Classes

Divinity Original Sin 2 opens character creation with a row of preset classes, and the choice looks more final than it really is. A preset is a bundle: a spread of attribute points, two combat abilities, one civil ability, a talent and a handful of starting skills. Every part of that bundle can be changed on the creation screen before you confirm, and our beginners guide points out that picking a preset is mostly a way to get a sensible direction before you reassign the points yourself.

This guide compares the ten presets our class pages cover, tells you which race each one wants, and groups them by the job they do in a party. Each class name links to its full page, where the individual skills and the reasoning behind every pick are laid out in detail.

The ten presets side by side

The table pulls the starting package from each class page. Attribute figures are the bonuses a preset adds on top of the base line. The Shadowblade page lists its whole spread instead (Strength 10, Finesse 12, Intelligence 10, Constitution 11, Memory 10, Wits 11), which works out to the bonuses shown below.

Starting skills are the part of a preset you feel first, because they decide what your first three or four turns look like on the beach at Fort Joy.

Which race for which class

Race matters more than the preset screen suggests, because racial bonuses stack with the direction a preset already leans. Lizards carry an Intelligence bonus that our pages rate as the best fit for five different presets. Elves bring Finesse for anything that shoots or stabs, plus Cannibalism, which the Shadowblade page values as a way to refill a small health pool. Dwarves supply base Strength for melee work, and Humans mostly get by on initiative.

Our character builds guide adds one wrinkle. Its Black Knight, Furtive Rogue and Polytropic Ranger builds are all written for an Elf, because the race hands you skills without spending levels on them, and it calls the Lizard a strong alternative to the Elf for its Enchanting Mage build.

Frontline presets

The Fighter has the most room to move of any preset. Constitution +2 pushes it toward tanking, and the page describes eight skills of which you carry three at a time. Warfare supplies Battle Stomp (knock a target down, then close in), Crippling Blow (a sweeping attack that cripples the target and anyone next to it), Battering Ram (a straight-line charge that knocks down everything in its path) and Enrage (an ally lands nothing but critical hits with basic attacks and weapon skills, and sheds Terrified, Charmed, Clear Minded, Mad and Taunted). Geomancer adds Fortify to regenerate armor on yourself or a friend, Contamination to turn liquids into poison and cut off an escape route, and Bouncing Shield, which throws your shield and can bounce it into a second target. Dwarf is the only race the page recommends without reservation.

The Battlemage wants to stand face to face and finish enemies with either a weapon or a spell. Battering Ram closes the distance, Blinding Radiance makes you invisible while dealing air damage to everyone nearby, and Shocking Touch stuns an adjacent enemy with more air damage. Aerotheurge strips magic armor so the melee swings can land, and Comeback Kid keeps you alive at one HP. The page is blunt that the class is powerful and vulnerable in equal measure.

The Inquisitor is the melee preset that leans hardest on magic, with Intelligence +2 beside Strength +1. Mosquito Swarm opens by lowering an enemy’s armor, Battering Ram and Crippling Blow do the Warfare work, and Blood Sucker pulls Vitality back from blood surfaces. Crippling Blow’s area damage pairs well with two-handed weapons, and Executioner hands you two extra action points once per turn after a killing blow. Telekinesis is the civil pick, for moving heavy objects and dropping them on people.

Built as a fighter, the Cleric uses its Strength +1 with conventional weapons and leans on Necromancer life steal to stay standing. Blood Sucker’s short cooldown means it can be used several times in one fight, and Hothead raises the chance of a critical while you sit at maximum health. Bartering knocks 10 percent off purchase prices per point and lifts sale prices, so the Cleric is often the party’s trader as well.

Ranged presets

The Ranger is the pure archer. Finesse +2 drives bow damage and Wits +1 buys the initiative to reach a good firing position first. Huntsman strengthens the class, Pyrokinetic opens up support spells such as Haste and Peace of Mind, Lucky Charm turns up rare and expensive Special Arrows, and Arrow Recovery gets arrows back after they are fired. Marksman’s Fang pierces every enemy standing in a line, Haste speeds you up and clears debuffs without costing action points, and First Aid patches you or a teammate. Elf is the only race the page treats as optimal.

The Wayfarer shoots too, but with an earth mage’s toolkit behind the bow. Finesse +2 and Intelligence +1 sit on top of the Ranged ability and Geomancer, and the page insists on Geomancer early because the class has little health and folds quickly to stealth attacks. Marksman’s Fang is shared with the Ranger, Contamination poisons liquids or cuts a path, and Fossil Strike lobs an earth ball that leaves oil behind for an incendiary bottle to light. Pet Pal is described as essential for certain quests and Bartering as something every team needs one of. Go Elf, and turn Cannibalism’s blood puddles into poison with Contamination.

The stealth preset

The Shadowblade page is our most detailed build write-up, so this section goes further than the others. Chameleon Cloak hides you and makes you invulnerable for two turns, Backlash jumps you behind an enemy and follows with a backstab, and Chicken Claw turns a target into a chicken for two turns. The page suggests swapping Backlash for Adrenaline, which grants two action points at once without breaking the Cloak at the cost of two points next turn. Finesse takes most of your attribute points, since it feeds Scoundrel skills and adds 5 percent damage with Finesse weapons, with Constitution and Wits behind it for Vitality and critical chance.

Put one point each into Scoundrel and Polymorph at creation to unlock their skills, then keep feeding both while adding Warfare and Dual Wielding for melee damage. Sneaking is the civil priority, with Persuasion or Thievery as the second pick depending on whether you would rather talk your way out of fights or open locked chests.

Dual daggers are the recommended weapons because they unlock Flurry; the page names Domoh Dumora, the Nobleman’s Dagger and Sharp Reminder. Its gear list runs Visha’s Helm, Magical Riveted Armor, Magical Chain Gloves, the Ancient Blade belt, Lord Ruaney’s Britches, Knight of Vrogir Boots, the Amulet of the Void and The Shadow Prince’s Signet.

Caster presets

The Wizard runs Pyrokinetic and Geomancer with Loremaster to read enemy resistances, and Far Out Man stretches every skill and scroll by two metres. Searing Daggers throws three fire daggers that can each pick a different target, Ignition burns everything around you for a single action point and lights any oil in reach, and Fossil Strike lays down the oil to light. The page also flags Forrex, a Lizard enchanter you can recruit, who brings Fireball, Impalement, Laser Ray and Spontaneous Combustion. Lizard is the race, both for the doubled Intelligence and a racial fire ability that suits the kit.

The Witch is the caster that plans to survive. Geomancer and Necromancer pair with Persuasion, and Leech heals you while you stand in blood, which Rain of Blood provides while making enemies inside it bleed. Contamination turns those puddles to poison, so the page warns that using it removes the healing you were standing in. Poison Dart is the small area opener. Lizard again, for the Persuasion bonus and the two extra Intelligence points.

The Enchanter is the water and air hybrid. Electric Discharge immobilises a target, Restoration keeps the party up, Hail Strike deals damage with a status attached, and Rain puts out fires and leaves everyone in range Wet, which sets up the shock. Hydrosophist keeps you alive, Aerotheurge adds magic penetration to spells and regular attacks alike, and Loremaster covers identification. Lizard is best, with Human and Dwarf described as fine.

Played as support, the Cleric spends its Intelligence +2 on Hydrosophist healing. Restoration heals and clears effects, and Decaying Touch turns an enemy’s own healing into damage, which the page rates as one of the class’s best tricks. Lizard suits this route, Dwarf the melee one.

Beyond the presets

Once the preset is behind you, three of our pages take over. The character builds guide lays out four full builds with the exact stat targets: the Black Knight wants 15 Wits and 14 Memory by level 6 and Executioner plus One Man Army at level 8, the Furtive Rogue needs 12 Wits to survive Fort Joy or 14 to face Dallis, the Enchanting Mage pushes Memory to 16 and takes Mnemonic, and the Polytropic Ranger dumps everything after 12 Wits into Finesse behind Glass Cannon.

The best talents page ranks seven picks that fit any preset, from Comeback Kid up to The Pawn, and the abilities guide gives the percentage each combat and civil ability actually adds, which is the quickest way to judge whether a preset’s abilities are worth keeping. When you want to mix schools, the skill combos page has seven tested pairings, including the four-element caster and the Warfare, Hydrosophist and Pyrokinetic tank. Our mechanics guide ties all of those systems together, and the companion locations page shows where to pick up the six party members who will fill the roles you did not.

Frequently asked questions

Does the preset lock anything in?

No. Our beginners guide describes choosing a preset and then selecting attributes, abilities, skills and talents by hand, and the Fighter page notes that the skills on offer change as soon as you move your ability points around.

Which preset suits a first playthrough?

Our pages single out the Fighter as the most versatile preset and the Cleric for a strong early game. The builds guide warns that its Knight is weak in the first levels and only comes into its own around level 8.

What about the Knight, Rogue and Conjurer?

We do not have dedicated class pages for them, but the character builds guide covers a Black Knight and a Furtive Rogue in full, and the talents guide pairs both All Skilled Up and Glass Cannon with the Conjurer.

Which race is the safest all-round pick?

Lizard, if you plan to cast: it is the top race for the Battlemage, Enchanter, Inquisitor, Witch and Wizard. Elf for the Ranger, Shadowblade and Wayfarer, and Dwarf for the Fighter and a melee Cleric. Follow the class pages, or start from the Divinity Original Sin 2 hub if you are still deciding what kind of party to run.