How the loss gauge works

Loss is a mechanic in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that will be nipping at your heels wherever you go. Take too much damage and you’ll be feeling its effects, which will make subsequent fights even tougher. Deal with the loss gauge sooner rather than later to avoid situations where you die, load, and die again.

As you take damage in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you will be subjected to something called loss, basically a reduced health bar. This loss decreases your overall maximum health that you can recover and can only be fixed by resting at an inn or campsite or by using magical items (like Wakestones).

The darker portion is the health you cannot recover (loss) until you've rested at a camp or an inn.
Source: Shacknews

In the screenshot, you can see the green portion of the health bar, this is how much health your character currently has. The gray segment is how much health they can recover if a healing item is used (Salubrious Draught). The darker, almost black section is the portion of the health that has suffered loss and will not be recovered by basic healing items.

To reiterate, your health is not permanently decreased. You can heal yourself completely by resting at a camp overnight or staying at an inn. Using a Wakestone will also completely heal you.

You’re not the only one who suffers loss either, your Pawns will also be subjected to this effect. This is why it’s so important to camp and recover health as you adventure. Furthermore, if you revive a Pawn, they will be revived with whatever your maximum allowed health is – so if 90 percent of your health bar is gone due to loss, your Pawn will also only have this much health.

The health loss system in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is pretty brutal. Each time you take hits, your health will be slowly chipped away on two fronts: temporarily and semi-permanently. The only way to recover this semi-permanent loss is to get some rest. While you’re resting through the night, take a look at our Dragon’s Dogma 2 page for more help.