D:OS2 Starting questions

I've finally found time to start DOS 2 and I'm wondering about who to take as companions. I've picked Ifan as my PC and made him a ranger. I've also already accepted Fane because he is just SO cool! That leaves 3 slots... I was thinking Beast, Sebille and Lahose but wouldn't it be too magic users heavy? And how about tanks? Can Beast fulfill this role and is one tank enough?

I use the red prince as a tank because his fire breath is nice when he’s in the thick of things. Now at level 13 his damage is too puny as a sword and board. Switched to two handed and he’s a monster.

I think all 6 of them are pretty decent but a lot of people seem to lean towards the skeleton.

zahratustra said:

I've picked Ifan as my PC and made him a ranger. I've also already accepted Fane because he is just SO cool! That leaves 3 slots…

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No, that leaves 2 slots. You only get 4. Two have to be left behind.

The good news is, anyone can be anything. I guess you can play toward their free skills but I think their voice acting and the sound of their stories are more important choices. Then just build up their stats.

Civil skills are a pretty big deal. You are going to want one person that's good at thievery - probably Fane since he gets free lock picks. If you want to talk your way out of anything, one person should be good at persuasion. Probably the person with the ability to talk to critters. Somebody has to have Loremaster cranked up, too, if you want to know what you've gotten (and especially if somebody has lucky charm). That leaves lucky charm, bartering, sneaking, and TK. I think you can do without TK because teleport can (almost) do the same. Bartering will give you more cash so you can buy more stuff. LC will give you more random stuff which you can sell for cash and get some bought stuff if you don't like what the random number generator gives you. Sneaking opens up ways to get around enemies either to skip the battle completely or just get in better position. (Maybe it could be used instead of persuasion?)

Note that lucky charm "shares" so, if the person opening a barrel/book shelf/tomb/crate/whatever has no LC then the person with the highest LC's skill will be used. That saves you from having to always search with the same person all the time. (I'm still not certain what happens if the person opening has a little LC. Will it use that small value or just always use the party max?)

Anyway, once you get off the first island, you'll have a free and easy way to "respec" if you like.

Also lore master 3 allows you to examine your enemies to see their immunities and feats. Very handy!

Oh yean - and that skill is shared, too, so just one character needs it.

I forgot retribution. I've been pretty much ignoring it but it might be pretty handy on a Necromancer.

Thanks guys. That's really helpful!

It doesn't really matter who you pick as you can freely respec them after chapter 1, so just pick on personality, who you'd like to adventure with. You can make Sebille a tank, or the dwarf a magic user or the lizard an archer if you want.

After playing the intro chapter several times I think I'm finally ready to start in earnest (starting to get into the mood). I'm going for a shadowblade build with, yes, Fane. I'll take the prince, Lohse and Ifan. So Fane will be a standard shadowblade with scoundrel, the pawn, thievery, dagger as weapon of choice, backstabbing, not interested in sneaking. Not sure if thievery is useful, it made sense with my bony fingers.

However, I read that Lohse's story is better enjoyed if you actually play her. What do you think, should I start over with her and take Fane as a companion instead? I just washed up at Fort Joy so now would be the time.

ilm said:

After playing the intro chapter several times I think I'm finally ready to start in earnest (starting to get into the mood). I'm going for a shadowblade build with, yes, Fane. I'll take the prince, Lohse and Ifan. So Fane will be a standard shadowblade with scoundrel, the pawn, thievery, dagger as weapon of choice, backstabbing, not interested in sneaking. Not sure if thievery is useful, it made sense with my bony fingers.

However, I read that Lohse's story is better enjoyed if you actually play her. What do you think, should I start over with her and take Fane as a companion instead? I just washed up at Fort Joy so now would be the time.

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If you keep second guessing yourself you'll never finish the game. Just go with what you have and enjoy the ride.
As for the thievery being useful, I played a 'good' party, didn't steal a thing, but if you're going for a less lawful play then yes, you can steal stuff from people.

I have about 120k gold mainly from pickpocketing legendaries as needed after level ups. I have 3 characters with thievery. Sebille is at 5. Others at 1. Which can be buffed to 5 with a belt and a unique pair of gloves and a unique dagger.

Thrasher said:

I have about 120k gold mainly from pickpocketing legendaries as needed after level ups. I have 3 characters with thievery. Sebille is at 5. Others at 1. Which can be buffed to 5 with a belt and a unique pair of gloves and a unique dagger.

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Well, I also ended up with over 150K without stealing anything in the whole game. I would say either Thievery or Lucky Charm should fix any monetary issues. If you do both, well it's overkill

I took thievery for the lockpicking. I'm just too honest for stealing (but I have no problems breaking and entering)

I do both, just because I like exercising all the mechanics, FWIW.

Being able to lockpick doors and chests is a pretty big help. You can live without it, I suppose, but I wouldn't try.

(Hmmm, you rarely need to lock pick in a hurry. You could probably get away with just keeping a lot of different +1 thievery gear around then put it on whenever you want to pick a lock. It'd be quite a bother, though.)

It is a big bother when you want to pickpocket on multiple characters...

May explain why I have 200 hours and still haven't left act 2...

Zloth said:

Being able to lockpick doors and chests is a pretty big help. You can live without it, I suppose, but I wouldn't try.

(Hmmm, you rarely need to lock pick in a hurry. You could probably get away with just keeping a lot of different +1 thievery gear around then put it on whenever you want to pick a lock. It'd be quite a bother, though.)

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And you can bash open stuff too. Still, I think only a couple of points in thievery is enough (and by the time you need more than that you probably have a bunch of items that add thievery points).

One point has been enough for me so far to pickpocket at level 5 in act 2, and there is one item I can buy that adds additional thievery on chest. But early on you don't have access to those items. So having someone who you levelled it up constantly to about four would be safe. Not sure after act 2.

How long after D:OS does D:OS 2 take place? I was kind of surprised that Larian didn't include the option to import the protagonists from the first game.

http://divinity.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline

(read the footnote at the very bottom - 1220 ish ad)

JDR13 said:

How long after D:OS does D:OS 2 take place? I was kind of surprised that Larian didn't include the option to import the protagonists from the first game.

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