Divinity 2 Companion Default Classes

Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers players a deep and engaging role-playing experience, characterized by its rich narrative, tactical combat, and intricate character development system. A core element of this system is the ability to recruit companions, each with their own unique background, personality, and pre-determined class. Understanding these default classes and their inherent strengths is crucial for effective party composition and overall success within the game.

Understanding Companion Classes

Each companion in Divinity: Original Sin 2 begins with a specific set of skills and attributes dictated by their chosen class. While players have considerable freedom to customize their companions as they level up, these initial classes heavily influence their early-game effectiveness and suggest optimal build paths. Let us examine the default classes of the primary companions.

Ifan ben-Mezd: Wayfarer

Ifan, a former Lone Wolf mercenary haunted by his past, starts as a Wayfarer. This class is essentially a hybrid between a ranger and an elemental mage, focusing on ranged damage and battlefield control. The Wayfarer begins with the following skills:

• Huntsman: Tactical Retreat (mobility skill)
• Geomancer: Fortify (physical armor buff)

The Wayfarer's strength lies in their versatility. They can deal physical damage with bows, inflict elemental damage with spells like Earth spells from Geomancer, and provide utility with skills like Tactical Retreat. Investing in Finesse to improve ranged weapon damage and Intelligence for spell damage is a common strategy. However, splitting points between both attributes can be a viable option for a more balanced approach. Consider focusing on a specific damage type (physical or elemental) as the game progresses for maximum effectiveness.

Sebille: Rogue

Sebille, an elven assassin seeking revenge against her former master, begins as a Rogue. This class specializes in melee damage, particularly from backstabs, and excels at disabling enemies. The Rogue begins with the following skills:

• Scoundrel: Adrenaline (grants extra action points)
• Polymorph: Chicken Claw (turns an enemy into a chicken)

Rogues thrive on flanking enemies and exploiting their weaknesses. They rely heavily on Finesse for damage, Wits for initiative (going first in combat), and Memory for skill slots. Backstabs are crucial for maximizing damage output, requiring the Rogue to position themselves strategically behind their targets. Investing in skills like Cloak and Dagger (from Scoundrel) or Chameleon Cloak (from Polymorph) can greatly enhance their ability to maneuver around the battlefield unseen. Later, taking the Assassinate skill vastly improves backstab damage.

Lohse: Enchanter

Lohse, a charismatic performer possessed by a powerful entity, starts as an Enchanter. This class focuses on elemental damage, crowd control, and support. The Enchanter begins with the following skills:

• Hydrosophist: Rain (creates a wet surface)
• Aerotheurge: Shocking Touch (deals air damage)

Enchanters are powerful spellcasters who can control the flow of battle with elemental magic. They rely heavily on Intelligence for damage and Memory for skill slots. Hydrosophist spells can heal allies and create ice surfaces to slow enemies, while Aerotheurge spells deal air damage and can stun or teleport enemies. Combining these schools of magic allows for powerful elemental combinations, such as electrifying water to stun enemies. Prioritizing Intelligence and Memory is critical, with a smaller investment in Wits to increase critical hit chance with spells.

Prince of the Red Lizards: Fighter

The Prince, a proud and ambitious lizard seeking his rightful place on the throne, begins as a Fighter. This class is a durable melee combatant specializing in physical damage and crowd control. The Fighter begins with the following skills:

• warfare: Battering Ram (knocks down enemies)
• Geomancer: Fortify (physical armor buff)

Fighters are designed to be resilient and deal consistent physical damage. They rely on Strength for damage and Constitution for survivability. Warfare skills provide powerful crowd control, while Geomancer skills offer armor buffs. Fighters can be built as damage dealers, tanks, or a combination of both. Investing in Two-Handed weapons can significantly increase damage output, while focusing on a shield and one-handed weapon improves survivability. Prioritize Strength and Constitution, with a moderate investment in Wits to increase accuracy and critical hit chance.

Beast: Battlemage

Beast, a rebellious dwarf pirate seeking to overthrow the oppressive regime of his homeland, starts as a Battlemage. This class is a hybrid melee and magic character, focusing on dealing both physical and magical damage in close combat. The Battlemage begins with the following skills:

• Aerotheurge: Shocking Touch (deals air damage)
• warfare: Battering Ram (knocks down enemies)

Battlemages are versatile combatants who can adapt to different situations. They can use Warfare skills to deal physical damage and knock down enemies, while Aerotheurge skills provide magical damage and utility. Building a Battlemage effectively requires careful attribute allocation. Intelligence increases magical damage, Strength increases physical damage when using melee weapons, and Constitution provides survivability. Balancing these attributes is key to creating a well-rounded Battlemage. Consider focusing on a specific element (air, fire, water, or earth) to maximize damage output with spells from that school.

Respecing and Customization

While understanding the default classes of your companions is important, it is equally important to remember that Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers a respec option. After completing Act 1 and reaching the Lady Vengeance, players can freely reallocate their characters' attributes and skills by speaking to the mirror in the ship's hold. This allows for complete customization of companion builds, regardless of their starting class. You can, for example, transform Ifan from a Wayfarer into a dedicated archer, or convert Lohse from an Enchanter into a necromancer.

Practical Application: Building a Balanced Party

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each class is key to building a well-balanced party. A balanced party typically includes a mix of damage dealers, support characters, and tanks. Here are some general guidelines:

• Damage Dealers: These characters focus on dealing high amounts of damage, either physical or magical. Rogues, Rangers, and certain mage builds fall into this category.
• Support Characters: These characters focus on healing, buffing allies, and debuffing enemies. Enchanters, Clerics (Hydrosophist/Necromancer hybrids), and summoners can excel in support roles.
• Tanks: These characters focus on absorbing damage and controlling the battlefield. Fighters, Knights (Warfare/Polymorph hybrids), and certain Geomancer builds can serve as effective tanks.

Consider how the default classes of your companions fit into these roles. If you are playing as a damage dealer, you might want to recruit companions who can provide support and tanking abilities. Conversely, if you are playing as a support character, you might want to recruit companions who can deal high amounts of damage. Keep in mind that hybrid builds are also viable, allowing characters to fulfill multiple roles within the party.

Insights for Everyday Life

The principles of party composition in Divinity: Original Sin 2 can be applied to real-life situations. Just as a balanced party in the game requires a mix of different skills and abilities, so too does a successful team in the real world. Whether you are working on a project at work, organizing a community event, or simply managing your own life, it is important to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and others, and to build a team that complements each other. Just as you can respec your characters in the game, you can also adapt and learn new skills in real life to better meet the challenges that come your way.