Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity Original Sin - Help/Tips/Tricks Independent vs Obedient

I've been asking this trough most forums (including the one in Beta section that could be outdated), and all answers differ, so what I know now is:

-Both gives +1 willpower but one is conditioned, so at first sight Independent is more profitable.
-Having Leadership both it seems that doesn't matter at all which trait to pick. (but Independent still looks better).
-Now, people says that Obedient is better because you gain +2 wilpower, others says +3, others says that the +10% armor bonus is bind to the Obedient trait not to Leadership, other sthat Obedient is an 'aura' to your henchmen too, etc, etc, etc,

So, here in Larian, can someone explain well this trait?

If you need to know my build: two Lone Wolves, single player, both with Leadership (apparently is a must-have), and low magic (Man-at-arms & Marksman).

Independant is plain better... it's simply as that.
Even the case if Obedient wasn't bugged at lvl 6, which it is, making Independant *even* better.

+1 willpower is default for both, high enough leadership (4 IIRC) will add another +1 willpower. Can't get +3 willpower from it.

Your Leadership affects the other characters around you, but doesn't affect you. Someone else's Leadership does affect you.

Your leadership gives everyone around you escalating bonuses that max out at:

• Willpower +1
• Body Building +1
• Initiative +10
• Damage +15%
• Chance to hit +10%
• Critical Chance +2%
• Immune to Fear
• Armour +10%

The Willpower bonus - again, for everyone around you, but not you - kicks in at Leadership 5.

The Independent Trait gives you +1 Willpower. This is independent (sorry) of any other Willpower effects, including someone else's Leadership. So if you are Independent, you have:

• +1 Willpower with no Leader in sight
• +1 Willpower when affected by someone else's Leadership 1-4
• +2 Willpower when affected by someone else's Leadership 5 or better.

The Obedient Trait adds +1 Willpower to the effect someone else's Leadership has on you, but does nothing for you if no Leader is in sight. So if you are Obedient, you have:

• no benefit to Willpower with no Leader in sight
• +1 Willpower when affected by someone else's Leadership 1-4
• +2 Willpower when affected by someone else's Leadership 5 or better.

Does that help?

Generally, I am finding the Divinity Wiki very helpful in working this stuff out.

The only benefit I've seen to the Obedient trait is, you get more experience from co-operqting with Junius and Bibius (Obedient) than you do from killing them (Independent).

You can cancel that out in conversation if you join the Fantastic Five. I don't remember where the next Obedient/Independent check is, but as soon as you hit it, Bob's your Uncle (but you no longer give a damn).

All of that is irrelevant if you're role-playing your way through, in which case you'll do whatever your characterization demands regardless of the meta-game.

And -1 bodybuilding and -5% when affected by leadership 6 (compared to non-obedient characters getting the effects).
Which I doubt is intended... but it really, really makes Obedient even worse.

Thanks, I know 3 wikis and the info is the same but they are all unfinished, plus the issue that it has no sense the same reward for the same trait, so people tends to assume things. Thanks for the clarification.

The only question that may remain if Obedient is bugged is what would be its real intention? Aura to henchman? More bonuses as Leadership growth? Or is really a conditioned version of Independent?

PS: I'm glad with your answers because the word "Obedient" aside my portrait looked so unheroic...

Eek. Fortunately, I'm too stubborn to have ever gone there.

Eh, seems the word "damage" was forgotten there (-5% damage)...

And for what the intention was... well, I wouldn't mind knowing that from Larian too. Early in Beta they gave increasements to the various classes (man-at-arms, spelltypes), but of course that's problematic with the x spells per level and people permanently loosing spells if their traits changed. So they gave them new bonusses, and several of them are really dubious/useless.