There are fourteen different main classes for players to choose from in Divinity: Original Sin 2 when creating their first character. These classes contain a mixture of one or two of the skill schools in the game. The possibilities for builds are endless.
Players can start out with one class and create their own unique one as the game progresses. But with so many options it can be overwhelming or leave one indecisive. Of these fourteen classes, players can choose which skills to use or to keep the original selected three. Of these options, only some are the most critical at the beginning of the game.
14 Conjurer
The Conjurer contains skills from the school Summoning. Players can pick three of the allowed Summoning skills which are Conjure Incarnate, Farsight Infusion, Elemental Totem, and Dimensional Bolt. Elemental Totem and Dimensional Bolt are useful because one creates damage that stays for a couple turns and the other does random type damage.
But Conjure Incarnate and Farsight Infusion might be the most reliable at the beginning of the game. These skills allow the player to summon a creature and strengthen it, adding more strength to their team for a good amount of time.
13 Enchanter
The Enchanter uses skills from the schools Aerotheurge and Hydrosophist. This class uses earth to their advantage. The skills include Blinding Radiance, Favorable Wind, Restoration, Electric Discharge, Shocking Touch, Hail Strike, Rain, and Armor Of Frost.
Restoration and Blinding Radiance, on the other hand, are life saving. Restoration heals teammates during battle and can injure the undead. When low on health potions or when you want to use them sparingly, Restoration is a gift. Blinding Radiance makes it so that anyone within melee range gets the Blind status effect, encouraging them to miss attacks or create a false sense of depth.
12 Fighter
Fighters use the schools Warfare and Geomancer. In the basic skills available in character creation there are Bouncing Shield, Fortify, Battle Stomp, Battering Ram, Crippling Blow, Contamination, Fossil Strike, and Poison Dart.
Battering Ram and Bouncing Shield are the most useful. Not only does Battering Ram deliver hard hits, but it allows the player to get closer to the enemy without using action points to walk all the way over. Bouncing Shield targets more than one enemy and eats away a good chunk of their physical armor, making these two skills essential in hard battles.
11 Inquisitor
The Inquisitor touches into schools Necromancer and Warfare. The basic skills offered are Mosquito Swarm, Blood Sucker, Battering Ram, Raise Bloated Corpse, Crippling Blow, Battle Stomp, Bouncing Shield, Decaying Touch. This class can use witch-like magic in hand with being a strong warrior.
Mosquito Swarm is highly favorable because it heals the player as well as doing damage, at the same time. Raise Bloated Corpse only works if there’s a fresh corpse in the battlefield, which there surely should be, and when doing this you can add more manpower to the team making it an even ratio or making your team stronger.
10 Knight
Knights use only Warfare skills. The basic skills are Battering ram, Crippling Blow, Bouncing Shield, and Battle Stomp. All of these are useful but this class has less skill options to choose from at the beginning and if the player decides to stick to the Fighter build.
Battering Ram and Bouncing Shield are still favorable above all else because Battering Ram lets the player reach greater distances and Knock Down an enemy, and Bouncing Shield eats the physical shield of two enemies instead of one.
9 Metamorph
Metamorphs only use the school Polymorph which comes with funny and unique skills that aren’t as straight forward as slamming someone down or controlling the weather. The basic makeup includes Bull Horns, Chicken Claw, Tentacle Whip, and Chameleon Cloak.
The best options here are Chicken Claw and Chameleon Cloak. Chicken Claw quite literally turns the target enemy into a chicken for a good amount of turns, rendering them completely useless and embarrassingly funny. Chameleon Cloak allows the player to become invisible and walk around the battle field without interruption. These skills render the player sneaky and annoying all in one.
8 Ranger
The Ranger class taps in on Huntsman and Pyrokinetic. The class starts off with Peace Of Mind, Ricochet, Elemental Arrowhead, Pin Down, First aid, Searing Daggers, Ignition, and Haste. Elemental Arrowhead does no damage, it only picks a damage type for your main weapon which isn’t highly needed when you’re also running Pyrokinetic skills.
The most useful skills here are Peace Of Mind and Ricochet. Peace Of Mind is insanely crucial with cheeky enemies who like to play mind games and cast painful effects on your team like Charm. Peace Of Mind cures the ailed team mate of these effects. Ricochet targets multiple enemies at once.
7 Rogue
The Rogue uses the skill school Scoundrel alone. The given skills are Adrenaline, Throwing Knives, Backlash, and Chloroform. All of the Scoundrel skills are very useful and sneaky, but starting off only some of these are crucial in surviving Fort Joy and beyond before you find better skills or have the money for it.
Backlash allows the player to basically teleport to their enemy and inflict damage which is why this skill is one of the best starters. No need to walk across the field and waste points. Chloroform is the other best option as it renders the target enemy Sleeping so that they cannot do a single thing at all for a couple rounds.
6 Shadowblade
A Shadowblade utilizes both Scoundrel skills and Polymorph, honestly making it one of the most fun builds. The skills available are Chameleon Cloak, Chicken Claw, Backlash, Bull Horns, Tentacle Whip, Adrenaline, Throwing Knives, and Chloroform. Not only can you teleport to enemies and deal hard hitting damage, but you can then use cheeky spells to keep enemies guessing.
Backlash and Chicken Claw are a great duo here. Teleport to the enemy with no physical shield and turn them into a chicken to by the team some time and take the heat off of them.
5 Wayfarer
The Rogue build uses Huntsman and Geomancer skills. Elemental Arrowhead, Fossil Strike, Fortify, Contamination, Poison Dart, Pin Down, Ricochet, and First Aid are within this class. These all have their uses, especially when you’re an archer from above using something like Fossil Strike on the enemies below.
Ricochet will forever be decent since it attacks more than one enemy in one go, and Fortify is an archers best friend since they aren’t as strong as a Knight or a Fighter. They can do multiple damage and protect themselves with these two skill schools.
4 Witch
The Witch calls upon Necromancer and Scoundrel schools. Chloroform, Raised Bloated Corpse, Mosquito Swarm, Blood Sucker, Adrenaline, Throwing Knives, Backlash, and Decaying Touch are available when selecting. With this class players can be nasty and hurt vulnerable enemies back to back.
Chloroform and Mosquito Swarm are probably the better bets in this build. Sleeping enemies and healing yourself left and right slowly weakens the enemy team and keeps you going on so you can further help your team.
3 Wizard
Wizards schooling includes Pyrokinetic and Geomancer abilities. The available options are Fossil Strike, Ignition, Searing Daggers, Fortify, Peace Of Mind, Contamination, Poison Dart, Ignition, and Haste. Lighting everything on fire is great and all, but it can also come back to haunt you if a teammate happens to be beside an oil barrel.
Fortify and Peace Of Mind are the most useful skills here because they will allow the player to bypass troubling encounters that are tearing at the team quickly, and allow them to continue forward with the fight.
2 Battlemage
A Battlemage taps into Aerotheurge and Warfare. The basic skills are Battering Ram, Crippling Blow, Battle Stomp, Bouncing Shield, Blinding Radiance, Shocking Touch, Favorable Wind, and Electrical Discharge. With this class players can electrocute in various different ways while also dealing large blows.
The most important skills in this base class are Battering Ram and Blinding Radiance. Use Battering Ram to get closer to enemies without sacrificing too many action points and allowing a Knock Down effect. Use Blinding Radiance to stop good enemies from continuing to be, well, good.
1 Cleric
The Cleric is the sacred healer of the group, tapping into schools Hydrosophist and Necromancer to ensure a safe team. The basic skill set is Restoration, Blood Sucker, Decaying Touch, Mosquito Swarm, Raise Bloated Corpse, Armor Of Frost, Hail Strike, and Rain. All of the Cleric’s skills allow for healing if not for their team then for themselves.
Mosquito Swarm and Restoration are best here because one does damage and heals yourself while the other greatly heals allies and damages any undead enemies.
NEXT: 10 Isometric RPGs To Play If You Liked Divinity: Original Sin 2
