Mastering Divinity: Original Sin Two: A Comprehensive Guide to All Classes

Introduction

Embarking on an adventure in the richly detailed world of Rivellon in Divinity: Original Sin Two can feel like stepping into a living, breathing tapestry of magic, intrigue, and perilous encounters. At the heart of this epic journey lies the crucial decision of character creation, and arguably, the most significant choice is selecting your class. The depth and complexity of character development in Divinity: Original Sin Two are renowned, making informed decisions at the start vital. Choosing a class isn’t merely about picking a cool name; it’s about laying the foundation for your character’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall gameplay experience.

Divinity: Original Sin Two, celebrated for its intricate combat system, compelling narrative, and unparalleled player freedom, demands a strategic approach to character building. A well-chosen class provides a solid starting point, shaping your early gameplay and influencing your character’s trajectory throughout the game. This guide aims to provide a detailed overview of all classes in Divinity: Original Sin Two, empowering you to understand their unique attributes, potential builds, and synergistic capabilities. By understanding the nuances of each class, you’ll be better equipped to create a character that not only survives but thrives in the challenging world of Rivellon.

Understanding Class Mechanics in Divinity: Original Sin Two

It’s important to understand that the term “class” in Divinity: Original Sin Two refers primarily to a starting point, a set of pre-determined skills and attributes that give your character a head start in a particular direction. Unlike some RPGs that rigidly define character progression, Divinity: Original Sin Two offers exceptional flexibility. The class you select at the beginning does not lock you into a specific path. You are free to deviate, experiment, and ultimately forge a character that perfectly matches your vision.

The skill system is a core element of this flexibility. Skills are categorized into various schools, such as Warfare, Huntsman, Pyrokinetic, Geomancer, Hydrosophist, Aerotheurge, Necromancy, Scoundrel, and Summoning. Each class starts with proficiency in one or two of these schools, granting access to a selection of initial skills. However, as you progress through the game, you can invest points in any skill school, learning new abilities and customizing your character’s repertoire.

Equally important are your character’s attributes and talents. Attributes, such as Strength, Finesse, Intelligence, Constitution, Memory, and Wits, determine your character’s effectiveness in various areas. Talents, on the other hand, provide passive bonuses or unique abilities that further enhance your character’s capabilities. Careful selection of talents can dramatically alter your character’s playstyle and synergize with your chosen skills.

The possibility of multiclassing is a defining feature of Divinity: Original Sin Two’s character system. You are not confined to the skills and abilities associated with your starting class. Instead, you can freely invest in multiple skill schools, creating hybrid characters that excel in various roles. This freedom allows for endless experimentation and the creation of truly unique and powerful builds. Multiclassing is not only possible but often encouraged, as it allows you to adapt to the challenges of the game and create a well-rounded party.

Exploring The Archetypes and their Default Classes

Let’s delve into the various class archetypes available in Divinity: Original Sin Two, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and potential builds.

The Might of The Warrior: Strength-Based, Melee Focus

Warriors are the masters of melee combat, relying on brute strength and heavy armor to dominate the battlefield. These characters excel at dealing physical damage and soaking up enemy attacks, making them valuable assets in any party.

The Knight: A Bastion of Strength

The Knight is a well-rounded melee combatant, embodying the traditional warrior archetype. Knights are proficient with swords, axes, and other heavy weapons, and they wear plate armor for maximum protection. Their primary strength lies in their ability to deal consistent damage while remaining resilient in the face of enemy attacks.

Knights typically specialize in the Warfare skill school, which provides access to powerful melee attacks and defensive abilities. They also benefit from attributes like Strength and Constitution, which enhance their damage output and survivability.

Potential builds for the Knight include a heavily armored tank, capable of absorbing massive amounts of damage, or a damage dealer focused on maximizing physical damage output. Talents like Picture of Health, which increases maximum vitality based on armor, and Opportunist, which allows for attacks of opportunity, are particularly effective for Knights.

The Battlemage: A Harmonious Blend of Steel and Spell

The Battlemage represents a hybrid approach to combat, combining the strengths of melee warfare with the versatility of magic. Battlemages wield weapons and wear armor like Knights, but they also possess magical abilities that allow them to deal elemental damage and control the battlefield.

Battlemages typically invest in both Warfare and Aerotheurge, allowing them to deliver physical attacks alongside lightning strikes and other magical effects. They require a balance of Strength and Intelligence to effectively utilize both their physical and magical abilities.

Potential builds for the Battlemage include a hybrid damage dealer, capable of inflicting both physical and magical damage, or a utility character, using magic to control the battlefield and support their allies. Talents such as Savage Sortilege, which allows critical hits with spells, and Elemental Affinity, which reduces the cost of spells when standing on a corresponding surface, are valuable for Battlemages.

Agility and Precision: The Ranger/Archer – Finesse-Based, Ranged Focus

Rangers and Rogues thrive in ranged combat, using bows and daggers to inflict damage from afar or from the shadows.

The Ranger: The Master Archer

The Ranger is a skilled archer, specializing in ranged combat and tactical maneuvers. Rangers excel at dealing high single-target damage from a distance, while also possessing utility skills that allow them to control the battlefield and evade enemy attacks.

Rangers primarily utilize the Huntsman skill school, which provides access to powerful ranged attacks and tactical abilities. They rely on Finesse for damage and Wits for initiative and critical hit chance.

Potential builds for the Ranger include a damage dealer, focused on maximizing ranged damage output, or a utility archer, using skills to control the battlefield and support their allies. Talents like Executioner, which grants additional action points after killing an enemy, and Far Out Man, which increases the range of ranged attacks, are particularly beneficial for Rangers.

The Rogue: The Artful Assassin

Rogues are stealthy damage dealers, specializing in backstabbing and subterfuge. They excel at dealing massive burst damage to unsuspecting enemies, while also possessing skills that allow them to remain hidden and evade detection.

Rogues primarily utilize the Scoundrel skill school, which provides access to powerful melee attacks and stealth abilities. They rely on Finesse for damage and Wits for initiative and critical hit chance.

Potential builds for the Rogue include an assassin, focused on delivering devastating backstabs, or a support character, using Necromancy for healing and utility. Talents such as The Pawn, which grants free movement, and Guerilla, which increases damage while sneaking, are valuable for Rogues.

The Arcane Arts: The Mage – Intelligence-Based, Magic Focus

Mages are the masters of arcane magic, wielding elemental forces to deal damage, control the battlefield, and support their allies. These characters rely on Intelligence to amplify their magical abilities and must carefully manage their mana reserves.

The Enchanter: The Healer and Controller

Enchanters specialize in water and air magic, focusing on healing, crowd control, and armor restoration. They excel at keeping their allies alive and disrupting enemy formations, making them invaluable support characters.

Enchanters primarily utilize Hydrosophist and Aerotheurge, allowing them to heal allies, freeze enemies, and manipulate the battlefield. They require high Intelligence to maximize their magical effectiveness.

Potential builds for the Enchanter include a healer, focused on keeping allies alive, or a support mage, using crowd control spells to disrupt enemies. Talents like Far Out Man, which increases spell range, and Mnemonic, which grants additional memory slots, are particularly helpful for Enchanters.

The Wizard: The Master of Fire and Earth

Wizards are versatile mages, capable of dealing fire and earth damage with devastating effect. They excel at dealing area-of-effect damage and controlling the battlefield with elemental spells.

Wizards primarily utilize Pyrokinetic and Geomancer, allowing them to incinerate enemies and create defensive barriers. They require high Intelligence to maximize their magical effectiveness.

Potential builds for the Wizard include a damage dealer, focused on maximizing magical damage output, or a crowd control mage, using spells to control the battlefield. Talents such as Torturer, which allows spells to apply status effects through armor, and Savage Sortilege, which allows critical hits with spells, are valuable for Wizards.

The Cleric: The Divine Protector

Clerics specialize in healing, support, and some damaging spells. They are excellent at keeping allies alive and dealing necrotic damage to their enemies.

Clerics primarily utilize Hydrosophist and Necromancy, which makes them very tanky as they are healing their allies, and dealing damage at the same time. They require high Intelligence to maximize their magical effectiveness.

Potential builds for the Cleric include a healer or support focused character. Talents like Living Armour, which restores physical armor when healed, and Mnemonic, which grants additional memory slots, are particularly helpful for Clerics.

The Summoner: Harnessing The Power of The Other Side

The Summoner: Master of Minions

The Summoner is a class that uses summons to do the heavy lifting in combat, adapting to different combat situations through summons.

Summoners primarily focus on Summoning. They are very versatile and very good in the early game. They require high intelligence to maximize their effectiveness.

Potential builds for the summoner include a summon focused character. Talents like Pet Pal, which grants the ability to speak to animals, and Elemental Affinity, which reduces the cost of spells when standing on a corresponding surface, are particularly helpful for Summoners.

Navigating Class Selection: Tips and Considerations

Choosing the right class in Divinity: Original Sin Two is a personal decision that depends on your preferred playstyle, party composition, and overall goals. Here are a few tips to help you make an informed choice:

• Consider your preferred playstyle: Do you enjoy dealing damage from afar, engaging in melee combat, or supporting your allies with magic?
• Think about your party composition: What roles need to be filled in your party? Do you need a tank, a healer, or a damage dealer?
• Don’t be afraid to experiment and respec: Divinity: Original Sin Two allows you to respec your character, so don’t be afraid to try different classes and builds.
• Read skill descriptions carefully: Understanding the nuances of each skill school is essential for creating a successful character.

Conclusion: Forging Your Destiny in Rivellon

Selecting a class in Divinity: Original Sin Two is a critical step in your journey through Rivellon. By understanding the strengths, weaknesses, and potential builds of each class, you can create a character that perfectly suits your playstyle and contributes effectively to your party. The game’s flexible character system allows for endless experimentation, so don’t be afraid to try different classes and builds until you find what works best for you. Dive into the intricacies of each class, experiment with different skill combinations, and forge your own unique destiny in the vast and compelling world of Divinity: Original Sin Two. The adventure awaits!