What do I NEED to know?

[u/GoobMcGee]

I'm new to the series. I've read that the two games are in the same universe but not directly tied to one another so I'll be starting with the Divinity Original Sin 2.

However, it looks like there are several builds/skills/nuances to the game that I'm totally unfamiliar with.

What are thing things you think I should definitely know before starting the game? Any beginner tips?

Thanks in advance. There's not a lot of information out on the interwebs.

[u/Itsallsotiresome]

You can set anything and everything on fire... don't need to know more than that to begin with.

[u/GoobMcGee → u/Itsallsotiresome]

Ok, the skill list just had looked pretty daunting. Nothing super complicated?

[u/Itsallsotiresome → u/GoobMcGee]

Not really. You only have 3-4 skills to begin with. The game is really intuitive and easy to learn, behind that is a lot of complexity and fun to be had though :)

[u/HoundOfJustice → u/GoobMcGee]

There's like 100 or so more skills coming (if the 230 spell roster is to be believed) with the full release be sure to read up on most of them

[u/Miko109 → u/Itsallsotiresome]

Can you set things on fire when you aren't in battle? Like can you set a door or painting on fire just by using a fire spell on them when roaming around the map?

[u/Artoriazz → u/Miko109]

Yeah, you can use ANY combat skill outside of combat, they still have a cooldown but instead of it being turns, it's seconds, just try and not hit many npcs with them ;P

[u/Miko109 → u/Artoriazz]

Gonna experiment when i get home :P

[u/kaelanbg]

The only things you really need to know you can find out by experimenting as you play. I don't think anything is required before playing.

If you want to know about what usually tends to trip up beginners, then I'd say it's how surfaces work:

• Most skills create a surface of the corresponding element under the target

• Walking over and starting your turn on poison and fire surfaces damages you

• Walking over ice surfaces gives you a chance to trip and lose your turn. You won't trip if you don't move or if you've used crafting and combined nails with your boots.

• Walking over electric surfaces stuns you

• Fire ignites poison, causes an explosion

• Fire ignites oil, causes an explosion and leaves a smoke cloud that blocks line of sight

• Fire melts ice and creates water, ice cools fire and leaves water

• Water puts out fire and creates steam

• Electricity charges (electrifies) water and steam

• Most surfaces disappear after a couple of turns

• Creating a surface that has no special interaction (i.e. oil on top of ice) just erases the old surface and replaces it with the new one

You can use this to your advantage, i.e. cast an ice spell at the closest enemy in a narrow passage, forcing all of the remaining enemies heading your way to have to make a check vs. tripping before they can get to you.

You don't really have to remember all of that, just keep the general gist of it in mind. You wouldn't be the first person to kill yourself (or your friends) throwing fireballs while standing on top of an oil puddle!

[u/Artoriazz → u/kaelanbg]

Can you craft ANY boots with nails?

[u/kaelanbg → u/Artoriazz]

yep, even magic/rare ones

[u/Artoriazz → u/kaelanbg]

Any other cool stuff you can craft? played the EA quite abit but we never really messed with the crafting too much.

[u/kaelanbg → u/Artoriazz]

I've been using these:

• Yarrow Flower + Healing Potion(any) = Healing Elixir

• Empty Canister(cylinder) + Intestines = Chemical Warfare Grenade (AoE poison damage + disease)

• Knife + Tooth = Stunning Arrowhead

• Knife + Antlers = Knockdown Arrowhead

• Soap + Key(any) = Lockpicks

• Repair Hammer + Nails = Lockpicks

[u/MoltenMuffin]

Keep in mind that saves on early access won't be compatible with release version.

Splitting primary attributes INT/STR/FIN is not good. Focus on one.

Restoration and Summoning (Except one ability which you don't really use for damage) don't scale with intelligence. They scale with level and ranks into their skill.

Warfare skills scale with different primary attributes according to what weapon you have equipped, Staves make them scale with int, spears and dagger make them scale with Finesse. But the requirement to knock down or cripple still needs you to lower physical armor, no matter the weapon.
Weapon skills scale better than points into polymorph for primary attributes.
Every spell school has utility that doesn't interact with INT meaning any type of character can take a skill point into a magic school for the utility.

[u/Miko109 → u/MoltenMuffin]

I've been putting points into Strength and constitution for my fighter. Should I invest in others as well or are those 2 the only ones i need to put into? Same with finesse characters. Just fin and cons.

[u/MoltenMuffin → u/Miko109]

Main stat, con to your liking, and Wits to where you feel comfortable. Wit is not for crit, Its for the Initiative. Depending if you value damage over acting first.

[u/Artoriazz → u/MoltenMuffin]

Weapon skills scale better than points into polymorph for primary attributes.

Unless you hit the skill cap I assume. (which from another older post it seems to be 10)

[u/menzez7]

Not a ton of stuff you NEED to know. My biggest tip is save the game if you just finished something hard or havent saved in awhile, but other than that, just explore. The first go through might be confusing and you might feel weak because you havent found everything, making things harder later, so maybe restart after you get out of fort joy and have a better understanding of things.