Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity Original Sin - Beta Choosing starting equipment during chr creation?

With the upcoming beta, it now seems like we can pick/customize almost everything but our starting equipment at character creation. If (for example) I choose the "Knight" preset, it would be nice to have the option of assigning him a sword and shield rather than a two-handed sword. Maybe in my mind that is a more "knightly" way to outfit my character.

Obviously I can just pick a Warrior preset and then customize his attributes, talents, skill-bar, etc to be more in line with a Knight, and that would allow him to start with a sword and shield, but that just seems like a clunkier way of achieving a simple goal.

I realize that once in the game all class names go out the window and everyone is an "adventurer". However, just like providing class presets, this is another way of allowing customization before heading into the game.

Nice Idea!
Why use starting classes? Why not the possibility to select 3 Spells, equipment and attributes free?

I dunno if they keep it but you had an option in the character creation to allow the points the way you wanted (meaning not chosing a "preset class", but build up yourself your character)

The templates they offer are just starting points for players that might need more guidance and/or aren't looking to design their own build from scratch. I think in the beta we'll be able to customize our starting attributes, abilities, talents, and skills (as well as our cosmetic features, obviously).

I think allowing for starting weapon selection is the next obvious step. I may want to choose a Warrior preset and go for a more Barbarian-oriented build where I'm using two one-handed starter swords instead of one one-handed starter sword and a starter shield (I'm not even sure if dual-wielding two swords is possible in Divinity, but hopefully everyone gets the idea).

Or, maybe I want the warrior setup combined with a two-handed starter sword. To do that I would have to:

1) Pick a Knight preset to get a two-handed sword.
2) Change my attribute point allocation to be more in-line with a Warrior.
3) Change my ability point allocation to be more in-line with a Warrior.
4) Change my talent selection to be more in-line with a Warrior.
5) Change my starting skills to be more in-line with a Warrior.

Ultimately, the goal can be achieved. However, it's an unnecessarily long way to go around it when I could just do this instead:

1) Pick a Warrior preset to get the desired point setup.
2) Change my starting weapon selection to a two-handed sword.

Maybe they could let you pick your weapon, and if you pick a weapon for which you have no ability points, pop up a message:

"You have no ability points in that weapon specialization. Are you sure you want to use it?"

[Change ability points] [Change weapon type] [Continue Anyway]

Oh, I see what you're concerned about. Unless something has changed in the beta, the starting weapons don't have usage requirements. I can't remember.. aren't weapon usage requirements based on attributes (strength, dexterity, etc) now?

But, yeah, it would make sense to want to move points over if needed. At the very least it should pop up with a warning or reminder. "You have changed your starting weapon! Don't forget to modify your blah blah..".

I just created another character and i was just about to post about this

I chose shield and single weapon, removed all points in two handed and i was surprised that i started with a two handed weapon as default, it doesn't make a lot of sense indeed.


Allowing to customize your starting weapons is perhaps a little unecessary, just make the initial gear depending on the talents choosed. If for example the player picks both two handed and single+shield just put one of the options on the inventory and the other equiped.

It's just starting gear anyways, not overpowered to start the game with some extra "junk" weapons

The trick is what happens to jerk players who pick Bow, Crossbow, One-Handed, Two-Handed, and Shield Specialist as their abilities to try and confuse the system.

Maybe they could add a drop-down to select a starting set, or a button for one handed or two handed simply, or they can say instead: "you got the traditional weapon of the academy if you like it or not. Feel free to buy new stuff... if you have the possibility, harharhar..."
It can be also good to start with a weapon you didn't want, so you can try it until you can get something better and maybe you will even like it. In my case I never liked two handed weapons because of the lack of defense, and will never try one except I don't have another choice.

Let him start with everything and set the value of each item very low. Not a big problem as KnightPT mentioned.

Still can't create a character at character creation with the Knight preset's starting skills who uses a shield + one handed sword instead of a two-handed sword, but sure wishing I could! Any chance this change is on the horizon?

I'd prefer to pick my own color schemes as well. Black and red isn't bad but I'd prefer other stuff myself.

It would probably be good for Battle Mage to not get Staff of the Magus since the battle mage will most likely never use a staff as the main weapon.. seems like it just wastes a skill slot for them early on

Yea, color schemes would be nice. I want to be white and blue! In one of the earlier versions there even was a menu option to change colors. I don't understand why they ditched it.

No it doesn't. Everyone gets 3 Skills to start out with. Mages get a fourth skill: Staff of Magus. Battlemages get that one to give them flexibility - they can either go for melee or ranged magic, although they should probably also start with a staff as well as a sword.

Or at least be able to pick which of those weapons to start with (maybe they want to be a battlemage with a two-handed axe).

I mean, they keep saying "classless system", but then sticking us with very specific gear that fits (someone's) idea of a class.

And what about unarmed? I didn't play with the actual build yet, the question just popped in my mind..
Are there any skills or gloves to boost unarmed combat? It would be great to have a monk class or something.

None. The Unarmed skill was taken out of the game very early on, before Early Access started, I believe. Balancing could be an issue (although unarmed-type weapons could help too. Maybe it could be added in a later expansion, like with the much-requested dual-wielding.

How about starting without any weapons and then finding some from a finished fight at the very beginning of the beach, where you start - with several simplest weapons available from the corpses and just lying on the ground.
Similar to the first battle infront of the city gates - only here everyone would be dead.

Easy to do - devs just need to add some corpses close to where you start.
Just few most basic types of weapons, all lowest quality and partly damaged durability.

Then you have the fight in front of the tutorial dungeon to get some more and the tutorial dungeon itself as an option.


Could be excused through the narrative too. (no the sailors dont have to have any weapons to give you either)

I think it would be quite strange for the Source Hunters to have not brought any weapons along with them on their mission. Although you could start them next to a crate labeled as supplies or "Property of Source Hunters".