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You might not even realize it's there at first, but Kingdom Come Deliverance 2's perk tree is quite extensive and full of useful stuff that will help you out during your adventure. However, it does require a lot of reading, which is a pain when you just want to stay in the action as much as possible.
To help make your choices a little easier, we've picked out the most useful perks in the game that you should get as soon as possible, as they'll make your life so much easier. If you're still in the early stages of the game, check out some of our other starter guides, like our Kingdom Come 2 tips and tricks, or our overview of how long to beat KCD2 and full mission list.
Undaunted Cavalier
While it'll take a little while for you to find an outfit that is both charismatic and useful in combat, once you get into the mid-game, this perk – which you can get from Level 8 on the Main Level tree – will be a huge benefit for the rest of the game. All you need to do is reach the charisma threshold and you'll get a simple boost to your armor.
Good Natured
This perk, available at Level 12 on the Main Level tree, is great if you're playing a character that likes to talk their way out of problems. Making it easier to pass speech checks is always going to be useful regardless, but this has the added benefit of making people less likely to call the guards on you – unless you're covered in blood, of course.
Heroic Vigor
Climb up to Level 16 on the Main Level tree and you should grab this perk immediately. Stamina is one of the most valuable resources in combat, so getting this boost based on your Vitality level is fantastic and you'll immediately notice how much longer you can stay in the fight before having to rest.
Tight Grip
One of the most frustrating things in this game is when you're successfully sneaking around a place but then one guard manages to repel your stealth attack. Tight Grip, available from just Level 10 on the Strength tree, makes that far less likely to happen, letting you stay hidden for longer.
Creeping Phantom
This one is very straightforward. Moving faster when sneaking is always useful, especially as the main questline has a surprising amount of stealth missions. You can get it from Level 12 in the Ability tree and it'll help you get in and out of tight spots a lot quicker.
Balanced Diet
This one requires you to look after yourself, but the benefits are worth it. As long as you don't get drunk, overeat, or starve for a few days, you'll get a boost to stamina recovery and Vitality EXP gain. The stamina recovery is especially valuable during combat as it determines how quickly you can strike, which is really good for a skill available from Level 8 on the Vitality tree.
Red Mist
No matter how good you are at combat in this game (hopefully you've done Master Tomcat's training to get even better) there will always be scenarios where you're outnumbered or make a couple of mistakes and end up with low health. This perk, which you get from Level 14 on the Vitality tree, will give you a bonus to strength, agility, and stamina regeneration when you're on the brink of death, giving you the boost you need for a second wind.
Hustler
Stealth and Thievery can be difficult skills to train, but Hustler makes it ridiculously easy. Available from Level 10 on the Speech tree, selling stolen goods will cut your profits short, but you gain a huge amount of experience in Stealth and Thievery from it to the point where they'll quickly become your best stats if you sell enough stuff to willing merchants.
Jack of All Trades
Pick this up as soon as you hit Level 10 on the Speech tree and you won't regret it. This simple passive buff to all skill checks – and the experience gained from them – is invaluable and has absolutely no downsides.
Secret of Equilibrium
Alchemy in Kingdom Come 2 is a complicated pain and most players will avoid doing it if at all possible. However, there are a few missions that force you to brew potions, and this perk, available from Level 8 in the Alchemy tree is very useful. It raises the amount of mistakes you can make before you weaken or spoil the potion, taking off some of the pressure of this quite complex and poorly explained system.
Helping Hand
Throughout the entire game, you're going to be contending with the durability of your gear. At some point, everything you own will need repairing, so taking this perk at Level 8 on the Craftsmanship tree as early as possible will benefit you for the entire game, making the cost of repairs cheaper.
Thorough Maintenance
By the same token, you'll save even more money if your gear breaks less often, which is why the 10% reduction in durability loss is so helpful. Like Helping Hand, you can get it from Level 8 in the Craftsmanship tree.
Martin's Secret
The tier system for gear can be a good way to easily see whether something is worth your time, but with this perk, which you can get from Level 16 in the Craftsmanship tree, you unlock an extra tier above what you'll find out in the world. This makes your weapons even better and anything you craft can be much more valuable.
Head Start/Final Stretch
These two perks, available from Levels 8 and 12 in the Horsemanship tree respectively will let your horse go faster for longer. Head Start will give you an immediate speed boost when you set off. This perk can be abused in all horse races – like the wager in Kingdom Come 2's Miri Fajta quest – to win easily. Final Stretch will let you refill your horse's stamina when it's almost empty and keep galloping for longer, you just need to make sure your own stamina can keep up.
Liberal Arts
When doing skill checks, you might think it's always best to go with your highest-leveled stat, but that's not always the case as this perk makes clear. Available from Level 10 in the Scholarship tree, this perk will give you difficulty levels from "Easy" to "Very Hard" next to every skill check you encounter, letting you which one will give you the best chance of success.
Explorer
This is a very late-game perk, not available until you reach Level 18 in the Scholarship tree, but as soon as you see it, you'll want it, as it reveals the entire world map, showing all points of interest you can find on it. If you're very far into your journey and want to clean up anything you've missed, this perk is perfect.
Hidden Pockets
Having stolen goods on you can be a problem as guards will occasionally decide to search you. If they find anything when they do, they'll take it off you and you'll be made to face punishment, which is what makes Hidden Pockets such a good perk. It gives guards a 33% chance to be unable to find any stolen items you're carrying – even if you're wearing it, letting you get away with anything you've taken. You can get this perk from Level 10 in the Thievery tree.
Master Thief
The lockpicking minigame isn't especially difficult, but it still takes time and makes noise, meaning you could get caught even on the easiest of locks. This perk lets you entirely skip it on simpler locks and as a bonus, using this perk to unlock something doesn't count as a crime, making infiltration and looting a heck of a lot easier. You do have to be highly skilled to unlock it though, as it requires Level 18 in the Thievery tree.
Against All Odds
There are several perks in the Warfare tree that give you an advantage when you're outnumbered in combat. As the story progresses you're going to find that happens quite often, so all of the perks like this one, One Man Army, and Unbreakable are extremely useful, making you stronger, quicker, and letting you deal more damage when facing off against multiple opponents.
Hardened Veteran
Available from Level 8 in the Warfare tree, the passive buff to stamina regeneration is a great help for the reasons we've already discussed. Stamina is your biggest limiting factor in combat, so having as much as possible and being able to recover it quickly is a must.
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