If 40 hours of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have taught me anything so far, it's that you can't expect anything to be handed to Henry on a silver platter. Main quests will equip you with the basics—a sword, crappy helmet, some half-decent shoes if you're lucky—but you have to make your own riches in this rendering of medieval Bohemia.
Luckily, you can also find riches. Quests are great for XP, but exploration is how you fill your pockets and get geared up. Below we've gathered a handful of locations you can and should head to early on in Kingdom Come 2. Loot these spots and you'll be well on your way in terms of money, armor, weapons, and skill books.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Best early gear
In Kingdom Come 2, you're only as durable as the armor your wearing, and the early game options for armor you'll find on dead bandits are pretty mediocre. Finding a sturdy helmet, shield, and a proper sword is a legitimate game changer in this RPG, and we've spotted one spot where you can find all three.
Wolf Pack
It doesn't get much easier than this. North of the Nomad's Camp across from the pond is a fork in the road. Head up into the rocks from the base of the road and you'll find an old camp ransacked by a pack of wolves.
You'll most likely have to fight off the wolves, but if you're lucky, some of them will run away after killing one or two. Wolves don't pose much of a threat to Henry as long as he's wearing a basic layer of protection (never leave home without a gambeson), but they can be tricky to fight. Swinging wildly at them with a sword won't get you far since they're so close to the ground. Instead, wait to block their attack, counterattack, and follow up with a second and third hit. That's usually enough to finish off a wolf or convince it to skedaddle.
Once you've evicted the wolves, there's some very nice early-game gear waiting for you in the pair of open graves:
- Battle longsword
- Von Bergow shield
- Saxon Bascinet with visor
That bascinet is probably the best find of all—good armor is exceedingly rare in the beginning region of Kingdom Come 2. Throw this helmet on and Henry will be better protected from lethal blows than all the decorated soldiers at Trosky castle. I have nothing but nice things to say about that longsword, too. I spent my first dozen hours thwacking away at bandits with a hunting sword and this longsword is a dramatic upgrade. You may not be strong enough to get the most out of its power at first, but your strength will improve through combat.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Easy treasure spots
Kingdom Come 2 encourages Henry to make money by contributing to society through blacksmithing, milling, hunting, or alchemy, but working is hard, and looting treasure you can sell later is fun. Here are three good places to start.
Treasure hunter's camp
Don't ask me how senior guides writer Sean Martin found this place, because I have no clue. Deep in the trees among the hills that wrap around the herbalist woman's home is a camp full of treasure-hunting grave robbers.
There's only three of them, so Henry's odds are pretty decent, but you'll want some armor before taking them on. I recommend trying to take one out with a bow or crossbow before the fighting starts.
Clear the camp and you're left with two prizes:
- Golden chalice (worth 580 groschen, lying near an open grave)
- Scapular with saint (jewelry worth 121 groschen, in a locked chest)
Deserting soldiers camp
You'll find this one north of Trosky Castle in a region that's mostly forest and pleasant meadows. If you speak to the secluded herbalist who lives just off the road, he'll warn you about two Trosky deserters camping out in the nearby woods. If you're not game for a fight, this one's fairly easy to resolve non-lethally by either picking the chest lock or pickpocketing the "Deserting soldier's key" from one of the sleeping soldiers.
Crack into the chest and you'll get:
- Silver cross with insignia (jewelry worth 229.3 groschen)
- 281 groschen
- Lousy Gambler's Die
Devil's Finger
Careful with this one. The Devil's Finger is a rock spire in the northwest of KCD2's first region. Unlike every other camp or treasure spot I've encountered so far, this one makes you climb and jump to reach the peak.
KCD2's jumping is wonky as hell, so make sure you get a solid headstart before each leap and try not to overshoot. Get it wrong and you'll end up like my Henry, dead in the rocks with over an hour of lost progress.
Climb to the top of the Devil's Finger and you'll find:
- Silver cross with insignia (worth 229.3 groschen, stashed in a pot)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Skill books
Among the rarest and most expensive of finds in KCD2 is the humble skill book—Henry's ace in the hole to leveling his skills outside hard experience. You won't find many skill books unburdened by a hefty price tag or simply locked in a chest, so it's good to grab these early on in your playthrough.
Ruin in the Rocks
Few sidequests take you out to the Apollonia area in the far east of KCD2's first region, so it's easy to miss all the treasure waiting among its sheer rock faces. This one requires a little bit of climbing, but you'll know you've found the right place once you see a tiny cross embedded in a rock overhang. You should also see a few helpful tree bridges that lead straight to the loot.
Once you're there, you'll find a little shrine set up against a cliff holding some valuable jewelry and, more importantly, two skill books:
- Master's Studies IV (Scholarship skill book)
- Products of Skilled Hands III (Blacksmithing skill book)
- Scapular with saint (worth 121.7 groschen)
- Silver cross with insignia (worth 229.3 groschen, found next to the cross itself)
Nomad's Camp
I missed this one completely until Sean told me about it. On the cliffs near the Nomad's Camp you can find a free sword fighting skill book, one of the rarest treasures in KCD2 that directly improves one of Henry's most important skills.
Head just north of the camp, climb some rocks, and find:
- The Art of the Sword I (skill book)
