull.png Daemon's Pull. All other skills must be unlocked through the Shrine of Reflection, after which they are permanently available for subsequent playthroughs.


 * The Occultist has several skills that apply dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power Tokens to himself. Certain skills of the Occultist are empowered by dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power Tokens, and consume 2 of said Tokens when used. There is a 33% chance to apply a Burn dd2.png Burn effect (Burn dd2.png) to himself for each Token of dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power present at the beginning of each round, and can stack up to 3 times. The Burn dd2.png Burn effect can be negated by the Occultist's Burn dd2.png Burn Resistance. dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power is a special Token, and as such, is not affected by skills or combat items that affect Positive or Negative Tokens, such asPortraits-plaguedoctor.pnge Doctor's dd2 ability indiscriminatescience.png Indiscriminate Science or Holy Water.

Unique Trinkets

 * Each Hero has their own 3 unique Trinkets, exclusive only to them. All unique Trinkets for Heroes have Indelible rarity, Baubles.pnge cost of 70 and stack limit of 1.

Strategy
In the early game when the Occultist does not yet have access to his entire skillset, his main roles in battles are applying Negative Tokens on enemies to reduce their combat efficiency or healing allies on critical condition. As players progress through Shrines of Reflection, the Occultist will gradually gain more offensive skills that allow him to become an effective damage dealer. These skills involve a mechanic unique to the Occultist - applying Unchecked Power and consuming said Tokens to unleash powerful damage and effects. While Unchecked Power offers valuable benefits, it can bring subtle risks to the Occultist.

- Offense: In order to dish out a large amount of damage, the Occultist must take advantage of his unique Unchecked Power Tokens.


 * At the beginning of the game, Dd2 ability sacrificialstab.png Sacrificial Stab will be a offensive move of the Occultist and also a main way to acquire these Tokens. Because of its unusually high base CRIT chance (up to 20%), Dd2 ability sacrificialstab.png Sacrificial Stab can be quite effective when combined with CRIT bonuses from various sources such as trinkets (Occultist-scalded skull.pngScalded Skull), and a low Flame level. As the skill requires dd2 token combo.png Combo to apply dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power, the Occultist should combine it with his Dd2 ability weakeningcurse.png Weakening Curse (upgraded) and Dd2 ability daemonspull.png Daemon's Pull or go with Heroes capable of applying dd2 token combo.png Combo (Portraits-jester.pngr,Portraits-manatarms.png-at-Arms, etc). It is important to time the use of Dd2 ability sacrificialstab.png Sacrificial Stab, as the skill will apply another dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power if it manages to kill a target.


 * In the beginning turns of a battle, Dd2 ability bindingshadows.png Binding Shadows can replace Dd2 ability sacrificialstab.png Sacrificial Stab. Besides requiring a dd2 token combo.png Combo Token like Dd2 ability sacrificialstab.png Sacrificial Stab, it has a high chance to provide dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power when used, without the requirement of a kill. However, the downside from Dd2 ability bindingshadows.png Binding Shadows is that the Occultist will have to move forward, up until Rank 1 where he can not use the skill or Dd2 ability theburningstars.png The Burning Star.


 * Chaotic Offering.png Chaotic Offering can be a double-edged sword]]Dd2 ability chaoticoffering.png Chaotic Offering is seemingly the fastest way to gain dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power, giving the Occultist 2 Tokens after just one use, and even more Tokens for subsequent turns. However, using Dd2 ability chaoticoffering.png Chaotic Offering can be quite risky - it takes away at least 10% of Occultist's Icon HP dd2.png. On top of that, the Occultist may receive even more Burn dd2.png Burn damage or random Negative Tokens, including Stun dd2.png Stun . The Occultist can boost his Debuff dd2.png Debuff Resistance by equipping his personal trinket Occultist-seeing-sphere.png Seeing Sphere or any other similar trinkets to have a greater chance of avoiding harmful Tokens.


 * As the Occultist unlocks his skills, he will gain access to substantially more devastating skills such as Dd2 ability malediction.png Malediction, Dd2 ability anamnesis.png Anamnesis, and Dd2 ability theburningstars.png The Burning Stars. After gaining at least 2 Tokens of dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power, said skills can be used to wreak havoc among enemies. Dd2 ability malediction.png Malediction can cause its targets to receive a random DOT effect for each time they are damaged, giving physical attacks additional DOT damage along with extra chance to kill targets with Deathsdoor dd2.png Death Blow Resistance. Try to combine Dd2 ability malediction.png Malediction (especially when it is upgraded) with any skills that can inflict DOT, especiallyPortraits-plaguedoctor.pnge Doctor's Dd2 ability causeofdeath.png Cause of Death, which forces all DOT amounts on an enemy to trigger at once, potentially causing massive damage.


 * Dd2 ability anamnesis.png Anamnesis can be combined with thePortraits-runaway.pngay's Dd2 ability firestarter.png Firestarter to apply both Bleed dd2.png Bleed and Burn dd2.png Burn on all enemies at the same time. These skills can also be an excellent setup for Dd2 ability causeofdeath.png Cause of Death, due to a huge amount of DOT they can inflict.


 * Occultist burning star.jpg The Burning Star is best used on durable large-sized enemies or bosses]]Dd2 ability theburningstars.png The Burning Star is the most dangerous skill in the Occultist's arsenal. It can bypass Dd2 token block.png Block to deal a huge amount of damage to a single target and apply dd2 token combo.png Combo on it for stronger follow-up attacks if it manages to survive.


 * Dd2 ability abyssalartillery.png Abyssal Artillery also yields powerful effects with dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power, capable of inflicting Stun dd2.png Stun on 2 back-Rank enemies at the same time. Dd2 ability daemonspull.png Daemon's Pull can stun in a similar way, while also dragging a back-Rank target to the front and clear corpses, exposing it to front-liners with limited reach, especiallyPortraits-leper.png.

- Survivability: The Occultist himself is fairly fragile due to his low HP and complete lack of defensive skills, save for his rather unreliable Wyrd Reconstruction.


 * He can be a common target of enemies, who tend to attack Heroes with the lowest Icon HP dd2.png. As such, it is advised to have the Occultist protected by Heroes who have higher durability, self-sustainability or Dd2 token taunt.png Taunt effect to divert enemies' focus from him (Portraits-manatarms.png-at-Arms,Portraits-leper.png, Portraits-hellion.pngon, etc.).


 * His usage of dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power Token, which has a chance to Burn dd2.png Burn him, adds to his fragility. If not utilized carefully, said Token can apply more and more Burn dd2.png Burn damage on him over time. This can be especially dangerous when the Occultist is near or on Deathsdoor dd2.png Death's Door . If dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power is the Occultist's main playstyle, he should be equipped with trinkets that boost Burn dd2.png Burn Resistance (such as Heat Shield). Beside trinkets, thePortraits-plaguedoctor.pnge Doctor's Dd2 ability ounceofprevention.png Ounce of Prevention can also provide a Dd2 token buff.png Buff for said Resistance (10 - 15%). For more insurance,Occultist-shamblers-eye.pngShambler's Eye can raise the Occultist's Deathsdoor dd2.png Death Blow Resistance to near-maximum value, better ensuring his survival on Deathsdoor dd2.png Death's Door.

- Support: The Occultist can take a supporting role in any Rank by using Weakening Curse and  Vulnerability Hex to decrease enemies' damage and susceptibility to damage, respectively. While the healing role can be assigned the Occultist, his Wyrd Reconstruction skill is highly risky to use.


 * An upgraded Dd2 ability weakeningcurse.png Weakening Curse can apply dd2 token combo.png Combo on targets, which can enhance other Heroes' skill such asPortraits-manatarms.png-at-Arms's Dd2 ability rampart.png Rampart (Stun dd2.png Stun ) orPortraits-jester.pngr'sDd2 ability finale.png Finale (double damage).


 * Dd2 ability vulnerabilityhex.png Vulnerability Hex works well against typical Dd2 token dodge.png Dodge users, such as Evangelist, Ghoul, etc.


 * Occultist healing Leper.png Wyrd Reconstruction typically revolves aroung luck]]Dd2 ability wyrdreconstruction.png Wyrd Reconstruction is one of the very few skills that can be used to heal allies. However, it can be far less reliable than thePortraits-plaguedoctor.pnge Doctor's Dd2 ability battlefieldmedicine.png Battlefield Medicine and dd2 ability indiscriminatescience.png Indiscriminate Science, which offer much more stable healing. Because of its large gap in healing value, Dd2 ability wyrdreconstruction.png Wyrd Reconstruction may heal for a lot or nothing at all, making it extremely unpredictable and unreliable. Even worse, it may apply a Bleed dd2.png Bleed, potentially killing the Occultist and other Heroes if they are on Deathsdoor dd2.png Death's Door . Nevertheless, this skill can still be considered a powerful healing tool, as long as players are willing to push their luck. The Occultist can use 2 dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power Tokens for a guaranteed critical heal from Dd2 ability wyrdreconstruction.png Wyrd Reconstruction, thus somewhat mitigating the skill's drawback. Certain Heroes that benefit from taking damage (Portraits-leper.png and Portraits-hellion.pngon) can take advantage of the Bleed dd2.png Bleed effect.Portraits-leper.png, who has very low Bleed dd2.png Bleed Resistance, can take damage from the Bleed dd2.png Bleed to boost his damage after he uses Dd2 ability ruin.png Ruin while Portraits-hellion.pngon deals more damage the lower her Icon HP dd2.png gets. ThePortraits-manatarms.png-at-Arms can benefit from said DOT as well if he equips Maa-price-of-pride.png Price of Pride and/or Maa-standard-of-the-ninth.png Standard of the Ninth, which have a chance to give him extra actions and Dd2 token blockplus.png Block+ , respectively, whenever he receives harm.

Shrine of Reflection
The Occultist permanently gains access to 6 skills over 5 Chapters through accessing memories in the Shrine of Reflection.

Chapter One: The Ritual
"Few minds are ready for the other planes."
 * Unlocks dd2 ability vulnerabilityhex.png Vulnerability Hex

- The Occultist

"On certain portentous evenings carefully selected for their astrological potency, he would gather his devotees around the ancient onyx table, and, joining hands with them, he would send his spirit out into the void. Safely tethered by their vital energies, he was free to wander the Outer Sphere in search of some dark communion and impossible power."

- The Academic

Chapter Two: A Door in the Desert
"That pyramid changed everything."
 * Unlocks dd2 ability bindingshadows.png Binding Shadows

- The Occultist

"He found himself in a vast expanse of windswept dunes. Ahead, the stone spires of a pyramidal temple called down jagged bolts from a roiling, angry sky. Undaunted, he crossed the threshold of the towering aperture, settled himself upon the central dais, and prepared for the coming sacrifice."

- The Academic

Chapter Three: Some Parts Must Die
"Back then, I was not yet wise enough to know fear."
 * Objective: Slay Your Virtues
 * Unlocks dd2 ability malediction.png Malediction

- The Occultist

"Terrible though it was, he would pay the price for power!"

- The Academic

"The emptiness in him called out across the boundless gulfs of unknown space... for nature abhors a vacuum."

- The Academic

Chapter Four: The Guest
"It took too much and gained even more, but..."
 * Objective: Protect The Seance
 * Unlocks dd2 ability theburningstars.png The Burning Stars

- The Occultist

"Drawing vitality from the assembled mediums, he would hold fast against the thing, and harness a portion of its power!"

- The Academic

"Imbued with strange currents of infernal origin, his apotheosis was complete..."

- The Academic

Chapter Five: An Eternal Flame
"I am shrouded by an endless night where they prowl and whisper all names."
 * Unlocks dd2 ability anamnesis.png Anamnesis and dd2 ability chaoticoffering.png Chaotic Offering

- The Occultist

"Emerging from his trance, he met the charred, steaming corpses of his acolytes with a shudder. He cound sense the eldritch entity stalking the edges of his consciousness, probing for weaknesses. He had become a beacon - a conduit to unknown regions... and would be assailed by those blasphemous forces all the rest of his days."

- The Academic

Trivia

 * The Occultist is one of eight Heroes returning from Darkest Dungeon, and one of the first nine Heroes to be available in the sequel.


 * In early versions of Darkest Dungeon II, Dd2 ability wyrdreconstruction.png Wyrd Reconstruction of the Occultist could expend Dd2 token crit.png Crit Tokens for critical heals. However, if a critical heal happens in this way, it means that the Bleed dd2.png Bleed effect of the skill would be critical as well, and thus increase Bleed dd2.png Bleed duration by 2 turns. To avoid this drawback, Dd2 ability wyrdreconstruction.png Wyrd Reconstruction would no longer be affected by Dd2 token crit.png Crit Tokens in later patchs. Instead, the skill now provides guaranteed critical heals through dd2 token uncheckedpower.png Unchecked Power Tokens without influencing Bleed dd2.png Bleed.