Mechanics

Combat in Divinity: Original Sin 2 is turn-based, with your actions limited by Action Points (AP). You start with 4 AP, which recharge at 4 AP per turn.

Movement costs 5m per 1 AP. Using a 1 AP ability costs 1 AP.

Basic weapon attacks cost 2 AP. Using a 2 AP ability costs 2 AP.

Using a 3 AP ability costs 3 AP.

Sources of additional AP include Adrenaline (+2 AP this turn, -2 AP next turn), Executioner (+2 AP after killing an enemy, once per turn), Flesh Sacrifice (+1 AP), Haste (+1 AP per turn), Lone Wolf (+2 AP and +2 AP Recovery), The Pawn (+1 AP for movement only), and What a Rush (+1 AP and +1 AP Recovery while below 50% Vitality).

The Elemental Affinity talent does not grant additional AP but can reduce the AP cost of certain abilities.

Initiative determines turn order, calculated by your Wits attribute and gear bonuses. The character with the highest Initiative goes first. Turn order within your party is based on individual Initiative scores. If your party's highest Initiative matches an enemy's highest Initiative, the enemy goes first.

Enemies and characters have three health bars: Physical Armour, Magic Armour, and Vitality.

To kill a creature, you must reduce their Vitality to 0. Attacking Vitality requires first reducing either Physical Armour or Magic Armour to 0. Some abilities and weapons can attack Vitality directly.

When Armour is reduced to 0, a creature becomes vulnerable to crowd control effects like Knockdown and Stun. The Torturer talent allows inflicting damage-over-time effects without stripping armour first.

Armour is primarily from equipment, but abilities like Fortify and Armour of Frost can add to your Armour value. Vitality is mainly based on character level, increased by Constitution (+7% per point over 10) and the Picture of Health talent (+3% per point of Warfare).

Accuracy is your base chance to hit, opposed by the target's Dodging. Hit Chance = (Accuracy - Dodging) × (1 - Block Chance). Base Accuracy is 95%.

Accuracy can be increased by the Single-Handed weapon ability and the Hothead talent. Base Dodging is 0% and can be increased by the Sturdy racial talent, Dual Wielding, Leadership, and Parry Master talent. Shields can provide Block Chance.

Damage calculation: Total damage = Base x (1 + High Ground Bonus) x (1 + Warfare Bonus) x (1 + Attribute Bonus + Weapon Bonus). Warfare and high ground bonuses are multiplicative; attribute and weapon bonuses are additive. Base weapon damage depends on weapon level.

Critical Hits have a base Critical Chance of 0% and can be increased by weapon properties, Wits, Ingenious trait, Ranged weapon ability, and Hothead talent. Base Critical Multiplier is 150%, increased by weapon properties, Ingenious trait, Scoundrel ability, and Two-Handed weapon ability.

Early game, damage bonuses from Attribute points and weapon abilities scale better than Critical Chance and Critical Multiplier. For example, +5% Damage equals +5% Damage, while Ingenious trait (+5% Critical Chance and +10% Critical Multiplier) equals approximately +3% Damage.

Later in the game, when Critical Chance is high, Critical Multiplier becomes more beneficial. For instance, if Strength gives +200% damage, a +5% damage increase is less impactful than multiplying the damage by an additional 0.05.

Equipment in Divinity: Original Sin 2 is levelled, meaning items found and bought become stronger as you progress. Loot in regions is pegged to that region's level, while merchants' inventories are pegged to your current character level.

Item rarity levels are: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Divine (seen at level 16+), and Unique. Higher rarity means more and better properties.

Equipping a weapon higher than your character level incurs a -10% Accuracy penalty for each level difference. Other equipment slots do not have this penalty.