Larian Studios has become one of the most popular studios in the gaming industry. Baldur’s Gate 3 turned the studio into a household name but their success didn’t start there. In 2014, Larian with the help of Kickstarter released Divinity Original Sin. It is the fourth main entry in the Divinity series and was released on PC on June 30, 2014. The game was a hit and was Larian’s highest-rated game until its sequel came out in 2017. You can read our review here.
©Larian Studios
Divinity: Original Sin Premise
Gameplay in Divinity: Original Sin follows a style similar to that of other CRPGs of the time. Players can customize the two protagonists, the gameplay is turn-based, and the world is large and interactive. One of the best parts of Divinity: Original Sin is its modding tool. Fans of the title can look for more content through the game’s modding scene, allowing you to put even more time into running around in the game’s world.
©Screenshot of gameplay
Divinity: Original Sin Main Characters
- The Source Hunters: Customizable protagonists tasked with investigating Source magic.
- Madora: A blunt, battle-hardened warrior with a strong moral compass.
- Jahan: A powerful mage with a dark past and a hatred for demons and Source magic.
- Wolfgraff (Enhanced Edition only): A silent rogue with a mysterious backstory.
- Bairdotr (Enhanced Edition only): A curious ranger raised in isolation, seeking to uncover the world’s mysteries.
- Zixzax the Almost-Wise: A quirky imp guiding the Source Hunters through the End of Time.
- The Weaver of Time: A mystical being who weaves the threads of time.
- Astarte: A goddess pivotal to the story, tied to the fate of the world and the Void.
- Leandra: A central antagonist and powerful sorceress connected to the primary conflict.
- Icara (The White Witch): Leandra’s sister and a key ally against the Void.
Other Divinity Titles In The Series
- Divine Divinity (2002)
- Beyond Divinity (2004)
- Divinity II: Ego Draconis (2009)
- Divinity: Dragon Commander (2013)
- Divinity: Original Sin (2014)
- Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition (2015)
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 (2017)
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition (2018)
Divinity: Original Sin Cheats
Secrets
Easy experience points
After getting the Telekinesis+2 ability, go to Cyseal. Go on the road northwest of the market square. Look for a large beer barrel on stilts behind some wooden barriers and up some steps. Once there, switch to your secondary character and place the barrel in their inventory. The barrel will overburden that character, making them unable to move. Switch back to your main character and leave the secondary character with the barrel. Get into a random encounter outside Cyseal. During combat, open your inventory menu and send the Beer Barrel to your main character. Take the barrel out of your inventory, then use Telekinesis+2 to slam it into your enemies and instantly kill them. All enemies from random encounters in the overworld map can be killed using this method.
Source Temple puzzle solution
Once you enter the Source Temple, there will be a huge puzzle in the central chamber with three Statues of Self-Awareness. Stand on the floor panel switch to open the first door. There are pressure pads in each room, but some are dangerous. Stand on the pressure pad close to the giant head, then enter the room to the right. Stand on the pressure pad found there to open the left door that opens into a third room. Once inside, bypass the poison gas-trapped pressure pad. Search the walls to find a hidden button that opens another doorway.
Go through to enter an area with a broken bridge. Throw a Teleport Pyramid across and teleport to the other side. Teleport across the hole and search for a door to open past some wreckage to reach a teleportation waypoint. Activate the “Source Temple Vault” waypoint to enter the Source Temple Vault. Save the game, as another puzzle must be solved. You must destroy one of the statues, but if the incorrect one is selected you will teleport to the start of the temple. You must solve the puzzle and destroy the correct statue based on the clue that is given. Throw a Teleport Pyramid into the treasury and travel inside.
Step through the mirror, collect the Earth Key, and retrieve your Teleport Pyramid. Return to the central chamber and go upstairs. Use characters with high Perception to find a hidden switch on a wall to the right of the stairs and to the left of the door. If you are not able to find it, go down and throw a Teleport Pyramid into the chamber from the south, then step on the pressure pad inside to open the gate. Leave one of your characters on the pressure pad while the rest of your party opens the Earth Door with the key. Kill the enemies found inside, then use the clue to destroy the correct statue and obtain the Air Key. Return to the central chamber and search for a floor switch next to the giant head.
Go through the door that it opened. Once in the second pressure plate room, leave a Teleport Pyramid behind before entering the poison trap chamber. Activate the poison trap, then use the Teleport Pyramid you left behind to escape. The Air Door path should now be open. Go through the Air Door to enter a maze hall. Reach the center of the maze to find a closed gate. Throw a Teleport Pyramid through, then find the switch to open the path that leads to a third statue puzzle.
Follow the clues and destroy the correct statue. Return to the central room. All three Statues of Self-Awareness should be lit. Read the books to get clues. The final puzzle involves lighting specific candles in a specific order. The order will vary depending on which statues were destroyed. Each correct step will produce a lightning bolt. The tasks that must be done are as follows; change the order to match your specific puzzle:
- Light all candles, except for the center one.
- Light the center candle only.
- Light the three horizontal candles only.
After three lightning strikes, the bookcase will open.
Unlockables
Easy “Amazing” achievement
The first place you encounter Bellegar is inside the elemental demon cave at the top corner of Cysael. Talk to him, and he will disappear. He will appear again much later, near the center of the Phantom Forest swamp. He will allow you to choose a treasure from a set of three barrels. To encounter him a third time, go south of Balberith’s shack at the southern end of the swamp to find a large mound of gold. Select the gold, and Bellegar will appear. He will add a new Portal to your menu, allowing access to a dungeon containing a single puzzle. Solve the puzzle, and open all three treasure doors to get the “Amazing” achievement.
Easy “Baaaah.” achievement
Find the Kickstarter birch tree inscribed with glowing letters at the Phantom Forest. It is located near the northern waypoint, up the road leading to the northwest. Drop a Stardust Herb in front of the tree. The Weresheep will appear, and you will get the “Baaaah.” achievement. You can kill or talk to the Weresheep to collect its wool. Put it in the Elemental Forge to get a special set of armor.
Easy “Brutal Truth” and “Zero The Hero” achievements
In “The Scaredy Pact” quest, Aureus will ask you to find some Legionnaires he sent to investigate the Lighthouse. The soldiers are found slightly northeast of the actual Lighthouse, which itself is at the far southwestern part of Cysael. While on your way to the Cysael West portal, you will trigger it. Kill the undead next to the Lighthouse, then return and talk to the Legionnaires again. Return to Aureus, and inform him that his Legionnaires are cowards to get the “Brutal Truth” achievement. Return to Aureus and lie that his Legionnaires are brave heroes to get the “Zero The Hero” achievement.
Easy “Captain Jack” and “The World Needs Guts” achievements
Find the sailors at the southernmost dock of Cysael Harbor trying to put out a fire on their ship. Help them, and they will tell you they are now looking for work, giving you “The Shipless Sailors” quest. Tell The Fabulous Five spokesman outside the entrance of the King Crab Inn that the sailors are looking for work. Return to the sailors and tell them about the job opportunity to get “The World Needs Guts” achievement. Find Jack at the Cysael open-air market area, and talk to him about the sailors. Return to the sailors, and tell them about the job opportunity to get the “Captain Jack” achievement.
Easy “Caught In The Game” achievement
At the start of the game, have one of your characters engage in dialogue with the drunken Legionnaires at X357, Y87 coordinates. Select the other character, enter stealth mode, and try to cross the bridge to get the “Caught In The Game” achievement.
Easy “Declaration Of Indifference”, “Raw Deal”, and “Run Down The Devil” achievements
While on the trail of the Wizard during Act III, you will travel to the far eastern part of the Phantom Forest swamp, where you will find the demon Balberith in the basement of a shack. He owns Jahan’s soul. Agree to Balberith’s terms in exchange for the Forest Spirit’s rune to get the “Raw Deal” achievement. Jahan will gain a level but lose several spells. Listen to Balberith’s terms, and offer Jahan’s life instead to get the “Declaration Of Indifference” achievement. Jahan will disappear permanently. Refuse to make a deal with Balberith and start a fight. Kill all his slaves first to lower his defenses and health regeneration. Then, focus on Balberith. Defeat him to get the “Run Down The Devil” achievement.
Easy “Disciples Of The Watch” and “The System Has Failed” achievements
During “The Watch Is Coming” quest, exit east from Hunter’s Edge, and follow the trail of blood to reach the Knight’s Tomb fortress. Break down the portcullis, and enter it to encounter a titan. It will attack if the person it is conversing with does not have the Titan Dictionary from the Wizard’s home. Afterwards, go deeper into the fortress. You must walk on top of the footprints to avoid being killed. You will encounter two knights who are hunting imps. Send the knights to Zixzax, then teleport to the End Of Time to get the “Disciples Of The Watch” achievement. Send the knights on a wild goose chase, then teleport to south Cysael Beach to check their progress to get “The System Has Failed” achievement. Note: They can be found slightly north of the drunk Legionnaires guarding the bridge from the start of the game.
Easy “Echoes From The Past” and “Voices From The Past” achievements
Talk to Ebenezer the ghost, who wanders near the graves northeast of the Cysael church in the far northeast part of the region, to start the “The Preacher Of Earthly Delights” quest. After talking to him, he will say that he once knew the cat currently known as Sam the Unsinkable. Return to the King Crab Inn in Cysael town. If you have the Pet Pal feat, you can ask Sam about Ebenezer’s history. Return to the graveyard, and talk to Ebenezer again. Allow Ebenezer to remain in the graveyard for eternity unmolested to get the “Echoes From The Past” achievement and a chest with some subpar items. Choose the option to send him to the Hall Of Echoes to get the “Voices From The Past” achievement and start a fight.
Easy “Escape” achievement
Play the quest that asks you to investigate the Tenebrium mine in the center of Luculla Forest. Enter the temple at the far end of the mine, then escape the mine by reaching the surface to get the “Escape” achievement.
Easy “Fabulous Disaster” achievement
Find the Fabulous Five representative outside the entrance to the King Crab Inn to get a quest to destroy Ahru’s malfunctioning SparkMaster construct. Speak with Ahru and get the remote control for the SparkMaster. Enter the cave in the northernmost part of the Cysael region to find more Fabulous Five members. Press the Angry, Angry, Sleepy buttons in order on the remote to cause the SparkMaster to self-destruct. Return to town, and talk to Cecil about the Fabulous Five to get the “Fabulous Disaster” achievement.
Easy “Fields Of Regret” achievement
Enter the storeroom at Cysael Harbor, then go to the attached courtyard on the right. You can find two Legionnaires and a charmed female Orc at coordinates X272, Y75. Tell the Legionnaires to spare the Orc’s life, then return later to get the “Fields Of Regret” achievement.
Easy “Find The White Witch” achievement
After destroying Boreas’ elemental staff, you will get an item that can be used to release Icara, the White Witch, from her prison in Hiberheim. Rescue the White Witch to get the “Find The White Witch” achievement.
Easy “Forged In Fire” achievement
Get the elemental staff dropped by Boreas in the western castle in Hiberheim. Then, drop it in the Forge, where you met the Conduit, to destroy it and get the “Forged In Fire” achievement.
Easy “Forgiven” and “Unforgiven” achievements
Enter the Lighthouse at Cysael, and go down the trapdoor to meet Samson and get the “Lost Love At The Lighthouse” quest. He will tell you the story of his lost love, Desdemona. Go to Black Cove, west past the Cysael Harbor gate, and find her at the end of the Cove dungeon. Convince Desdemona to forgive Samson, then return to the Lighthouse to get the “Forgiven” achievement. Tell Desdemona not to forgive Samson, then return to the Lighthouse to get the “Unforgiven” achievement.
Easy “Gimme Shelter” achievement
During Act II, Homestead will be hit by meteorites. Enter the Void Demon temple in the far northwest part of the Luculla region in an area surrounded by lava. Destroy the overgrown Blood Stone at the rear of the temple to get the “Gimme Shelter” achievement. Since the demons in the temple are invincible, you must use someone who can sneak or become invisible to accomplish this task.
Easy “Grizzled Finale” achievement
Use the forest spirit’s rune to enter the Source Temple, at the center of the Phantom Forest, to get the “Grizzled Finale” achievement.
Easy “Headlines” achievement
After freeing Icara, return to the Shelter plane, and talk to her again (next to the tapestry) to get the “Headlines” achievement.
Easy “I Walked With A Zombie” achievement
Find Evelyn in her secret hideout, and kill her. You can now talk to Zombie Jake and get the “I Walked With A Zombie” achievement.
Easy “Into The Void” achievement
Meet the Conduit in the northernmost building filled with lava at Hiberheim to get the “Into The Void” achievement.
Easy “Is Anyone Home” achievement
Find the set of four elemental demon statues guarding the entrance to a cave near the top of the Cysael map (not far from Evelyn’s hideout). Activate each statue by using a spell of the same element, then destroy the activated elemental to get the “Is Anyone Home” achievement.
Easy “It Could Be Mine” and “Model Citizen” achievements
Talk to Cecil, the mayor of Cysael, to learn about the stolen Staff Of Pergamon, and start the “Cecil’s Mighty Staff” quest. Retrieve the staff from a mage on the northern beach of Cysael (near Evelyn’s hideout). Tell Cecil that you are keeping the staff to get the “It Could Be Mine” achievement. Return the staff to Cecil to get the “Model Citizen” achievement.
Easy “Keelhauled” achievement
After the area with numerous trigger buttons in Black Cove, you will find Pontius Pirate. Kill him to get the “Keelhauled” achievement.
Easy “Kingdom Come” achievement
Find Archibald east of the Goblin Village waypoint, guarding the bridge leading to the Phantom Forest zone. Speak with him, but refuse to pay his toll. Instead, you must make him the King Troll. Enter the Lair Of Maradino at X151, Y257 coordinates in the northwest part of the zone and find the unique scroll. Take it and go to King Gungnir’s dungeon, located in the southeast section of the zone. Follow the path to the Tenebrium Mine, and search near X342, Y194 coordinates. Use the scroll on the mushroom outside King Gungnir’s cave to dispel the magic barriers. Defeat King Gungnir, then return to Archibald and tell him that Gungnir is dead. Archibald will leave the bridge, allowing you to cross it without paying and get the “Kingdom Come” achievement.
Easy “Leave My Girl Alone” achievement
Enter the second floor of the Silverglen Inn, and find the woman being held hostage by a suicide bomber skeleton. Cast the Teleportation Aerothurge spell to get the bomber away from the woman and get the “Leave My Girl Alone” achievement.
Easy “Live Undead” achievement
Use the Immaculate amulet obtained from Evelyn’s body to remove the barrier from the area below Cysael church. Kill Braccus Rex in the church basement, then talk to Aureus to get the “Live Undead” achievement.
Easy “Locked In” achievement
Loic, the head of the Immaculate cult in Luculla, will send you to a trial dungeon to become a member of the cult. You must pickpocket him before talking to him at the end of the trial dungeon. You will require a minimum Dexterity of 11 and a minimum Pickpocketing skill of 6 (base skill and item). After speaking with Loic, he will become suspicious and run towards the locked room to the right to summon help from the portal. By getting the key, he will not be able to get help. Defeat him to get the “Locked In” achievement.
Easy “Man On The Silver Mountain” achievement
Find a man, woman, and Alfie to the southeast of Silverglen. Use a Blood Stone to heal Alfie. Then, escort the three of them to Silverglen safely to get the “Man On The Silver Mountain” achievement.
Easy “Mister Nice Guy” and “No More Mister Nice Guy” achievements
Find Blossius the undead Legionnaire in a building north of Cysael’s northern gate during Act I to start “The Legionnaire’s Will” quest. Take his will to his wife, Marisa, inside the inn at Silverglen. Give Marisa the will, unaltered, to get the “Mister Nice Guy” achievement. Combine a Feather and Knife or Dagger to craft a Quill. Combine a Quill and Ink Pot to craft the Ink Pot and Quill. Alter the will in your favor by using the Ink Pot and Quill on it before giving it to Marisa to get the “No More Mister Nice Guy” achievement.
Easy “Peace Sells” achievement
Start the quest to lower the barrier around the White Witch’s house in Luculla. Use the magic scroll that eliminates the barrier instead of killing the two mushrooms to get the “Peace Sells” achievement. The scroll can be found in a hidden mound at X216, Y132 coordinates to the northwest of the barrier, past a trapped path.
Easy “Push It” achievement
After the Billeh Ghar trap in Black Cove, go down a hidden trapdoor in the room to reach an area with numerous trigger buttons. Press the button found below and to the right of the center pedestal to get the “Push It” achievement.
Easy “Sacrifice” achievement
The “Sacrifice” achievement is unlocked by meeting Mangoth, in the Immaculate Cathedral in the central northern part of Luculla, after the initiation trial. The path to the Cathedral is lined with numerous mines. Once inside, light the four candles in the entrance hall to open a door that allows you to proceed further in.
Easy “Shell Shock” achievement
Go south from the entrance of the tutorial dungeon, then move east to find a talking clam on the beach at X459, Y70 coordinates. Throw it back into the ocean to get a reward and the “Shell Shock” achievement.
Easy “Skull Crushing Finale” achievement
During the Trial Of Ascension inside the Source Temple, solve the candle puzzle to get the “Skull Crushing Finale” achievement.
Easy “Sleeping Village” achievement
Enter Hunter’s Edge in southern Phantom Forest to get the “Sleeping Village” achievement. There are two bridges leading to this area from eastern Luculla.
Easy “Suspicious Minds” achievement
During the “Murder Investigation” quest, enter Esmeralda’s cellar through the trapdoor at the back of Esmeralda’s house. The key to enter through the back door is found upstairs. Remove some of the hams hanging on hooks in the cellar to uncover a small button. Press it to move the bookcase away from the doorway that leads to a hidden room containing a “suspicious” bloody knife. Interrogate Esmeralda about it to get the “Suspicious Minds” achievement.
Easy “Take No Prisoners” achievement
At the start of Act III, you will be asked to enter the Wizard’s house at the east end of Hunter’s Edge. After finding the key in the beehive and using it to access a hidden trapdoor, you will enter the cellar containing some of the Wizard’s servants. You will get a quest to disarm the traps in the house to allow the servants to return upstairs. Proceed through the house until you are in a room with the House Defenses Master Switch. Flip the switch and return to the cellar. Talk to the mother of the family to get the “Take No Prisoners” achievement.
Easy “Team Roller” achievement
Meet Billeh Gahr inside the Black Cove dungeon. One of your characters will be placed on a trap that will trigger if they move. Use another character (unlink if needed) to move one of the crates that are in the room to reveal the button that deactivates the trap to get the “Team Roller” achievement.
Easy “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Test” achievement
Dig one of the mounds in the Cysael town graveyard with a shovel, and Nemris will appear. He will question you about the contents of the Philosophy Of Death book that he wrote. The book, which is blank, is found in Cecil’s library. The correct answers to Nemris’ questions are 2, 2, and 1. Answer the questions correctly to get “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Test” achievement.
Easy “The One That Got Away” achievement
After finding all three clues implicating Esmeralda during the “Murder Investigation” quest, talk to Aureus to have her thrown into jail. Go to Esmeralda’s smithy shop. A Legionnaire will appear and escort Esmeralda away. Visit her in the jail under the Legionnaire barracks, and she will reveal that Evelyn is the true culprit. After you have confronted and killed Evelyn, return to Aureus and have Esmeralda released from jail to get the “The One That Got Away” achievement.
Easy “Time To Kill” achievement
Get Leandra’s Spell from her lab at the rear of the Tenebrium mine, and a Vial of Leandra’s Blood, which is guarded by Mangoth in the Immaculate Cathedral. Use those two items to craft a spell that makes the Death Knights vulnerable to get the “Time To Kill” achievement.
Easy “To Hell With The Devil” and “Wicked Young Man” achievements
Get the “A Forge Of Souls” quest to repair Icara’s soul forge to Leandra. You can choose to kill Cassandra the lich, at the top of Phantom Forest. Talk to the various corpses nailed to trees there to learn that Cassandra is invincible and is worshipped at the Temple Of Death. Go to the temple, which is near the log entrance to the Phantom Forest. There the four watcher statues that will cause lava to rise if they see you. Next to the lower left statue is a pressure plate that will destroy that statue and open a narrow path to the center pedestal. While at that pedestal, read the inscription in front of it to learn that only dead things can enter the temple.
Put the second Teleporter Pyramid (obtained from Mayor Cecil’s bathroom) in one of your character’s inventory. Kill that character on top of the pedestal, and activate the switch to send the corpse into the temple. Have a character with a resurrect scroll use the other Teleporter Pyramid to teleport to the corpse and get it from the dead. Find and destroy Cassandra’s skeletal remains in a hidden area to make her vulnerable. Return to where you originally met her in Phantom Forest, and kill her to get the “To Hell With The Devil” achievement. Accept Cassandra’s offer and kill Ahru, the cat-mage. Ahru has the Evasion feat, a large amount of health, and a high damage lightning-based attack. Defeat him to get the “Wicked Young Man” achievement.
Easy “Trick Bag” achievement
Encounter the first Star Stone, and teleport to the Shelter plane to receive a teleportation pyramid. The second pyramid is in Cysael town, inside the bathroom adjoining Mayor Cecil’s residence. You can teleport to it by using the first pyramid. Pick it up, and place it in your inventory to get the “Trick Bag” achievement.
Easy “Truth Be Told” and “You Keep Me Rockin” achievements
Talk to Brandon, who can be found wandering around outside the inn at Silverglen, to get “The Troll’s Bounty” quest. He will ask you to obtain a sample of Tenebrium Ore for him. You can mine it or steal it from the Immaculate camp in the northeast. Give the ore to Brandon in exchange for information to get the “Truth Be Told” achievement. Tell Brandon that you are keeping the ore to get the “You Keep Me Rockin” achievement.
Easy “Undeath Is Just The Beginning” achievement
Use the Immaculate amulet obtained from Evelyn’s body to remove the barrier from the area below Cysael church. Talk to Thelyron, the Cysael doctor, in the basement of the church. Then, talk to Arhu to get the “Undeath Is Just The Beginning” achievement.
Easy “The Wizard” achievement
Find Zandalor after the Trial Of Ascension, and complete his conversation to get “The Wizard” achievement.
Easy “Well, Well, Well” achievement
South of the church in eastern Cysael is a wishing well that asks for help in rescuing its twin, which is stranded in the ice region of Hiberheim. This quest cannot be completed until Act II after you find the alternate path to Hiberheim. Kill King Boreas, then talk to one of the statues on the northern wall of that room to remove the barrier in the western part of the room. Go past it to enter an area that contains a spell that sends the wishing well back to Cysael. Talk to the original wishing well afterward to get the “Well, Well, Well” achievement.
Easy “Whiskey In The Jar” achievement
Herschel, the tavern keeper in Hunter’s Edge, requires another batch of Glen’s whiskey brewed to keep the Orcs off his back. Visit the cellar in Glen’s house (located west of the tavern) to find a book that describes how to brew the whiskey with the following steps. At the water well on the western side of Hunter’s Edge, get the bucket on it, then use it on the well to obtain “Bucket With Water”. Go to the farm fields to the southwest, and take some “Barley”.
Go into the Mill next to the well, and use the “Barley” on the mill to obtain “Grist”. Mix the “Grist” with the “Bucket With Water” to obtain “Wort”. Use the “Wort” on the Pot Still in Glen’s cellar to obtain a barrel of Spirit. Bring the barrel to Zixzax the imp, in The End Of Time, to have him age it. Bring the barrel of 30-Year-Old Whiskey to Herschel to get the “Whiskey In The Jar” achievement.
Easy “Wrecking Ball” achievement
In western Cysael, enter the wrecked house next to the Cysael West portal. There is a trapdoor hidden by a rug. Go downstairs to find a sarcophagus. Drag the lid off of it to release Snorri. Talk to him, and he will give you a challenge to destroy a blue orb within a time limit. Fail his challenge, and Snorri will break it himself. Destroy Snorri’s ball outside of the time limit to get the “Wrecking Ball” achievement.
Easy “You And Me” achievement
Have the Pet Pal feat, then find Sam the cat in the King Crab Inn. You will learn that he is in love with Maxine, Mayor Cecil’s cat, and wants you to play matchmaker. To make Sam more attractive, find his jewel-encrusted collar near Desdemona, at the bottom of the Black Cove dungeon, to get the “You And Me” achievement.
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