You've probably been there. One minute you're just trying to "liberate" a few groschen from a merchant's trunk in Kuttenberg, and the next, every guard in the city is breathing down your neck. Or maybe you just got caught knocking out a wayfaring traveler on a dark road. Suddenly, your character screen shows that dreaded red icon. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute isn't just a number; it’s a death sentence for your social life in 15th-century Bohemia.
In the original game, reputation was a bit of a black box. You knew people hated you, but the ways to fix it felt clunky. In the sequel, Warhorse Studios has leaned harder into the "consequences" part of the RPG experience. If you have ill repute, Henry (or the protagonist you're shaping) doesn't just get worse prices at the armorer. People actively avoid you. They whisper. They call the guards for the slightest infraction. It's a layer of social stealth that most games ignore, but KCD 2 makes it central to the survival loop.
Getting out of the hole is hard. Really hard.
Why Everyone Suddenly Screams When They See You
Let's be real: you probably earned it. Unlike modern RPGs where "bounty" disappears after a few days of hiding in the woods, the reputation system here is sticky. If you've been caught stealing, poaching, or—heaven forbid—murdering civilians, the local gossip mill will destroy you faster than a mace to a kettle hat.
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Ill repute is localized. This is a crucial distinction. You might be the "Devil of Kuttenberg" but a total saint in a neighboring village. This creates a fascinating gameplay loop where you might find yourself exiled from the main hubs of trade because you simply can't walk the streets without being harassed. It affects everything. Dialog options lock out. Merchants refuse to talk to you. Even the local beggars might snub you if your "infamy" is high enough.
The game tracks several metrics behind the scenes. It isn't just "Good vs. Evil." It’s about how the specific social strata—the guards, the traders, the clergy, and the peasantry—view your actions. Killing a guard is a heavy hit to the "Authority" faction, while short-changing a trader ruins your standing with the "Commerce" crowd.
The Feedback Loop of Being a Jerk
When you hit a certain threshold of bad vibes, the AI changes. You’ll notice guards following you at a distance. They’re waiting for a slip-up. This is the "Ill Repute" state in action. It’s a pressurized environment. You feel the weight of your crimes every time a peasant crosses the street to avoid walking near you. It honestly makes the game feel more like a simulation of a medieval community than a standard power fantasy.
The Long Road to Redemption: Fixing Your Standing
So, you've messed up. You’re broke, your armor is falling apart, and the local smith won't even look at you. How do you fix Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute?
It’s not as simple as paying a fine and walking away. Well, sometimes it is, but usually, it's a grind.
Indulgences and the Church
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The most lore-accurate way to scrub your soul (and your stats) is through the Church. In the 1400s, you could literally buy your way out of "sin" in the eyes of the community. Look for the alms boxes in local chapels or cathedrals. Dropping a significant amount of Groschen into these boxes provides a global boost to your reputation in that specific parish. It’s expensive. It feels like a scam. It's perfectly medieval.
Community Service (The Hard Way)
If you're too poor to buy forgiveness, you have to earn it. This means taking on "activity" quests for the locals that offer zero financial reward but high social capital. Clearing out bandit camps nearby is the most effective method. When the locals see you're actually protecting them from the "real" threats in the woods, they tend to forget that you stole their laundry three weeks ago.
Changing Your Appearance
People judge by what they see. If you’re walking around covered in blood, wearing black-tinted stealth gear, and carrying a notched blade, people will treat you like a criminal. Try this:
- Wash yourself. Use a bathhouse. Get the "Clean" buff.
- Wear "Noble" or "Respected" clothing. A nice doublet goes a long way.
- Keep your weapon sheathed. Always.
The bathhouse is your best friend here. Not only does it clean the literal blood off your hands, but frequenting these establishments and paying for the "full service" provides a temporary boost to your charisma, which can help bypass some of the negative dialog checks caused by your ill repute.
Negotiating with the Law
Sometimes, the only way forward is to face the music. If your reputation is in the gutter because of unpaid bounties, you need to clear them.
When a guard stops you, you have a few choices. Surrendering and going to jail is the "hard reset" button. It sucks. You lose stats (the "Jailed" debuff is brutal), and you lose time. But when you come out, your immediate "heat" is gone. Your reputation will still be low, but the guards won't be actively trying to throw you in a cell on sight.
You can try to talk your way out of it. If your Speech skill is high enough, you can convince them you're on a "secret mission" or that they’ve made a mistake. But if your ill repute is already established, these checks become incredibly difficult. The game essentially says, "Why should I believe a known thief?"
Bribing is a double-edged sword.
Sure, you can slip a guard some coin. It might work today. But in KCD 2, getting caught bribing or having a reputation for being a "briber" can actually lead to a different kind of ill repute. It makes the honest guards hate you more and the corrupt ones demand more money every time they see you. It's a slippery slope.
Survival Strategies for the Infamous
If you decide to lean into the "villain" role, or if you simply can't afford to fix your reputation yet, you have to change how you play.
Stay off the main roads.
The fast-travel system in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is dangerous when you have bad standing. You're more likely to be pulled into "Random Encounters" with guard patrols or bounty hunters. Manual travel through the woods is safer, even if it's slower.
Trade with "The Fringe."
Not every merchant cares about the law. Look for millers or roadside traders who operate outside the city walls. They don't give a damn about your reputation in town as long as your coin is good. The trade-off? They usually have worse prices and less stock. But when the city armorer has banned you from his shop, a shady miller with a sharpened axe is a godsend.
The Role of Charisma vs. Reputation
It's easy to confuse these two. Charisma is how you look and speak now. Reputation is what they've heard about you then.
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You can have a very high charisma (expensive clothes, fresh bath) but still have "Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute." In this scenario, people might be polite to your face because you look like a nobleman, but they still won't trust you with important tasks. Conversely, you can be a "hero" but look like a peasant, which leads to guards talking down to you even though they respect your deeds. Balancing these two is the core of the social RPG experience.
Actionable Steps to Clear Your Name
If you are currently stuck with a character that everyone hates, follow this sequence to stabilize your save file:
- Leave the Area: Go to a different town or village where your reputation is neutral. Spend a few in-game days there doing honest work (hunts, basic delivery quests).
- The "Bathhouse Reset": Before returning to the "hated" town, get a full heal, laundry, and bath. You want your Charisma stat as high as possible to offset the reputation penalty.
- Donate to the Church: Go straight to the local church. Do not talk to guards. Do not go to the tavern. Drop at least 500-1000 Groschen (depending on your level) into the Alms box.
- The Bandit Hunt: Check the local tavern for rumors about bandit camps nearby. Clearing even one camp and bringing back the "proof" (ears or spurs, depending on the quest) to the local bailiff provides a massive jump in standing.
- Pay the Fine: If a guard approaches you, don't run. If you have the cash, pay the fine. It’s the fastest way to stop the "active" pursuit status.
Reputation in KCD 2 isn't a permanent stain, but it is a stubborn one. Treat the social systems with the same respect you treat the combat systems. You wouldn't go into a sword fight without a helmet; don't go into a social hub with a reputation for being a public nuisance unless you're prepared for the consequences.
The most successful players treat their standing as a resource. Sometimes you "spend" reputation to get a quick influx of cash through crime, but you always have to be prepared to "buy" it back through deeds or gold later on. If you let it drop too low for too long, the world of 15th-century Bohemia becomes a very lonely, very dangerous place.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
Check your reputation tab in the player menu right now. Identify which faction hates you the most. If it's the "Citizens" faction, start looking for a quest from a local artisan. If it's the "Soldiers," look for a bounty hunting gig from the local garrison commander. Fixing it one faction at a time is much more manageable than trying to make everyone love you at once.