Somewhere between getting eviscerated by two bandits on the road and waking up without any shoes after being knocked unconscious, I came to the conclusion that I'm simply no good at the combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. I'm sure I could partly chalk that up to how long it took me to learn the Master Strike move, which feels like a bit of a sword-fighting game changer. I never went to visit Tomcat early on, and it wasn't until I trained with the Dry Devil many hours into my adventure that I was shown the useful riposte trick. But even with that move under my belt, some excellent weapons and armor, and my trusty dog Mutt by my side to attack enemies, I still – more often than not – fail to beat my foes.
I just can't seem to click with the combat system, but thankfully I found a workaround to counteract my ineptitude in battle. Since I suck at using a sword and timing my blocks and parries, I've adopted an entirely different tactic to survive the dangers of Bohemia, and it's a far less violent one. Rather than gear my armor towards protection, I'm now all about maxing out my charisma and investing in speech perks so I can talk my way out of almost anything. I've essentially transformed myself into the ultimate medieval rizz master, and it's not only proving to be very effective, but it's also just the kind of role-playing approach that speaks to the kind of player I am.
Medieval magnetism
Whenever I play RPGs, I always much much prefer to find peaceful solutions to problems, so if there's ever the option to talk things out I'm all for it. Naturally that means I often opt to lean into skills and abilities that enhance my gift of the gab. But once I died too many times in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, I started to really up my game in the speech and charisma department.
Investing coin in fancy threads was the first step, and I'd soon acquired a very noble-looking coat, complete with an attractive piece of headwear, spectacles, and jewellery that sent my charisma soaring. Spending points in speech perks as I progressed was also a must, but the most beneficial perk I unlocked early on was Flower Power, which ups my charisma by two when I have 30 fresh or dried herbs on my person.
The perk complements the one constant battle I do fight against: dirt and grim. After all, no one is going to believe you're charming or noble if you're covered in muck, and while I tend to avoid getting too bloody, being out in the elements can lower my charisma. Any time I enter a new area, I scout out laundry spots and keep a healthy supply of soap in my inventory to ensure I can always keep my outfit spick and span.
Since personal hygiene is paramount for any would-be rizz master in the medieval age, making use of troughs and bathhouses is of utmost importance. Getting my hands on bottles of perfume or recipes to brew it myself has also been a top priority. If I ever need an extra dose of charm, I just put on a dash of Lion to increase my Charisma by four. No one stands a chance against my magnetic musk, let me tell you.
Rizz maister
Sometimes combat is unavoidable, though; be it because it's baked into a main story quest, it's part of a set objective, or it's just a straight up duel. But outside of that, I love how much freedom Warhorse's RPG gives to approach scenarios your own way. On one occasion, I was tasked with venturing into a camp to save a villager who was being kept prisoner. I could have gone in, sword raised high, or taken a sneaky stealthy route, but I instead decided to approach them peacefully.
After reassuring the guarding soldiers roaming the campsite that I just wanted to talk to their leader, I walked inside and put my charisma and persuasion to the test. Happily, the chat went swimmingly, with my outfit enabling me to convince this shady leader that I was a figure of authority, and his actions would only invoke the wrath of his superiors. With my ruse completely taken at face value, I was then allowed to free the prisoner without any fuss and walk out with him. No sword clangs or blood spilling necessary. Now that's what I'm talking about.
Unfortunately my lack of prowess in combat does sometimes mean I'm not quite as chivalrous as I want to be in Henry's shoes. Generally speaking, I try to be as good as possible, which is no easy feat when you're so often asked to do something a little underhanded, or commit crimes. As much as I try to avoid doing anything that harms innocent people, I have once or twice been forced to turn a blind eye to bandits who'd killed some poor villagers on the road (to my great shame), or even taken the less honorable option when I just couldn't successfully win a duel. But where possible, I will try to use my charismatic talents to stand up for those in need, or prevent violence.
My good looks and charm have also proved to come very handy, whether I need to get someone to tell me some important information relating to a quest objective, or I'm just trying to haggle down the price of more soap. It really has been such a boon to my role-playing approach, since I can constantly talk my way into finding out something useful, or out of most situations.
So maybe Henry won't be a knight in shining armor in the traditional sense, and he won't be able to put his beloved family sword to that much use (after I finally got my hands on it), but when it comes to rizz, he truly outmatches everyone. Now excuse me while I go and tend to my laundry.
