- For other uses, see Race.
- For Classes and Attributes, see Classes (Dungeon Siege II) and Attributes (Dungeon Siege II).
This page dissects the playable Races found in Dungeon Siege II, deciding the race of your character's race is your first choice before joining the Morden mercenary ranks in the Hero of the Second Age storyline, each offers unique statistics and appearance. Consider your choice carefully and base the decision on what type of character you plan to create. Certain races are better suited for certain classes, although no race limits your choice of classes, skills, or powers. And note that gender has no bearing on your character attributes or available classes, skills, or powers.
Four races are available on the vanilla game Dungeon Siege II and Broken World adds an extra playable race, below you'll find suggestions on pairing race with class; a rundown of character attributes and how each impacts health, mana, and damage, and an overview of the primary classes, with advantages and disadvantages presented for each.
Attributes[]
- Main article: Attributes (Dungeon Siege II)
Independently of race each character in Dungeon Siege II have three attributes -- Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence -- which they improve by fighting in battles. Shown below are the benefits gained from each attribute.
Each point of Strength adds:
- 2.50 to Health
- 0.05 to Mana
- 0.15-0.25 to Melee damage
Each point of Dexterity adds:
- 1.95 to Health
- 0.60 to Mana
- 0.15-0.25 to Ranged damage
Each point of Intelligence adds:
- 1.15 to Health
- 4.35 to Mana
Increasing the power will increase the mana cost of spells (depends on specific spells)
The five playable races
Playable Races[]
Human[]
 The default Human in Dungeon Siege II. Humans are adaptable and strong, capable of mastering any discipline. Humans are an aggressive, often warlike race, but believe they have the common good at heart. Their tightly knit civilizations and reinforced fortresses are often the strongest bastions against oppressors. Humans are outgoing, social, and curious as well. Their world is full of danger and history, but human explorers have pushed on despite the risks and discovered many wonders. The freedom to spend two pointson skills of your choosing makes Human the most adaptable race. Instead of splitting skill points across classes like Dryads (Nature Magic and Ranged) and Elf (Melee and Combat Magic), selecting Human allows you to focus both skills points into the class discipline of your choice. A Human combat mage could focus both skill points on Devastation for increased combat-magic damage; a Human nature mage could foe us both skills points on Aquatic Affinity for increased ice-magic damage and healing magic power (as well as unlock the Icicle Blast power); or a Human ranged fighter could assign both skill points to Critical Shot for added ranged weapon damage. But what's gained in adaptability is lost in focus. Remaining Human statistics, while cei tainly positive, lack class-specific benefits. Human doesn't possess the improved healing rate of the Half-Giant, great For a Fighter, or the enhanced mana recovery of the Elf, excellent for a mage. The Humans' specific benefit is their increased chance to find magic items, humans are born treasure hunters.
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Half-Giant[]
 The default Half-Giant in Dungeon Siege II. Half-giants are large creatures, standing ten feet tall. They are also incredibly sturdy, capable of remarkable feats of endurance. Their life spans are long -- most giants are hundreds of years old -- but they don't truly appear old until the last few months of life. Ceremonial markings and tattoos tell the story of their culture's struggles and wartime experience. While half-giants are a formidable foe when angered, as a rule they are quiet and introspective creatures that prefer their own counsel. They have a strong work ethic, and take pleasure from simple tasks, but something about them is always sad in some way. Other races avoid half-giants, unsure of what to make of them. The Half-Giant's statistics leave little doubt regarding its optimum class pairing. Increased health regeneration, increased maximum health, and a Strength bonus are ideal companions to the Melee class. Yet there are no limitations. You could groom your Half-Giant to be an ice mage, death mage, thrown weapons specialist any discipline you desire—but the giant's statistics are paired best with close-quarters, hand-to-hand combat. Reduced Dexterity weakens the Half-Giant as a Ranged option and the lack of an Intelligence bonus or any nature-magic or combat-magic skills gives other races the edge as superior mages. Strength provides a bonus to minimum and maximum melee damage and has the strongest impact on health. Increased health regeneration and two points in Fortitude further enhance the Half-Giant's role as a melee combatant. The downside is that the Half-Giant starts the game lacking an available power, but two points in Fortitude lay a foundation for Whirling Strike.
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Elf[]
 The default Elf in Dungeon Siege II. Elves are extremely well educated in the scholarly arts of combat magic, and their society teaches study of the sword as a foundation for a disciplined lifestyle. Elves have a great love of learning, and teachers play an important role in their culture. Elven scholars have been responsible for many advances in magic theory. Their knowledge and empathy makes them an insular people, and while they believe that it is better to be among elves than among strangers, they feel compassion towards all races. The Elf offers points in a melee skill, Critical Strike, and a combat-magic skill, Brilliance. Remaining bonuses, though, are skewed strictly toward a mage class. The Elf lacks the Half-Giant's enhancements to Strength and health regeneration for the Melee class, as well as the Dryad's Dexterity bonus for the Ranged class. But the Elf features the best mage benefits of any race: the highest Intelligence bonus and an increased mana recovery rate. Brilliance, which increases maxi-mum mana, is a combat-magic skill but certainly aids any discipline should you decide to select the Elf for Nature Magic pairing. The Elf is the only race to start the game with two powers, Brutal Attack from the Critical Strike skill and Energy Orb from the Brilliance skill. A Human could gain a second power early depending on the skills chosen for its unspent points.
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Dryad[]
  The default Dryad in Dungeon Siege II. Dryads are excellent nature mages and highly skilled with the bow, which they use to protect their treetop homes. Dryads are a mysterious race, having emerged after the cataclysmic battle between Zaramoth and Azunai. They have an instinctive bond to living things and their appearance reflects their jungle heritage. Dryads are impulsive, wild creatures, and conflicts between them are common, but they live in close proximity, like packs of wolves, and have a strong sense of community. A point in Natural Bond and Dodge skills makes the Dryad a "natural" choice for the Nature Magic or Ranged class, but these skills can benefit other classes as well. Natural Bond decreases the mana cost of all spells; this is a valuable mage skill even if you choose to switch to or multiclass Combat Magic. Natural Bond also grants the ability to harvest mana potions from mana bushes and is the prerequisite for the Gravity Stone power. Dodge increases your chance of avoiding melee or ranged attacks, which supports any class. Even with this apparent skill versatility, other races provide stronger pairings. The Melee class should select the Half-Giant and his increased health regeneration, Fortitude skill, and Strength bonus. And the Elf's enhanced mana recovery, better Intelligence, and Brilliance skill point offer a strong complement for combat mages. The Dryad's Dexterity bonus, the strongest of any race, increases base ranged damage. The Dryad is the optimum choice for a ranged player; if you'd rather assign both skill points to Critical Shot (which grants the Take Aim power), Human would be a better match for the Ranged class.
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Dwarf (Broken World)[]
 The default Dwarf in Dungeon Siege II. Dwarves are one of shorter races in Aranna, but they're sturdy, strong, and smart. They make fierce fighters, tough mages, and great fists of stone. Dwarves are native to the Kingdom of Ehb, and are rarely found in the eastern regions of Aranna. They are unfailingly loyal to their families and communities, and spend most of their long lives living and working within the mines they call home. While they can be stubborn to a fault, they are better known for their generosity, good humor, and fine ale.
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