Leper (Darkest Dungeon II)

"When pain is accepted, strength flows in abundance."

The Leper is a Hero in Darkest Dungeon II.

Class Description

 * Front Rank
 * High Dmg
 * Self-Sufficient
 * Durable

Combat Skills
Note: The Leper will always start each run equipped with Chop, Purge, Withstand, Solemnity, and Reflection. All other skills must be unlocked through the Shrine of Reflection before they may be equipped.

Leper begins each run with a Condition that has a 50% chance to add a Blind token at the start of combat, and separate 25% chance to add another  Blind token at the start of combat.

Strategy
The Leper is a durable front-Rank tanker capable of dealing a huge amount of damage, far surpassing other Heroes. In exchange for his offensive capabilities, the Leper has very strict Rank requirements. He lacks skills that allow him to attack the back Ranks and can only deal damage while standing the front. He loses most of his combat effectiveness once he is pushed to back Ranks. Hence, care should be taken when he encounters enemies with Knockback effects (Pit Fighter, Lord, etc.). Notably, the Leper suffers from one major drawback: many of his offensive skills inflict Blind on him, which counters his significant damage output.

- Offense: The Leper delivers attacks with his staple skills Chop and  Hew. These skills, however, have a chance to place a Blind Token on the Leper, causing him to miss follow-up attacks. Reflection is Leper's main way to remove Blind and continue the assault. Alternatively, Blind can be removed by using useful items such as Milk-Soaked Linen or Holy Water, giving the Leper a chance to strike again without wasting a turn to use  Reflection. ThePlague Doctor's upgraded Indiscriminate Science is very helpful at removing Blind as well, while healing a significant portion of Leper's HP if he holds several  Taunt,  Block , or  Vulnerable Tokens gained from using  Withstand or  Revenge.


 * Upgrading Dd2 ability chop.png Chop, Dd2 ability hew.png Hew or Dd2 ability break.png Break will allow the Leper to bypass the Dd2 token blind.png Blind effects when he strikes targets with a Dd2 token combo.png Combo Token on them. ThePortraits-highwayman.pngayman can inflict Dd2 token combo.png Combo using either Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png Point Blank Shot or Dd2 ability trackingshot.png Tracking Shot which removes all Dd2 token dodge.png Dodge and Dd2 token dodgeplus.png Dodge+ Tokens from a target and conveniently exposes it to Leper's attacks. ThePortraits-runaway.pngay's upgraded Dd2 ability smokescreen.png Smokescreen applies a Dd2 token combo.png Combo and a Dd2 token vulnerable.png Vulnerable Token to increase the Leper's damage, while blinding targets. ThePortraits-occultist.pngtist's Dd2 ability weakeningcurse.png Weakening Curse (upgraded) and Dd2 ability daemonspull.png Daemon's Pull also synergize well with Leper. In addition to Dd2 token combo.png Combo, Dd2 ability daemonspull.png Daemon's Pull can pull back-Rank targets to the front and clear corpses like Leper's Dd2 ability purge.png Purge, which compensates for Leper's lack of ability to target the back.


 * Dd2 ability bash.png Bash can apply an Dd2 token immobilize.png Immobilize effect to the Leper to prevent him from being pushed to the back by Knockback effects or displaced when his allies move. It applies the same effect to the target as well, making sure that the target will not be able to move away from the front and stay out of Leper's striking range. An upgraded Dd2 ability bash.png Bash will inflict Dd2 token combo.png Combo on targets and help Leper ignore his Dd2 token blind.png Blind effect when he uses upgraded skills.


 * Leper-chops-lock.png Dd2 ability ruin.png Ruin, the Leper can increase his damage to a much greater degree. Dd2 ability ruin.png Ruin can be used in tandem with Dd2 ability withstand.png Withstand and Dd2 ability intimidate.png Intimidate, which give Leper Dd2 token taunt.png Taunt effects to force enemies to attack him and rapidly raise his damage output. It is strongly recommended to upgrade Dd2 ability ruin.png Ruin to inflict an additionalBleed dd2.png Bleed effect on the Leper to boost his damage even further. Alternatively, Dd2 ability wyrdreconstruction.png Wyrd Reconstruction of thePortraits-occultist.pngtist can easily inflictBleed dd2.png Bleed on the Leper thanks to his lowBleed dd2.png Bleed Resistance. Consider using Dd2 ability revenge.png Revenge to give Leper a Dd2 token strength.png Strength and potentially a Dd2 token crit.png Crit Token for critical damage. ThePortraits-jester.pngr's Dd2 ability battleballad.png Battle Ballad can apply the same Tokens, while also pushing the Leper further to the front.

- Survivability: The Leper excels at sustaining himself thanks to the Block or  Block+ Tokens from  Withstand as well as the generous amount of strong heal and  Stress heal from  Solemnity. Intimidate can apply Weak effect to enemies from any Rank to reduce their damage output.

Shrine of Reflection
The Leper gains access to 6 abilities over 5 chapters through accessing memories in the Shrine of Reflection.

Chapter One: Shun Them Not
"A lion in the blood-soaked grass, circled by hyenas who move as a pack..."
 * Objective: Foster The Sick
 * Unlocks Break

- The Leper

"Despite the protestations of his royal advisors, he wound visit with the sick and dying, providing what comfort he could."

- The Academic

"The ailing and infirm were far less repulsive to him than the venomous whispers of his scoffing entourage..."

- The Academic

Chapter Two: Infection
"A hollow clanging echoed throughout the palace."
 * Unlocks Revenge

- The Leper

"Early signs could be ignored or concealed, but soon the reality was inescapable. Whether by some affliction of lineage or by direct transmission, symptoms of incurable disease began to openly manifest themselves. Wracked with pain, he summoned doctors and aides from the farthest reaches of his lands, all of whom concluded the worst: the King was dying."

- The Academic

Chapter Three: Treason
"With wicked plots, they forged the blade that slew them."
 * Unlocks Intimidate

- The Leper

"Sedition, like any illness, spreads slowly. Rotten with a cynical opportunism born of longstanding entitlement, the scheming circle of advisors drafted mutinous plans. Though bedridden, he had long since divined their intent, and feared the disastrous results of their would-be rule. Summoning his blacksmith - and his strength - he hoisted his blade, and rose to meet the coming threat."

- The Academic

Chapter Four: The Purge
"Fury and blade to excise malignance - no matter the agony!"
 * Objective: Survive Their Treason
 * Unlocks Hew

- The Leper

"He had shown his compassion. Now... he would show his fury!"

- The Academic

"His blade had broken, but so too the treasonous plot."

- The Academic

Chapter Five: A Beautiful View
"Even present, sunlight throws aside the clouds to pour into the people's hearts."
 * Unlocks Bash and Ruin

- The Leper

"Satisfied that the spirit of his benevolent tenure would endure, he abdicated the throne. People gathered at windows and along the roads. Weeping, some threw petals at his feet, while others watched in reverent stoicism. As he walked beyond the city gates, he marveled at the beauty of the world, and was grateful for his many blessings."

- The Academic

Trivia

 * The Leper is one of eight Heroes returning from Darkest Dungeon, and one of the first nine Heroes to be available in the sequel.
 * The Leper's backstory is unique among the heroes in that he did nothing wrong, and feels no regret - in spite of the treason, he was loved by his people and left a lasting legacy. This is reflected in his portrait, where unlike the other heroes, he looks into the light with his head held high.