Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a meticulously crafted medieval RPG that offers players an immersive, historically accurate experience. However, it can also be quite punishing, especially for newcomers. You start as an illiterate peasant with no combat experience, no money, and very few skills. Thankfully, through training, persistence, and strategic gameplay, you can transform Henry into a powerful warrior, stealthy rogue, or charismatic merchant. In this guide, we’ll go over 10 essential tips to help beginners get a strong start in their playthrough.

1. Take Advantage of Skalitz to Boost Early Skills

Before leaving the tutorial town of Skalitz, use this safe environment to level up crucial skills. Activities like herbalism, lockpicking, strength training, and stealth can be improved significantly here.

• Herbalism: Pick every herb in sight. At level 10, unlock Botanist to increase their sale value by 15%.
• Strength: Engage in fistfights with Kunesh repeatedly. He doesn’t report you to the guards, making him the perfect training dummy.
• Stealth: Knock out the hay-shoveling NPC near the entrance to the inner walls and steal his rations repeatedly. Be mindful of patrolling guards.
• Lockpicking: Start Unexpected Visit, speak to Kunesh, then find his locked chest. Visit Fritz for lockpicks and practice on every available easy lock.

2. Use the Miller Peshek to Train Pickpocketing

If you plan on playing a stealth-oriented build, visit Miller Peshek in Rattay. He offers unlimited pickpocketing training without consequences. Keep retrying to level up the skill while also improving stealth. Additionally, he provides a lockpicking practice chest, though it has limited uses.

3. Train Combat with Captain Bernard

Once you reach Rattay and begin “Keeping the Peace”, seek out Captain Bernard near the northern gate. Training with him boosts essential combat skills like strength, agility, warfare, and weapon mastery. Early on, you’ll struggle, but it’s better to fail in training than against real enemies like bandits and Cumans.

4. Instantly Heal During Training with Captain Bernard

A useful trick when training with Bernard: if you take too much damage, simply surrender and ask him to teach you combos. This inexplicably fully heals you, allowing you to continue training without needing to rest or heal manually. This is especially useful when practicing with real weapons.

5. Brew Marigold Potions for Extra Groschen

Marigold Potion is one of the easiest potions to make early on, providing healing and a source of income. Ingredients (nettle and marigold) are common and found near Rattay and Neuhof. Even if you can’t read yet, follow these steps:

1. Pour water into the cauldron.
2. Add 1 nettle and boil for one sandglass turn.
3. Let it cool completely.
4. Add 2 handfuls of marigold.
5. Collect the potion and sell it for a profit.

6. Learn to Read as Soon as Possible

Reading is an invaluable skill in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It enables passive XP gain in various skills through books. To learn, travel to Uzhitz and speak to the scribe. However, beware—bandits frequently appear on the road between Neuhof and Uzhitz, so ensure you’re well-equipped before making the journey.

7. Save the Game Frequently

The game can be ruthless—ambushes, bad luck, or failed missions can cost you dearly. Save as often as possible using:

• Savior Schnapps (purchase or craft them).
• Sleeping in your own bed, an inn, or a bathhouse.
• Bathhouse services (grants a save and additional buffs). If playing on Hardcore Mode, auto-saves are disabled, making manual saves even more crucial.

8. Get a Horse as Soon as Possible

A horse drastically improves inventory management, travel speed, and escape potential. The quest “The Prey” rewards you with a free horse. However, if you have the Groschen, you can purchase one earlier at Neuhof, with prices starting around 600 Groschen (affected by your speech skill and reputation).

9. Level Speech for Maximum Influence

Speech allows you to haggle, persuade, and negotiate your way out of trouble. Some efficient ways to level speech include:

• Passing speech checks in dialogue.
• Haggling with merchants every chance you get.
• Committing minor crimes in towns you don’t care about and using persuasion on guards to escape punishment. Since speech checks grant the most XP, repeating them is a great way to level up quickly.

10. Keep Combat Simple and Effective

While flashy multi-hit combos sound great, in practice, they’re hard to pull off, especially against multiple opponents. Instead, focus on these fundamentals:

• Perfect Blocks & Ripostes: Time blocks correctly to counter enemies.
• Clinches: If you win a clinch, strike immediately for a free hit.
• Movement & Defense: Dodging and footwork are key in fights against multiple opponents.

Captain Bernard’s training ground is perfect for practicing these techniques. The more comfortable you get with simple, effective moves, the better you’ll fare in real fights.

Final Thoughts

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a demanding game, but with patience and proper preparation, it becomes an incredibly rewarding experience. Take advantage of safe training opportunities, master combat basics, and plan your skill progression carefully. Whether you aim to be a fearsome warrior, a cunning rogue, or a persuasive noble, following these tips will set you on the path to success.

Have additional tips? Share them with other players! Stay tuned for more Kingdom Come: Deliverance guides and updates.