Character Selection
In Divinity you can select from 3 different types of characters and also select if you want to play as a woman or a man. When the game is started you will have to select one of the three ways you want to specialize and start in. The way of the wizard, the way of the warrior or the way of the survivor.
There are some differences between these three ways and they could influence your style of playing. In essence the warrior prefers to fight, the wizard prefers spells and the survivor likes to sneak up on people. To assist you in making a choice read through the next paragraphs for more information

Character Development
Your character will develop itself in two ways. The development is triggered by gathering enough experience in killing monsters and solving quests so that you reach a new level. The first thing that happens is that you get bonus points that you can add to your primary stats, which are strength, agility, intelligence and constitution. These primary stats will effect several secondary stats. It's in these secondary stats and the way a primary stat influences them that the differences between the ways become clear. An increase in agility for example will make the offensive capabilities of a warrior better, whereas that same increase benefits the offensive capabilities of a survivor more. To see a more complete overview check out the statistics section.

The second thing that will happen when you level up is that your character gets 1 or more skill points. With these skillpoints you get to select skills. You can not select all skills that are there, but you can select those skills that benefit your character best, like combat related skills for a warrior and spell casting skills for a wizard. Look into the skills section for more info.

But there are some other issues as well to take in consideration. Each character makes noise for example and will attract monsters because of that. As can be expected the Warrior will attract the most noise, whereas the survivor will attract the least noise. So monsters will come to a survivor more gradually compared to a warrior.

The Initial Differences
Each of the characters in the three ways will start out with a different set of initial statistics. These are for man and woman equal though hence there is no difference in playing a man or a woman when it comes to this. The difference between them (besides the way they look) is that each character gets two skills to start with and that these are different for a woman or a man. What follows is an overview of all possible characters.

Survivor
The survivor endures life by relying on their quick wits and equally quick reflexes. Survivors see themselves as victims of a corrupt society where they are just stealing from the rich to keep themselves from getting even more poor.
Although survivors are adept at stealth and would prefer to remain hidden from an opponent in order to achieve their goals they are still competent fighters, they favor light and fast weapons such as bows, spears and daggers. Many even develop the ability to hide in shadows, set devious traps and develop a proficiency in the art of poisoning.

Survivor, male

The male survivor starts out with the following initial statistics:

This results in a Vitality (health) of 50 points and 40 Magic (mana) points.

He starts out with the following two skills:

male survivor video (287K, DivX)

Survivor, female
The female survivor starts out with the following initial statistics:

Strength:	10
Agility:	15
Intelligence:	10
Constitution:	10

This results in a Vitality (health) of 50 points and 40 Magic (mana) points.

She starts out with the following two skills:

female survivor video (297K, DivX)

Warrior
Warriors develop high strength and vitality through their many training and combat. Warriors have always roamed the land of Rivellon and in these dark times there are even more to be found then before.
Strength and honor is the mark of a warrior. They place great importance on physical power. They are easily angered but also quick to call anyone who shows valor in the face of adversity a friend. Some of the most powerful warriors in Rivellon possess not only great strength, but can also develop skills to cast powerful enchantments on weapons to boost their effectiveness in combat.


Warrior, male
The male warrior starts out with the following initial statistics:

Strength:	15
Agility:	10
Intelligence:	10
Constitution:	10

This results in a Vitality (health) of 60 points and 30 Magic (mana) points.

He starts out with the following two skills:

male warrior video (260K, DivX)

Warrior, female
The female warrior starts out with the following initial statistics:

Strength:	15
Agility:	10
Intelligence:	10
Constitution:	10

This results in a Vitality (health) of 60 points and 30 Magic (mana) points.

She starts out with the following two skills:

female warrior video (244K, DivX)

Wizard
Mages have always played important roles in history. Magic often changes the course of a battle to either good or bad, yet nobody seems to like a magician.
Mages may be relatively weak in physical strength, but they command powerful forces by will of their intellect. A searing fireball spell will kill an opponent as surely as a blade to the neck. The more powerful mages can even gain mastery of the elements and summon creatures to aid them in battle.

Wizard, male
The male wizard starts out with the following initial statistics:

Strength:	10
Agility:	10
Intelligence:	15
Constitution:	10

This results in a Vitality (health) of 40 points and 90 Magic (mana) points.

He starts out with the following two skills:

male wizard video (260K, DivX)

Wizard, female
The female wizard starts out with the following initial statistics:

Strength:	10
Agility:	10
Intelligence:	15
Constitution:	10

This results in a Vitality (health) of 40 points and 90 Magic (mana) points.

She starts out with the following two skills:

female wizard video (241K, DivX)