| “ | "Take this—it is Hope. The very last of it, it is yours now." | „ |
| ~ The Academic |
The Flame is a mechanic in Darkest Dungeon II, representing the last bit of hope that's left for the world. It is the player's responsibility to protect the flame and bring it to The Mountain.
Flame Level[]
The strength of the Flame is measured on a scale from 0 to 100 and waxes and wanes during the journey, altering the difficulty of battles. The Flame starts at 100 when entering a new region, and decreases naturally when travelling. There are a number of factors, like Loathing, that affect this rate. Stalling too long in a fight (e.g., not using any damaging abilities in order to heal) will decrease the Flame. A small number of enemies, like Ghouls, also have attacks that decrease the Flame.
The easiest way to increase flame is through Assistance Encounters. By choosing to help passersby, the player can earn from 15 to 30 Flame in addition to other rewards. However, there are also more selfish options that decrease the Flame while granting larger rewards. Many combat encounters—at an Oblivion's Ingress, Lair or Oblivion's Rampart, for example—also grant a small amount of Flame upon completion. Lastly, the Combat Item A Glimmer of Hope restores 15 Flame every time it is used.
When the Flame reaches 0, Cultists will ambush the party; defeating them will award 40 Flame, enabling the expedition to continue. At low Flame levels, the party also has a chance to be ambushed by the Shambler during a road battle.
Effects[]
Each confession changes the Effects of the Flame, granting small bonuses to the party when High Flame; conversely, having low Flame levels penalizes the player and buffs enemies.
Unlike in the first game, there are very few benefits to having a low Flame unless using Sluice Trinkets and Infernal Flames.
| Flame Status | Flame Value | Hero Modifiers | Enemy Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Light | 100-76 | +6%  RES
|
Round Start: Add  (10%)
|
| Dim Light | 75-51 | +3% RES
|
Round Start: Add (5%)
|
| Shadowy | 50-26 | -3% RES
|
+15% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Darkness | 25-1 | -6% RES Round Start: Add (5%)
|
+33% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Black as Pitch | 0 | -9% RES Round Start: Add (10%)
|
+100% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Flame Status | Flame Value | Hero Modifiers | Enemy Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Light | 100-76 | +10% Positive Banter | Round Start:  (10%)
|
| Dim Light | 75-51 | +5% Positive Banter | Round Start: (5%)
|
| Shadowy | 50-26 | Round Start: (5%) +5% Negative Banter |
+15% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Darkness | 25-1 | Round Start: (10%) +10% Negative Banter |
+33% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Black as Pitch | 0 | Round Start: (15%) +20% Negative Banter |
+100% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Flame Status | Flame Value | Hero Modifiers | Enemy Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Light | 100-76 | Round Start: Add  (10%)+33% Healing Recieved |
- |
| Dim Light | 75-51 | Round Start: Add (5%) +20% Healing Recieved |
- |
| Shadowy | 50-26 | -20% Healing Recieved | Round Start: Add (5%) +15% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Darkness | 25-1 | -33% Healing Recieved | Round Start: Add (10%) +33% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Black as Pitch | 0 | -50% Healing Recieved | Round Start: Add (15%) +100% Enemy Advantage Chance |
| Flame Status | Flame Value | Hero Modifiers | Enemy Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Light | 100-76 | Round Start: Add  (10%)+6% RES
|
- |
| Dim Light | 75-51 | Round Start: Add (5%) +3% RES
|
- |
| Shadowy | 50-26 | -3% RES
|
Round Start: Add (5%) +15% Battle Advantage Chance |
| Darkness | 25-1 | -6% RES
|
Round Start: Add (10%) +33% Battle Advantage Chance |
| Black as Pitch | 0 | -9% RES
|
Round Start: Add (15%) +100% Battle Advantage Chance |
| Flame Status | Flame Value | Hero Modifiers | Enemy Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Light | 100-76 | +6% RES
|
Round Start: Add  (10%)
|
| Dim Light | 75-51 | +3% RES
|
Round Start: Add (5%)
|
| Shadowy | 50-26 | Round Start: Add (5%) -3% RES
|
+15% Battle Advantage Chance |
| Darkness | 25-1 | Round Start: Add (10%) -6% RES
|
+33% Battle Advantage Chance |
| Black as Pitch | 0 | Round Start: Add (10%) -9% RES
|
+100% Battle Advantage Chance |
Flames (Stagecoach Item)[]
Flames are special stagecoach items that can overwrite the default flame level effects. See the page for more information.