Your journey across the varied lands of Dragon’s Dogma 2 will see you traverse the rolling hills and dense forests of Vermund and the craggy heights and rocky vistas of Battahl, exploring every corner of the world to uncover new quests, new secrets, and new Vocations! Should your journey take you far to the south in Battahl, you’ll eventually encounter an ominous location known as Drabnir’s Grotto — a dense maze running through a mountain, containing untold numbers of Goblins, cave-ins, Rattlers, and more.
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If you’re on the hunt for how to unlock the Magick Archer Vocation, you’ll need to pass through this treacherous dungeon at least once, but that’s not the only reason to explore its depths. You’ll also find The Exalted — a powerful holy mace for Fighters that will likely far outshine any other weapon you’ve found up until this point in the game. Follow this guide for a (relatively) pain-free trip through the dark depths of Drabnir’s Grotto. It’s a confusing place to navigate, but by following this guide, you’ll find your way out with little trouble.
Updated by Matthew Schomer on April 5, 2024: This guide has been updated to include a video version (featured above.)
How To Get Out Of Drabnir’s Grotto
Outside the entrance of the dark, cavernous Grotto, you’ll speak with Hillaire, a merchant who warns you the Grotto is a maze filled with wretched monsters around every corner.
And she is not wrong! Case in point, after entering, you’ll run into a ‘small’ group of Goblins up ahead. I say ‘small,’ but this is a bit misleading. As soon as you engage with them, more Goblins will ambush you from the various side passages lining the hallway. Prepare yourself for a brawl.
Once defeated, feel free to explore these side passages; none of the ones here go too far, so they’re easy to clear out and loot. When you’re ready to continue, head straight down this passageway until you reach a path that curls around a massive pit. You can either climb your way down the boulders lining the side of the wall, or you can make your way around the pit and take a curling passage that will pit you against a Slime.
At the bottom of this pit, defeat the enemies in the room before heading down the north passage, winding deeper into the grotto.
After you reach and defeat the Ogre, you’ll come to the room pictured above. The way forward is across the way. Below in the mist, you’ll contend with more stone Rattlers (Saurian-type enemies). Head through the passage on the far side, and beware if you take the pathway curling around to the right (in the image above). A hidden Rattler will shove you down into the mist below, triggering a difficult encounter.
In the room beyond, you’ll see a climbing route to the left, and a route to the right with water gushing against a rockslide (depicted above). If you head up the climbing route to the left, you’ll face some Goblins, but it’ll eventually lead you toward a chest with a Harpysnare Smoke Beacon — a rare and coveted item.
- After that, return to the rock pile with the water gushing around it.
Attack the rockslide to flood the enemies below. By utilizing the floodwaters, you’ll kill most, if not all, of the Rattles waiting below.
Just past the floodwater trap, loot the chest to grab a Ferrystone before jumping down!
The floodwaters will reveal an opening below. Beyond that opening leads to an overlook (fresh air!) along with a chest containing The Exalted — a powerful Fighter weapon that is very likely better than anything you’ve found thus far in the game.
From here, you’ve almost reached the exit! Continue down this passage, fighting the last remaining goblins in your path, to leave this wretched place behind. You’ve made it out alive! And now, you find yourself on the very land where your journey began as a slave: Agamen Volcanic Island.
Now that you’re here, head up the road a bit to help a dwarf in need — the quest he provides will lead you to unlocking the Magick Archer Vocation.
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What Makes The Exalted So Good?
|
Name |
Vocation |
Description |
Weapon Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Exalted |
Fighter |
A hallowed instrument imbued with a decade’s worth of prayers to eradicate sin. its holy enchantment cleanses all it touches. |
|
The Exalted is a strong mace imbued with Holy damage. With a 472 Strength stat and a 206 Magick stat, in addition to +100% Holy damage, this weapon will make any nighttime adventures much less stressful, as it will tear through the various undead enemies that stalk the land after dark.
When equipped, you gain the Holy Element on your attacks, which reads:
Attacks are blessed with holy power, and are especially effective against foes with powers of darkness.
Adventuring at night is typically a more dangerous time, though Golden Trove Beetles stand out dramatically at night time due to their bright golden glow, so this weapon should make you feel more at ease when traversing Vermund and Battahl in the dark. The weapon itself also glows brightly at night, adding an additional source of light on top of your lanterns.
It just looks awesome to boot.
If you’re looking to optimize and empower your Fighter Vocation — or your Pawn’s Fighter Vocation — check out our lists breaking down the best Fighter Weapon Skills and the best Fighter Augments in the game.
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Choosing the best weapons in any game is hard. We scoured the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 to present to you the best weapons available in the game.
