RELATED: Divinity Original Sin 2: Things That Can Ruin Your Playthrough
Racial selection for the player character is crucial, since each race has its own set of racial talents that make them better suited for certain scenarios or instances. Players can thus build around a certain race’s strengths or weaknesses in order to create impressive or even broken character builds. Just how well do these racial talents stack up against one another?
11 Thrifty (Human)
+1 Bartering bonus
Divinity: Original Sin 2 doesn’t veer from the stereotypical traits for humans in high fantasy settings humans. Similar to their real-life counterparts, they’re natural merchants, and will try to get as big a discount as possible when purchasing skills, weapons, or other in-game items.
The additional point to the Bartering talent doesn’t seem like much, but in theearly game, it’s a pretty considerable trait. Players will often be pinching pennies, especially if they’re min-maxing and changing items every few levels or so. Not having it isn’t the end of the world though, as the bonus isn’t really that substantial in the long run.
10 Ancestral Knowledge (Elf)
+1 to Loremaster
Elves have the advantage of being functionally immortal, and thus have excellent memories. They can recall knowledge accumulated throughout their long lives, and this is reflected well in their racial bonus.
The additional point to the Loremaster talent lets players open up plenty of exposition and exploration opportunities for the party. It can be more useful than Bartering, since players can get free items or even shortcuts to quests if their Loremaster traits are high enough. Conversely, having low Loremaster can limit gameplay paths.
9 Sophisticated (Lizard)
+10% Fire Resistance +10% Poison Resistance
Lizards in Divinity: Original Sin 2 originally descended from dragons, making them a proud race of esteemed magical warriors. They also retained some of their ancestors’ qualities, such as the thick, scaly skin that protects them from fire and fire-related damage. Their physiology also lets them tank through poison attacks.
RELATED: Unresolved Mysteries & Plot Holes Left Hanging In Divinity: Original Sin 2
Previously, this racial talent was something else, but the Definitive Edition changed it to something more modest. It’s worth noting that the resistance bonuses aren’t very substantial, so it’s best not to rely on it too much.
8 Spellsong (Lizard)
+1 in Persuasion
This racial talent is one of the reasons why Lizards are one of the most well-rounded races in Divinity: Original Sin 2. They get an early starting enhancement to their speechcraft, making them handy to have around in any of the game’s social situations.
Persuasion is great for wiggling out of fights, unlocking hidden dialogue options, or getting one’s way. Again, the bonus isn’t much, but one additional point to a rather significant game ability is something to be thankful for, especially early on. It might just save parties from a long and messy encounter.
7 Free Digging (Lizard)
No shovel needed to dig in sand or grass
Lizards, despite their pompous and arrogant attitudes in the game, don’t shy away from using their claws to get their hands dirty. Lizards have the ability to dig around for any treasure that has been revealed.
RELATED: Divinity Original Sin 2: Pro Tips For Making A Rogue Build
This can be a practical talent to have, especially since players usually don’t know where buried treasures can pop up in Divinity: Original Sin 2. Keep in mind, in order for this talent to be useful, players need a character with high Wits in order to detect buried items.
6 Dwarven Guile (Dwarf)
+1 in Sneaking
Dwarfs, due to their stature, get some nifty skills that make them perfect for sneaking around. The Dwarven Guile ability is one of the most important starting bonuses to have in the game, because certain combat encounters are too much even for experienced players.
There’s also the fact that combat in Divinity: Original Sin 2 can sometimes drag on since it’s turn-based; having a large number of combat participants can be daunting. Sneaking lets players bypass this in-game pitfall. In other scenarios, having a stealthy dwarf in the party is also great for sneaking in and out of high-level areas for treasure, without entering combat.
5 Undead Physiology
Poison healing Regular healing damage Free other racial talent
All other races simply pale in comparison to the roleplaying capabilities and the versatility of the undead. Playing as an undead in Divinity: Original Sin 2 can be an acquired taste and is fiddly at first. Most NPCs will fear the sight of these characters, and regular healing is deadly to them.
RELATED: Divinity Original Sin 2: Master Tips For Building Healers
Once players get the hang of it though, undead characters can be more interesting and dynamic than any other. As an added bonus, they also get the racial trait of whichever their secondary race is, such as undead human, elf, etc.
4 Ingenious (Human)
+5% Crit Chance +10% Critical Damage
While the human race’s first ability is a little bland, they made up for it with the combat-focused talent Ingenious. Previously, before the Definitive Edition, they got +2 Initiative and +5% Crit Chance, but this likely proved a little too advantageous.
The Definitive Edition thus removed the Initiative bonus and replaced it with Critical Damage, which did nerf the humans a bit. However, the Crit bonuses are still good, especially since that kind of damage scales well in the late game.
3 Free Lockpicking (Undead)
No lockpicks needed
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a game with stealth mechanics. Thus, it also has lockpicking, one of the oldest mates of sneaking in RPGs. Lockpicking is a little tricky though, as players can easily run out of lockpicks and running back and forth for them is tedious.
RELATED: Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Best Unique Weapons, Ranked
That’s why having an undead in the party can be a godsend for lockpickers. Their thin, bony fingers mean that undead can pick any lock without a problem. This is great for stubborn locks or doors, and can open many windows of opportunity.
2 Sturdy (Dwarf)
+10% max Vitality +5% Dodging
Dwarfs, on top of being sneaky, are also tanky thanks to their Sturdy racial talent. They get a significant boost to their health as well as a dodging bonus, making them suitable frontline characters, particularly when used with physical armor types.
This does lock the dwarf into a specific playstyle, but players can still safely ignore the talent if they wish. It will still be there and it will still be beneficial, even if the dwarf in question picks a more mage-inclined progression path. Regardless of the situation, this talent is a lifesaver and can determine whether players waste a resurrection scroll or not.
1 Corpse Eater (Elf)
Lets characters eat body parts to gain knowledge
With this talent, the Elves stay true to their racial specialization. In addition to having reliable amounts of Loremaster in their stats, they also get the Corpse Eater talent. It’s one of the most handy abilities to have, particularly in regards to exploration and unlocking some level paths.
The Corpse Eater lets parties unlock passwords, skills, hidden locations, and even claim some secret treasures. There are plenty of instances in the game where players will be grateful to have an elf or a Corpse Eater talent in the party. There are just too many corpses to eat throughout the game.
NEXT: Pillars Of Eternity 2 Versus Divinity Original Sin 2: Which Game Is Better?
