Dismas the Highwayman
Not much is known about Dismas, the Highwayman. He’s a bandit, traveling the old road in search of redemption for a crime he regrets commiting. Upon reaching the Hamlet, he attempts to redeem himself by teaming up with the misfit heroes traversing the Darkest Dungeon. Knowing the difficulty of that game, he probably dies. Oops.
But before dying, Dismas brings some much needed straight damage from any position to his team. That's a big deal, in a game with a lot of forced movement. Plus, he’s got a few movement shenanigans of his own to help after the Crusader gets yeeted to the back row.
When it comes to damage, Dismas uses a combination of blade and gun. He hits hard, often applying bleed. And unlike Pathfinder, in Darkest Dungeon bleed STACKS. It's like, my go-to strategy.
Darkest Dungeon is easily one of my favorite games of the past decade and one of my favorite indie games ever. It's a great combination of mechanics – roguelike, party-management and tactics – all up my alley. Plus, the punishing difficulty makes wins feel good, and it manages to mostly not feel unfair.
The Highwayman is one of the first two classes introduced in the game, and I was hooked on his slice and shoot gameplay immediately. The first time I discovered Point Blank Shot, I rarely used anything else for a while. Let's hope it translates.
Keys to the Character
Stabby McShooty
Dismas deals damage. How that damage gets dealt can vary – he is equally comfortable up close (with a dagger) and further away (with a pistol).
Road Regrets
Dismas was a brigand preying on the coaches that travelled the old road, until he was set up to rob the wrong coach. Now, he travels with regret over the mysterious crime.
Scarf Season
Dismas is a former criminal. Now, he hides his face – out of both stealth and shame. Luckily, he has a sweet red scarf to hide it for him.
That’s Bloody Sharp
The blade strikes bleed out foes over time, before the pistol blasts fools from a distance. It’s a match made in heaven (or the Hamlet).
Dismas doesn’t bring too much to the table outside of pure damage and a dour attitude, but at least he is good at those things.
On the tabletop, Dismas is less reliant on positioning than many other melee or ranged attackers, due to his preference of a dagger and a gun. These dual weapons ensure that he has a target every turn, often without needing to move to stay in range.
He does benefit from being in melee range, though. As he progresses through the build, Dismas can unlock some bleed potential on the dagger. As well, feats like Sword and Pistol allow him to take ranged shots from up close, without triggering Attacks of Opportunity.
Outside of battle, Dismas' Legendary Intimidation and Thievery can help procure valuables and access for the party, and his high Stealth can get him into most places unseen.
Build OVERVIEW
Ancestry
Human – Versatile
Dismas is human, like all of his allies on the Old Road (well, maybe except for the Abomination). The Versatile heritage gives him one extra General Feat, which he will need to survive the darkest dungeon.
Background
Criminal
Dismas spent years preying on travellers on the old road. Those days are behind him now, but he has kept with him many helpful lessons from those experiences. Plus, a pretty grim locket.
Class
Gunslinger – Way of the Drifter
Dismas gets a ton of his flavor right out of the gate from The Way of the Drifter. As he progresses, it provides the movement abilities, reloading abilities and interesting ways to combine his two weapons. It’s perfect.
However, Dismas isn’t just a gunfighter, he’s a criminal. Therefore, taking the Rogue Dedication early is a great way to gain some of those more nefarious traits.
Skills & General Feats
Dismas' intimidation is a little different than that of a ferocious warrior, like Barret. Instead, Dismas raises the stress level of his foes through Gallows Humor, and a general depression.
Thievery is as usual though. He also dabbles in Occultism to know the enemy – any edge is helpful in the Darkest Dungeon.
Legendary: Intimidation, Thievery
Master: Stealth
Expert: Occultism
Attribute Increases
Equipment
Suggested Starting Equipment
Key Spells
Changelog
