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Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Which Class Is Best For You?
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Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Which Class Is Best For You?

By Array on Sep 27, 2017 07:19 pm

Divinity: Original Sin II is a game full of choices: You have to decide where to go, who to talk to, what to say, and whose house to ransack after you kill the owner and use a tool to rip their face off to create a mask for an undead creature. But before getting into any of the real action, you'll have choices of a different sort to make--namely, what class and race to play.

Much likes its predecessor, Original Sin II lets you choose a pre-made character or completely customize one. It's important to realize that, no matter decisions you make at the outset of your journey, you'll be able to reshape your character over the course of the game. You'll also at one point have the opportunity to rebuild your character from scratch if you regret your decisions.

But that doesn't mean the choices you make at the start don't matter. Original Sin II can be a very difficult game from the get-go, and you'll want to be sure you have a capable character to play with. Choosing from one of the default options and then molding it in the opening hours is a safer path than building one completely from scratch.

And while you are free to create a custom character, you can also opt for an Origin character (whose class and skills you can adjust). These will present you with an established backstory and is thus an excellent way to initially play through the game, though these Origin characters can be encountered and added to your party no matter what you create.

In the gallery ahead, we examine each of the default classes and potential skills you may want to substitute before providing an overview of every Origin character and race. For more, check out our other guides below.

Battlemage

Attributes

Strength +1 -- Strength increases your damage with strength-based weapons and skills, and allows you to lift and carry heavier items.
Intelligence +1 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Warfare +1 -- Warfare increases all Physical damage you deal.
Aerotheurge +1 -- Aerotheurge increases all Air damage you deal.
Persuasion +1 -- Persuasion helps you convince characters to do your bidding in dialogues, and increases how much characters like you.

Skills

Aerotheurge
- Shocking Touch (2 AP) -- Sets the Shocked status on a target within arm's length and deals 7-8 air damage.
- Blinding Radiance (2 AP) -- Enemies around you receive 6-7 air damage. You receive a status that turns enemies in 5m radius Blind.
Warfare
- Battering Ram (2 AP) -- Rush forward in a straight line, to a designated point, hitting all enemies in your path with 19-23 physical damage and setting Knockdown.

Battlemages are a solid blend of close-range melee combat and elemental damage. As is to be expected from a class that isn't devoted to any one function, it doesn't excel in either category, but Battlemages are all about versatility. By default, Battlemages lack any ranged moves that keep them out of danger; Battering Ram puts you right in the middle of the action, and both Blinding Radiance and Shocking Touch require you to be close to your targets. You can swap out Shocking Touch in favor of Electric Discharge or Bouncing Shield if you're desperate to be able to deal damage at distance, but Battlemages are best-suited to being right in the thick of things.

Cleric

Attributes

Strength +1 -- Strength increases your damage with strength-based weapons and skills, and allows you to lift and carry heavier items.
Intelligence +1 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Hydrosophist +1 -- Hydrosophist increases all Water damage you deal, and any Vitality healing or Magic Armour restoration that you cause.
Necromancer +1 -- Necromancer heals you whenever you deal damage directly to Vitality.
Bartering +1 -- Bartering improves your haggling skills. With each point invested, traders' items become cheaper and your items become more expensive.

Skills

Necromancer
- Decaying Touch (2 AP) -- Deal 6-7 physical damage to target character. Sets Decay, so the target will take piercing damage from healing spells and potions.
- Blood Sucker (1 AP) -- Target character consumed blood surfaces around them, restoring Vitality. The more blood, the more they will be healed.
Hydrosophist
- Restoration (1 AP) -- Restore Vitality of a target character. Restoration also cures Poisoned, Bleeding.

Cleric focuses on healing magic and close-range combat, and it uses the Hydrosophist Restoration ability for a traditional healing spell. It relies on Necromancer skills to deal damage and provide further healing, both for the Cleric and their allies. The Cleric is all about healing, so you'd be best off leaving the default skills as is.

Conjurer

Attributes

Intelligence +1 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +2 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Summoning +1 -- Summoning increases Vitality, Damage, Physical Armour and Magic Armour of your summons and totems.
Loremaster +1 -- Loremaster identifies enemies and allows you to identify items. Increasing Loremaster allows you to identify more, faster.
Leadership +1 -- Leadership grants Dodging and Resistance bonuses to all allies in a 5m radius.

Skills

Summoning
- Conjure Incarnate (2 AP) -- Conjure a personal elemental that matches the ground surface it's summoned onto. Your Incarnate can be buffed with Infusions. Once you hit Summoning ability level of 10, a colossal Incarnate Champion will answer your summons.
- Dimensional Bolt (2 AP) -- Shoot a volatile bolt that deals 4-5 damage of a random type, and then creates a corresponding surface.
- Elemental Totem (2 AP) -- Target a ground surface and conjure a totem of the corresponding element. Each turn, this totem will fire a projectile at enemies in sight.

Conjurers rely on summoning to deal the bulk of their damage. While this leaves them with few options in terms of direct offense, the ability to provide additional targets to distract your enemies can be invaluable. Conjurers are best off sticking with the default set of skills; there is only one other choice, Farsight Infusion, which provides Magic Armour and a ranged attack for your summoned Incarnate. But early on, that is not worth the trade-off of losing your ability to deal damage with Dimensional Bolt, or the presence and damage of your Totem (of which you can have more than one out at a time).

Enchanter

Attributes

Intelligence +2 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Hydrosophist +1 -- Hydrosophist increases all Water damage you deal, and any Vitality healing or Magic Armour restoration that you cause.
Aerotheurge +1 -- Aerotheurge increases all Air damage you deal.
Loremaster +1 -- Loremaster identifies enemies and allows you to identify items. Increasing Loremaster allows you to identify more, faster.

Skills

Aerotheurge
- Electric Discharge (2 AP) -- An electrical joly deals 7-8 air damage to target character. Sets status shocked.
- Rain (1 AP) -- Create a spreading water surface which douses fires. Set Wet status on characters in the area.
Hydrosophist
- Hail Strike (3 AP) -- Icicles fall from the sky, chilling enemies and dealing 4-5 water damage. They create Ice surfaces where they hit the ground.

Like the Wizard, the Enchanter is a straight magic user, but rather than focusing on pure damage-dealing, they channel spells that affect enemies and the battlefield around them. Despite sounding relatively innocuous, Rain is one of the most useful spells in the game, as it can put out fires, which you'll encounter frequently. It also pairs well with the Enchanter's other spells, as making an opponent Wet leaves them more susceptible to being Shocked with a skill like Electric Discharge. Wet surfaces or enemies can also be frozen with Hail Strike. It's a very self-sustaining class and pairs with other classes well. Considering how important elemental effects are, the Enchanter is easily one of the best classes.

Fighter

Attributes

Strength +1 -- Strength increases your damage with strength-based weapons and skills, and allows you to lift and carry heavier items.
Constitution +2 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Warfare +1 -- Warfare increases all Physical damage you deal.
Geomancer +1 -- Geomancer increases all Poison and Earth damage you deal, and any Physical Armour restoration you cause.
Bartering +1 -- Bartering improves your haggling skills. With each point invested, traders' items become cheaper and your items become more expensive.

Skills

Warfare
- Battle Stomp (2 AP) -- Smash your weapon into the ground, knocking down non-allied characters in front of you, and hitting them for 23-25 physical damage. Also clears non-cursed surfaces and clouds.
- Bouncing Shield (2 AP) -- Throw your shield at an enemy dealing 7-8 physical damage. Shield can bounce to another enemy in 5m range.
Geomancer
- Fortify (1 AP) -- Provides 8 Physical Armour. While Fortified, the target cannot be teleported. Removes Poisoned, Bleeding, Burning, Acid, Decaying.

Despite the name, Fighters serve primarily as tanks. They start with more health (thanks to +2 Constitution) and come equipped with Fortify, which restores Physical Armour and ensures they aren't teleported away from their position on the front lines. Although tempting, you should likely keep both Warfare and Geomancer to start with, rather than investing in Retribution, which reflects a percentage of damage back at attackers.

Inquisitor

Attributes

Strength +1 -- Strength increases your damage with strength-based weapons and skills, and allows you to lift and carry heavier items.
Intelligence +1 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Warfare +1 -- Warfare increases all Physical damage you deal.
Necromancer +1 -- Necromancer heals you whenever you deal damage directly to Vitality.
Telekinesis +1 -- Telekinesis allows you to move items telepathically regardless of weight.

Skills

Warfare
- Battering Ram (2 AP) -- Rush forward in a straight line, to a designated point, hitting all enemies in your path with 19-23 physical damage and setting Knockdown.
Necromancer
- Blood Sucker (1 AP) -- Target character consumed blood surfaces around them, restoring Vitality. The more blood, the more they will be healed.
- Mosquito Swarm (2 AP) -- Unleash a swarm of giant mosquitoes to suck the blood from your enemies, dealing 7-8 physical damage and healing yourself.

Inquisitors are similar to Battlemages in that they are a blend of close-range combat and elemental damage. However, Mosquito Swarm presents them with a way to deal damage from afar, while Necromancer in general provides a means for self-sustaining (as they regain health as they deal damage directly to an enemy's health). Battering Ram is useful for getting into the action, while Crippling Blow is a strong alternative thanks to its ability to do significant damage to nearby enemies.

Knight

Attributes

Strength +2 -- Strength increases your damage with strength-based weapons and skills, and allows you to lift and carry heavier items.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Warfare +1 -- Warfare increases all Physical damage you deal.
Two-Handed +1 -- Two-Handed increases damage and the Critical Multiplier when using two-handed melee weapons (sword, axe, mace, spear, or staff).
Bartering +1 -- Bartering improves your haggling skills. With each point invested, traders' items become cheaper and your items become more expensive.

Skills

Warfare
- Battering Ram (2 AP) -- Rush forward in a straight line, to a designated point, hitting all enemies in your path with 19-23 physical damage and setting Knockdown.
- Battle Stomp (2 AP) -- Smash your weapon into the ground, knocking down non-allied characters in front of you, and hitting them for 23-25 physical damage. Also clears non-cursed surfaces and clouds.
- Crippling Blow (2 AP) -- Cripple the target with a sweeping blow, and all characters around it. Deals 49-54 physical damage.

Knights are a more offensive-oriented version of the Fighter, relying heavily on close-range damage. They need to be in the thick of things in order to deal damage, and you'll want to ensure you don't deviate from the default skills. The only alternative with the standard setup is Bouncing Shield, but Knights come with a point in Two-Handed weapons--which means you shouldn't be using a shield. This is a textbook example of ensuring you're aware of what each aspect of your character involves in order to maximize their effectiveness.

Metamorph

Attributes

Strength +2 -- Strength increases your damage with strength-based weapons and skills, and allows you to lift and carry heavier items.
Finesse +2 -- Finesse increases your damage with finesse-based weapons and skills.

Abilities

Two-Handed +1 -- Two-Handed increases damage and the Critical Multiplier when using two-handed melee weapons (sword, axe, mace, spear, or staff).
Polymorph +1 -- Polymorph provides 1 free Attribute Point per point invested.
Persuasion +1 -- Persuasion helps you convince characters to do your bidding in dialogues, and increases how much characters like you.

Skills

Polymorph
- Tentacle Lash (2 AP) -- Lash out at your opponent, dealing 8-9 physical damage and setting Atrophy on them.
- Chicken Claw (2 AP) -- Turn the target character into a chicken.
- Bull Horns -- Magnificent horns sprout from your forehead, making you see red. You can rush at your enemies and gore them. Increases Retribution ability by 1 for the duration. Incompatible with Medusa Head.

Metamorphs are among the more challenging classes to start out with. If you're new to the genre, you're likely better off trying something else first, as entertaining as Metamorph may sound. Chicken Claw is a powerful ability, but it's essential that you pick out the correct target, as it can only be used once every six turns. The only alternative skill available by default is Chameleon Cloak, which turns you invisible, but keep in mind that using it will only draw more attention to other party members--something that isn't ideal if they're squishier, ranged-oriented characters.

Ranger

Attributes

Finesse +2 -- Finesse increases your damage with finesse-based weapons and skills.
Wits +1 -- Wits affect your Critical Chance, Initiative, and your ability to detect traps and find hidden treasures.

Abilities

Huntsman +1 -- Huntsman increases the damage bonus when attacking from high ground.
Pyrokinetic +1 -- Pyrokinetic increases all Fire damage you deal.
Lucky Charm +1 -- Lucky Charm increases your likelihood of finding extra treasure whenever lot is stashed.

Skills

Huntsman
- Ricochet (2 AP) -- Fire a normal arrow that deals 28-33 physical damage and then finds another target within 5m. Forks up to 2 times.
- Elemental Arrowheads (1 AP) -- Target a surface in melee radius. For one turn, elemental damage matching that surface is added to your ranged weapon attacks and ranged weapon-based skills.
Pyrokinetic
- Peace of Mind (1 AP) -- Target gains Clear-Minded, which increases Strength, Finesse, and Intelligence by 1 and Wits by 1. Removes Blinded, Terrified, Charmed, Taunted, Sleeping, Enraged, and Mad.

The Ranger is a wonderful mix of ranged physical and elemental damage. Their bow or crossbow lets them stay at a safe distance, which is important as you'll want to maintain the high ground to take advantage of the bonus damage provided by Huntsman. Rangers are versatile in terms of elemental damage, thanks to their ability to craft various types of elemental arrows. Alternatively, the Elemental Arrowheads skill provides a way to temporarily unleash a wide variety of elemental attacks, depending on what's nearby. If you're looking for additional healing, you can swap out one of the Huntsman skills in favor of First Aid.

Additionally, it's important to note that ranged attacks in Divinity: Original Sin II are much more reliable than in the first game. Don't let your experience with Original Sin scare you away from giving Ranger a try.

Rogue

Attributes

Finesse +2 -- Finesse increases your damage with finesse-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Scoundrel +1 -- Scoundrel increases movement speed and boosts your Critical Modifier.
Sneaking +1 -- Sneaking determines how well you can sneak without getting caught.
Dual Wielding +1 -- Dual Wielding increases damage and Dodging when dual-wielding two one-handed weapons.

Skills

Scoundrel
- Throwing Knife (2 AP) -- Throw a knife at your opponent, dealing 27-28 physical damage. Can backstab.
- Backlash (1 AP) -- Jump over the enemy, landing behind their back and backstabbing them for 27-28 physical damage.
- Adrenaline -- Gain 2 Action Points immediately, but lose 2 Action Points next turn. Any Action Points over your maximum are lost.

Rogues rely on stealth and mobility to get behind their opponents and backstab them to deal maximum damage. They're reliant on others to heal them and are thus vulnerable if caught out of position. Rogue can be a challenge to play effectively, but if you decide to try it, be sure to leave the default skills alone. Chloroform (which puts an enemy to sleep) is tantalizing, but the three pre-selected options ensure you can maximize your damage and have the flexibility to get away.

Shadowblade

Attributes

Finesse +2 -- Finesse increases your damage with finesse-based weapons and skills.
Wits +1 -- Wits affect your Critical Chance, Initiative, and your ability to detect traps and find hidden treasures.

Abilities

Scoundrel +1 -- Scoundrel increases movement speed and boosts your Critical Modifier.
Polymorph +1 -- Polymorph provides 1 free Attribute Point per point invested.
Thievery +1 -- Thievery improves your lockpicking and pickpocketing skills.

Skills

Polymorph
- Chameleon Cloak (1 AP) -- Grants you the power to blend in with any environment as if Invisible.
- Chicken Claw (2 AP) -- Turn the target character into a chicken.
Scoundrel
- Backlash (1 AP) -- Jump over the enemy, landing behind their back and backstabbing them for 27-28 physical damage.

Shadowblades are effectively spellcasting Rogues, moving around quietly and backstabbing enemies while maintaining the freedom to turn an opponent into a chicken every now and then. Like Rogues, they are challenging to play while lacking the additional health Rogues enjoy, but their +2 in Wits ensures they'll be able to act more often than most other characters.

Wayfarer

Attributes

Finesse +2 -- Finesse increases your damage with finesse-based weapons and skills.
Intelligence +1 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.

Abilities

Huntsman +1 -- Huntsman increases the damage bonus when attacking from high ground.
Geomancer +1 -- Geomancer increases all Poison and Earth damage you deal, and any Physical Armour restoration you cause.
Bartering +1 -- Bartering improves your haggling skills. With each point invested, traders' items become cheaper and your items become more expensive.

Skills

Huntsman
- Pin Down (3 AP) -- Deal 44-47 physical damage and Cripple target character.
- Elemental Arrowheads (1 AP) -- Target a surface in melee radius. For one turn, elemental damage matching that surface is added to your ranged weapon attacks and ranged weapon-based skills.
Geomancer
- Fossil Strike (2 AP) -- A giant rock filled with sticky oil that deals 6-7 earth damage. Creates an oil surface where it lands.

If the idea of being a Ranger appeals to you but you want even more flexibility, Wayfarer may be for you. Fossil Strike allows you to create an oil surface, and if you have fire nearby, Elemental Arrowheads can then be used to ignite it and deal serious damage. Following up with Pin Down the following turn can allow you to ensure the enemy is stuck in the ensuing blaze, or you can swap it out in favor of First Aid to provide your party with another source of healing.

Witch

Attributes

Finesse +1 -- Finesse increases your damage with finesse-based weapons and skills.
Intelligence +1 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Scoundrel +1 -- Scoundrel increases movement speed and boosts your Critical Modifier.
Necromancer +1 -- Necromancer heals you whenever you deal damage directly to Vitality.
Persuasion +1 -- Persuasion helps you convince characters to do your bidding in dialogues, and increases how much characters like you.

Skills

Necromancer
- Raise Bloated Corpse (1 AP) -- Target a corpse to raise a bloated cadaver that fights for you. It can explode, dealing Physical Damage.
- Mosquito Swarm (2 AP) -- Unleash a swarm of giant mosquitoes to suck the blood from your enemies, dealing 6-7 physical damage and healing yourself.
Scoundrel
- Chloroform (1 AP) -- Destroys 6-7 Magic Armour and then tries to set Sleeping.

A short-range spellcaster, Witches can deal heavy damage but are potentially vulnerable. Their damage also is largely indirect--outside of backstabbing foes, you'll need a dead body and some time to move a bloated corpse into position to explode. Positioning is incredibly important with Witches, making this one of the more challenging classes to start out with.

Wizard

Attributes

Intelligence +2 -- Intelligence increases your damage with Intelligence-based weapons and skills.
Constitution +1 -- Constitution determines how much Vitality you have.

Abilities

Pyrokinetic +1 -- Pyrokinetic increases all Fire damage you deal.
Geomancer +1 -- Geomancer increases all Poison and Earth damage you deal, and any Physical Armour restoration you cause.
Loremaster +1 -- Loremaster identifies enemies and allows you to identify items. Increasing Loremaster allows you to identify more, faster.

Skills

Pyrokinetic
- Searing Daggers (2 AP) -- Shoot three flaming daggers at targets of your choice, each creating a fire surface and dealing 3-4 fire damage.
- Ignition (1 AP) -- Sets enemy characters around you on fire. Deals 4-5 fire damage to each. Ignites all susceptible surfaces.
Geomancer
- Fossil Strike (2 AP) -- A giant rock filled with sticky oil that deals 6-7 earth damage. Creates an oil surface where it lands.

Wizard is a traditional magic user with a focus on damage-dealing. By default, you'll have Pyrokinetic and Geomancer skills, which combine well together. Use Fossil Strike to create an oil surface and then light it ablaze with Ignition. As an alternative, you can swap out Fossil Strike in favor of Contamination, which creates a poison surface that can still be combined with Ignition.

Origin Character: Beast

Special Skills

Petrifying Touch (2 AP) -- Turn a nearby target to stone, incapacitating it. Deal 4-5 earth damage. Removes Bleeding, Burning, Poisoned, and Crippled.
Blinding Squall (2 AP, 1 Source) -- A Storm approaches and strong winds rise. They Blind and deal 8-9 air damage to characters in the target area.

Talents

Sturdy -- Sturdy gives you +10% maximum Vitality and +5% Dodging
Dwarven Guile -- Dwarven Guile gives you +1 in Sneaking

Origin Character: Fane

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Time Warp (2 AP, 1 Source) -- Target a character. Whenever this character ends a turn in combat, they immediately get a free turn.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Ingenious -- Ingenious gives you 2 bonus Initiative and 5% extra Critical Chance.

Origin Character: Ifan ben-Mezd

Special Skills

Encourage (1 AP) -- Encourage allies around you, increasing their primary attributes.
Summon Ifan's Soul Wolf (3 AP, 1 Source) -- Summons your trusty Soul Wolf, which can Howl and Bite enemies.

Talents

Ingenious -- Ingenious gives you 2 bonus Initiative and 5% extra Critical Chance.
Thrifty -- Thrifty gives you +1 to Bartering.

Origin Character: Lohse

Special Skills

Encourage (1 AP) -- Encourage allies around you, increasing their primary attributes.
Maddening Song (2 AP, 1 Source) -- Sing, causing characters in your target area to become Mad. Maddened characters will attack those nearest them, regardless of alignment.

Talents

Ingenious -- Ingenious gives you 2 bonus Initiative and 5% extra Critical Chance.
Thrifty -- Thrifty gives you +1 to Bartering.

Origin Character: The Red Prince

Special Skills

Dragon's Blaze (1 AP) -- Breathe flames in a cone, dealing 4-5 fire damage and leaving fire surface behind.
Demonic Stare (2 AP, 1 Source) -- Drain 6-7 Magic Armour from target character and gain that amount for yourself.

Talents

Sophisticated -- Sophisticated gives you +10% Fire Resistance and +10% Poison Resistance.
Spellsong -- You get +1 in Persuasion from Spellsong.

Origin Character: Sebille

Special Skills

Flesh Sacrifice -- Gain 1 Action Point immediately and a 10% damage boost for 2 turns at the cost of -1 Constitution. Any Action Points over your maximum are lost.
Break the Shackles (1 Source) -- Remove the following negative statuses from yourself: Slowed, Crippled, Chilled, Shocked, Suffocating, Atrophy, Diseased, Infectious Diseased, and Shackles of Pain.

Talents

Corpse Eater -- Corpse Eater lets you eat body parts to access the memories of the dead.
Ancestral Knowledge -- Ancestral Knowledge gives you +1 Loremaster.

Dwarf (Male)

Special Skills

Petrifying Touch (2 AP) -- Turn a nearby target to stone, incapacitating it. Deal 4-5 earth damage. Removes Bleeding, Burning, Poisoned, and Crippled.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Sturdy -- Sturdy gives you +10% maximum Vitality and +5% Dodging
Dwarven Guile -- Dwarven Guile gives you +1 in Sneaking

Dwarf (Female)

Special Skills

Petrifying Touch (2 AP) -- Turn a nearby target to stone, incapacitating it. Deal 4-5 earth damage. Removes Bleeding, Burning, Poisoned, and Crippled.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Sturdy -- Sturdy gives you +10% maximum Vitality and +5% Dodging
Dwarven Guile -- Dwarven Guile gives you +1 in Sneaking

Elf (Male)

Special Skills

Flesh Sacrifice -- Gain 1 Action Point immediately and a 10% damage boost for 2 turns at the cost of -1 Constitution. Any Action Points over your maximum are lost.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Corpse Eater -- Corpse Eater lets you eat body parts to access the memories of the dead.
Ancestral Knowledge -- Ancestral Knowledge gives you +1 Loremaster.

Elf (Female)

Special Skills

Flesh Sacrifice -- Gain 1 Action Point immediately and a 10% damage boost for 2 turns at the cost of -1 Constitution. Any Action Points over your maximum are lost.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Corpse Eater -- Corpse Eater lets you eat body parts to access the memories of the dead.
Ancestral Knowledge -- Ancestral Knowledge gives you +1 Loremaster.

Human (Male)

Special Skills

Encourage (1 AP) -- Encourage allies around you, increasing their primary attributes.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Ingenious -- Ingenious gives you 2 bonus Initiative and 5% extra Critical Chance.
Thrifty -- Thrifty gives you +1 to Bartering.

Human (Female)

Special Skills

Encourage (1 AP) -- Encourage allies around you, increasing their primary attributes.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Ingenious -- Ingenious gives you 2 bonus Initiative and 5% extra Critical Chance.
Thrifty -- Thrifty gives you +1 to Bartering.

Lizard (Male)

Special Skills

Dragon's Blaze (1 AP) -- Breathe flames in a cone, dealing 4-5 fire damage and leaving fire surface behind.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Sophisticated -- Sophisticated gives you +10% Fire Resistance and +10% Poison Resistance.
Spellsong -- You get +1 in Persuasion from Spellsong.

Lizard (Female)

Special Skills

Dragon's Blaze (1 AP) -- Breathe flames in a cone, dealing 4-5 fire damage and leaving fire surface behind.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Sophisticated -- Sophisticated gives you +10% Fire Resistance and +10% Poison Resistance.
Spellsong -- You get +1 in Persuasion from Spellsong.

Undead Dwarf (Male)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Sturdy -- Sturdy gives you +10% maximum Vitality and +5% Dodging

Undead Dwarf (Female)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Sturdy -- Sturdy gives you +10% maximum Vitality and +5% Dodging

Undead Elf (Male)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Corpse Eater -- Corpse Eater lets you eat body parts to access the memories of the dead.

Undead Elf (Female)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Corpse Eater -- Corpse Eater lets you eat body parts to access the memories of the dead.

Undead Human (Male)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Ingenious -- Ingenious gives you 2 bonus Initiative and 5% extra Critical Chance.

Undead Human (Female)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Ingenious -- Ingenious gives you 2 bonus Initiative and 5% extra Critical Chance.

Undead Lizard (Male)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Sophisticated -- Sophisticated gives you +10% Fire Resistance and +10% Poison Resistance.

Undead Lizard (Female)

Special Skills

Play Dead -- Fool enemies into thinking you're dead. Cooldown of skills will be paused. Any action you take will cancel this status.
Dome of Protection (1 AP, 1 Source) -- Create a magical field that restores Magic and Physical Armour and increases elemental resistances on allies in an area.

Talents

Undead -- Undead lets you heal from poison, but regular healing will damage you instead.
Sophisticated -- Sophisticated gives you +10% Fire Resistance and +10% Poison Resistance.

The Cool Merch Of Tokyo Game Show 2017

By Edmond Tran on Sep 27, 2017 04:30 am

The Cool Merch Of Tokyo Game Show 2017

Like any public convention, Tokyo Game Show features a merchandise section where attendees can purchase official and licensed goods from their favourite games. Here's a look at some of the great stuff available on offer!

For more on Tokyo Game Show 2017, be sure to visit our other galleries!

- Big And Bizzare - Tokyo Game Show 2017 Photo Tour

- Cosplay From Tokyo Game Show 2017: Final Fantasy, Persona, And More!

- The Best Square-Enix Toys And Merchandise At Tokyo Game Show 2017

Sonic The Hedgehog Shoes!

Do you gotta go fast? Well maybe a pair of these Sonic-inspired shoes might be something you need.

Gradius

Maybe you're in bullet-hell? These Gradius kicks are probably your jam.

Pac-Man

Or if you just need to run away from dumb ghosts, these Pac-Man shoes will also do.

Gradius

No matter your game preferences though, you can't deny how cool these Gradius jackets are.

Namco Famicom Carts

Check out these replica Famicom carts for classic Namco games! I have no idea what purpose they serve.

Duffel Bags

If you love Sega consoles or Danganronpa and you really want to show it: Get a bag!

Kojima Productions

Kojima Productions had a small selection of premium, premium-grade phone cases. Only ~$120 USD each!

PlayStation

Are you a PlayStation fanboy? You should show that off by buying some sweet mugs and carabiners!

Toro + Taiko

PlayStation Japan's Mascot, Toro the Cat, gets a bunch of merch dedicated to his image. The Taiko Drum Master mascot does too!

Parappa The Rappa

Everyone's favourite, most rappingest dog gets a line of keychain plushies and little shoes for some reason?

Parappa The Rappa

Also available are a bunch of badges to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary.

Persona

Now this is what we're after--here's a small selection of Persona-branded stuff including folios, mini-posters and lapel pins.

Persona 5

...and here's a replica of Futaba's jacket from Persona 5! It says "AFK" in huge letters on the back, but this thing retails for ~$200!

Persona 5

Here's one for the obnoxious friend in your life: a replica of Ryuji's t-shirt. There's also a replica of the Shujin High School bag, which felt a little tougher than the one included in the collector's version of the game.

Arc System Works

Arc System Works had an official stand to pimp various Guilty Gear and Blazblue merchandise!

Sega + Atlus

A broad overview of some of the stuff available at the official Sega + Atlus stand.

Sega + Atlus

Here's a closer look at some Sega console magnets and Yakuza stickers.

Puyo Puyo

Who loves Puyo Puyo? Just about everyone in Japan. Here are some cute socks and plushies Sega was selling.

Persona 5

There was even more Persona merchandise at the Sega + Atlus booth, mostly little bits and pieces you could use in every day life like washi tape and folio keepers.

Persona

We were seriously tempted by these premium business card holders, with designs echoing Persona 3, 4, and 5.

Persona 4

Do you wear glasses? You could keep them in a very in-theme Persona 4 glasses case.

Sanwa

Sanwa's booth returned with a variety of custom arcade stick parts. Here we see some buttons.

Sanwa

...and some sticks.

Square-Enix Music

Square-Enix's soundtracks are always a favourite. This year they were handing out exclusive CDs with every purchase to celebrate Final Fantasy's 30th Anniversary.

For more Square-Enix merch, check out our dedicated gallery: The Best Square-Enix Toys And Merchandise At Tokyo Game Show 2017

Capcom

Over at the Capcom booth, we have a range of Monster Hunter figurines you can buy in a blind box.

Resident Evil

It's a Resident Evil thermos, shaped like a First Aid Spray canister! Amazing.

Resident Evil Curry

Curry of the Biohazard? I'm not game enough to taste this one...

Street Fighter V

...or this one for that matter. From what we can tell, they're Street Fighter cookies themed around R. Mika. Cream sandwich? I'll pass.

Dragon Ball

Do you Goku? Japan likes Goku.

Overwatch

Do you like Overwatch? Japan likes Overwatch.

Minecraft

How about Minecraft? Yeah, Japan likes that too.

Spike Chunsoft

Here's the official Spike Chunsoft booth selling a bunch of Danganronpa stuff.

Monster Hunter

Do you love Monster Hunter? Maybe you'd like to sign up for a Monster Hunter credit card!

And that's it!

That about does it for a good look at the major merch booths at Tokyo Game Show this year.

For more, be sure to visit our other galleries!

- Big And Bizzare - Tokyo Game Show 2017 Photo Tour

- Cosplay From Tokyo Game Show 2017: Final Fantasy, Persona, And More!

- The Best Square-Enix Toys And Merchandise At Tokyo Game Show 2017

Divinity: Original Sin 2 Expert Tips

By GameSpot Staff on Sep 27, 2017 03:18 am

Upping Your Chances of Survival

Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the best RPGs of all time. It's also one of the most challenging, with a deep and intricate storyline, tons of quests, and tactical combat that demands the most out of players. Click ahead for some expert tips on how to tackle the game's various challenges, as well as details on what you need to do to become a god in the fantasy land of Rivellon.

Be aware that there are some spoilers in the following slides, so be careful reading on if you don't want some specific situations revealed to you. And if you're not the most experienced player, you can check out our beginner's guide and tips on picking the right class.

For more about Divinity: Original Sin II, be sure to read our review. The game is out now for PC, but it's been in Steam Early Access for almost a year. It's the sequel to our 2014 PC Game of the Year, Divinity: Original Sin, and it netted over $2 million from 40,000 fans on Kickstarter. It features over 1,200 characters, all of them fully voice-acted.

Take Notes and Mark the Map

One of the few flaws in Divinity: Original Sin II is how poorly it tracks quests in the in-game journal. Take a page from old-school roleplayers and keep a notepad alongside the computer to track important points on paper. Also, be sure and regularly check the map when you visit key locations and see if they have been marked. If not, be sure and put down a blue flag and text to clue you in to what can be found there.

All this might seem like added fuss and bother, but keeping careful records is critical in a game this long and convoluted. You will thank yourself for those notes and map markers many hours down the road, when you realize that the journal doesn't include enough information about what to do to finish a quest or you can't find something on the map

Having to track things manually also adds to the game's charm and buffs its pen-and-paper street cred. And don't whine too much—at one time, RPGers also had to map their progress with hex paper.

If You Don't Succeed at First…

Success or failure often hinges on skill checks in conversations. Turning off an NPC by failing at a persuasion check can lock out quests and make it much more difficult to complete them. Just remember that you can generally try every conversation with all four members of your party. Blow it the first time? Keep going until you've run through the entire party. This little cheat can also let you explore other dialogue options so you can see everything that a character has to say.

Use the Examine Option During Every Combat

Take a moment to right-click on enemies and choose the Examine option at the start of every significant battle, especially in the final third or so of the game. Doing so opens a full description that reveals each foe's detailed statistics, including immunities to physical and magical attacks. One mistake during a single turn in combat can cost you a battle in the later stages of the game. So don't make it any easier for the bad guys by casting something like Fossil Strike on a foe that has full immunity to Earth magic.

Don't Forget About Sneaking

Even though Divinity: Original Sin II is largely about blade-on-blade, fireball-on-fireball battles, sneaking can be incredibly important. Remember to try it during difficult battles to try and gain an edge on the opposition. It can turn a tough fight into a cakewalk. Just ask Doctor Daeva. Sneak an assassin type like Sebille close to this demonic villain before triggering his dialogue and you may just get the initiative in the coming battle. Do it just right and you can actually kill Daeva before he has the chance to morph into his much more powerful demon form. This makes one of the most challenging battles in the entire game a breeze. Sneaking can also let you creep close enough to those creepy Shriekers to take them out with Source Vampirism.

When In Doubt, Cheat

You've gotta do what you've gotta do to escape the brutal fights in Divinity: Original Sin II. So remember to examine your surroundings closely whenever you fail a fight and rearrange or destroy potentially deadly items like oil barrels before engaging in a second go-round. Quite a few battles in the game demand this sort of semi-cheating approach, most notably the crazy fight with the fire Voidwoken during the Blackpit battle to save Gwydian. Careful rearrangement of oil barrels limits the amount of Necrofire that can easily consume your party. Fail to make these changes and you can expect the entire area to explode in this cursed fire. And some well-placed boxes can also fence in Gwydian, whose poor AI makes him stupid enough to kill himself.

Know Your Equipment

Take the time to regularly go through your gear and determine exactly what it does. There is so much cool loot to acquire here that you can easily get overwhelmed by bulging packs loaded with everything from wheels of cheese through magical elven staffs. Set a routine of reviewing your entire inventory after each significant quest so that you can mentally catalogue what you have just acquired and ensure that the party is best equipped for the battles to come. Doing this by a trader is a good idea, too, so that you can cull gear for sale immediately after making adjustments to character load-out and keep your packs (reasonably) lean and mean.

Look Closely at High-Level Gear

Higher level gear requires attention. Some items may have lower base numbers in physical and magical armor, but make up for it in a big way with serious attribute buffs and added magical skills.

Watch those buffs, as well. Don't be too quick to sell something that you don't use very often, because the wide variety of enemies in the game mean that you need a wide variety of weapons and gear to best battle them. It's always better to have a useful weapon or piece of armor in your pack during a big battle than a bunch of cash. Gold won't save you, but that magical mace that you're keeping around for a rainy day just might.

But if you want to cut to the chase and assess the true worth of an item quickly without a more detailed analysis, look at the sale value at the very bottom of the description box. Don't be fooled by item levels, or by fancy tags like "Unique" and "Legendary." Money talks. Listen to it.

Be Prepared for High Immunity Enemies

Combat later in the game almost always features foes with immunities to different forms of physical and magical attacks. Prepare for this by stocking a wide range of items on each character for various combat situations, such as weapons with attack bonuses linked to each of the game's elemental characteristics. Vary your magical skills as well. You don't want to be stuck with, say, a mage loaded with nothing but fire magic when you encounter creatures with 100% fire resistance.

Of course, this is also true for defense. Keep multiple sets of key armor and other defensive items on hand so you can switch to them when necessary during battle, depending on how your opponents are attacking. This can make inventory management something of a chore, but you won't care about how crowded your backpack has become if you always have something in there to help out during battles.

Keep Potions of Strong Will on Every Character

The importance of quick access to healing and armor potions goes without saying, but another one that you will want to have in every character's pack is Strong Will. This handy red concoction prevents party members from being afflicted by most mental spell effects that cause them to be charmed, terrified, cursed, and so forth. Combat in the later parts of the game often features mages and monsters with these effects, so it's vital to be able to counteract them.

Resurrection and Haste

Load every character with as many Resurrection scrolls as you can afford. Being able to quickly bring fallen allies back to life and get them fighting again as soon as possible is a fundamental part of surviving late-game encounters. Many battles can't be won without reviving your dead.

Haste is also necessary. Battles with numerous foes spread across the battlefield and on elevated platforms can be made much easier to handle when you can turn your heroes into sprinters and enable them to reach enemies in an expeditious manner. Haste also helps run down enemy spellcasters and those with ranged weapons, as these cowards always choose the better part of valor and flee close-quarters combat.

Be a Morning Person

One of the most valuable talents in the game is Morning Person, which ensures that a resurrected character comes back to life with full health. This ability becomes incredibly important later in the game when you regularly need to resurrect allies during combat, as the standard revival brings heroes back with very little health and sets them up to be killed again in short order. Consider taking Morning Person with every character as soon as possible (although it's particularly vital for your most crucial characters in combat, like your tank fighter and your most powerful mage) when leveling up. It will dramatically increase your options of beating the tougher late-game battles by getting your party members back in the game and ready to fight almost immediately after they're killed.

Keep the Gloves of Teleportation

Even though you acquire these gloves very early in the game and they seem low powered due to their underwhelming value and stats, never let them go. They are essential at many key moments in the campaign, right through to the conclusion. You can use them to take short cuts through quests, most notably the big god one on the Nameless Isle where you have to do things like ascend floating islands, and access areas that are otherwise inaccessible.

Gloves of Teleportation are also quite handy during combat, as they allow you to quickly get to enemies in slightly distant or elevated locations. The gloves can also be huge parts of your strategy to take on a number of major battles. They come in particularly useful during the brutal final battle in the Red Prince storyline, for instance. Teleporting party members makes it much easier to destroy the sizable number of black mirrors spread all over the battle arena there to prevent enemies from endlessly respawning.

Use Spirit Vision--A Lot

Never forget about the Spirit Vision skill acquired about midway through the game. The ability to see and converse with otherwise hidden ghosts becomes more and more crucial in the later stages of the game, as these spectral goons often have key information for the successful resolution of quests. Spirit Vision also opens up parts of the game that otherwise go unseen. The dimensional doorway in the garden behind the Lizard Consulate in Arx is one good example here, as it cannot be accessed until you reveal it with Spirit Vision.

Remove What's Underfoot with Terrain Transmutation

Battling environmental issues can be as much of a problem as actual enemies. One good way to get rid of something pesky that's underfoot like some oil, ice, or Necrofire is to use the Terrain Transmutation Polymorph skill and swap the bad stuff with some basic rock or grass nearby. One particular area where it comes in very handy is the burning Lizard Consulate in Arx, as you need to get rid of the Necrofire to prevent the Cursed Revenant enemies from endlessly respawning. Moving it as far away as Terrain Transmutation can reach does the trick.

Boost Your Wits

A high score in the Wits character stat is vital to spotting secret doors, hidden archways, and even buried chests of loot. Make sure at least one party member is regularly adding to this score when leveling up, or you will miss out on quests or key information needed to readily solve the game's many mysteries.

Also, remember that the Peace of Mind skill is a huge benefit here, as it dramatically ups the Wits score of the targeted character. Use it if you're stumped. It's most useful when trying to access the underground vaults where the possessed are imprisoned on Bloodmoon Island.

Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - All The Gear, Weapons, And Rewards

By Oscar Dayus on Sep 27, 2017 02:32 am

Everything You Need To Know About Destiny 2's Faction Rallies

Destiny 2's Faction Rallies are now live, bringing with them exclusive rewards packages including weapons, armor, and shaders. Three factions are currently available, each of which you can pledge your allegiance to and hence work towards those rewards.

To join a faction, simply talk to its leader in the Traveler. Arach Jalaal (who represents the Dead Orbit faction) and Lakshmi-2 (Future War Cult) are situated in the Hangar, while Executor Hideo (New Monarchy) is currently in the Bazaar. You can see their locations and what gear they have to offer (that we've gotten our hands on so far) in this gallery, along with the exclusive "powerful" weapon that each one offers.

You can obtain these items by trading them for Rewards Tokens, which you earn by "destroy supplies in Lost Sectors and doing Public Events, Crucible matches, strikes, and the Leviathan Raid." The Powerful weapon, meanwhile, will be sold to all players next week for 50,000 glimmer, though members of the winning team will only need to part with 1,000 glimmer. The winner will be named at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST on October 3 (3 AM AEST on October 4 in Australia). For more, check out the latest Destiny 2 update 1.0.3 patch notes or our Destiny 2 raid guide.