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Highwayman — Darkest Dungeon hero
Hero Class

Highwayman

The Highwayman is one of the playable heroes in Darkest Dungeon. He is a strong, flexible damage dealer notable for his {{Riposte|-}} skill, ''Duelist's Advance. Common builds place him in {{Rank|ally|ooo.}} ranks 2-4, where he can hit every enemy rank. His very rare Trinket, the Gunslinger's Buckle'', also enables a strong ranged-focused build.

DPS

Featured in comps

Recommended for

Best trinkets All trinkets →

Combat Skills

A rogue, a thug and a thief, the Highwayman has honed his skills with dirk and flintlock to devastating effect. Whether at range or in a melee, he is equally effective at dispatching his foes. Be it a grapeshot area-of-effect, or single target bleed, the Highwayman's skills focus solely on dealing damage in a variety of ways.
Guild
Wicked Slice.png

Wicked Slice#

Range
Melee
Rank
Grey dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.png
Target
Red dot.pngRed dot.pngGrey dot.pngGrey dot.png
Damage
+15%
Accuracy
85
Crit
5%
Pistol Shot.png

Pistol Shot#

Range
Ranged
Rank
Yellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngGrey dot.png
Target
Grey dot.pngRed dot.pngRed dot.pngRed dot.png
Damage
-15%
Accuracy
85
Crit
7.5%

Effect+25% DMG vs Marked

Point Blank Shot.png

Point Blank Shot#

Range
Ranged
Rank
Grey dot.pngGrey dot.pngGrey dot.pngYellow dot.png
Target
Red dot.pngGrey dot.pngGrey dot.pngGrey dot.png
Damage
+50%
Accuracy
95
Crit
5%

EffectKnockback 1 (100% base)

SelfBack 1

Grapeshot Blast.png

Grapeshot Blast#

Range
Ranged
Rank
Grey dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngGrey dot.png
Target
Red dotr.pngRed dotlr.pngRed dotl.pngGrey dot.png
Damage
-50%
Accuracy
75
Crit
-9%

Effect+4% Crits Received (100% base, 3 rds)

Tracking Shot.png

Tracking Shot#

Range
Ranged
Rank
Yellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.png
Target
Grey dot.pngRed dot.pngRed dot.pngRed dot.png
Damage
-80%
Accuracy
95
Crit
0%

EffectBypass/Remove Stealth

Self+6 ACC
+4% CRIT
+12% DMG
(1 Battle)

Duelist's Advance.png

Duelist's Advance#

Range
Melee
Rank
Yellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngGrey dot.png
Target
Red dot.pngRed dot.pngRed dot.pngGrey dot.png
Damage
-20%
Accuracy
90
Crit
5%

SelfForward 1
Activates Riposte (3 rds)
Riposte: -40% DMG (3 rds)

Open Vein.png

Open Vein#

Range
Melee
Rank
Grey dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.pngYellow dot.png
Target
Red dot.pngRed dot.pngGrey dot.pngGrey dot.png
Damage
-15%
Accuracy
95
Crit
0%

EffectBleed (100% base) 2 pts/rd for 3 rds
-20% Bleed Resist (100% base)
-1 SPD (100% base)
(3 rds)

Notes

  • All buffs and debuffs last for 3 rounds unless otherwise specified.
  • A newly recruited Highwayman will always have Pistol Shot equipped.
  • The Highwayman's Riposte Riposte attack has a base accuracy of 85 and 5% base critical chance.

Camping Skills

The Highwayman relishes cynical preparedness and off-color jokes around the campfire. A life spent running and hiding has taught him the tenuous benefit of perimeter alarms, and late-night investigations into the encroaching shadows.
Survivalist

Camping skills are special skills heroes can use while they are camping. They take a certain number of "respite" points to use, and can only be used once per camp (unless the skill says otherwise). Most heroes have three shared camping skills and all heroes have 4 unique camping skills (with the Flagellant being the exception, having only unique camping skills). Only 4 of these can be equipped at one time. Any Buffs or lasting effects given from a camping skill lasts for 4 battles.

The Highwayman's unique camping skills are primarily self-focused, with powerful but costly buffs for either ranged or melee abilities, but he does have ambush prevention, and a chance to heal a significant amount of stress for the whole party.

Equipment

The highwayman's reinforced overcoat will dull a knife-strike, but he relies more on evasion than damage mitigation. His flintlock and short sword afford him great versatility; he is never out of position, or caught unawares.
Blacksmith

Equipment upgrades are all bought at the Blacksmith:

Pistol & Blade
Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5
Eqp weapon 4hig (2).pngFlintlock, Rusty BladeEqp weapon 4hig (3).pngVersatile Pistol and BladeEqp weapon 4hig (4).pngPolished Pistol and BladeEqp weapon 4hig (5).pngFluted Pistol, Sharpened EdgeEqp weapon 4hig (1).pngThunder and Lightning
DMG base:5-10DMG base:6-12DMG base:7-13DMG base:8-15DMG base:9-16
CRT base:5.0%CRT base:6.0%CRT base:7.0%CRT base:8.0%CRT base:9.0%
SPD base:5SPD base:5SPD base:6SPD base:6SPD base:7
Bandit's Overcoat
Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5
Eqp armour 0hig.pngWorn OvercoatEqp armour 1hig.pngDurable OvercoatEqp armour 2hig.pngPadded OvercoatEqp armour 3hig.pngBandit's OvercoatEqp armour 4hig.pngThe Uncatchable
DODGE base:10DODGE base:15DODGE base:20DODGE base:25DODGE base:30
HP base:23HP base:28HP base:33HP base:38HP base:43

Trinkets

Each Hero has Trinkets unique to them that only they can equip. The Highwayman has eight; 3 common, 2 Crimson Court and 1 uncommon, rare and very rare. In the base game, his trinkets are all either belt buckles, dagger sheathes or gunpowder. The Color of Madness DLC adds another gunpowder trinket, while The Crimson Court DLC adds a his neckerchief and a locket with a picture of the woman and child from his comic.

ImageNameRarityClassDungeonEffectNotes
Inv trinket-drifters buckle.png
Drifter's BuckleCommonHighwayman
  • +10% Trap Disarm Chance
  • +4 DODGE
  • -5% Stress Heal Received
Inv trinket-flashfire gunpowder.png
Flashfire GunpowderCommonHighwayman
  • +10% DMG Ranged Skills
  • -20% Stun Resist
Inv trinket-cursed buckle.png
Stalwart BuckleCommonHighwayman
  • +5% CRIT
  • +5% Stress
  • -3% Virtue Chance
Inv trinket-dodgy sheath.png
Dodgy SheathUncommonHighwayman
  • +8 DODGE
  • +1 SPD
  • -10 ACC Ranged Skills
Inv trinket-sharpening sheath.png
Sharpening SheathRareHighwayman
  • +7% CRIT Melee Skills
  • +40% Bleed Skill Chance
  • -1 SPD
Inv trinket-poisoning buckle.png
Gunslinger's BuckleVery RareHighwaymanRuins
  • +20% DMG Ranged Skills
  • +15 ACC Ranged Skills
  • -10% DMG Melee Skills
  • -5% CRIT Melee Skills


Each hero has a unique trinket set consisting of two hero-exclusive trinkets, and a hero who equips both will gain an additional set bonus. Most heroes' set trinkets can only be found in the Crimson CourtCourtyard and have the rarity Crimson Court. Each set trinket is unique and limited to one copy in the inventory. The Shieldbreaker Shieldbreaker's set trinkets can only be obtained by completing her nightmare encounters and do not interact with Crimson Court The Crimson Court in any way.

ImageNameClassEffectSet EffectQuoteNotes
Inv trinket-cc set high bloodied neckerchief.pngCrimson CourtBloodied NeckerchiefHighwayman
  • +2 SPD
  • +10 DODGE
  • +45% Virtue Chance
"A reflex - I didn't mean to..."
Inv trinket-cc set high shameful locket.pngCrimson CourtShameful Locket
  • +10 ACC
  • +5% CRIT
  • +15% Stress

Color of Madness The Color of Madness DLC introduces trinkets with a new rarity, Crystalline, which must be purchased by spending Crystal Shards at the Jeweler in the Nomad Wagon. There are both generic crystalline trinkets as well as one exclusive crystalline trinket for each hero.

ImageNameRarityClassShard CostEffectNotes
Hwy crystalline gunpowder.png
Color of MadnessCrystalline GunpowderCrystallineHighwayman90 Shards
  • +20% DMG
  • +3 SPD
  • -15% Stun Resist