Augments and Stat Growth Reference Guide

When you level up, you get permanent stat gains according to your current vocation. This information is useful for those who like to optimize their character builds.

Stat gains are different depending on the level gained. They change as you reach level 10, and again at 100, separating it into three tiers of Under 10, Levels 10 to 100, and 100+. As you can only be a basic Vocation until level 10, all other classes do not have an Under 10 stat block.

There are several Stat Calculators available to facilitate character planning; I've found a rather useful one here[stackoverflow.github.io].

Note that stat growth is considerably lower past level 100.

Not really, no. While you can, it does not matter too much since end-game gear is so powerful it pretty much overcomes any stat deficiencies you'd have by just playing normally. This image covers the min/max situation well.[i.imgur.com]

As someone from the comments added:

Originally posted by AnUnculturedLittlePotato:

Never start as mage. Magick builds should start as a Strider because Mages 1-10 stat growths are pitiful particularlly stamina.

While end-game gear can make up for weaker attack stats, it is much harder to compensate for low stamina, so it is definitely a good idea to start as a Strider to boost stamina growth as opposed to Mage, which has abysmal stats to start with.

If you really want to min/max your character, these sources below can help you get started.

Stat Growth Analysis[pastebin.com]

Augments are ways to customize your Arisen and your main pawn to your liking. Some have direct effects in combat, while others offer changes for your day-to-day convenience. Augments are unlocked by reaching higher ranks in vocations. You earn a currency called DP (Discipline Points) every time you do anything that grants you normal experience points. DP is also used to unlock vocations other than the one you start with (1000 for basic and advanced vocations, 1500 for hybrids). Once you've unlocked a class, you no longer need to pay to change to it again. Thus, you can switch between earned vocations for free at the Gran Soren inn or with Olra on Bitterblack Isle.

To buy or change augments, speak to Ecbal in the main tent of the Encampment, Asalam at the inn at the Fountain Square in Gran Soren, or Olra at the entrance to Bitterblack Isle.

Once you earn an augment, you can equip it regardless of your current vocation. People often "dip" into a vocation just to obtain a desirable augment or two, then return to their actual preferred vocations.

The maximum number of augments you can have equipped is 6.

You earn DP by killing enemies and completing quests. The amount of DP you get depends on the XP value of the enemy you kill or quest you complete. The calculation from XP to DP is a base logarithmic function.[docs.google.com]

This means you get more relative DP for smaller increments of XP, so you can farm DP in an efficient manner by killing many weak enemies rather than a few difficult ones. The goblins outside the Shadow Fort and around the Healing Spring nearby are great for this. They're plentiful and respawn quickly.
Two pieces of equipment can help speed up the rate at which you gain Discipline Points, though they are only available end-game.

• The Asura armor increases DP gain by 50%. It is obtained by completing the post-game quest Keepers of the Ancient Flame, to kill 7 Geo Saurians.
  
• The Ring of Perseverance also increases DP gain by 50%. It can be randomly obtained by purifying Bitterblack Gear Lv.3, or picked up in Duskmoon Tower (east side of the first floor, behind the southernmost door).

Equipping both the Asura armor and the Ring of Perseverance stack, but a bug causes it to only work if you equip the armor first. The Weal buff doubles XP, Discipline Points, and Rift Crystals you earn for as long as it is active. The following items give you Weal: You can also find some of these items randomly in chests throughout the game, but I've listed the most reliable way of obtaining them. As the Mage's Talisman is hard to obtain and also inflicts Curse, it is not recommended. If you're willing to do so, you can use the infamous method of killing post-game Gran Soren guards. Simply approach Gran Soren guards so that they give chase to attack you, then stand on a high section of wall or roof of a building so they can't reach you. Since they pose no threat and spawn infinitely, you'll gain DP with impunity. You can even go AFK and let your pawns do the dirty work.

Ranger

Assassin augments were notable for being overpowered in the original pre-Dark Arisen release. As a result, they were nerfed, which is the reason why some Assassin augments are flat-out inferior to comparable augments from other vocations.

With the exception of one quest reward, Secret Augments are obtained by purifying Bitterblack Novelties Levels 1, 2, and 3.

You'll get the most bang for your buck with the augments that increase your strength and magick stats for damage. You can't go wrong with those, especially with Bitterblack Isle weapons, which get a ridiculous boost in power.

Any vocation that requires casting spells benefits from augments that help you cast faster (Articulacy) or resist getting staggered or knocked down while casting (Gravitas).

The warrior augment Ferocity increases the damage you deal with light attacks, heavy attacks, and core skills. This affects both physical and magick attacks, so even mages and sorcerers can benefit by using Focused Bolt against enemies resistant to spells or while waiting for stamina to recharge. Don't underestimate basic attacks – they do more than you'd think!

Other than that, your augments are up to your preference and playstyle. A Magick Archer that specializes in immolating themselves and climbing on enemies stabbing them with daggers will have a different augment setup than a Magick Archer that prefers to stay at a distance with a bow and staff. Use what fits your style, and feel free to experiment with different setups. Changing augments you've unlocked is always free.

Don't forget to set up augments for your main pawn, too!

In general, get Sinew for light characters, and Leg Strength for heavy characters. The two effects will work in conjunction with each other, but that will be a relatively small benefit for taking up two augment slots.

While for a long time it was thought that the Leg Strength augment granted a hidden "Ultra Light" weight class if equipped on a Very Light character, it has since been tested and disproved.

The Perpetuation augment has several stipulations. This increases the duration of enchantments by 25% from the person who casts it; equipping Perpetuation on the recipient has no effect. On the other hand, equipment that states that it “extends the duration of attribute boosts applied to you” affect the equipped recipient, not the caster. Perpetuation affects:

• All elemental Boon and Affinity spells
  
• Mystic Knight weapon enchantments and trances

Perpetuation does not affect:

• Mage’s Spellscreen
  
• Mystic Knight’s Abyssal Anguish, Abyssal Trance, shield enchantments
  
• Magick Archer’s Ward Arrow and Magick Rebalancer

If you want to specialize in climbing on monsters, these augments work well together:
Dexterity (climb quicker, Strider 2) + Arm-Strength (Halves stamina consumption when climbing, Strider 7) + Adhesion (Harder to be shaken off, Bitterblack Novelty Lvl 2 & 3) + Opportunism (+20% strength while climbing, Bitterblack Novelty Lvl 3). Equip Gloves of Might (increased climbing speed) for extra effect.
You'll earn the Gloves of Might from a quest reward. After completing the storyline quest Come to Court (wherin you meet the Duke), a quest will appear in the Cassardis Inn notice board called Winged Reaver. The quest objective is to kill a Griffin.

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Prescience works well when using the core skills Deflect (Fighter/Assassin) or Reflect (Mystic Knight), especially when using shields that do an elemental burst on perfect blocks.

I cannot claim all of this information as my own; I've used several sources to speed up research, confirm data or discrepancies, or add to what I already knew. There is a lot of conflicting information regarding augments; I've done my best to separate the truth from the rumors, bugs, mistranslations, and misinterpretations.

Dragon's Dogma Wikia[dragonsdogma.wikia.com]
/vg/ Dragon's Dogma General FAQ[docs.google.com]
Science etc[docs.google.com]
wbacon (Capcom representative who, through words and actions, shows they really care about the community)

You can also check out my other Dragon's Dogma guide which covers general gameplay tips and features a list of all missable sidequests.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=600991495
If you have further questions, leave a comment below. If you have further tips to add for fellow arisen, feel free to share!