Destiny 2 Dead Man’s Tale: How to get DMT, craftable God Roll, Catalyst, Presage

Kurt Perry
Dead Man's Tale Exotic Scout Rifle in Destiny 2.

Dead Man’s Tale is now craftable with the fan-favorite cowboy Exotic having a brand new perk pool offering all kinds of fun combinations for Destiny 2 players to try out. Here’s how to get the Exotic Scout Rifle plus where to find its catalyst.

The Exotic Mission Rotator has reintroduced three Exotics all with a new twist. For Revision Zero and Dead Messenger, they are available with new perks but it’s Dead Man’s Tale that got the most interesting makeover.

Previously, the Exotic Scout Rifle could only be purchased from Xur but with the return of Presage Guardians can now earn it through the intended method and even craft their own God Roll.

Getting DMT and its catalyst isn’t easy though so we’ve broken down exactly what you need to do to earn this iconic Exotic weapon.

Contents

How to get craftable Dead Man’s Tale in Destiny 2

To acquire the craftable variant of the Dead Man’s Tale you need to complete one run of Presage on Normal difficulty. This Exotic quest can be accessed through the Legends section of the Destinations tab when it’s the featured weekly mission.

After finishing Presage for the first time, you will be given a Red Border variant of Dead Man’s Tale. Extract the pattern from it through the Weapon Mods interface and it will be available as a craftable weapon at The Enclave in Savathun’s Throne World.

Leveling Dead Man's Tale at Shuro Chi encounter in Destiny 2.
Dead Man’s Tale is best known for its extraordinary accuracy when fired from the hip.

How to get Dead Man’s Tale catalyst in 2023

To obtain the Dead Man’s Tale catalyst you need to complete one run of Presage on Legend difficulty. Legend difficulty is set at 1830 Power, has Equipment Locked, and is time restricted with players only having 30 minutes to clear the quest.

Once the catalyst is obtained as a drop, you can apply it to Dead Man’s Tale by adding Dark-Forged Trigger as a perk at The Enclave in Savathun’s Throne World. Those who have already obtained the catalyst prior to the Exotic Mission Rotator’s release will already have access to it.

How to get Cranial Spike upgrades for Dead Man’s Tale

The Cranial Spike II, III, and IV upgrades can all be acquired by completing runs of Presage on any difficulty after obtaining the pattern for Dead Man’s Tale.

After acquiring the catalyst, it will require two completions of Presage to acquire the remaining upgrades with each completion rewarding one extra tier up. The tier upgrades are not time-gated and can be earned in one go.

Dead Man's Tale craftable god roll in Destiny 2.
Cranial Spike IV further enhances the effects of the Dead Man Tale’s catalyst.

What is the Dead Man’s Tale God Roll for PvE & PvP?

With it now being craftable Destiny 2 players are free to create their Dead Man’s Tale God Roll of choice without having to rely on Xur selling it.

Our recommended Dead Man’s Tale PvE God Roll is:

  • Intrinsic: Cranial Spike IV
  • Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling
  • Basic Trait: Compulsive Reloader
  • Catalyst: Dark Forged Trigger
  • Stock: Fitted Stock

Our recommended Dead Man’s Tale PvP God Roll is:

  • Intrinsic: Cranial Spike IV
  • Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling
  • Basic Trait: Vorpal Weapon
  • Catalyst: Dark Forged Trigger
  • Stock: Fitted Stock

That’s everything you need to know about the new craftable variant of Dead Man’s Tale in Destiny 2. For more info consider checking out some of our other guides:

Deepsight Harmonizers: How to farm, use, and what weapons to convert | Exotic Mission Rotator: What it is, how to access, schedule, loot table | Best Exotic weapons | Best PvP Weapons | Best PvE Weapons | Destiny 2 Season of the Witch: Release date, raid, power cap, & more | Best Titan Builds | Best Warlock Builds | Best Arc 3.0 Builds | Best Solar 3.0 Builds | Best Void 3.0 Builds  |  Best Stasis Builds

About The Author

Kurt Perry is a British games writer who started at Dexerto in April 2023. He graduated from Staffordshire University in 2019 with a BA in Games Journalism and PR. Prior to joining Dexerto, Kurt contributed 900 articles for PC Invasion including over 350 guides. He's an all-rounder who is particularly knowledgeable about Call of Duty, Destiny, and Pokemon.