The monsters, quests, NPCs, and even consumables are affected by the time of day in Dragon's Dogma 2. If you wander outside of towns and villages after sunset, you'll encounter deadly monsters that only appear in pitch darkness. By equipping the Lantern, you can spot and fight them, but it burns the oil that needs to be crafted or purchased. Instead of waiting for the time to pass, here are some ways to see and change it in DD2.

There are two main ways to see the time. The first is to go to the Pause menu and look at the ring around the map. It is a counter-clockwise clock, with the position of the sun indicating the time of day. When the sun is on the right, it is morning, when it is up, it is noon. Likewise, when the sun is on the left, it is night, and when it is down, it is midnight. The second way to find out the time is through Pawns. They may not always tell you, but they often say dialogue indicating the part of the day.

There are three ways to while away the time: using the Campsite Kit, staying at the inn, and dozing off on the special chairs:

The camping kit can be obtained as loot or purchased from a vendor in various locations. For example, you can get the Modest Camping Kit for 500G from Runne's Apothecary (Melve). They are reusable but heavy, so it's best to have your Pawns carry them. If you want a lighter version, you can buy the DD2 Deluxe Edition, which includes the Explorer's Camping Kit.