Divinity: Original Sin 2 is no ordinary roleplaying game (RPG). Its tactical combat requires a lot of math and theory-crafting on the player's part. For that matter, it can have a steep learning curve especially for those who aren't used to tactical turn-based RPGs. Often, a chaotic and unplanned combination of characters and skills can lead to defeat or frustrating enemy encounters.
Hence, making sure that you know which starting classes to pick for the right advantage and party synergy is key to defeating some of the toughest enemies in-game. It is worth noting that any class can use any skill, weapon, or armor if you train or specialize them for it. However, certain classes have their own dispositions to certain skills and combat styles so you can ease into more advanced character builds later on. Here are all of the base classes that are ideal for the best character builds in the game.
Updated June 20, 2021 by Sid Natividad: Although the game hasn't introduced any brand new classes since its release, players have had plenty of time to experiment with the 14 different classes available. The cool thing is, players aren't confined to just one class, but can mix skills and attributes from just about any of them.
While getting creative is great, players wanting to be as efficient and as deadly as possible might have to consider some of the strengths and weaknesses of their build. For that reason, here are all the classes of Divinity: Original Sin II, ranked from worst to best, including the final four.
To further narrow down your search for the class that suits you well, we've added more information about the strengths and weaknesses of each class. Every one of them has a place in the RPG hierarchy of power and some have multiple roles when it comes to ascending to godhood in Divinity: Original Sin 2.
14 Fighter
Pros
- Straightforward
- Melee and tanky
- Great for beginners
- Excels in close combat and in dealing tons of physical damage to armor
- Great for killing mages or those who have low physical armor
- Stylish armor selection
Cons
- Not great against enemies tanky in physical armor
- Limited range
- The shield is a bit unnecessary
If the concept of having a traditional Knight sounds a bit too bland, then the Fighter is a great pick for the player. A Fighter is basically very similar to a Knight, since these characters tend to specialize in Warfare skills. However, what sets them apart is their knowledge of elemental magic.
The default Fighter build has the character master the art of Geomancer magic. Although as an element, Geomancer magic isn't the best, it provides some great spells that either buff physical armor or deal physical damage. Fighters are therefore particularly vicious against spell-casting enemies that tend to have lots of magic armor, but otherwise, they're a bit niche compared to the Knight.
13 Wayfarer
Pros
- Ranged attacker with decent damage output
- Good balance between spellcaster and bow user
- Can utilize variety of arrow types to deal variation of magic and physical attacks
- Has Geomancy or earth magic
Cons
- Geomancy conflicts with ranger-type playstyle
- Glass cannon, can get killed easily by melee characters who get close
- Enemies have tons of countermeasures for single-target ranged attacks
Wayfarer is another spiced-up character class, inspired mainly by the ranger. Wayfarers, however, tend to be equipped with elemental magic just as Fighters are compared to their more default version, the Knight. Wayfarers are considered masters of survival, and as such will have a few spells and Intelligence rather than Wits as their ally in the wild.
The default build of a Wayfarer includes Geomancer magic, with very basic spells like Fossil Strike and Contamination. These are both area of effect spells, which makes the Wayfarer a great character to set up plays for other members of the party, but definitely not the best or the most versatile.
12 Witch
Pros
- Fairly high health for a spellcaster
- Can buff themselves
- Primary damage outlets include poisoning and debuffing enemies using Necromancy spells
- Good tactical disruptors
Cons
- Glass cannon, gets killed fast by melee physical damage classes
- Some of her most damaging skills require her to get close
- Not good for beginners
The Witch is a very interesting hybrid class, which basically combines abilities from the Scoundrel skill set and Necromancer skill set. Together, they make up for a truly evil and vicious combination of magic and high damage. A Witch uses both daggers, as well as powerful spells to her advantage.
Many of the Necromancing abilities deal extremely annoying penalties to enemies, and paired with some of the Scoundrel skills that are known for dealing high damage at close range with an ability like Rupture Tendons, the Witch can really carry a fight so long as they have a tank and a healer backing them up. They're not easy to get value out of early in the game, however, which is why the Witch is a difficult class to master for beginners.
11 Enchanter
Pros
- Great for elemental reactions against enemies and for manipulating the terrain
- Tons of elemental skills
- Devastating against enemies weak in magic armor
- Can stun and incapacitate several enemies
- Versatile spellcaster that can also become a healer later on
Cons
- Glass cannon, can't do much when pinned down by melee units
- Her elemental skills require proper placement or they will hurt allies as much as enemies
- Not the best class for beginners who haven't learned much about elemental interactions in the game
The Enchanter is the opposite of the Wizard in many ways, someone considered to have a much closer relationship with nature and its forces. It makes sense, too, as Wizards by default are specialized in Pyromancy rather than Aerotheurge and Hydrosophist skills, which deal damage with water and air.
This is a pretty advanced class to start off the game with, even if Pyromancy will give the player a bit more value early on in fights that take advantage of the environment. Still, an Enchanter has a lot of room to grow and become very powerful. They might not be the best magic users, but spells like Rain can sometimes deal with a huge fire surface and save lives, and Hail Strike is fantastic against clumped-up enemies. As they grow, the Enchanter will also become part healer, and effectively replaces the Cleric in any party.
10 Shadowblade
Pros
- Deals high damage and remains evasive
- Has a variety of magical skills that make themselves versatile
- Good for ambushing and flanking enemies
Cons
- Glass cannon, dies easily if caught in the open
- Too dependent on other party members to function well
The best defense is always a good offense and the Divinity: Original Sin II's combat mechanics are no stranger to that idea. Having a no-nonsense character who can off the biggest threats on-screen is what the Shadowblade class is destined for.
Shadowblades are basically rogue-type characters who also have an alignment for mage skills. Their mage skills, however, are quite limited and only serve to augment their high-damage assassination skills. You can quickly move the Shadowblade class into either a rogue with a bit of Polymorph magic or a mage that can also deal high physical damage. The downside is their lack of healing skills and armor, making them a glass cannon.
9 Cleric
Pros
- Healer class with good elemental abilities
- Can wear heavy armor, meaning their attire is stylish
- Can wield melee weapons and can be tanky with their shield
- Has many roles thanks to the Necromancy alignment
Cons
- Party suffers a lot if the Cleric gets killed
- Low magic armor depending on their gear
You can't go wrong with a healer in a game like Divinity: Original Sin II. After all, healers and support mages are a staple for any party-based RPG. The Cleric is that one class that can determine whether your most valuable party members can survive in the most dangerous encounters to do enough damage.
As their name implies, the Cleric already has a high aptitude for healing spells in the Hydrosophist skill discipline of the game. At the same time, the Cleric can also utilize the Necromancy discipline for some crafty damage-dealing abilities that also heal in return.
8 Wizard
Pros
- Large variety of elemental and magical skills
- Lots of possible builds
- Versatile enough to adjust their specialization depending on the party's needs
- Can deal high damage if you're aware of each skill's niche
- Can lock several party members out of combat
Cons
- Glass cannon, can't do much against melee fighters up close
- Also can't do much against enemies with high magic armor
Here's another staple class stereotype for all party RPGs. The Wizard ensures maximum damage from quite a long distance from the enemy. The same can be said for Divinity: Original Sin II's Wizard class. When not dealing damage, however, the Wizard can be used for some devastating crowd control abilities that can deny an enemy their turn in combat.
If you pick the Wizard, you'll find that he comes readily equipped with the Aerothurge and Hydrosophist skills sets which can cover large areas in the arena or battlefield. Those can be traded in for some Pyromancy or Geomancy skills. You won't be able to do much in terms of strategy without a Wizard in the game.
7 Battlemage
Pros
- More flexible than a Wizard or other spellcaster classes when it comes to damage types
- Can be made tanky
- Can also wield melee weapons and be a frontline combatant
- Good single-target damage
Cons
- Struggles with controlling the battlefield unlike other spellcaster classes
- Easy to mess up builds for them since they're jack-of-all-trades
- Not recommended for newbies
The Battlemage is for those who can't decide whether they want to beat enemies with a blade or with lightning. You can treat the Battlemage as a close-ranged jack-of-all-trades class.
While they do lack the blanket and nuking skills of the wizard, they make up for it with their higher survivability and their physical Warrior skills.
6 Knight
Pros
- Better than the Fighter if you want to start with a melee-focused class
- Can start off with a two-handed weapon
- Heavy armor is stylish
- Easy enough to play for beginners
- Good variety of physical crowd-control skills
Cons
- Not as tanky as the Fighter
- Has a problem dealing with enemies with high physical armor
For those who want to be the biggest dude with the biggest weapon on the battlefield. The Knight is a pretty straightforward class. Their skills let you just throw them in the thick of combat and cripple, knockdown, or deal devastating melee physical damage to enemies.
Against dispersed enemies, however, Knights are not so good. Still, you can use the class as a starting template for branching out into other combat disciplines. Since they are already good at dealing physical damage, you can try to cover up their shortcomings... or you can just focus on their strengths and make them near unkillable against physical damage.
5 Metamorph
Pros
- Awesome combination of skills that are great at disrupting enemies
- Wears heavy armor
- Can also wield two-handed weapons at the beginning
- Can becomes powerful if you know how to handle them
- Good mobility thanks to flight skill
Cons
- Most complex starting class out of all classes
- Not for newbies
The Metamorph is perhaps the most complicated and weirdest base class in Divinity: Original Sin II. They are essentially a warrior-type class that can use Polymorph skills that let them sprout wings for strategic repositioning or cast hexes that turn enemies into chickens.
While their potential is quite big later on in the game, newer players will do well to refrain from picking them as their first class. If you are quite familiar with the skills and combat dynamics of the game, then you can essentially take advantage of the Metamorph's weird but powerful dispositions.
4 Inquisitor
Pros
- Well-balanced class
- A more straightforward version of the Battlemage
- Good combination of Warfare and Necromancy skills
- Can wield two-handed weapons
- Can be tanky with the right Necromancy skills
- Good for dealing with both physical and magic armor
Cons
- Suffers in crowd-control abilities
- Damage output might be lower compared to more specialized classes
The Inquisitor is essentially a mashup of the Battlemage and the Cleric. What does set them apart is the fact that they are also quite good even when used as ranged combatants. Inquisitors are innately tanky and that's partly thanks to their aptitude for Necromancy.
Meanwhile, all the other skills of the Inquisitor consists of the Warrior discipline abilities. They can easily be transformed later on into ideal solo characters if you ever fancy a Lone Wolf type of gameplay since they are self-sustaining and hold up well against both magic and physical damage.
3 Ranger
Pros
- Classic bow user class
- Deals high damage
- Evasive and highly mobile
- Can use a variety of arrow types against physical and magic armor
- Simple to use, good for beginners
Cons
- Glass cannon, relies on range for safety
- Enemies can easily escape their line of sight
- Lacks crowd-control abilities
For players looking for a good balance between magic and physical damage, they simply can't go wrong with the Ranger. Despite being primarily a bow or crossbow user, Rangers can also utilize elemental or magic arrows in their arsenal.
The best part is that they can do both damage types from a distance and can easily escape using their Hunstman or Scoundrel skills if they ever get surrounded by melee enemies. Of course, enemy Rangers can also do the same, so you might want to take them out early on.
2 Rogue
Pros
- High damage, melee
- Evasive with invisibility skills
- Easy to build for even higher damage
Cons
- Not as evasive as the Ranger
- Too reliant on other classes for safety
- Lack of crowd-control
Sometimes direct combat can be quite slow especially if you're facing clever enemy types. For that, you also have to be clever and you'll want to take out the biggest troublemakers. That's where the Rogue comes in.
Ever wanted to erase that annoying enemy mage that keeps covering the area in ice? Set your Rogue on them and watch them disappear faster than any other class can deal with them. Like the Ranger or the Shadowblade, though, the Rogue thrives on not being the target of other enemies. Thankfully, they have the skills to avoid damage, but you'll have to use those wisely.
1 Conjurer
Pros
- Great for cheesing the game
- Simple to use
- Independent class
- Can act as a precursor to the most overpowered Lone Wolf build
- Incarnate can deal with a variety of physical and magic armor
Cons
- Playstyle can get boring or bland
- Fragile without their minions
The Conjurer is perhaps one of the most overpowered starting classes in Divinity: Original Sin II. Right off the bat, they get the ability to summon elementals and even totems that you can also control, essentially doubling your firepower.
They also have a neat trick where if you prioritize raising their Summoning skill to 10 points, their Incarnate minion will be unstoppable and this can be done rather early in-game. This does leave the Conjurer vulnerable since they rely on their minions, so keep them far away. Oh, you'll also want to eliminate any Conjurer the enemy has, you'll know them when you see them—they'll keep you from winning.