Fans ofLarian Studiosexcited forBaldur’s Gate3’s fullrelease can return to one of the studio’s most acclaimed RPG titles,Divinity: Original Sin 2, in the meantime.Original Sin 2takes players to the land of Rivellon, where they – and perhaps one to three other companions – try to achieve divinity and save the world. Like most RPGs, players out to save the realm will face some mighty resistance; however, thanks to Source, they can tap into wildly-strong abilities to turn the tide of any difficult battle.
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However, fans might realize that some strategies can help them win most battles without spending Source at all inDivinity: Original Sin 2. After all, this resource isn’t very easy to find across the game. How exactly can players prevail in combat without ever spending Source?
Updated on July 01, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:Fans of Dungeons & Dragons can wait for Baldur’s Gate 3 to enter early access in 2023 to get perhaps the most accurate D&D 5e experience in a tactical RPG format. However, fans who can’t wait for the game any longer can actually try out developer Larian Studios’ other hit RPG,Divinity: Original Sin 2. As fans would report, Original Sin 2 is probably the closest analog to a gamified D&D 5e campaign as possible, prior to Baldur’s Gate 3. What makes Original Sin 2 unique in terms of gameplay is its inclusion of Source, a rare resource that can pave the way for extremely devastating effects on the battlefield. However, being the flexible game that it is, Original Sin 2 actually offers ways for players to never use Source in combat.
See If There’s A Way To Negotiate
One of the easiest ways to avoid using Source in combat is to try never to be in combat in the first place. Players who get to interact with NPCs that seem powerful should probably save the game first and try to find ways totalk the enemy into a peaceful conversation.
Fans would be surprised as to how a high Persuasion or Intimidation skill could potentially allure or scare potential opponents into submission. In fact, if players use their cards right, they can potentially talk their way out of a major conflict with the final boss of the game.
Get Powerful Foes Out Of The Way
In the event of inevitable combat with extremely powerful bosses, it would greatly help players to findways to get them out of the wayas soon as possible. This is where Skills such as Teleportation and Nether Swap (both Aerotheurge 2) come in handy, as these Skills let players displace tougher foes to give their party a chance to prepare for a counter-offensive.
Doing this can also potentially stall for enough time for players to kill weaker foes and even heal themselves. That way, players can focus their resources on killing the tougher foe once they come back.
Lure Enemies To A Trap
Sometimes, a bit ofobservation prior to combatcan go a long way when it comes to eliminating tougher enemies. In fact, sometimes luring opponents to a false sense of security can give players the opportunity to eliminate them without ever using Source.
A good example of this is fighting Alice Alisceon, which is a ridiculously tough foe given her incredible resistances and powerful moves. However, players can actually discover a nifty combo that “transfers” her devastating damage from allies to herself. And teleporting her to the right location can find her facing a fierce demon hunter, making players avoid unnecessary combat entirely.
Use Few Party Members First
Just because the game can allow players to control up to four party members doesn’t mean they have to use all of them in combat. The game’s party separation feature allows them to control individual party members without the rest following, making it extremely useful to havestealthy Roguesand Rangers scout areas first to detect enemies.
Likewise, players can use this opportunity to have tanks and other frontline fighters enter the battlefield first and get the attention of opponents before the rest of the party push through. That way, weaker members of the party are at just the right distance to dish out attacks but also escape to recover.
Keep Everyone At Teleport Distance
Another optimized way of the split-party tactic to avoid using Source is to have everyone at teleport distance, especially party members that are split from the rest of the group. For example, tanks who proceed to battle first should be followed by a spellcaster with teleportation spells. However, they should be far enough to avoid getting into the initiative count but close enough to reach the tank if need be.
That way, players always have the option ofgetting their tank or other frontline unitsout of combat should things go haywire. A key benefit here is that enemies almost never heal themselves, meaning players can be in tip-top shape while fighting enemies that retain their weaker HP.
AOE Ensures Everyone Gets Attacked
Players should try as much as possibleto learn AOE Skills, as they easily become great substitutes for Source Skills. Remember, the most powerful AOE Skills such as Hail Storm (Hydrosophist) and Meteor Shower (Pyrokinetic) actually cost Source. However, lower-tier Skills can still deal devastating AOE damage. These include Fireball, Laser Ray, and Supernova (Pyrokinetic).
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Despite the lack of damage compared to other Source Skills, these AOE Skills still pack plenty of punch. Moreover, the right consecutive order of AOE Skills can build up DPS that may annihilate enemy groups without having to spend Source.
Always Use Arrows, Grenades, Traps
As evidenced by Elemental Arrowheads (Huntsman) or Throw Explosive Trap (Pyrokinetic), players can make great use of elemental arrows, grenades (e.g. bombs), and traps to hinder or damage opponents. Granted, these do deplete some items in their inventory space. However, they can still cause damage without theneed to have Skillson cooldown.
Additionally, these items more often than not cause surfaces to appear after they are used. Players can take advantage of these situations to maximize their damage output. For instance, using Fossil Strike (Geomancer) to damage enemies and create an oily puddle can lead to a huge explosion if followed up by a Fire Arrow or Cluster Grenade.
Adjust Opponents To Line Them For Attacks
In most tactical RPGs, players often move their characters to attack opponents. Unfortunately, inOriginal Sin 2, players often get outnumbered by enemies that not only move first but aim to surround the party. This disadvantage can result in a party wipe. As such, instead of simply “moving” to attack enemies, players shouldconsider moving enemies directlyto make it easier for the party to attack them.
Thanks to Teleportation and Nether Swap (Aerotheurge), players can move enemies to more favorable positions. This Skill helps push melee combatants away and pull ranged combatants closer. With Teleportation, players can move enemies next to the party’s tank or in range for a great AOE. Likewise, Nether Swap can switch the places of two characters, enabling a tank to end up inside the enemy’s ranks.
Have Mobility Skills At The Ready
Winning combat isn’t always about dishing out damage – it’s about knowing when to regroup. When fights get too tricky to handle, players should consider repositioning their characters to more favorable positions. Skills such as Tactical Retreat (Huntsman), Phoenix Dive (Warfare), Cloak and Dagger (Scoundrel), and Spread Your Wings (Polymorph) become great mobility Skills in this regard, especiallyfor Ranger and Rogue archetypes.
Players can use these Skills defensively, such as retreating from being cornered or getting out of an opponent’s range. Likewise, they can use these Skills offensively by, for example, rushing towards opponents, chasing escaping opponents, or luring them to a disadvantageous position.
Get Stealthy
Players who have four-man parties likely have a person maximizing Scoundrel Skills. Most Skills in this category utilize the game’s Backstab mechanic, where attacks from behind automatically cause Critical Hits. In turn, Rogue archetypes should make full use of Backstab-based Skills to eliminatethe strongest-looking foesin an enemy squad in order to reduce active threats. Likewise, Rogues can take care of pesky minions of groups that outnumber them.
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Interestingly, Scoundrels might want to get the Glass Cannon Talent. While this Talent negates the protection from statuses provided by Physical and Magical Armor, it allows the character to begin each round with Maximum AP, which is very useful for consecutive deadly attacks.
