Your First Character: From Launch Through Act 1

Starting Settings and Mastery Choice

• ▸Start on Normal. Veteran is a toggle - tougher enemies for more loot and XP - switchable anytime later, so don't agonize at character creation.
• ▸Level 2 unlocks your first mastery; level 10 unlocks the second, completing your dual-class.
• ▸The two-mastery combination is permanent once chosen. Skill point allocation, however, can be refunded at the Spirit Guide - skill mistakes are recoverable (see Respec).
• ▸Unsure about the second mastery? Continuing single-mastery past level 10 is fine. If you want direction, pick a build you'd enjoy from our build list first.
• ▸Attribute points: when in doubt, all Physique (see Attribute Points).

Modern Controls (v1.2 and Later)

v1.2.0.0 overhauled the new-player experience - where older guides disagree, this is the current behavior.

• ▸Health and Energy Potions were removed as items - the character now has potion skills baseline, with dedicated quickbar buttons. No inventory stocking needed.
• ▸The Evade skill was added, bound to spacebar by default: an instant directional dash with brief invulnerability (iframes) - your basic tool for dodging boss attacks.
• ▸If you carried over old keybinds, you may need to set or reset them to use Evade.
• ▸Auto-pickup radius is adjustable in the options - recommended on, for painless material/consumable collection.

The Shape of Act 1

• ▸Devil's Crossing is your hub - quest progress gradually unlocks its merchants, blacksmith, and Spirit Guide.
• ▸Main quests plus side quests keep your level and gear on pace - no dedicated grinding needed (see Early XP).
• ▸Act 1 includes the blacksmith choice quest (Angrim or Duncan). The difference is only the crafting bonus lean, so choose lightly (see Blacksmiths).
• ▸Restore Devotion Shrines on sight to bank devotion points (see Devotion Basics).
• ▸Act 1 closes with the boss Warden Krieg. After the kill, with FG installed, the Emissary appears in hubs and opens the door to FG content - though a first character should prioritize the campaign.

The Survivability Baseline

• ▸Early deaths come from durability gaps more than damage gaps - make resist components in armor a habit (see Components and Augments, and Resistances).
• ▸Health and Defensive Ability (DA) come from Physique - pair attribute points with gear upgrades for baseline toughness.
• ▸Potions are cooldown-based now, so use them early and often. Build the habit of Evading big attacks.
• ▸Death only costs the gauge XP, recoverable at your grave marker. The penalty is mild - when something feels too hard, stepping back to re-gear is genuinely faster.

1. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: Masteries — Confirms the first mastery unlocking at level 2 and the second at level 10.
2. Official Crate Forum: Grim Dawn v1.2.0.0/1/2/3 Hotfixes — Confirms potions removed as items and made baseline skills (with dedicated quickbar buttons), the Evade skill (spacebar default, dash with iframes, existing players may need keybind resets), and the adjustable auto-pickup radius.
3. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: Player — Confirms death costing only the gauge XP, recoverable via the grave marker.
4. Official Grim Dawn Game Guide: Game Difficulties — Confirms Veteran as Normal's anytime-toggle hard mode.
5. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: Forgotten Gods Overview — Confirms the FG intro NPC appearing in hubs after the Act 1 boss, opening the FG content.
6. Official Crate Forum: Grim Dawn v1.2.1.6 + Hotfix — Official patch notes for the verified version.