Divinity: Original Sin Best Companions

In Divinity: Original Sin, Companion is a system that allows players to enlist the aids of certain characters they progress through the game. In a normal playthrough, Divinity players could come across four main companions: Madora, Jahan, Bairdotr and Wolgraff. Each of these companions boasts unique strengths and weaknesses that suit particular types of Source Hunters. Needless to say, owing to the differences in preferences, the Divinity community is at odds once it comes to Divinity: Original Sin best companions.

A Summary Of Companions 

New to Divinity: Original Sin and want to learn more about the companion before choosing the ones to fight with? If that happens to be the case, this article is what you need. Down below is everything that you must keep in mind about companions in Divinity: Original Sin.

Madora (Knight)

Madora is a Level 3 Knight that you could find in the King Crab Tavern at Cyseal. She uses two-handed weapons by default and you should not change that as her Knight armor more than makes up for the lack of shield. Also, since Madora is a melee fighter, you may want to give priority to Weapon skills while playing Divinity: Original Sin. By doing so, you would be able to optimize the usefulness of Madora as a companion.

Attributes

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 5
• Intelligence: 5
• Constitution: 7
• Speed: 6
• Perception: 5

Abilities

• Two-Handed: +2
• Bodybuilding: +1
• Man-at-Arms: +2

Talents

• Comeback Kid: Immunity to 1 hit-KOs. As long as you have more than 1 HP, an enemy’s killing blow would only reduce your HP to 1 instead of causing instant death.
• Opportunist: Enable attacks of opportunity.
• What a Rush: When your health drops below 30%, recovery and maximum Action Points increase by 2.

Starting Skills:

• Battering Ram: Hit every enemy in your path with X-Y damage as you lunge ahead.
• Crushing Fist: Hit enemies and know them down while dealing X-Y damage.
• Dust Devil: Hit surrounding enemies for 90% of the damage of your weapon.
• Helping Hand: Get a Knocked Down ally up/treat the Burning status.
• Melee Power Stance: Sacrifice precision in exchange for increased melee damage and movement speed.

Jahan (Wizard)

Jahan is a Level 3 Wizard that you could find in the Mayor Cecil’s House at Cyseal. Defense-wise, Jahan is weak but in exchange, his offensive power is outstanding by all accounts. Considering his characteristics, Jahan is best paired with  Knights, Fighters and alike so they absorb enemy damage in his stead. With Jahan, it’s fine to specialize in an element but you should have a backup element ready for fights with enemies with elemental immunities. Last but not least, it’s worth pointing out that Jahan is capable of creating environmental traps with his allies.

Attributes

• Strength: 5
• Dexterity: 5
• Intelligence: 9
• Constitution: 7
• Speed: 5
• Perception: 6

Abilities

• Willpower: +2
• Aerotheurge: +2
• Hydrosophist: +2

Talents

• Elemental Affinity: If you stand on a surface of the same element, the Action Point cost of spells would drop by 1.
• Far Out Man: The range of spells and scrolls increases by 2 meters.
• Scientist: Blacksmithing and Crafting receive one bonus point each.

Starting Skills:

• Regeneration: Cause the Status Effect Healing (the target recovers 36 vitality for 3 turns).
• Rain: Create puddles, put out fires and cause the Status Effect Wet (reduced resistance to air spells and increased resistance to fire spells).
• Bitter Cold: Freeze the target and cause the Status Effect Frozen (Armor Rating and Fire Resistance increase).
• Blitz Bolt: Throw out a bolt of electricity that not only stun the target but also deal between 26 and 28 of air damage. Could be used on surfaces as well as clouds. Cause the Status Effect Stunned (the target cannot move or act).
• Shocking Touch: Electrify a nearby target. The target not only gets stunned but also sustains air damage ranging from 12 to 13. Cause the Status Effect Stunned (the target cannot move or act).
• Teleportation: Throw the target (item and character) high into the air. The target is going to receive between 31 and 38 of crushing damage. Could be used to move the target as far as 17 meters away from the original position.

Bairdotr (Ranger)

Bairdotr is a Level 3 Ranger that you could find in the Legion Headquarters at Cyseal. Capable of launching attacks from long distances, Bairdotr would make short work of most enemies that you come across. It’s strongly recommended that you keep an eye out for elemental arrows while playing to increase the versatility of Bairdotr. Moreover, with expertise in Blacksmithing, Crafting and Loremaster, Bairdotr proves handy outside of combat too. Still, since Bairdotr possesses low defense, you should keep her out of direct confrontation.

Note: To permanently recruit Bairdotr, one of your characters needs to have the Independent trait and tell her to not be obedient.

Attributes

• Strength: 5
• Dexterity: 7
• Intelligence: 5
• Constitution: 7
• Speed: 6
• Perception: 6

Abilities

• Bow: +1
• Tenebrium: +1
• Loremaster: +2
• Expert Marksman: +2

Talents

• Arrow Recovery: You have a 33% chance of recovering Special Arrows.
• Bully: Inflict 50% more damage against targets that have at least one of the following statuses: Slowed, Crippled and Knocked Down. Only work with melee and ranged weapons.
• Stench: Reduce the chance of melee enemies targeting you but everyone’s attitude towards you drops by 25.

Starting Skills:

• Ricochet: Enable your normal arrow to deal 100% damage to a target before flying off to other targets. Could attack up to 4 times in a radius of 8 meters.
• Treat Poisoning: Treat the Poison status. The target also receives 100% resistance against Poison for 2 turns.
• Ranged Power Stance: Sacrifice precision in exchange for increased damage with Bows and Crossbows.

Wolgraff (Rogue)

Wolgraff is a level 3 Rogue that you could find in the tunnels under the cemetery at Cyseal. Boasting outstanding stealth, Wolgraff is able to land surprised attacks on unsuspecting enemies.

Assuming that you manage him well, Wolgraff easily outperforms dedicated Fighters once it comes to damage output. A combination of properly leveled Dual Wielding ability, dual daggers and backstab would turn Wolgraff into a solid damage dealer. Nonetheless, Wolgraff lacks armor so he is going to get knocked out quickly if things turn south. Besides that, by taking advantage of the Pickpocketing ability, you should have an easy time using Wolgraff to get free stuff.

Attributes

• Strength: 4
• Dexterity: 7
• Intelligence: 5
• Constitution: 5
• Speed: 8
• Perception: 7

Abilities

• Dual Wielding: +2
• Scoundrel: +2
• Lockpicking: +1
• Pickpocketing: +1
• Sneaking: +1

Talents

• Back-Stabber: Enable backstabbing with daggers, knives, rondels and rapiers (high critical chance)
• Light Stepper: Perception receives two bonus points which help with trap and secret detection.
• Escapist: Allow the character to flee during combat even with enemies nearby

Starting Skills:

• Razor’s Edge: Stun the target while dealing 50% of the weapon damage.
• Fast Track: Cause the Status Effect Hastened (increase the target maximum AP by 3, starting AP by 3 and recovery AP by 2. Movement speed also receives a boost)
• Walk in Shadows: Cause the Status Effect Invisible for 5 turns with a 100% chance of success
• Cloak and dagger: Jump toward the target location and knock the target down.

How To Choose Companions: Guidelines

All in all, depending on the play style, Divinity: Original Sin best companions change from case to case. Check out the following guidelines to put together a party that fits your liking.

As you choose your companion, it’s widely advised that you take the class of your characters into account. By doing so, you could deduce the companions that make your characters stronger while reducing their vulnerabilities. For instance, if your characters consist of a Fighter and an Enchanter, Madora and Jahan would be excellent choices. It’s possible to change companions when a need arises so don’t hesitate to experiment.

It’s noteworthy that the value of companions changes as time passes by. Companions that help your characters breeze through the initial part of Divinity: Original Sin may struggle in the late game. In addition to that, some of the companions require a lot of investments to reach the peak of their abilities. One example is Bairdotr: there is no gear on her when she enters the party and you must be patient to train her but she would become very good when properly leveled.

Last but not least, you should think about your approach to the game. For a casual playthrough, all you have to do is to choose companions that complement your characters. On the other hand, if the base game is too easy for you, you should choose companions that get you out of your comfort zone.