Skip to main content

How to recover max health in Dragon's Dogma 2: Loss Gauge explained

Here's a rundown of Loss Gauge in Dragon's Dogma 2, including how to recover max HP

Dragon's Dogma 2 promo art of a combat scene.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom.

Looking to regain your Loss Gauge in Dragon's Dogma 2? Loss Gauge in Dragon's Dogma 2 is essentially the reduction of your maximum health bar. This means, when active, your Loss Gauge can limit the maximum amount of HP you can recover from healing.

Join us, as we explain Loss Gauge in Dragon's Dogma 2 and how to regain it for maximum health recovery.

This highlight reel shows off all the incredible adventures awaiting the new Arisen of Dragon's Dogma 2.Watch on YouTube

What is Loss Gauge in Dragon's Dogma 2?

Loss Gauge limits the maximum amount of HP you can recover in combat. You'll slowly accrue Loss Gauge as you take damage.

There are three colours on the health bar to keep an eye one. The first is your regular health (red or green, depending on total HP) which shows your current hit points.

Screenshot of the various healthbars in Dragon's Dogma 2.
Loss Gauge cannot be recovered with healing spells or items. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom

When you take damage in combat, you'll notice grey on your healthbar. This is the health you have lost but can recover with healing. The black section on your healthbar is your Loss Gauge and caps your maximum health. This means you cannot heal past the black area of the bar until you rest.

The point of this mechanic is to provide the player with important decision-making. Deciding if you should take a tactical break or pursue an adventure may greatly depend on how much Loss Gauge you have.


How to recover max health in Dragon's Dogma 2

Screenshot of an innkeeper in Dragon's Dogma 2.
Innkeepers will charge more gold in larger cities like Vernworth. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom

Luckily, you can recover Loss Gauge in Dragon's Dogma by resting at an Inn or Campfire. This will reset your maximum health and prepare you for another day of adventuring.

There are Inns in most villages and towns but staying at them can prove pricey, especially if you are in a major city like Vernworth or Battahl (which usually charges around 1,500 - 2,000 gold).

This also doesn't help if you are within the wilds and have no easy way of fast travel back to a city. Luckily, there are several Campfires dotted around the map that you can rest at for free. You just need a Camping Kit in your inventory, which can be bought from most vendors. An early-game Campfire Kit can be found at the Northern Vermund base, up the eastern road from Melve.

Screenshot of a player using a Campfire in Dragon's Dogma 2.
Campfires can be used to re-assign skills for both your Arisen and Pawns. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom

You'll often have to clear the surrounding area of monsters first to deter possible ambushes, however, but a Camping Kit is a solid investment, is re-usable and crucial for any Dragon's Dogma 2 playthrough. You can also cook meat and assign skills at a Campfire.

If you're a little further into the game, you may own a house in one of the large cities. These act as free Inns and essentially, you can rest there for free and as many times as you like. Houses are extremely pricey but worth the long-term investment for this mechanic.

Lastly, you can recover Loss Gauge by using a Wakestone. Wakestones will revive you from death and give you a second chance to finish a combat encounter. These are incredibly rare and should be used sparingly, however. We recommend only using them for story missions that may halt your game progress if uncompleted.

That rounds off our guide to Loss Gauge and recovering full health in Dragon's Dogma 2. For more Dragon's Dogma 2 tips and tricks, see our guides for making the perfect Sorcerer build, Archer build, Fighter build and more.

Read this next