Divinity: Original Sin 2 Classes – A Comprehensive Guide to Builds and Playstyles

Introduction

Embarking on the epic journey of Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a truly rewarding experience, a sprawling adventure that immerses players in a world of magic, political intrigue, and tactical combat. One of the most captivating aspects of this critically acclaimed role-playing game is the depth of character customization available. At the heart of this customization lies the class system, or rather, the *lack* of a rigid class system. While the game provides pre-built classes as starting points, the true beauty lies in the freedom to mold your characters into whatever you desire. This article serves as your comprehensive guide to the world of Divinity: Original Sin 2 **classes**, offering insights into various builds and playstyles, empowering you to craft the perfect team and dominate the battlefield.

The strategic depth of combat in Divinity: Original Sin 2 demands careful planning and consideration. Choosing your **classes** and refining your skills is not just about selecting a label; it’s about crafting a cohesive unit capable of overcoming any challenge. This guide will delve into the core archetypes, explore specific builds for each archetype, and offer tips and strategies to optimize your character creation and gameplay. Prepare to delve into the intricacies of character building and discover the power of strategic synergy within your party. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of this exceptional game.

Understanding the Classless System

The genius of Divinity: Original Sin 2 lies in its flexible and open-ended approach to character development. The game uses a **classless** system, allowing players to mix and match skills from various schools of magic and warfare. This means you’re not locked into a pre-defined path. You can start as a “Warrior,” for example, but freely invest in the skills of a Rogue, a Ranger, or even a Cleric, making the class you “choose” only the starting point of your journey.

This freedom breeds creativity and allows for truly unique builds. You might, for instance, create a Battlemage who combines the raw power of Warfare with the defensive prowess of Hydrosophist magic, or a Rogue who specializes in summoning undead minions. The possibilities are seemingly endless. By mastering this system, you’re not merely playing a game; you’re actively shaping your character and tailoring them to your preferred playstyle.

Choosing a “class” at the beginning does give you a head start. Each of the pre-built **classes** provides a base collection of skills and stats that help get you going on your adventure. A Warrior will naturally have a high strength, a Ranger will excel with dexterity, while a Wizard will focus on intelligence. It can be a valuable way to kick start your character creation with already invested points into certain areas. However, you are always free to explore other options.

Core Class Roles: The Foundation of a Team

Before diving into specific **classes**, it’s essential to understand the core roles your characters will play in combat. Building a well-rounded party usually requires filling these roles, which allow the team to work efficiently together to defeat their enemies.

Damage Dealers (Physical/Magical): These characters are the primary source of damage, aiming to eliminate enemies quickly and efficiently. They focus on maximizing their damage output through their skills and attributes. You will see many different types, some deal physical damage, while others utilize magic.

Tanks/Frontline Fighters: These characters absorb enemy attacks and protect the rest of the party. They are often heavily armored and have skills that can draw enemy attention and mitigate damage.

Healers/Support: These characters focus on keeping the party alive, through healing spells, buffs, and crowd control.

Controllers/CC (Crowd Control): These characters specialize in hindering enemies. They can stun, freeze, knock down, or otherwise disable enemies, giving your team the advantage in combat.

It’s important to note that, with the flexibility of the **class** system, these roles aren’t fixed. A single character can blend elements from multiple roles. You could easily build a character who can tank damage while also dealing some of your primary damage. Experimentation is encouraged!

Detailed Class Breakdown: A Deep Dive into Divinity: Original Sin 2 Classes

Now, let’s delve into the individual **classes**, offering a glimpse into their strengths, weaknesses, and potential builds. Remember, the **class** system is flexible, so these are just starting points!

Warrior

Description: The Warrior is a frontline fighter, specializing in melee combat and raw physical damage. They are heavily armored, able to withstand a beating, and are adept at closing the distance to engage enemies.

Core Stats: Strength is paramount for damage and carrying capacity. Constitution adds to their health pool, and Memory determines how many skills they can have active.

Key Skills/Abilities: Warfare is the cornerstone skill for Warriors, enhancing physical damage. Other useful skills include Retribution (for reflecting damage) and Leadership (for buffing allies).

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Two-Handed Warrior: Deals massive damage with two-handed weapons, specializing in critical strikes and area-of-effect attacks. Sword and Board: A durable front-line tank that can draw enemy attention. Uses a shield and sword to control the battlefield. Battle Stance Warrior: A mix of warfare and magic for extra damage.

Equipment: Focus on armor, weapons, and accessories that boost Strength, Warfare skill, and critical hit chance.

Best Races: Human or Dwarf provide bonuses that support warrior strengths.

Rogue

Description: The Rogue excels in stealth, cunning, and burst damage. They use daggers and blades to inflict massive damage, often from behind, and can use stealth to position themselves for devastating attacks.

Core Stats: Dexterity is crucial for damage, and Finesse is also important. Wits is also important for critical hit chance and initiative.

Key Skills/Abilities: Scoundrel improves backstab damage and movement skills.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Backstabber: Maximizes backstab damage through positioning and stealth. Dual-Wielding: Focuses on dealing rapid bursts of damage using two daggers. Thief: Emphasizes movement skills, backstabs and poison damage.

Equipment: Prioritize weapons that boost Dexterity, Finesse, and critical hit chance, as well as armor that improves stealth and mobility.

Best Races: Elf (for Flesh Sacrifice and bonus Finesse) and Human are excellent choices.

Ranger

Description: The Ranger specializes in ranged combat and the use of bows and arrows. They can maintain distance from their opponents, deal accurate shots and are often used to control the battle field with elemental arrows.

Core Stats: Finesse is essential for damage output. Wits impacts initiative and critical hit chance.

Key Skills/Abilities: Huntsman increases ranged damage and provides access to high-ground advantage abilities.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Archer: A pure ranged damage dealer, focusing on maximizing arrow damage. Summoner: The Ranger can combine their ranged abilities with the skill of summoning creatures to aid in combat. Elemental Ranger: Utilizing different arrow types to cause elemental status effects.

Equipment: Focus on bows, arrows, and accessories that boost Finesse, Huntsman skill, and critical hit chance.

Best Races: Elf and Human are good choices.

Wizard

Description: Wizards are masters of elemental magic, capable of unleashing devastating spells and manipulating the battlefield with fire, ice, water and earth.

Core Stats: Intelligence is key for damage output and magical resistance. Memory is needed to slot in the skills.

Key Skills/Abilities: Skills in each school such as Pyrokinetic, Hydrosophist, Aerotheurge, and Geomancer are all useful to the Wizard.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Fire Mage: A pyromaniac who specializes in area-of-effect fire spells. Ice Mage: Relies on freezing opponents and controlling the battlefield with ice. Geomancer: Utilizes earth and poison magic to control the battlefield. Hydro Mage: Utilizes water and freezing abilities to damage and control foes.

Equipment: Focus on staves and accessories that enhance Intelligence, magical skills, and spell damage.

Best Races: Elf for the Flesh Sacrifice skill for skill resets and Human for bonus skills.

Battlemage

Description: The Battlemage combines the magic of the Wizard with melee combat. These characters can buff themselves and combine magical and melee combat to take down their enemies.

Core Stats: Intelligence and Strength are needed for skill damage. Memory allows the player to equip more skills.

Key Skills/Abilities: A mixture of the schools of magic, Warfare and skill-based buffs is best.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Pyrokinetic + Warfare: A close-range fire mage, utilizing buffs. Hydrosophist + Warfare: Mixes water and ice spells with a bit of melee combat.

Equipment: Focus on weapons, staves, and armor to boost damage and magic abilities.

Best Races: Elf and Human are good choices.

Cleric

Description: Clerics are divine spellcasters who can heal allies, support the party with buffs, and inflict damage with holy magic.

Core Stats: Focus on Wisdom and Memory to effectively use skills.

Key Skills/Abilities: Restoration is a good choice for healing allies.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Healer: Focuses on healing and support abilities. Support: Provides buffs and debuffs to control the battlefield.

Equipment: Prioritize staves, and accessories that boost Wisdom and skill abilities.

Best Races: Elf for damage and human for bonus abilities.

Enchanter

Description: Enchanters are a mix of offensive and support, capable of helping the party control the battlefield.

Core Stats: Intelligence and Memory are good choices to effectively use skills.

Key Skills/Abilities: The various schools of magic are useful to the Enchanter.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Support: Uses various skills to buff allies. Offensive: Uses spells to deal elemental damage to opponents.

Equipment: Focus on staves and accessories to boost damage and skill abilities.

Best Races: Elf and Human are good choices.

Wayfarer

Description: Wayfarers are focused on long-range damage, summoning, and elemental arrows. They can control the battle and hit enemies from a distance, or summon to help fight.

Core Stats: Finesse is key for ranged damage.

Key Skills/Abilities: Focus on Huntsman and summoning abilities.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Ranged Damage: A ranged damage dealer, focusing on maximizing arrow damage. Summoner: The Ranger can combine their ranged abilities with the skill of summoning creatures to aid in combat.

Equipment: Focus on bows, arrows, and accessories to boost Finesse and Summoning skill.

Best Races: Elf and Human are good choices.

Shadowblade

Description: A Shadowblade is a mixture of rogue and wizard, using magic to buff their attacks to deal damage from melee.

Core Stats: Finesse is key.

Key Skills/Abilities: Warfare is key for damage output.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Assassin: Focuses on backstabbing and dealing damage.

Equipment: Weapons and armor to boost Finesse and damage.

Best Races: Elf and Human are good choices.

Summoner

Description: Summoners are focused on summoning creatures to fight alongside them. They can summon a variety of creatures.

Core Stats: Intelligence is key to summon effectively.

Key Skills/Abilities: Summoning is key to summon creatures, alongside abilities like Warfare.

Subclasses/Build Ideas: Summoner/Support: Uses the summoned abilities as support.

Equipment: Focus on staves and accessories to boost Summoning skill.

Best Races: Elf and Human are good choices.

Advanced Build Tips and Strategies

Creating a powerful character requires more than simply picking a **class**. Here are some advanced tips to refine your builds:

Synergy is Key: Look for synergies between your attributes and skills. If you’re building a physical damage dealer, focus on Strength and Warfare. If you’re building a mage, focus on Intelligence and the relevant schools of magic.

Exploit Status Effects: Learn how status effects like Burning, Shocked, and Frozen can be combined for devastating results. For instance, create steam with Hydrosophist and Pyrokinetic for a strong status effect.

Armor and Armor Piercing: Learn the ins and outs of armor and magic armor and how to get past it, to maximize damage.

Crafting is Crucial: Utilize the crafting system to create powerful weapons, armor, and potions that can significantly boost your character’s capabilities.

Party Composition: The Symphony of a Team

While individual character builds are important, a well-rounded party is essential for success. Consider these guidelines:

Balanced Offense and Defense: Include a mix of damage dealers, a tank, and support characters to cover all bases.

Physical vs. Magical Damage: A balanced party with a mix of physical and magical damage can overcome enemy resistances.

Adapt to the Challenge: Be prepared to adjust your party composition based on the challenges you face. Some enemies are vulnerable to certain elements or damage types.

Conclusion

The world of Divinity: Original Sin 2 **classes** is a vast landscape of possibilities. The game’s flexible system encourages experimentation, allowing you to tailor your characters to your preferred playstyle. From Warriors to Wizards and everything in between, your choices shape the destiny of Rivellon. By understanding the core roles, exploring different builds, and embracing the freedom to create, you’ll unlock the full potential of your characters.

Remember, this guide provides a foundation. The true joy of Divinity: Original Sin 2 lies in discovery and experimentation. Don’t be afraid to try new things, combine skills, and find what works best for you.

Call to Action

What are your favorite builds? Share your strategies and character creations in the comments below! We’d love to hear your insights and experiences.