Somewhere in Fahrul, a gravedigger is wandering around collecting souls in a mysterious lantern. Meanwhile, a street fighter is preparing to settle his next disagreement with a well-placed punch to the face. Neither sounds like the most conventional addition to an adventuring party, especially when you’re used to relying on swords, spells, and the occasional healing potion. Still, when the kingdom is crawling with dangerous creatures, having someone who can manipulate souls and another who can punch monsters into submission could prove pretty useful.
For The King II: Dust to Dust Character Pack is the latest DLC from developer IronOak Games and publisher Curve Games, launching on Steam today. It introduces two playable characters, the Gravedigger and Pugilist, each bringing a different approach to the game’s turn-based battles. There are also new equipment sets, a trait, a mercenary, a pet, and cosmetics to collect. Better still, the DLC arrives alongside A Mother Below, a brand-new adventure being released as a free update for all players.
The Gravedigger Has Some Unfinished Business With the Dead
The Gravedigger spends their days tending to those who have departed the living world, although their responsibilities extend well beyond digging holes and maintaining gravestones. Armed with a mysterious Soul Lantern, this new character draws on the power of souls to influence battles and exploration. The lantern also introduces two different paths to experiment with, each offering its own approach to using these supernatural abilities. There’s the Ardent path, which draws on the lantern’s brighter powers, and Dimwick, which leans into Gloom and Doom.
It’s an interesting contrast for a character whose abilities revolve around the boundary between life and death. Rather than simply adding another spellcaster to the roster, the Gravedigger introduces a resource to manage and decisions about how that power should be used. The character can also spend collected souls on special abilities while exploring Fahrul. These include sacrificing souls to gain Focus at the cost of a curse, gaining additional movement while sacrificing the next turn, teleporting a short distance, and revealing unexplored territory.
That gives the Gravedigger opportunities to influence an expedition outside combat, particularly when the party needs to reach somewhere quickly or uncover what’s waiting beyond the next stretch of wilderness. Of course, deliberately accepting a curse for a little extra Focus sounds like exactly the sort of decision that could come back to haunt you.
The Pugilist Prefers to Let His Fists Do the Talking
If collecting souls and experimenting with mysterious lanterns sounds a little too complicated, the Pugilist offers a more direct approach to solving problems. Born fighting on the streets, this new character has decided that the best weapon is a good pair of fists. Rather than relying on traditional equipment to deal damage, the Pugilist specializes in unarmed combat, building combinations of attacks through strength and speed. As those combos develop, the character can unleash a powerful limit break ability, rewarding players who manage to keep the pressure on their opponents.
Bringing a bare-knuckle fighter into a fantasy adventure filled with dangerous creatures and heavily armed enemies is a unique idea. While the rest of your party is carefully selecting spells and preparing weapons, the Pugilist is quite happy to walk straight up to something terrifying and punch it. Naturally, you’ll still need to think about how this character fits into your party. Building combos and making the most of a limit break requires a different approach from simply dealing as much damage as possible with every individual attack.
The Pugilist’s ambition is to become the Champion of Fahrul, and it looks like plenty of unfortunate enemies will be helping him work toward that goal.
New Gear for Your Next Expedition
The two characters are the main attraction, but Dust to Dust also introduces several additions for players who enjoy experimenting with their party’s equipment and abilities. There’s a Plague Doctor Armor Set, which will look great on anyone who enjoys wandering around Fahrul dressed like an ominous medical professional.
You’ll also find a Championship Belt Trinket Set, fitting nicely with the Pugilist’s determination to become the kingdom’s greatest fighter. The pack includes a new Gold-tier trait, mercenary, and pet, along with a Gold-tier cosmetic skin. These additions give returning players more options to explore when assembling their parties, particularly alongside the two new characters and their unusual abilities.
With the Gravedigger and Pugilist joining the roster, For The King II now has 25 playable characters, offering quite a few possibilities for putting together a party that suits your preferred approach.
Something Nasty Is Stirring Beneath Fahrul
The arrival of Dust to Dust also coincides with something much bigger happening in the kingdom. IronOak Games is releasing A Mother Below, a new adventure available free to all For The King II players, regardless of whether they purchase the character pack.
The adventure introduces another threat to Fahrul, with a mysterious rot spreading beneath the land. There’s also a tournament to attend, although knowing how things usually unfold in this kingdom, it probably won’t be quite as straightforward as turning up and winning a few prizes.
It’s a welcome addition for anyone looking for another reason to gather their party and head back into danger. With two new characters arriving on the same day, there’s an opportunity to tackle the adventure with some unfamiliar abilities.
Dust to Dust launches today as a paid DLC for For The King II, while A Mother Below arrives as a free adventure update across all platforms. Whether your next party includes a soul-collecting caretaker of the dead or a fighter determined to become champion through sheer punching power, Fahrul’s enemies are about to meet two rather unusual new opponents.