Hunting down Medusa in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is no ordinary quest – it’s a perilous journey into the shadowy Nera’Battahl Windrift, where petrified creatures lurk and danger strikes with a deadly gaze. But for those daring enough to face the snake-haired terror and sever her head, the rewards are legendary. Ready to learn the secrets of finding Medusa’s lair, stunning the beast, and claiming her coveted head – preserved, regular, or withered? This guide will lead you step-by-step through the thrilling hunt and the precise tactics you need to conquer one of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s most fearsome foes.
Our Dragon’s Dogma 2 guide will show you where to find a Medusa (and how often she’ll spawn). We’ll also tell you how to cut off the Medusa’s head and how to get a Preserved Medusa Head.
Before you try to find the the Medusa, switch to Thief
Before you try to find Medusa in Dragon’s Dogma 2, it’s highly recommended to switch your vocation to Thief. This is because cutting off Medusa’s head requires melee attacks with bladed weapons, which Thieves excel at due to their quick slashes and useful skills like Powder Charge that can stun her. Other vocations like Mages or Archers can defeat Medusa but won’t be able to sever her head, as they rely on spells or ranged attacks rather than direct weapon strikes. Additionally, the Thief’s Vigor augment reduces stamina loss when clinging to Medusa’s body, making it easier to reach and attack her head effectively.
Before we get into where to find the Medusa, you’ll need to do a little prep work. Cutting off the Medusa’s head means you’ll have to play as a melee vocation like a Thief or Fighter since you have to, you know, cut. Mages and Archers just won’t deal the right kind of damage here. They can kill the Medusa, but she doesn’t drop her head as loot – you have to actively cut it off.
And since weapons are tied to vocation, Thief is easily the best vocation to do this for a couple of reasons:
- The Vigor augment reduces your stamina loss when clinging to an enemy
- The Powder Charge and Powder Blast skills allow you to plant an explosive on the Medusa’s head that will stun her
- The Gut and Run and Draw and Quarter weapon skills are both great for dealing a huge amount of targeted damage
Technically, you can do all this as a Warfarer, but you’ll be so Thief-focused that there’s not much difference.
Where to find the Medusa in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Medusa can be found in the Nera’Battahl Windrift, a forested cave area located southwest of Bakbattahl in Dragon’s Dogma 2. The entrance to her lair is marked by two fallen trees crossing in an X shape, behind a petrified animal. You’ll recognize the area by the presence of petrified creatures nearby. This location serves as the true Medusa fight beyond the initial tutorial encounter early in the game. There is also a broken riftstone and a campsite near the entrance, allowing players to heal or adjust their party before facing her.
Medusa was the first monster you fought way back at the beginning of the game in the Excavation Site. She fled that encounter, and it’ll take a long time to find her again.
It turns out, she went to the Wyrmsblood Forest in Battahl. From Bakbattahl, head a little west to the Battahl Ropeway Central Station (you can take the ropeway from Bakbattahl to the station, too). Climb up to the ropeway carriage(?) that heads south, and take it to the end.
From the ropeway stop, follow the path north and take the first left to head back to the south. Just a little way down, you’ll see a bridge on your right. Cross it, and keep following the path into the canyon on the other side.
Eventually, you’ll start seeing statues (definitely not petrified people) along the path and might run into a beastren named Torrence who will drops some hints about what’s coming.
Watch along the right side of the path for a cave marked by two fallen trees in an X shape. Head inside to find Nera’Battahl Windrift Cave and the Medusa.
How to cut off the Medusa’s Head in Dragon’s Dogma 2
To cut off Medusa’s head in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you need to first locate her in the Nera’Battahl Windrift cave southwest of Bakbattahl, marked by petrified creatures and an entrance behind fallen trees forming an X. During the fight, focus on stunning Medusa by repeatedly attacking her head-climbing onto her body and striking with a bladed weapon like a sword or dagger works best. Using the Thief’s Powder Charge skill or explosive arrows can help speed up the stunning process. Once Medusa falls stunned, quickly attack her head to sever it. Timing is crucial: cutting the head off early in the fight yields a Preserved Medusa Head, while doing it later results in a regular or Withered Head. If you fail, Medusa will respawn after a few days, allowing you to try again.
There’s not really a secret here – to cut off the Medusa’s Head, you have to attack her head with a bladed weapon. Getting to that point can be a little tricky, though.
The Medusa is hard to climb around on. She moves and changes positions often, so it’s mostly about trying to convincing the game to let you climb in the direction you want to when hanging onto her. That’s why the Vigor augment comes in handy.
She’ll also throw you off every chance she gets. A good way around this is to plant Powder Blasts on her torso – basically as close to her head as you can get without her tossing you across the room.
When you can get her stunned and she falls down, immediately focus your strong attacks on her head. And that’s it. You don’t even have to get through her health bars – her head isn’t a drop.
How to get a Preserved Medusa Head
To get a Preserved Medusa Head in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you must sever Medusa’s head early in the fight, specifically while she still has her first health bar intact. This requires careful management of damage to avoid defeating her too quickly. It’s recommended to avoid bringing powerful magic users like Sorcerers who can deal excessive damage before the head is cut. Instead, use melee vocations such as Thief or Fighter with low-level weapons and skills that can stun Medusa, like the Thief’s Powder Charge or Warfarer’s Sporofic Bolt combined with Warrior’s Indomitable Lash. Once Medusa is stunned and falls, quickly climb onto her body and attack her head to sever it. If you fail, Medusa will respawn after resting at the nearby campsite, allowing you to try again. After obtaining the Preserved Medusa Head, store it immediately to prevent it from rotting in your inventory.
In fact, how much health she has left determines the quality of the Medusa Head you pick up.
- If you cut off her head pretty quickly (like, within the first health bar), you’ll get a Preserved Medusa Head.
- Chip down her health a bit more before cutting it off, and you’ll get a regular Medusa Head.
- Keep going before decapitating her, and you’ll get a Withered Medusa Head.
Like food, the Medusa Head item decays in your inventory – eventually becoming a Decayed Medusa Head – so if you’re not going to use it right away, drop it in your storage at an inn or a house you own.
How often does the Medusa spawn in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Medusa in Dragon’s Dogma 2 respawns approximately every 14 in-game days after being defeated. Once you kill her and obtain her head, you need to rest or wait for two weeks in-game before she reappears in her lair at Nera’Battahl Windrift, allowing you to farm her head again if desired. This respawn timer makes it important to plan your farming accordingly, especially if you want to collect multiple Medusa Heads or the Preserved Medusa Head variant.
When you kill the Medusa, she’ll remain dead for 14 in-game days before she respawns in Nera’Battahl Windrift. Head back to Bakbattahl and sleep in your house for two weeks. If you already have a head and are going for another, just make sure it’s in storage so it doesn’t rot.
For more Dragon’s Dogma 2 walkthroughs, here are all Sphinx riddle solutions, how to get all maister skills, the best order for Captain Brant’s quests, plus how to rescue the caged magistrate, how to reach the Nameless Village, where to find Rodge, how to confront the Arisen’s shadow, and when to attend the coronation.
What secret techniques can help me get a preserved Medusa Head faster in DD2
To get a Preserved Medusa Head faster in Dragon’s Dogma 2, use these secret techniques:
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Equip the Warfarer vocation combined with the Magic Archer skill Sporofic Bolt (sleep arrow) and the Warrior skill Indomitable Lash. Shoot 2-3 sleep arrows to quickly put Medusa to sleep, then immediately use a fully charged Indomitable Lash to sever her head before she loses a full health bar. This guarantees a Preserved Medusa Head.
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Alternatively, use a Thief or Fighter with Thunder Affinity and a low-level weapon to attack Medusa’s head while a mage pawn uses lightning affinity on you. This stuns Medusa faster and helps cut off her head quickly without depleting too much of her health bar, resulting in a preserved head.
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To avoid the head decaying, immediately fast travel to Bakbattahl and store the Preserved Medusa Head in your storage at Pilgrim’s Inn. The head will rot if left in your inventory for too long, turning into a Withered or Decayed Medusa Head.
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To maximize efficiency, dismiss or order your pawns to wait outside during the fight to prevent unwanted damage that might reduce the head quality.
Using these methods, you can reliably obtain a Preserved Medusa Head quickly and keep it fresh for later use.
How does lightning affinity help stun Medusa faster in DD2
Lightning Affinity helps stun Medusa faster in Dragon’s Dogma 2 by imbuing your weapon with lightning damage, which is particularly effective against her head. When a mage casts Lightning Affinity on you, your attacks on Medusa’s head deal enhanced lightning damage that rapidly disrupts her balance and stamina, making it easier to stagger and eventually topple her.
This stun effect allows you to strike her head repeatedly without pushing her into a third health bar, which is crucial for obtaining a Preserved Medusa Head. The lightning element accelerates the head’s vulnerability, enabling you to sever it quickly before it deteriorates. Essentially, the lightning damage acts as a catalyst to break Medusa’s defenses faster, giving you a tactical advantage in the head-cutting phase of the fight.
