Tips (2)

Unlock the full potential of Divinity: Original Sin 2 with essential tips on hotbar management, item interaction, NPC trading, crafting, character creation, and combat.

General Tips

Disable 'Automated Hotbar Behaviour' in Options to prevent usable items and potions from cluttering your hotbar. You can add them manually to a dedicated section. Hold the X button to highlight nearby interactable items and objects. Bring up the trade interface (△ button) when speaking to NPCs to ensure you can loot their trade items later if necessary. Have companions initiate conversations to leverage their racial bonuses for checks (e.g., Red Prince for Persuasion, Lohse or Ifan for Bartering). Gold is scarce early on; prioritize skillbooks. Crafting can generate income: combine a Long Branch (2G) with a free Shell to create an Improvised Staff (sell for ~50G at level 3). For level 4 skillbooks, consider stealing them by leveling a companion with the Shadowblade preset and investing in Thievery.

Quick save before interacting with NPCs if stealable items are nearby. Be extremely cautious in Honour Mode. Crafting can create Improvised Boots by hammering nails into them, allowing safe traversal on frozen surfaces. Always carry a knife, hammer, and mortar and pestle. Equip a Strength-based character with Water, Oil, and Ooze Barrels for readily available elemental sources. Acquire nails in the early game as they become rare later.

Items like lockpicks are consumed, but Identifying Glasses are not; one character with high Loremaster can identify all rare items. Similarly, one Bedroll is sufficient for the entire party to fully heal and gain the Rested buff outside of combat. Use the Spirit Vision skill near dead bodies to converse with spirits.

Character Creation

Racial abilities are unbalanced, with Elves excelling due to Flesh Sacrifice. Humans offer a critical hit boost, Lizards a Civil Ability boost, and Dwarves' abilities lack synergy. Undead characters are healed by poison but harmed by healing abilities, offering a mixed benefit. Elven racial abilities synergize well with ranged attackers (Elemental Arrowheads) and Necromancers (Elemental Affinity) due to the blood surface created by Flesh Sacrifice.

When allocating attributes, focus on a single damage attribute (Strength, Finesse, or Intelligence). Invest minimally in others for gear and Memory for skill slots. Constitution is only valuable for shield equipping; prioritize Wits for spare points. Specializing in a combat ability like Necromancer can be suboptimal as it only boosts the Vitality damage portion, not the total physical damage. Instead, invest enough points to unlock desired skills and then max Warfare, which increases physical damage for most builds (melee, ranged, rogue, Necromancer). Dip into other abilities for key skills: Warfare for Executioner, Huntsman for First Aid/Tactical Retreat, Scoundrel for Adrenaline/Cloak and Dagger, Pyrokinetic for Haste/Peace of Mind, and Aerotheurge for...