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Darkest Dungeon 2 features multiple status effects that cause damage over time. The Runaway class focuses on applying Burn, ensuring that enemies take damage any time they try to attack. This is useful enough on its own, but if you use the Runaway correctly she can reduce foes to charred remains in no time at all.

Related: Darkest Dungeon 2: Shackles Of Denial Boss Fight Guide

This guide offers comprehensive information on every Skill and Path for this pyretic pugilist, along with great builds for each of her specialties. Try it on your next run; we think you'll really warm up to the Runaway once you've given her a shot.

Runaway Skills

Runaway using Searing Strike in Darkest Dungeon 2

The Runaway is the only class in the game that focuses on applying and interacting with Burn damage. She also has an impressive range of debuffs and ways to keep herself out of trouble, and is one of the few Heroes capable of contributing from any position in the lineup.

Skill

Runaway Rank

Enemy Rank

Effect

Mastery Upgrade

Searing Strike

1 or 2

1 or 2

  • Melee attack for 3-6 damage.
  • Five percent crit chance.
  • Inflicts two Burn on the target.
  • Combo bonus: Inflicts twice as many stacks of Burn.

  • Deals an additional point of damage.
  • Increases the crit chance to ten percent.
  • Inflicts an additional stack of Burn.
    • This extra stack is also doubled by the Combo bonus.

Firefly

3 or 4

2, 3, or 4

  • Ranged attack for 2-4 damage.
  • Five percent crit chance.
  • Inflicts three Burn on the target.
  • Combo bonus: Inflicts three Burn on an enemy adjacent to the target.
    • If there are two adjacent enemies, one is chosen at random to be Burned.

  • Increases the minimum damage by one.
  • Increases the crit chance to ten percent.
  • Inflicts two additional stacks of Burn on the primary target (but not the Combo bonus target).

Smokescreen

Any

1, 2, or 3

  • Non-damaging Ranged attack.
  • Inflicts Blind on the target.
  • Places a Combo token on the target.
  • One-turn cooldown.

  • Inflicts an additional stack of Blind.
  • Inflicts Vulnerability on the target.

Run And Hide

Any

N/A

  • The Runaway gains two stacks of Stealth.
  • The Runaway moves back one position.
  • Two-turn cooldown.

  • The Runaway gains three Regeneration.

Hearthlight

Any

All

  • Removes Stealth from all enemies.
  • One-turn cooldown.

  • Removes Blind from all Heroes.
  • Cannot miss enemies if the Runaway is Blinded.

Ransack

Any

1, 2, or 3

  • Melee attack for 3-6 damage.
  • Five percent crit chance.
  • The Runaway moves forward one position.
  • The target moves forward one position.
  • Combo bonus: Inflicts three Burn on an enemy adjacent to the target.
    • If there are two adjacent enemies, one is chosen at random to be Burned.

  • Increases minimum damage by one and maximum damage by two.
  • Increases crit chance to ten percent.
  • Pulls the target forward one additional position.

Cauterize

2, 3, or 4

N/A

  • Can only target Heroes affected by Bleed.
  • Heals the target for one quarter of their maximum HP.
  • Removes all Bleed from the target.
  • Can be used three times per battle.

  • Increases healing to one third of the target's maximum HP.

Controlled Burn

1, 2, or 3

Any

  • Inflicts three Burn on the target.
  • Ignores Stealth.
  • For the next three rounds, any enemy standing on the targeted position is inflicted with 2 Burn at the beginning of their turn.

  • Inflicts an additional stack of Burn to the target.
  • Increases the amount of Burn inflicted by the targeted position.

Dragonfly

1 or 2

1 and 2

  • Ranged attack for 1-2 damage.
  • Five percent crit chance.
  • Inflicts two Burn on both targets.
  • Each target has a twenty-five percent chance of gaining a Combo token.
  • The Runaway moves back one position.

  • Increases maximum damage by one.
  • Inflicts two additional stacks of Burn on each target.
  • Increases Combo chance to thirty-three percent.

Firestarter

Any

N/A

  • Can target any Hero other than the Runaway.
  • For the next three turns, the targeted Hero's attacks inflict two Burn in addition to their other effects.
  • Two-turn cooldown.
  • Can be used twice per battle.

  • The affected Hero's attacks inflict an additional stack of Burn.

Backdraft

1 or 2

2, 3, or 4

  • Ranged attack.
  • Can only be used if the enemy in Rank 1 (the very front) is currently Burning.
  • Ignores Guarded status.
  • Deals damage equal to half of the remaining Burn damage on the enemy in Rank 1.
    • This damage is applied to the target, not the front enemy.

  • One-turn cooldown.

  • Increases the damage dealt to equal the remaining Burn damage on the enemy in Rank 1.

When the Runaway has Cauterize equipped, it can be advantageous to give your party Trinkets that debuff their Bleed Resistance, such as the Sacrificial Host. That way, you'll be more able to target Heroes in need of healing.

Related: Darkest Dungeon 2: Dreaming General Boss Fight Guide

Best Builds For Each Runaway Path

Bonnue the Runaway receives a Resolute bonus in Darkest Dungeon 2

It's usually best to specialize the Runaway with one of her Paths, focusing either on inflicting Burn, tanking and healing, or acting as part of a flexible party in conjunction with other movement-based Heroes like the Jester.

Path

Effects

Recommended Skills

Recommended Trinkets

Wanderer

  • Gain an extra Candle at the end of the run.

  • Searing Strike
  • Hearthlight
  • Cauterize
  • Run And Hide
  • Controlled Burn

  • Charred Litany
  • Smoldering Hymnal
  • Dark Impulse (Burn)
  • Clandestine Cape
  • Knitted Blanket
  • Carved Toy
  • Sacred Scribblings

Arsonist

  • The Runaway ignores up to 33 Burn Resistance on enemies.
  • Searing Strike, Firefly, and Dragonfly increase their crit rates by ten percetnage points each.
  • The Runaway deals only three-quarters her normal damage with attacks.
  • At the beginning of each turn, the Runaway has a twenty-five percent chance of inflicting three Burn on herself.

  • Searing Strike
  • Smokescreen
  • Dragonfly
  • Ransack
  • Controlled Burn

  • Knitted Blanket
  • Tinderbox
  • Charred Litany
  • Smoldering Hymnal
  • Dark Impulse (Burn)
  • Sacred Scribblings

Survivor

  • Cauterize recovers fifty percent more HP.
  • Run And Hide's Mastery Ability confers fifty percent more Regeneration.
  • The Runaway is twenty percent less likely to inflict Burn on enemies.
  • At the start of combat, the Runaway gets two Dodge tokens and a Speed token.

  • Cauterize
  • Run And Hide
  • Ransack
  • Firestarter
  • Smokescreen

  • Sneaker's Standard
  • Protectorate (any tier)
  • Fate's Foreteller
  • Guarding Gauntlet
  • Bulwark Band
  • Clandestine Cape

Orphan

  • The Runaway deals more damage but fewer Burn stacks the closer she is to the front.
  • The Runaway inflicts more Burn stacks but deals less damage the closer she is to the rear.
  • Firestarter grants the Runaway a Crit token in addition to its other effects.

  • Backdraft
  • Firefly
  • Ransack
  • Run And Hide
  • Firestarter

  • Pile Of Ash
  • Knitted Blanket
  • Smoldering Litany
  • Charred Hymnal
  • Dark Impulse (Burn)
  • Sacred Scribblings

Wanderer

The Runaway's Wanderer build does a little bit of everything. Like the Arsonist, she prefers to stay comfortable in the second Rank of the party, using Run And Hide to pull back if she's forced to the front. On offense, she can use Controlled Burn to deal persistent damage while whacking enemies with Searing Strike. She can also disrupt enemies with Hearthlight and support the team's healer with Cauterize.

Arsonist

The Arsonist is the Runaway's heavy damage path, though it sacrifices some hitting power in favor of more fire. Again, she'll primarily use Controlled Burn and Searing Strike from the second Rank, occasionally debuffing dangerous enemies with Smokescreen. Ransack lets her get back into the fight if she's knocked backward, and with a Combo token can help her fan the flames while she's at it.

Even though the Runaway's fire attacks won't be as effective in the Sprawl, Smokescreen can blunt the Fanatics' powerful attacks - including those of the Librarian!

Survivor

The Survivor is a pure support path; while the limits of Cauterize mean that she shouldn't be your primary healer, she can take the pressure off of the Plague Doctor, Vestal, or Flagellant and is good at evading damage herself, giving you one less teammate to heal. Give Firestarter to Heroes that can hit multiple enemies at once; since it's not the Runaway applying the Burn effect, it won't suffer from the Survivor's weaker Burn Resistance penetration.

Smokescreen, as usual, is a great way to lessen the threat from major enemies and can also set up your offense Heroes for a powerful strike. Use Ransack and Run And Hide to fix your party's positioning after a shuffle, and to get some extra benefits as well.

Orphan

This Path is only recommended for experienced players using a party that centers on flexible positioning. Think of it as "Wanderer Plus," as it dips into many of the Runaway's abilities, shifting her focus alongside her position in the lineup. Put her on a team with other mobile heroes like the Graverobber, Highwayman, and Jester to get the most out of this slippery Path.

Next: Darkest Dungeon 2: Occultist Class Guide