Divinity: Original Sin 2 – The Ultimate Character Guide: Who Reigns Supreme?

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a masterpiece of the RPG genre, offering unparalleled freedom in character creation and strategic combat. But with so many options, the question arises: Who is the best character to play? The answer, as is often the case in Rivellon, is complex and depends entirely on your playstyle. However, if we’re talking about sheer game-breaking power and versatility, the Conjurer emerges as a top contender, especially for new players. They can summon powerful allies to aid them in battle, effectively doubling their firepower from the get-go. The Necromancer is also undeniably strong and can swiftly end encounters with the right build. Ultimately, though, enjoyment and strategic preference should guide your choice.

Diving Deep: Origin Characters vs. Custom Builds

Before we delve into specific classes and builds, it’s crucial to understand the difference between Origin Characters (pre-made characters with unique backstories) and Custom Characters.

• Origin Characters: Offer a rich narrative experience, providing unique dialogue options and questlines intertwined with the main story. Playing an Origin character allows you to fully immerse yourself in Rivellon’s lore and see the world through their eyes. Popular choices include Ifan ben-Mezd, Lohse, and Fane, each with captivating personal quests.
• Custom Characters: Grant unparalleled freedom in crafting your protagonist. You can select your race, starting class, and allocate attribute and skill points to perfectly tailor your build. This is ideal for players who want complete control over their character’s development and role-playing potential.

The best choice between Origin and Custom comes down to personal preference. Origin characters offer a deeper narrative experience, while custom characters provide greater flexibility in gameplay.

The Powerhouse Classes: Breaking Down the Meta

While any class can be viable with the right build and strategy, some classes naturally excel in specific areas. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most potent options:

Conjurer: The Summoning Master

The Conjurer’s strength lies in its ability to summon powerful allies, effectively creating a two-for-one deal. Summons can tank damage, deal significant damage, and even provide support, making the Conjurer incredibly versatile.

• Early Game Dominance: Summons provide immediate combat power, allowing you to easily overcome early challenges.
• Adaptability: Summons can be adapted to various situations. Summon an Incarnate on an elemental surface to grant it special abilities.
• Control: You directly control your summons, dictating their actions and ensuring they complement your strategy.

Necromancer: The Life-Stealing Reaper

Necromancers excel at dealing massive damage while simultaneously sustaining themselves by draining the life force of their enemies. They are incredibly potent, capable of wiping out entire groups of foes.

• High Damage Output: Necromantic skills inflict significant physical damage, bypassing armor and targeting vitality directly.
• Self-Sustain: Many Necromancer skills heal the caster, making them incredibly resilient.
• Crowd Control: Necromancers can use skills like Shackles of Pain to control enemy movement and damage output.

Warfare Warrior: The Physical Damage Juggernaut

Warfare-based warriors are the quintessential physical damage dealers, capable of dishing out massive amounts of damage with melee weapons.

• High Burst Damage: Warfare skills provide significant damage multipliers, allowing warriors to quickly eliminate enemies.
• Crowd Control: Warfare offers powerful crowd control options like Battle Stomp and Battering Ram.
• Durability: Warriors can invest in Constitution and armor to become formidable tanks.

Hydro/Aero Mage: The Crowd Control and Support Specialist

This combination focuses on controlling the battlefield with water and air magic. They’re masters of stunning, freezing, and teleporting enemies, while also providing valuable healing and support to allies.

• Powerful Crowd Control: Skills like Rain, Global Cooling, and Teleportation can drastically alter the flow of battle.
• Excellent Healing: Hydrosophist skills provide reliable healing and armor restoration.
• Support Capabilities: Aerotheurge offers utility skills like Haste and Teleport, enhancing party mobility and damage output.

Talent Acquisition: Choosing Wisely

Talents are crucial for customizing your character and enhancing their strengths. Here are some standout options:

• The Pawn: Allows for a free movement point each turn, enhancing mobility and positioning.
• Executioner: Grants two additional Action Points after scoring a killing blow, allowing for chained attacks.
• Opportunist: Allows for attacks of opportunity against enemies moving within melee range.
• Savage Sortilege: Allows critical hits with spells, drastically increasing magical damage output.
• Mnemonic: Grants additional Memory Slots, enabling you to equip more skills.

Remember to carefully consider your build and playstyle when selecting talents.

Mastering Combat: Tips and Tricks

Divinity: Original Sin 2 rewards strategic thinking and tactical prowess. Here are some essential combat tips:

• Exploit Elemental Surfaces: Use elemental surfaces like water, fire, and oil to your advantage. Combine elements for devastating effects.
• Prioritize Armor Stripping: Focus on removing enemy armor to enable crowd control effects like stun and freeze.
• Positioning is Key: Utilize high ground for increased damage and maintain strategic positioning to avoid being flanked.
• Use Crowd Control Effectively: Stun, freeze, and knock down enemies to limit their actions and gain an advantage.
• Take Advantage of Pre-Combat Positioning: Strategically position your party members before initiating combat to gain a tactical advantage.

FAQs: Answering Your Burning Questions

1. What is the easiest class to play for beginners?

Generally, a Warfare Warrior or a Conjurer is considered easier for beginners. Warriors offer straightforward melee combat, while Conjurers rely on powerful summons to do much of the work.

2. Which Origin character has the most interesting storyline?

This is subjective, but Lohse and Fane are often cited as having the most compelling and impactful storylines due to their connection to powerful entities.

3. Does race matter in Divinity: Original Sin 2?

Yes, race does matter. Each race has unique racial abilities and starting talents that can influence your build and playstyle. Elves, for example, can consume corpses for memories, and Lizards possess natural fire resistance.

4. What’s the best way to respec my character?

You can respec your character for free after completing Act 1 by talking to the mirror in the lower deck of the Lady Vengeance.

5. How important is crafting?

Crafting is very important. It allows you to create powerful weapons, armor, potions, and scrolls, significantly enhancing your character’s capabilities.

6. Can you beat Divinity 2 with only two characters?

Yes, it is possible to beat Divinity: Original Sin 2 with only two characters. It requires careful planning, optimized builds, and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics.

7. What are the most important attributes to invest in?

The most important attributes depend on your class and build. Strength for warriors, Finesse for rogues and rangers, Intelligence for mages, and Wits for initiative and critical hit chance. Constitution is important for everyone for added health.

8. Is it better to focus on one damage type or diversify?

Generally, focusing on one damage type (physical or magical) is more effective. This allows you to more easily strip enemy armor and apply crowd control effects.

9. What are the best starting talents for a new character?

The Pawn, Opportunist, and Savage Sortilege are all excellent starting talents, depending on your class and playstyle.

10. How does the armor system work?

Divinity: Original Sin 2 features a dual armor system: Physical Armor and Magical Armor. Physical Armor protects against physical damage and physical status effects, while Magical Armor protects against magical damage and magical status effects.

11. What should I do with unwanted items?

Sell them to vendors or disassemble them for crafting materials.

12. Where can I find the best gear?

The best gear can be found in various locations throughout the game, including chests, vendors, and as loot from challenging enemies.

13. How does the persuasion skill work?

The Persuasion skill allows you to influence NPCs during dialogue. A higher Persuasion skill increases your chances of successfully convincing NPCs to do what you want.

14. What are the different difficulty modes?

Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers four difficulty modes: Explorer, Classic, Tactician, and Honor. Explorer is the easiest, while Honor is the most challenging, featuring permadeath.

15. Where can I find more information and resources about Divinity: Original Sin 2?

There are many online resources available, including forums, wikis, and guides. For game design and learning aspects, check out sites like Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. You can find research and discussions here about the game design elements that make games like Divinity Original Sin 2 so compelling.

Conclusion: Embrace the Freedom

Ultimately, the best character to play in Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the one that you find the most enjoyable. Experiment with different classes, builds, and Origin characters to discover what suits your playstyle and preferences. Rivellon awaits!