The Eastern European-themed fantasy RPG The Thaumaturge sends you down a dark, brutal, and often violent path. If you want to get the most out of your DOT damage output, read on to find the best upgrades and salutators for Suffering in The Thaumaturge.

Even on the lowest combat difficulty, you can lose battles in The Thaumaturge if you don’t manage the battle well. The key to success is choosing the right upgrades and then using the salutors that make the best use of them. A great theme for synergizing them is to focus on maxing out the Suffering ability.

You can attack with the Suffering ability from the very beginning of the game, as it can be invoked via your Damage Over Time (DOT) attack, Old Wound. Even at its weakest, Suffering will DOT the enemy for 3-4 damage per round for five rounds, enough to take out too many early opponents while you take care of their friends.

But as your enemies get better, you’ll have to work smarter to make Suffering sing. Luckily, the game gives you all the tools you need to make it work. This guide covers the first four salutors you’ll encounter during the prologue and part one of the game, as well as the best rank one and two upgrades to combine with your attacks.