Promotional art for "Divinity: Original Sin II."
Promotional art for "Divinity: Original Sin II."

There’s an astounding level of complexity in “Divinity Original Sin 2’s” systems and mechanics, and many players, especially those who are completely new to the CRPG genre, are bound to get confused very early in the game.

There’s more to simply clicking on enemies and watching things explode in “Divinity 2,” and beginners will likely find themselves pushed back against a wall on their first playthrough. Here are a few tips on how to avoid getting bogged down.

Choose easier modes

There’s no shame in picking easier difficulty modes in games with steep learning curves. Even veteran CRPG players might want to try toning the difficulty down simply because of how overwhelming “Divinity 2” can be at the start.

Explorer Mode is highly recommended for first-timers. Feel free to bump the difficulty up mid-game, though keep in mind that Tactician mode will require a full restart.

Focus on one damage type

Damage is split between Physical and Magical, and they’re blocked by their respective Armor types. Due to this, players will want to concentrate much of their party’s damage on just one type in order to strip enemy Armor efficiently.

It may be a good idea to go for a team that deals purely Physical or Magical damage, though having a mix of both still has its advantages.

Spread out party skills

Non-combat skills like Lockpicking, Bartering and Persuasion are essential for interacting with the world. Try to have party members specialize in one of these skills to maximize the availability of opportunities when exploring.

Take note that some Origin characters and party members have innate levels in certain skills. It might be worth investing in what they already specialize in instead of training someone else from scratch.

How to make money

Money is very hard to come by early in the game. Much of the player’s income will come from quests and random loot.

The most straightforward option for moneymaking here is Crime. Use a character with high Thievery and Sneaking to pickpocket every NPC in the vicinity. Make sure to retreat immediately as soon as a pickpocket attempt succeeds to avoid drawing suspicion.

Divinity Original Sin 2 is a fantasy RPG with turn-based combat

Divinity Original Sin 2 is a fantasy RPG with turn-based combat Photo: Divinity Original Sin 2