Multiplayer characters question

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Hi there! I'm new here (at least on the forums), so I just wanted to say hello... and ask a question

Here is my situation:
Me and my friend will try to play IWD2 each with his own character. It's a mistery how far in the game we will actually come, but I think that we should at least think about the possibility to play in HoF mode, so we need a bit stronger character builds.

Althought I still don't know what character my teammate will play (and I don't want to go all smart@$$ on him and tell him what he must play), I at least am thinking of playing a spellblade of some sort. They seem to be the most versatile characters (at least they were in other d&d computer games), but I really don't have much experience using them in IWD2. I know a single class or minorly multiclassed cleric would do the job just fine, but I really want to be on the arcane side of things and don't want to be a pure spellcaster. Yeah, they get powerful in time, but I also want to contribute to the carnage in the middle of the battle, not standing beside it, wailing my voice out

I had one of these two in mind:

Aasimar, PaladinX/SorcererX
I don't know how much paladin levels I should take and in what order I will take them. I was thinking of using the two-handed Holy Avenger (from the ease-of-use mod).
Pro et contra:
+ awesome saving throws
+ able to wield a very nice weapon
+ learning spells by yourself
+ a lot of spells per day
+ good diplomat
- stat distribution (we need cha, str, dex, con on high levels)
- slow spell progression
- low skillpoints if we neglect int


Drow, FighterX/WizardX
I don't know how much fighter levels I should take and in what order I will take them. I also don't know if I should go specialist or generalist wizard.
He would deffinitely go the weapon finesse and dual-wield road. I would keep str to about 12, go full dex and int, wis base, cha minimum.
I would use the Selune's Moonblade (a small weapon with the mod) and maybe a mage dagger (don't remember if any exist tho), or a nice short sword.
Pro et contra:
+ magic resistance
+ easier stat point distribution (we only need dex, con and int on high levels)
+ more skills (from high int, a side question here: do we need alchemy for a critical quest and if yes, what level of alchemy?)
+ faster spell progression
+ moonblade available early on
+ slower level progression helps lower the average party level
+ three pips in small weapons
+ more feats maybe? I really don't know
- must find scrolls (very big -)
- memorization and less spells per day

So yeah, I still cannot decide. If anyone has some experience on such characters or if you have stat point/equipment/spell, feat, skill selection suggestions you are more than welcome to help me out.

I know there are much more powerful builds out there, but I don't like those 5 classes-mixed-in-characters, so please understand this. I don't want a AC 72 build, I will try to rely on arcane defensive buffs (yes, even Improved Invisibility if things get too difficult )

Oh, and what do you think my teammate should use? If you don't mind me going all smart@$$ on him: I would say something that can cast Heal.

Thanks in advance!

 

You mentioned ease-of-use mod in multiplayer. I don't think you can use mods in multiplayer.

The first character has a lot more possibilities than the latter. To play the game 'spellblade' style, you're still better off taking very few warrior levels, and leveling mostly in the spellcasting class (and using buff spells in melee). A pal1/sorcX sounds like a nearly pure arcanist, but it can still fight well in melee. The importance of leveling in casting class is two-fold: You get access to (pre-buff) spells earlier, which last longer in (melee) combat. And it improves the speed at which you get multiple attacks per round. Although warrior levels improve your attack bonus faster, they also delay your access to another attack per round. If you still want to be able to level in paladin later on, Mindchild's customdll fix can alter the Paladin of Mystra order, so that sorcerer also becomes an approved class. So you could still level in paladin, after leveling up in sorcerer.

If you must take an aasimar, then a sorcerer with 1 level paladin is the way to go. Any more paladin levels aren't worth the sacrifice. Personally I'd take a human, and mix in a level ranger for free dual wielding (and a great ranged weapon if you installed the Light of Selune mod...). For a melee focused spellblade, the aasimar's stats would be: 18STR, 16DEX, 18CON, 3INT, 5WIS, 20CHA. If your focus will be on buffs and melee, you may even consider leveling up in STR or CON instead of CHA...

Your teammate should be a cleric. Consider a battlecleric, which levels in STR or CON instead of WIS when levelling. I don't know multiplayer, but if you can buff eachother, you'd be an unbeatable team. Best orders are: Bane (enchantments) and Tempus (axe). The banite would benefit from a warrior level mixed-in, to get proficiency in all martial weapons. If you're taking Ease-of-use component Improved Bastard Swords (still not sure if mods will work in multiplayer), you can skip the warrior level, and take a feat in Bastard Sword proficiency. Then look for Cold Fire sword (1d10+3 +3d6fire +3d6cold) or the Bastard Sword of Heroism (4d10+3, +5enchanted). If your ally can dual-wield, then equipping Bastard's Son (1d10+2, Executioner's Eyes while equipped) in the off hand, will be absolutely devastating! Heck, even without the dual wielding feats, the +4 attack bonus from Executioner's Eyes makes it entirely worth it.

 

You can use mods in multiplayer, however both players must have identical installations to each other to have completley compatible games.

 

If you want to mix paladin with sorcerer keep in mind that a paladin who takes sorcerer levels can't take paladin levels any more. So unless you use a mod you have to take all paladin levels together.
The first paladin level grants the saving throw bonus, the second immunity to fear and the third immunity to disease. The extra healing with lay hands can be nice, but definitely don't take more than 1-3 paladin levels. You can take fighter levels once you reach sorcerer level 20, but I doubt you'll play that long.

If you choose the dualwielding drow fighter/wizard take at least 13 strength so you can take the power attack feat. But even then you'll only do about half as much damage per round as your aasimar would do.
If you play a spellcaster it doesn't matter much, but for doing physical damage strength is the most important stat and should be maxed.
low strength => low damage => slow combat => slow and boring game.

 

@coineineagh: This comment seems backward to me, since higher BAB = more attacks per round--can you explain what you meant? Are you thinking of Mass Haste or something?

@OP: In my opinion, sorc is far superior to wizard for a small party. You'll get powerful spells way before a wizard could possibly learn them from scrolls, and they will be spells you WANT to learn. Plus, you have more castings per day AND can shuffle spells around within a level at will. The only question in my mind would be whether the sorc should be an aasimar or a drow, but you've already settled that.

-Max

 

spmdw45, also on wizzies vs sorcs in small parties is the fact that scrolls tend to be rather rare, and in a small party, a wizzy's potential spell levels may get far ahead of the scrolls that can be found or purchased. It's tough enough in a 6 person party, but I've got to imagine that in a 2 person party, the poor wizzy is going to find a serious lack of scrolls to match the spell levels that he'll be attaining.

 

Warrior classes get +1 AB every level, and get their second attack at level 6, and another every 5 levels thereafter.
Most other classes get +0.75 AB on average (+1 AB on 3 out of every 4 levels), and get their second attack at level 8, and another every 7 levels thereafter.
Wizards and sorcerers get +0.5 AB on average every level, and get their extra attacks at levels 12 and 22.

So, unless you plan on taking 6 levels in a single warrior class (not advisable), you won't get an extra attack/round from that class. Taking warrior levels will improve your base attack bonus, but extra mix-in levels also delay the increase of attacks per round. Example:
A Pal 1 / Sorc X will get 2 attacks per round at level 13 (pal1/sorc12).
A Pal 2 / Sorc X will get 2 attacks per round at level 14.
A Pal 3 / Sorc X will get 2 attacks per round at level 15.
naturally, a Pal 6 / Sorc X can get a second attack sooner, but you really don't want to be that far behind in spell progression...

 

You're wrong. In 3E it doesn't matter from which classes you gain BAB for determining when you get extra attacks. The second attack per round is gained at BAB 6, no matter how you mixed your classes. So

A Pal 1 / Sorc X will get 2 attacks per round at level 11 (pal1/sorc10).
A Pal 2 / Sorc X will get 2 attacks per round at level 10.
A Pal 3 / Sorc X will get 2 attacks per round at level 9.