Does starting character matter?

[OlderStone]

I'm just staring Divinity:Original Sin 2.
Aside from the starting chapter, it seems that you quickly add nearly all the playable characters to your party very quickly and can switch between them at will.
I am wondering if it really makes a difference which character you choose to start with?

[Cinemax]

Well you can't have all of them. At least 2, 3 if you don't use an origin character get left behind and end up fighting for your adversaries. So you're stuck with the people you escape Fort Joy with.

[Xaphnir]

Originally posted by Cinemax:

Well you can't have all of them. At least 2, 3 if you don't use an origin character get left behind and end up fighting for your adversaries. So you're stuck with the people you escape Fort Joy with.

Well, not the ones you escape Fort Joy with, but the ones you finish act 1 with. Can still swap out party members through the entirety of act 1.

[Chaoslink]

Once act one ends and act two starts, you’ll permanently lose access to the characters not in your party. It isn’t worth swapping them around in the first act, gearing them up and all that, since you’ll lose it all entirely.

So starting character and party do matter somewhat.

[Xaphnir]

Originally posted by Chaoslink:

It isn’t worth swapping them around in the first act, gearing them up and all that, since you’ll lose it all entirely.

Can swap them around to steal stuff

[fulf]

It doesn't matter who you choose first, but you're locked into three companions at the start of Act 2. Aside from the obvious "missing out on quests and personalities," there isn't much mechanical difference between them. Because the game's classless and offers free, full respecs after Act 1. The unique Source skills they have are minor notes at best (except Fane's) and the racial passives are never make-or-break for any sort of playstyle (Elves are generally seen as better than the rest though). So really just go for whoever you like most.

One small exception is that if Sebille is present, she will kill an NPC that's a part of Red Prince's companion quest upon talking with them. That's the only real instance I can think of.

[phenir]

The main difference is the character you choose at the start is completely in your control while characters you add to your party later may do stuff you don't want them to such as betrayal or killing npcs.