Arguably the most unique feature of bothDragon’s Dogma: Dark ArisenandDragon’s Dogma 2is the extensive Pawn system. As the Arisen, Pawns become your party members and your companions in the singleplayer adventure, and though they can be extremely talkative, most players learn to love the goofy, verbose Pawns – and they can do a lot more than just help out in combat.
But before you get to know your Pawns, you’ll have to hire them first. Thankfully, players' first Pawn is their Main Pawn, a customizable character tied to your Arisen who arrives during the Tutorial. Players can get two more Pawns to fill out their party, and there are a few ways to hire PawnsDragon’s Dogma 2players can take advantage of.
Updated June 19, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: The Pawn system is arguably one of the primary features of Dragon’s Dogma 2, though it can be a bit confusing in some aspects. Using RIftstones, players can easily filter out the DD2 Pawns that they don’t want and only see Pawns that suit their current party needs. But if you want to add friends' Pawns, there’s a specific process that must be followed – or, rather, two processes. One method of adding friends Pawns in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is to simply use a sub-menu option in The Rift, which lets the Arisen see all of their friends' Main Pawns. But if this doesn’t work, or if you are looking for friends' Pawns across systems, you may need to try the manual alternative.
What Are Pawns?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Pawn System, Explained
InDragon’s Dogma 2, Pawns are the denizens of an enigmatic realm-between-realms called The Rift. They are drawn to the Arisen and can be called from other worlds to their side – the sole goal of a Pawn is to aid the Arisen in their pursuit of the Dragon.
And essentially, that’s all that is known about the Pawns inDragon’s Dogma 2. They are as mysterious and enigmatic as they are talkative, and their total devotion to the Arisen allows the player to control them with four commands: Go!, Help!, Wait!, and To Me!
Each of these commands serves a purpose in and out of combat, but Pawns aren’t completely helpless. In fact, Pawns will give the Arisen directions and advice for quests, direct them to points of interest, andcollect and store items for youwithout being prompted.
Essentially, Pawns are your companions and your party members in this game. You can have up to three Pawns, including one Main Pawn, and two Hired Pawns. They are the ever-loyal, ethereal followers of the Arisen, who follow their every beck and call.
How To Get Pawns in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Create Your Main Pawn During The Tutorial
The Main Pawn of the Arisen is the one who will stick with you throughout the entire game, and essentially serves as your direct permanent follower. The other two Pawn slots in your party can only be filled by other players' Pawns hired from the Rift,who you cannot customize.
After leaving the Gaol at the beginning of the game, and arriving in Vermund, you will be directed to a Riftstone within Borderwatch. If you created a Main Pawn in theDragon’s Dogma 2 Character Creator & Storagedemo, a prompt will appear and allow you to load your most recent saved Main Pawn. If not, you will be prompted to create your Main Pawn from scratch.
After setting your Main Pawn’s appearance, you will be asked toselect a Vocation and Inclination. Pick a Main Pawn Vocation that will complement your own – like a Mage or Archer to pair with an Arisen who is a Thief or a Fighter. Your Main Pawn’s Inclination determines both their basic behavioral AI and their vocal options, so be sure to read through the options and listen to the voice options carefully to find one that works for you.
Hire Additional Pawns From Riftstones Or The Open World
After creating your Main Pawn, you will be given a brief introduction to Riftstones. When the Arisen interacts with a Riftstone, they will be transported to a sort of pocket dimension that represents The Rift. A random assortment of other players' Main Pawns will appear and become available for hire here, each costing an RC proportionate to their current level.
If you want to hire a Pawn here, just walk up to them, initiate conversation, and look over their stats, armor, and skills. If they seem a good match, and you have enough RC, click Hire to recruit them. When you leave The Rift, they will stick around as part of your party.
But Riftstones aren’t the only place to hire new Pawns from. InDragon’s Dogma 2Pawns can also be encountered while roaming the roads, walking around cities, and exploring off the beaten path. If you run into one, they will usually automatically start up a conversation and offer their services. If you like them, you can hire them on the spot for an RC amountproportionate to their character and vocation level.
In addition to your Main Pawn, two more Pawns can be hired, for a max party size of four. But these two extra Pawns won’t level up while adventuring with you, and you can’t customize them. You will need to hire multiple Pawns over aDragon’s Dogma 2playthrough – to dismiss a Pawn, just talk to them and send them on their way. Remember to rate them for their helpfulness and send an item along with them to thank their Main Arisen.
How To Find Friends' Pawns (& Specific Pawns)
If you want to summon Friends' Pawns instead of relying on random strangers, head to a Riftstone, enter The Rift, then interact with the Riftstone again to bring up the Riftstone menu. Select “Search For A Pawn” from the first screen, then scroll down and select either “Friends' Pawns” or “Search by Pawn ID”.
Arguably the easiest way to see your Friends' Pawns is to simply select “Friends' Pawns” in this sub-menu, but you must be friends with them on the related gaming app. On PC, this is typically Steam, but Xbox and PS5 players will have to have their friends added within Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, respectively. As long as you are friends on the same system, your friends' Main Pawns should appear here for hire.
However, if you want to see a friends' Main Pawn but they play on a different system – or if you want to see a friends' Pawn but it isn’t showing up in the menu – you may need to manually add their Pawn ID. Ask your friend to relay this code to you, which can be found in the Status screen for their Main Pawn, and manually enter it in the “Search by Pawn ID” menu. If input correctly, your friend’s Pawn should appear and be ready for hire.
