Deep Rock Galactic: Perks Deep Rock Galactic guide, tips
This page explains what the Perks are and how to get them. We have also included a list of the best Perks in Deep Rock Galactic.
Last update: 13 January 2022
From this chapter of our Deep Rock Galactic game guide, you can find out what perks are available in the game, how to get them as quickly as possible, how to increase the number of perks and what are the best perks available in the game.
Perks are an additional skills used by a dwarf to increase his abilities and customize the character's playing style (for a particular purpose during a mission). Perks in Deep Rock Galactic have been divided into passive and active types - the former are active at all times and the latter must be activated with the right button. Interestingly, some of the perks can have both passive and active effects. At the beginning of the game, the player can equip his character with only 1 perk of each type, but the number of perks can be increased to 3 passive and 2 active perks.
- Perk Points - how can I get them quickly?
- Perks - how to distribute them?
- How to increase the number of perks
- Perks - how to use them?
- Best Perks
Perk Points - how can I get them quickly?
In order to get active and passive perks for your character you first need to collect a certain amount of Perk Points, that is, points for which you can buy additional skills. So far, the only way to earn Perk Points in Deep Rock Galactic is to complete missions and achieve the so-called Milestones.
Once the player has reached a certain Milestone by completing the corresponding task, the relevant information will be displayed on the game's main screen. In other words, the game will indicate that you have received Perk Points as a reward. To collect Perk Points, activate the Key Performance Indicators terminal, which is available in the character's private quarters, and click "Claim Reward". Perk Points can be obtained, among others, for the following activities:
- Performing a specific type of mission;
- Unlocking a certain amount of equipment modifications;
- Unlocking a certain amount of cosmetic items;
- Completing a mission with a specific anomaly or warning;
- Reaching a particular level of a specific character class;
- Crafting of a certain amount of items in The Forge;
- Creating a certain amount of Overclocks in The Forge;
- Completing missions which had a particular level of threat;
- Unlocking a certain amount of special drinks in The Abyss Bar.
Perks - how to distribute them?
Once you have earned the Perk Points, you can go to the appropriate tab in the Key Performance Indicators terminal and select which Perks you want to unlock. Before distributing Perk Points, it is worth considering which perk will actually be needed by a particular character, as once a specific skill has been selected, it is impossible to undo your decision.
The perks have been divided into several separate columns, which can be accessed after unlocking the right amount of skills. The first columns require only 3 or 4 perks to be unlocked, but to advance to the next ones you have to unlock as many as 5 skills per column. Also, it is worth remembering that some perks are divided into levels and occur in several columns. To unlock the highest level of a particular perk you will need to unlock all of its levels one at a time.
First of all, focus on acquiring the most important Perks for your character. You will be able to unlock the rest of the skills later.
How to increase the number of perks
At the very beginning of the game, each character in Deep Rock Galactic can be equipped with just one passive and one active Perk. It's really not much and you are forced to decide which of the skills will be most suitable for your character. Fortunately, the number of perks can be increased to 3 passive and 2 active perks.
On the skill board in 4th and 5th columns you can find a Perk called "New Passive Perk Slot". The first one costs 15 Perk Points and the second as much as 20 perk Points so you will have to save points to unlock more slots for passive character skills.
In order to unlock an additional active Perk slot, you will have to level up your character. For more information about character advancement and leveling up, please refer to another chapter of this guide, which is entirely devoted to this topic.
It's worth to unlock additional Perk slots as early as possible in order to have access to useful passive and active skills, which will make the game much easier.
Perks - how to use them?
After unlocking the first perks, you will be able to assign them to your character. Perks can be selected at the equipment terminal, which is located on the first level of the space rig. It's right next to the mission terminal.
After the terminal gets activated, you will see a screen with the character's equipment. Perk slots are located in the marked area indicated in the above picture. The first 3 from the top are pink and these are Passive Perks. Below them you can find two Perks that have a turquoise color.
Perks can be changed freely and you don't have to pay extra for this action so it's worth remembering that you can customize your character for a specific mission.
Best Perks
You can find powerful and some lesser quality perks in Deep Rock Galactic. Some of them are standard equipment for each character, and others are only useful for a particular character class. Below we have prepared some of the best perks in Deep Rock Galactic.
Perk Icon | Description |
 | Beast Master is one of the most popular active Perks. Use it to tame one of the opponents to find on your side. Beast Master is an extremely useful skill when you run-through solo missions, but is also useful in multiplayer gameplay. The best targets to tame are the following alien species:
|
 | Dash is a very useful active Perk, which greatly increases the character's mobility. Once activated, the dwarf will run much faster than normal for a short time. Dash comes in handy when you need to get away from the hive or during a fight against the Dreadnought which have clung to the character's back. |
Field Medic is another very popular active Perk, which also has a passive effect. When a character is using this ability he will be able to recover fallen companions 30% faster than usual. In addition, at the highest level, Field Medic causes nearby enemies to flee in panic after you start recovering a fallen ally. You can also instantly resurrect one team member. | |
 | Iron Will is an active Perk that is useful in critical situations. During a particular gameplay on a mission, you can return to the battle with reloaded weapon and extraordinary strength - you will move faster, inflict more damage and ignore all slow-down effects. However, this can be used only once during a mission. This effect lasts from 6 to 12 seconds (depending on the skill level). After that time the dwarf will die for good. If you manage to replenish your character's health during this dozen of seconds due to resources capsule or Red Sugar, then you will be able to use this hero even after the Iron Will effect expires. |
 | Born Ready is a passive Perk that makes a concealed weapon reload automatically after a specified time. At the first level, the weapon must be hidden for 15 seconds in order to be reloaded, but in subsequent levels this time is reduced by 5 or even 10 seconds. Born Ready is an extremely useful Perk for all players who use very slow reloading weapons such as Breach Cutter. |
 | Thorns is another useful passive perk that inflicts damage to alien enemies if they attack your character. At the first level it is only inflicts 6 points of damage, but at the last level it deals 24 damage points. 24 damage is enough to kill the smallest opponents which may attack the player. |
 | Deep Pockets is a passive perk for a Scout class. Scouts are the most mineral-extracting and Deep Pockets allow them to store more raw materials in their backpack. At the first level it will grant you +5 capacity bonus to each raw material type stored in the backpack. Higher levels provide +10 and +15 storage capacity bonuses. |