Highwayman (Darkest Dungeon II)

Base = Upgraded =

"Hunted, hurried, a fugitive seeking to outpace the past."

- The Academic

The Highwayman is one of 12 Heroes in Darkest Dungeon II.

Class Description

 * ANY RANK
 * HIGH DMG
 * VERSATILE
 * RIPOSTE

Combat Skills
The Highwayman will always start each run equipped with Wicked Slice,  Pistol Shot,  Duelist's Advance,  Tracking Shot,  Take Aim. All other skills must be unlocked through the Shrine of Reflection, after which they are permanently unlocked and available for subsequent playthroughs.



























Unique Trinkets
🔸Each Hero has their own 3 unique Trinkets, exclusive only to them.

Hero Paths
🔸 All Heroes Start The Game with No Hero Path. Each Hero has access to 3 unique Paths available only to them once they Invest into The Living City.

Strategy
🔸The Highwayman's combat tactic heavily focuses on dealing damage. His skillset places emphasis on damage and offers utility such as self-Buffs, and a unique skill to destroy or steal powerful Tokens from enemies.



🔸 Offense: The Highwayman is a highly versatile attacker thanks to his ability to target the front Ranks (with Wicked Slice or  Open Vein) as well as the back Ranks (with  Pistol Shot).

Take Aim maths: The following is a mathematical analysis of Take Aim. To start, it is important to establish some basic rules.
 * Dd2 ability takeaim.png Aim is the cornerstone of HWM's damage output. It generates Dd2 token crit.png, Dd2 token dodge.png(and Dd2 token speed.png when mastered) while simultaneously clearing Dd2 token blind.png. Take Aim is exceptionally powerful when used in combination with extra turns from things such as Jester's "Encore" or the "Temptation" Trinket. When unmastered, Take Aim is marginally worse damage output wise when compared to not using it due to natural crit chances, however, when mastered, Take Aim becomes superior to using HWM without Take Aim as long as the player does not have more than 33% critical hit chance (omitting opportunity costs). Regardless of this, Take Aim is always a significant part of HWMs kit even if it is superior for the player to not use it whenever they are out of Dd2 token crit.png as the Dd2 token blind.png is another potent part of the skill.

Firstly. Your average attack hits between 50% and 100% of your "Maximum hit", coming to an average of 75%. Secondly. A critical hit deals 150% of your maximum hit. This means that you can view a critical hit as doing 75% more damage than your average hit. Taking this further, we can interpret each 1% of crit chance as a 0.75% increase to your average hit.

Take Aim requires you to invest a turn to use it in order to generate critical tokens. This means that in order to get an average damage with take aim, you need to work out the mean damage dealt per "Take Aim Cycle", or the damage you deal in the turns between using take aim, and the turn you used Take Aim.

For reference, C = Crit chance

Regular attacks: 75% + (0.75 * C)

Unmastered Take Aim: (0 + 150%) / 2 = 75%

Comparing unmastered Take Aim to regular attacks, we can already see that regular attacks do (C * 0.75) average damage than using Take Aim. However, when we factor in mastered Take Aim, it gets interesting.

Mastered Take Aim: (0 + 150% + 150%) / 3 = 100%

Using Mastered Take Aim, your average Damage Per Turn (DPT) is 25% higher than using unmastered take aim, or regular attacks when ignoring natural crit chance. From here, by dividing the 25% gain by the value of 1% of crit chance, 0.75%, we can see that Take Aim+ is equal in DPT to having a 33.333* crit chance. As we cannot have decimal crit chance, this means that in order to do more damage without using Take Aim when compared to using Take Aim, you need 34% or higher crit chance.

Another interesting property of crit tokens is that they affect all hits in a given attack, not just one, while natural crit chance rolls each hit independantly. This means that for Grapeshot blast the maths is somewhat different. Because we have 2 chances to critically hit, there is greater variance in the possible outcomes. This does not affect the value of crit % in damage dealt however, so the "34% rule" remains true.


 * Dd2 ability highwayman wickedslice.png Wicked Slice and Dd2 ability openvein.png Open Vein are suitable for finishing off enemies with Deathsdoor dd2.png Death Blow Resistance. An upgraded Dd2 ability highwayman wickedslice.png Wicked Slice can ignore much of the said resistance of certain enemies (Lord, Evangelist, etc.), while Dd2 ability openvein.png Open Vein applies aBleed dd2.png Bleed effect for extra chance of killing enemies on Deathsdoor dd2.png Death's Door.
 * Dd2 ability duelistsadvance.png Duelist's Advance is a recommended skill for Highwayman. With the skill, he can perform an effective offensive combo by moving forward to Rank 1 (where he can fire a Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot), adapt to situations when he is pushed back to Rank 4 where he can not use melee skills, as well as gain Dd2 token riposte.png Riposte to deliver extra attacks with a chance to apply dd2 token combo.png Combo . It also helps Highwayman adapt to combat tactics of Heroes whose skillsets revolve around constantly changing positions, such asPortraits-jester.pngr orPortraits-graverobber.pngrobber.


 * Point-blank.png Point Blank Shot is effective against Rank 1 enemies|alt=]]Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot is a highly devastating skill, but has rather strict Rank requirement. Its lethality is increased even further with both Sharpshot and Rogue Paths. Moreover, the skill's damage output can be substantially boosted with a Dd2 token strength.png Strength Token fromPortraits-plaguedoctor.pnge Doctor's Dd2 ability emboldeningvapours.png Emboldening Vapours, or Portraits-jester.pngr's Dd2 ability battleballad.png Battle Ballad, and Dd2 token crit.png Crit Token from Highwayman's Dd2 ability takeaim.png Take Aim for a guaranteed critical attack. These Tokens are multiplicative with each other, allowing for Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot to decimate the target. It is worth noting thatPortraits-jester.pngr's Dd2 ability battleballad.png Battle Ballad can push Highwayman to Rank 1 to use Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot, and when upgraded, also has 15% chance to grant a Dd2 token crit.png Crit Token to the Highwayman for a quick kill shot. If Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot does not score a kill, it will apply a dd2 token combo.png Combo Token to the target and enable more powerful follow-up attacks, such as Dd2 ability pistolshot.png Pistol Shot orPortraits-manatarms.png-at-Arms' Dd2 ability rampart.png Rampart, which can Stun dd2.png Stun targets when upgraded.


 * Dd2 ability doubletap.png Double Tap deals a considerable amount of damage to low-HP targets and ignores some Deathsdoor dd2.png Death Blow Resistance, ideal for taking out middle-Rank enemies, especially after they take a hit from Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot and get pushed back to Rank 2.


 * Dd2 ability grapeshotblast.png Grapeshot Blast is preferably used to remove defensive Tokens from multiple front-Rank enemies.

🔸 Survivability: The Highwayman is somewhat lacking in terms of defense, especially when he does not have access to all of his skills.


 * If he faces enemies with powerful attacks, it is advised to use Dd2 ability takeaim.png Take Aim for a Dd2 token dodge.png Dodge Token or Dd2 ability doublecross.png Double Cross for a Dd2 token block.png Block Token. These skills can also help set up solid combos for Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot (Dd2 ability takeaim.png Take Aim grants Dd2 token crit.png Crit, while Dd2 ability doublecross.png Double Cross inflicts Dd2 token vulnerable.png Vulnerable ). Furthermore, the large number of Tokens given by Dd2 ability takeaim.png Take Aim (4 Tokens if upgraded) can yield a very generous heal (50% of Icon HP dd2.png) for the Highwayman when thePortraits-plaguedoctor.pnge Doctor heals him with Dd2 ability indiscriminatescience.png Indiscriminate Science.


 * Dd2 ability duelistsadvance.png Duelist's Advance (which goes well with Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot) grants a Dd2 token dodge.png Dodge Token, if upgraded. Similar to Dd2 ability takeaim.png Take Aim, its upgraded version also applies 4 Tokens to the Highwayman and enables an equally large heal from Dd2 ability indiscriminatescience.png Indiscriminate Science.

🔸 Utility: Highway Robbery is extremely useful against enemies that can apply positive Tokens on themselves or allies, as it can remove these Tokens and destroy enemies' advantages to alleviate combat risks. With the skill upgraded, the Highwayman can also steal powerful Tokens to increase his damage and defense, such as Dodge (Evangelist, Cherub),  Crit (Evangelist),  Block+ (Sacrificial), etc.


 * If the Highwayman does not yet have access to Dd2 ability highwayrobbery.png Highway Robbery, Dd2 ability trackingshot.png Tracking Shot can be used against enemies that typically have or spam Dd2 token dodge.png Dodge or Dd2 token dodgeplus.png Dodge+ on themselves (Evangelist, Cherub, etc.). When upgraded, Dd2 ability trackingshot.png Tracking Shot will prevent enemies from gaining said Tokens for several turns and remove Dd2 token stealth.png Stealth . Due to its lack of cooldown, the skill can easily counter Urchin, who relies on Dd2 token stealth.png Stealth to attack. Since Dd2 ability trackingshot.png Tracking Shot applies dd2 token combo.png Combo, it can be combined with upgraded Dd2 ability pistolshot.png Pistol Shot to Stun dd2.png Stun enemies or any other skills that benefit from dd2 token combo.png Combo.

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

Barks
Combat =

Landing a CRIT

 * Didn't see that coming, did you?'
 * I never miss.'
 * Right where it hurts!'
 * You're outmatched.'
 * Ha haa!'
 * Damn - I missed your eyes!'
 * My regards.'
 * I've faced worse!'

Stalling

 * Nothing to gain from dragging this out.'
 * This ain't a scrimmage - finish them!'
 * C'mon, daylight's fading.'

Bleed

 * Another day, another bloodstain.
 * Got me good.

Blight

 * Am I seein' double?
 * C'mon... focus...!

Burn

 * Distract 'em! It stings my eyes!
 * They got me! I require aid!

Horror

 * Gotta... keep my hand steady...
 * Was... was she breathing...?

Stress

 * TBA

Torch Decrease

 * TBA

Entering Death's Door

 * Every road ends...

Ally On Death's Door

 * TBA

Surviving Hit on Death's Door

 * ... Been hit harder.
 * ... Do your worst.

Ally Surviving Hit on Death's Door

 * No time to mourn - get up.

Hit by CRIT

 * Won't get another of those.

Ally Hit by CRIT

 * I've seen you take worse. C'mon!

Pushed by Enemy

 * Can't keep my footing! Blast!

Meltdown (Phased out)

 * TBA

Fog Appears (Shroud)

 * TBA

Fog Fades (Shroud)
Positive Act Outs=
 * TBA

Stress Healing Partner - General

 * TBA

Buffing Partner - General

 * TBA

Healing Partner - General

 * TBA

Combo Attack - General

 * TBA

Retaliation - General

 * TBA

Protection - General

 * TBA

Attacking Ally - General

 * TBA

Praise for Support Skill - General

 * TBA

Praise for Attack - General

 * Now we fight dirty!

Stress Heal in Coach - General

 * TBA

Stress Self in Coach - General

 * TBA

Stress Healing Partner - Hopeful

 * TBA

Buffing Partner - Hopeful

 * Here. They'll never see it coming

Praise for Support Skill - Hopeful

 * TBA

Praise for Attack - Hopeful

 * TBA

Stress Heal in Coach - Hopeful

 * TBA

Stress Healing Partner - Amorous

 * TBA

Healing Partner - Amorous

 * TBA

Protection - Amorous

 * TBA

Praise for Support Skill - Amorous

 * TBA

Praise for Attack - Amorous

 * TBA

Stress Heal in Coach - Amorous

 * TBA

Stress Healing Partner - Respectful

 * TBA

Retaliation After Partner is Attacked - Respectful

 * TBA

Combo Attack with Partner - Respectful

 * TBA

Praise for Support Skill - Respectful

 * TBA

Praise for Attack - Respectful

 * TBA

Stress Heal in Coach - Respectful
Negative Act Outs=
 * ''TBA'

Dealing Stress Partner - General

 * TBA

Insult for Support Skill - General

 * TBA

Insult for Attack - General

 * TBA

Attacking Ally - Hateful

 * ''TBA'

Stress Damage on Ally - Hateful

 * You smell worse than a rat.

Insult for Support Skill - Hateful

 * ''TBA'

Insult for Attack - Hateful

 * ''TBA'

Stress Damage on Ally - Suspicious

 * ''TBA'

Stress Damage on Ally on Road - Suspicious

 * ''TBA'

Insult for Support Skill - Suspicious

 * ''TBA'

Insult for Attack - Suspicious

 * ''TBA'

Stress Damage on Ally - Resentful

 * ''TBA'

Stress Damage on Ally on Road - Resentful

 * ''TBA'

Insult for Support Skill - Resentful

 * ''TBA'

Insult for Attack - Resentful
Affinity=
 * ''TBA'

Adding Buff

 * ''TBA'

Guarding Ally

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Adding Token

 * ''TBA'

Follow Up Attack

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Follow Up on Debuffed Enemy

 * ''TBA'

Healing Ally

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Revenge Attack on Enemy

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Moving Positions - Positive

 * ''A good ambush is always preparation'

Removing DoTs

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Stress Healing

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Jealous of Buff

 * ''TBA'

Jealous of Guarded Ally

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Jealous of Token

 * ''TBA'

Jealous of Food (Unused)

 * ''TBA'

Jealous of Healing

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Moving Positions - Negative

 * ''TBA'

Jealous of DoT Removal

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Positive Road Banter

 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Negative Road Banter
Inn Items=
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'
 * ''TBA'

Armor Repair Kit

 * This kind of work is never finished, is it?

Blasphemous Idol

 * I can't discount any advantage

Book of Bawdy Tales

 * We all get bored

BOOK: My time in the Desert

 * Sand for miles, what a strange land

Book of Creative Insults

 * Worth a try in fight

Poetry

 * Reminds me of a lover i once had

Boxing Gloves

 * First to fall?

Calming Incense

 * You callin' me tense?... fine, fine

Candles and Chocolate

 * Love, my greatest foe

Ceremonial Drum

 * Boring exercise, but useful

Clarifying Poultice

 * For when a tree branch smashes against your favorite skull

Clotting Poultice

 * No one likes to bleed

Dartboard

 * Five relics for each bullseye

Slime Mold

 * I've had worse

Stale Bread

 * Can't be too picky on the road

Apple and Cheese

 * Mm, hits the spot

Steak and Spuds

 * Now this is the stuff!

Flapjacks

 * I'll take half a dozen

Invigorating Stew

 * TBA

Holy Beads

 * I felt a strange pull...

Impermeable Poultice

 * Good against all kinds of nasty

Leeches

 * TBA

Meditative Totem

 * Never been a superstitious type, but...

Mop and Bucket

 * Labour is a release from sins of the past

Nightshade Concoction

 * Bitter, but worth it

Pipeweed

 * A steadfast companion for the long road

Playing cards

 * I'll shuffle

Restorative Herbs

 * If it works, it works

Roast Pig

 * TBA

Songbook of Amorous Ballads

 * Love spurned me once. But i can forget for a night

Songbook of Touching Dirges

 * *Slow, haunting whistling*

Songbook of Rousing Tunes

 * We sang these at the chain gang...

Soothing Poultice

 * Fire can make for a nasty foe

Speed Bag

 * Where are the wraps?

Stimulating Poultice

 * The quicker the slash, the shorter the fight

Stitching Kit

 * You'd think I'd be better at this by now

The Wine

 * TBA

Knotted Tug Rope

 * Loser takes first watch!

Wax Inoculant

 * Horrible miasmas in these times

Whetstone

 * Five strokes should do

Whiskey Barrel

 * Well, let's do it up proper then!

Whiskey Bottle

 * I dont usually share, but...

Whiskey Flask

 * Always gone too fast

Whittling Tools

 * I did this as a boy

Wild Tea

 * I feel... oddly relaxed, yet awake. Huh

Morbid Joke

 * TBA

Improvised Strategy

 * TBA

The Very Best

 * TBA

Experimental Remedy

 * TBA

War Paint

 * TBA

Tar-Filled Colambre

 * ''TBA'

Oddly-Tuned Lute

 * TBA

Precious Collection

 * TBA

Guided Meditation
Hero Shrines=
 * TBA

Shrine 1

 * Walls will never again hold me.

Shrine 2

 * Freedom was nothing like what I'd hoped for.

Shrine 3

 * Can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Shrine 4

 * Was I desperate? Yes. Was I greedy...?

Shrine 5

 * Regret bind fiercer than any manacles.

Shrine 6
Locations=
 * TBA

Oasis

 * TBA

Creature Den

 * TBA

Resistance Encounter

 * TBA

Resistance Encounter Success

 * TBA

Resistance Encounter Retreat

 * TBA

Assistance Encounter

 * TBA

Exiting Assistance Encounter

 * TBA

Valley Assistance Encounter

 * TBA

Region Gate

 * TBA

Exiting Crossroads

 * TBA

Exiting Hospital

 * TBA

Exiting Hoarder

 * I swear, I've seen him someplace before.

Exiting Valley Hoarder

 * TBA

Exiting Watchtower

 * TBA

Exiting Hoarder

 * TBA

Exiting Academic's Study

 * TBA

Cultist Encounter Success

 * TBA

Cultist Encounter Retreat

 * TBA

Tangle Lair Success

 * TBA

Tangle Lair Retreat

 * TBA

Foetor Lair Success

 * TBA

Foetor Lair Retreat

 * TBA

Sprawl Lair Success

 * TBA

Sprawl Lair Retreat

 * TBA

Shroud Lair Success

 * TBA

Shroud Lair Retreat

 * TBA

Exiting Oblivion's Ingress

 * In and out. A perfect Job.

Exiting Academic's Cache

 * TBA

Exiting completed Hero Shrine
Quirks/Diseases= TBA Travelling Stress=
 * So much for second chances.

Travelling Stress Heal

 * Perhaps there is hope for us yet...
 * We are not so dissimilar...
 * I accept you. We all do.
 * Chin up, shoulders back. We can do this.
 * The road is tough but we're going to make it.
 * Let us share tales of merrier times.
 * Come what may, we are united!
 * Hang in there. 
 * Can I get you anything?
 * It's a long road, but we've got each other.
 * Want to share? I've got extra...
 * You're even tougher than you look.
 * I'm glad you're here, for what it's worth.
 * You're going to live. I won't hear otherwise.
 * At least we aren't facing this alone.
 * Maybe all hope is not lost...
 * There are times I almost feel hopeful.
 * I had a pleasant dream, for once...
 * Whatever comes, we are united.
 * Perhaps we'll find glory after all...
 * This world is worth saving.
 * We are making a difference out there.
 * Hope is seductive, isn't it?
 * We're making good time.
 * If this is my fate, I'm content.
 * All is not lost.
 * We will best these fiends!

Travelling Stress Damage

 * 'Buffoon!
 * 'We're not going to make it, are we?
 * 'Everywhere, the world comes undone...
 * 'Stuck in a coach with the likes of you - feh.
 * 'I'm hungry and tired!
 * 'This cursed coach is a bouncing racket!
 * 'Let me out of this blasted coach!
 * 'Here we are, four corpses in a rolling coffin...
 * 'I can't bear to look out the window...
 * 'It's like a nightmare out there.
 * 'Like rats in a trap...
 * 'What if it's all for nothing...?
 * 'Can I really trust you to have my back...?
 * 'Can't sleep. Awful food. Worse company.
 * 'A waking nightmare...
 * 'We never seem to make any progress...
 * 'Just leave me by the roadside.
 * 'This was all a mistake...!
 * 'We're driving in circles...
 * 'Are we lost?
 * 'This is not the life I dreamt for myself...
 * 'Everywhere we pass - ruin, destruction...
 * 'Fools, fools we are...
 * 'We were damned before we set off.
 * 'Why us? Why me?
 * 'I'm not crying...! Look away!
 * 'I grow so weary of this fight.
 * 'Would it be so bad to give in...?

Travelling path type reaction=

Safe path

 * Too quiet...
 * Calm before the storm, I'd wager

Rough path

 * Hold on!
 * Keep it steady, damn you!

Hazardous path

 * TBA
 * TBA

Oblivion tear

 * Don't let it speak to me!
 * TBA
 * TBA

Trivia

 * The Highwayman is one of the ten Heroes returning from Darkest Dungeon, and one of the first eleven Heroes to be available in the sequel.
 * The Highwayman's default name - Dismas - is named after the penitent thief crucified next to Jesus of Nazareth.
 * There are several unused story sketches related to the Highwayman which depicts some parts of his past.