Powerhouse needed!

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Hi there mates!
Well after my first attempt at this game ended pretty sadly I've decided it is time to try my luck another time

Last time I had Paladin as my main, no idea if that was good choice or not but I insisted on Paladin and you guys gave me some pointers (took me a while to roll satisfying numbers

Well either because of my newbness or because Paladin isn't that powerful I had my share of troubles in quite a few places. So this time I want a powerhouse! I want a guy who can finish game on his own

Of course no cheats involved or anything. I'm hoping for a good aligned party if that matters.

And yeah, could you please provide stats I need, what weapon prof. and what kit I should take ?

Thank you for your time!

 

I would suggest going with a bard and check out Scythesong's Guide to Blades on the BG2 files section under Tips, Tricks and Hints Page 1 (sorry! Dont have a sweet clue how to link)

ive personally finished the game with a blade as he can use any items at high level and cast spells and fight up close with no real problems! Only problem is he cant find traps and cant pick locks but the spell Knock takes care of those! Either way if you want a fun and interesting class go read that guide and have fun!!


Or another favorite of mine to use is a Sorcerer with Tenser Transformation in his spellbook with some nice daggers that can be found!

Edit: I would suggest double-wielding Katana's such as Celestial Fury and Dakkoth's (if i spelled that right) katana! And investing in Robe of Vecna early on!

 

Well fun is all in the game so class doesn't matter as long as it can cut/blast through the game
My time is pretty limited so I'm after an easy playthough if that is possible

 

The Blade was the easiest in my opinion as he has such powerful special abilities such as offensice spin which is devastating! Check out that guide if you wish as its been a quite some time since I used a Blade.

I've played a Sorcerer with Tenser Transformation nearly all the way through and found a only a few minor difficulties, a bit harder than a Blade though!

 

Hehehe I would never have thought bard could be that powerful, they sound a bit girly

Was thinking monk or some sort of caster would get all the votes

Reading the guide ...

 

You want a powerhouse that can finish the game solo? I'm guessing you're not soloing, though.

Let's see... my favourite is a fighter/thief. I like a multiclass more because I hate the downtime involved in dual classing, but some of the fighter kits make a dual class quite attractive, and at least it's easy to regain levels as a thief.

But if you want a powerhouse then you probably want a fighter/mage. I'd say go with a multiclass. It's the same situation as with a fighter/thief, except that you probably don't want to dual your fighter until level 13 for the extra attack, and it takes too damn long to get a mage to level 14. Anyway, you get spells like mirror image and stoneskin early on, and those are all you really need to become a juggernaut in melee combat.

Later on you'll have contingencies and improved haste and all sorts of insane tricks. You can play these guys however you like, I tend to make mine defensive casters and spell protection strippers, then I mop up with weapons.

Race will be either elf or half-elf. Abilities... I don't really like min/maxing, but if you're okay with it then you'll want highest possible STR, DEX, CON, INT, and maybe keep your WIS highish for the sake of casting wish. For an elf, maybe something like 18/18/16/18/16/8, sacrifice some CON if you like. If you're a half-elf instead then it's much easier because your minimum CHR is 3 instead of 8, so something like 18/18/18/18/16/3, again sacrificing CON if needed. You oughtn't take much damage as a magic-user.

(If abilities are very important to you and you have Baldur's Gate 1, then you may want to consider creating your character in that and playing it through first. You'll permanently increase your abilities by about 7 through the course of the game, and this includes boosting your STR from 18 to 19, which is a chasmic leap across the pain in the ass fighter strength bonus threshhold which will save you a lot of hassle.)

Weapon proficiencies? Flail, katana and longsword are probably the best one-handed weapon classes. Quarterstaves are a good two-handed alternative; both the staff of the magi and the staff of the ram are excellent. There are some good two-handed swords, as well. If you want to use one-handed weapons then I'd put two or three points into two-weapon fighting, then the remainder of your points into two of the aforementioned weapon classes. If not then just two points into two-handed style, then two points in whichever two weapon groups you fancy.

I guess that's it. Phew. Good luck.

 

Mages dual/multi combos are powerful if you do how to do them right. Sorcerers are, to say the least, absolute power in arcane-casting.

What aout trying Druidic Sorcerer kit? I am playing it now and having massive fun, this kit is awesome, a real powerhorse, with practically ALL useful spells, sorcerer casting style, and even better, he has spiffy, unique and powerful HLAs. If you are interested I can give you the link. It is a little buggy, but doable still. But perhaps not for a newbie.

Other than that, fighter/mage or mage/thief is neat. Mage/thieves are nice as they can mislead themselves and do massive backstabbing fun! And with imp.haste, high str, dual-wielding katanas, tenser's trans, this guy can do sick amounts of damage via continous back-stabbing. But he will lack THAC0, # of attacks, and proficiencies. So why don't you get a F/M/T? They are cool, really. Can specialise in katanas, swords etc. and put three slots in dual-wielding, for MUCH better THAC0, number of attacks then a M/T, and nice bonuses like HP, warrior HLAs, saving throws etc. Think about it. An imp.hasted F/M/T, dual wielding, has 7 attacks/round. He is mislead, so always invisible. Sneaks to an enemy, activates CRITICAL hit HLA and starts back-stabbing. He will score 7 Critical Hits which all are also back-stabs, which will do SICK amount of damage in one round. Wanna try it?

 

Hehehe I really would like to try it but it sounds pretty complicated for a newbie like me. I have no idea on stats for each race and not the slightest what is the difference between multi or dual. So I'm afraid of spoiling my guy with a wrong choices. I see potential in this game, I mean replaying potential and that is what I'm all about Like to replay my favorite games.

Fighter/mage sounds nice but I would need really detailed info on how to create one and tactic I should use with poor guy

 

OK, I will tell you the basics:

Multiclass is for demi-humans like elvesi half-elves and others. Dual-class is for humans ONLY.

When you multi-class, you begin the game with levels of both classes, your XP will be divided between each class, so you will continously level up in both classes. You will be in lower levels, but you will be more versatile, and will get High Level Abilities of both classes. Jaheira, Aerie, and Jan are multi-classed characters.

Dual-class is totally different and is available only to humans and requires greater amount of work due to human'S inability to multi-task. You begin the game as a single class, or kit. Say, you are a kensai. You want to learn magery. You need exceptional INT (17) and good STR(15) for that. After gaining some levels as a kensai, once you think is enough, DUAL into a level 1 mage. From now on, your old class is INACTIVE, and you are a level 1 mage. You gain mage levels normally. Once you surpass your old class levels, you re-gain the abilities of the old-class, but now you will ONLY advance in your second class, no XP dividing, which means you will hit higher lvl than a multi-class. Downside is you can'T use old-class abilities when it is inactive, and you only get HLAs for the second class. Imoen, Nalia, and Anomen are dual-classed characters.

Example:You dual to a mage at level 13 kensai. Now you are ONLY a mage. You need to be a level 14 mage in order to get your fighter abilities back. (THAC0, saving throws, #of attacks/round, proficiencies, ability to use weapons, kai, damage, speed, attack bonus) Then you will only gain XP in mage levels, your kensai level will forever be locked. Once you hit 3M XP in magery, you will start gaining mage HLAs only.

Hope this helps. You are a newbie, than Multi classing is much better for you.

Half-elves are OK. Get a Half-Elf. Stats are important. If you wanna be a F/M, get 18/xx STR, 18 DEX, 18 CON, 18 INT. Wis is only important for casting Wish spells, others can always cast them. High CHA is nice, but there are rings and spells to bolster this ability easy way. For proficiencies, dual-wielding is great, so get two slots for it, and specialise (two slots) in one handed weapons. Katanas, scimitars, axes, flails are all OK. Having two slots in a weapon is IMPORTANT, it gives you very good bonuses, like extra 1/2 attack, damage and attack bonuses.

For F/M/T, same strategy, except get proficiency in THIEF weapons only, to be able to backstab with them. You can't backstab with a weapon which is normally banned to thieves. SO no axes, flails, bastard swords. Get katanas, scimitars, longswords etc. Always put two slots in one weapon, get two-weapon fighting. For thief skills, if you will have NPC with decent picklock/disarm traps skills, ignore these wholly and focus in hide/move silently for backstabbing spree early on. Setting traps are good enough additional damage source. Detect Illusions is a MUST to have skill in hard mods like tactics and all, but as long as your True Sight works, no problem.

I hope this will give you ideas. Tell us what you decide to do OK? See you!

 

@ Melhisedek,

I personally have had the best, easiest time with a plain old Ranger. Based on what you've said before, I really think you'd enjoy the experience.

Give yourself an extra point in two-weapon style (you get 2 for free as a Ranger), and specialize in Long Swords and Katanas. Give yourself a point or two in Axes (there are a few decent throwing axes available, though I won't spoil what or where ) so you can be potent at range if necessary. Before you know it you'll have 5 attacks per round and the enemy won't know what hit them. As you progress, add in a point or two for scimitars.

Rangers have fairly high minimums, so rolling a high score shouldn't take you too long. Max out Strength, Dex and Con. Int isn't too important, and raise Wisdom only as high as you think you'll be using divine spells - which should only be for buffing, really.

I disagree with the previous recommendations. Multi-classes and bards take a bit too much finesse for a straight-forward newcomer like yourself. Trust me - you'll like the Ranger. The divine spellcasting you get by level 7 isn't a big plus, but it certainly makes things more interesting. But make no mistake - the Ranger is a melee powerhouse, and very straightforward to play. I recommend either illithid or vampires for your racial enemy.

As for the party - I would recommend:

- Minsc (or Valygar - they can alternate over time)
- Keldorn
- Jahiera
- Jan (a great mage and all the thief you need)
- Either Aerie, Edwin or Haer D'alis as your secondary caster

[ January 30, 2006, 12:57: Message edited by: Death Rabbit ]

 

If he found the game too difficult with a pure paladin, I fail to see how a pure ranger will be much better.

The title of this thread says powerhouse. I'll be the first to admit that any kind of magic-using PC is complicated, but they're worlds more versatile and powerful than a pureclass fighter or similar. You said you wanted a character that could finish the game on his own; that's a caster.

You're going to have to learn to use the magic system no matter which class your PC is, because if you don't you're going to find parts of the game very difficult.

So if you want the general gist of being a fighter/mage: cast mirror image, stoneskin, possibly protection from magical weapons, and wade in swinging. Refresh those spells as necessary. If you encounter an enemy using invisibility, mirror image or some kind of simulacrum spell, use dispel illusions or true sight. If you encounter an enemy with stoneskin or protection from magical weapons, use breach or higher. And keep spell immunity in your book, it'll make certain parts of the game far easier.

Being a magic-user makes you versatile, even if you don't know it. If you aren't sure about certain spells or don't know how to defeat certain enemies, just ask us. There's always a strategy you can use, and we're more than happy to tell you.

 

Don't play a ranger or paladin on your first game. You can easily get fallen and might not even realize why in the last chapter.

If you want to play a fighter/mage then choose a gnome fighter/illusionist. The extra spell/level will help as much as the +5 saving throw bonuss vs spell or wands, elves don't get any resistance bonusses in BG2.

Wisdom can be as low as 2, the wish spells are not worth lowering another stat.

18 charisma is useful, but having 3 doesn't hurt too much. You can wear the ring which gives 18 cha or have your other party members do the talking instead.

The other stats should be all maxed out. You don't really need 18/00 strength, 18/51 should be enough since you can raise it to 18/00 for a long time with the level2 strength spell.

You might also consider a HE F/M/T for the traps he can set and the backstab damage he can do.

 

An illusionist/fighter is highly useful, as gnomes receive bonus to their saving throws, they will be tougher. But they can't learn necromancy spells. There are useful spells like:Horror, Vampiric Touch, Skull trap, Spirit Armor, Animate Dead, Finger of Death, Abi Dalzim's horrid wilting, you will miss them all but get a bonus spell per level.

True, a magic user is complex at first, but definitely powerful, and versatile. A pure ranger will be beaten much, no matter how low his AC is. But a mage combo can simply put stoneskins and will not receive a scratch.

Then maybe cleric/ranger may work? They get ironskins right? And with summons, healing, free dual-wield proficiencies, they may be useful. If you have 18 or better STR, draw upon holy might will give you godly STR, and so on.

 

Paladin - either Inquisitor or Cavalier. Inquisitor has the wonderful Dispel Magic and True Seeing special abilities, but no spellcasting or lay of hands. You can take Keldorn, but trust me, you can roll better stats yourself. Cavs are immune to fear, morale failure and poison, +3 to hit and damage vs. demonic/draconic creature, 20% resist to fire and acid, can cast Remove Fear 1/day/level (an 8th lvl Cav can cast Remove Fear 8 times/day).
S 18+
D 18
C 16-18
I 10
W 13
Ch 18
This is a total of 93-95, somewhat daunting if you aren't patient. Max Str and Cha first. One of the perks of pallys is the minimum 17 in Cha. You can lower Int to 8, if you need to skimp somewhere. I wouldn't lower Con less than 16. I can get at least a 90-92 total for my pallys and put the points this way:
S 18+
D 18
C 16
I 8-10
W 13
Ch 18
Weapons - Two handed swords **, Two handed weapon style **, Halberds ** Whatever you'd like for a missile weapon. Axes are nice and crossbows. Carsomyr, obviously, but until then, use Lilacor. Use The Wave for annoying fire elementals and efreeti. The other good halberd is Dragon's Breath, which you get off an ogre in the Underdark.

Ranger/Cleric multiclass
Halfelf
S 18+
D 18
C 18
I 10
W 18
Ch 10
Another 90+ roll. Be patient! Skimp on Int to 8 if needed. Favored enemy - vampires or demonic/fell.

Spellcasting will give you both cleric and druid spells. Yay, you can use Ironskins and Insect Plague! Use the spells for buffing before going melee if you can.
Spells to always have memorized:
Barkskin is always good as you can cast it on yourself or others and adds defensive bonuses vs. magic and pluses to AC iirc.
Remove Fear to keep people from running around.
Cure spells (CLW, CSW, Heal) because you're a cleric and imo you can't have enough healing spells. Even if you don't think you'll need it, there'll be that one butt-kicking fight no way in hell you're going to go through again!
Summon Woodland Beings might not see that great, but this little nymph was helpful during those pesky fights early on (Illych, slaver boat). She comes with a Mass Heal spell which I found soooo priceless.
Conjure Fire Elemental is about the only conjuring I do. He needs magical weapons to hit him and can take damage when you need a creature to occupy enemies.
Sanctuary makes you 'invisible' to enemies and allows you time to heal up yourself or others. Good for sneaking around when scouting.
Slow Poison is still handy in this game, though not as life saving as in BG1.
Insect Plague and its big brother, Creeping Doom are *the* first strike spells on enemies spell flingers. They interrupt spellcasting and cause minor damage. Also, they spread out to other, nearby enemies and nibble at them. If you can't see the mage (he's invisible or sanctuaried) cast either spell on the fighter closest to him.
Sunray, imo, is the best spell for undead. Find a thick nest of vamps, cast the spell and *poof*!
Protection from Evil 10' - Always Have This Memorized!!! Cast it before exploring a dungeon or map area. As you increase in clerical levels, its duration gets longer and longer.
Ironskins is your version of Stoneskin. Cast before any fight, especially if you tank your R/C like me.

Weapons - Two weapon style *** (rangers get 2 pips automatically), Flail **, Mace **, War Hammer **, Sling ** (if you'd rather). Give him the MoD/IMoD (for undead fighting), FoA and Crom Faeyr (off hand).

Well, I'm out of breath now, so hope this was informative and helpful.

EDIT: Unless you around and randomly kill people, I wouldn't worry about becoming Fallen.

 

^Yes, excellent summary about R/C, it shows how powerful/versatile/fun the MC combo is actually.

But it is only limited to bludgeon weapons, slow and steady they may be, but the very good ones are somewhat hard to find, especially for newbies! Think upon that. (NO spoilers about weapon names/locations please he hasn'T yet finished the game if I am not mistaken.)

 

Every class and kit is powerful if you know how to use it.

One class / kit combo that is highly recommended is the Kensai / Mage class. This character should be dual immediately if you don’t have ToB, if you do than wait till level 13. Once you surpass your Kensai level you gain back your Kensai abilities, that give a bonus to hit, damage, and the Kensai special ability to do maximum damage for 10 seconds. One great thing about this class it allows you to cast some very powerful spells and go toe to toe in the front line. However, it is recommended that you find yourself a good mage robe early on and some rings of protection. As for Stats here is what I would recommend for this class combo. This character could be specialized with two handed weapon style or two weapon style. Both of these will allow this character to deal maximum damage.

Str: 18/52+
Dex: 18
Con: 16+
Int: 17
Wis: 10
Cha: 18

You want a Cha of 18 so you don’t have to use the RoHI and the extra ring spot can go for RoP or extra RoW.

Another great class is Paladin Undead Hunter. Early on in the game you get attacked by vampires and the Paladin Undead Hunter is immune to energy drains. This prevents the PC from dying by being level drained. Stats should be as followed. As for weapons two handed swords, 2 handed style and halberd.
Str: 18/52+
Dex: 10-18
Con: 18
Int: 8+
Wis: 14+
Cha: 18
In BG2 there are plenty of armors out there that will lower your AC so Dex is not all that important. The most important thing is making sure you have Str and Con to deal and take damage.

Another class that is highly effective, especially later on in the game, is the Monk. This character can deal a great amount of damage in little time and resist some magic and other attacks, of course at higher levels. This character really doesn’t need any weapon but if you have to go with single weapon style and long swords.
Str: 17+
Dex: 18
Con: 16
Int: 10
Wis: 12
Cha: 18

This character early on requires additional protection items (rings, amulets, etc…) to help lower his AC. After a while he will be a force and can deal quite a bit of damage with his fist and get quite a few attacks a round. Not to mention all of his other special abilities. The Monk is probably one of the best pure fighters in the game, but usually after level 14.

Another class that is powerful is the Shapeshifter. Early on he is powerful and it he only gets stronger at level 13 when he can shape shift into a greater werewolf. This to me is one of the most underrated classes / kit. If you dual him into a fighter after level 14 you than can gain all of his special abilities back and be able to increase the effectiveness of his werewolf form with the Fighter THAC0. So in the end this character can be very powerful. In fact this is the character I am playing right now. As for weapon proficiencies you could go with scimitars, spears, quarterstaff, two handed weapon style, clubs, darts etc… it really doesn’t matter. But once you dual you want to make sure you don’t over lap your weapon proficiencies. This way the one previously taken as a druid were not wasted.

Str: 17+
Dex: 10
Con: 16
Int: 10
Wis: 18
Cha: 18

Since you are a werewolf you don’t need Dex since werewolf body provides you with protection. As you dual to a fighter there are quite a few bracer, rings, cloaks, etc… that will provide protection that you may require later on in the game. I believe this character truly will come alive after he is dual and surpass his Druid level as a fighter, gain his ability to shape shift back and will have a much lower THAC0.

These are the classes I enjoy playing. My most powerful character played was a Monk. He never got hurt or so it seemed, especially at higher levels. The Kensai is a character you have to manage because he lacks the ability to wear gauntlets and armor. But once he is able to cast high level mage spells he is a force. The undead hunter is definitely a beginner character to play with the special ability of energy drain protection. As for the Shapeshifter I am just starting to play this character and so far I have had little trouble. I do have to say you need to buff your character though before running into battle. I normally use stone skin and a few other buff spells before I transform into a werewolf. I know it is going to be a tougher on my character once I become a fighter but that won’t bother me because I know my character should have enough protection equipment by than to help lower his AC.

As for other classes mentioned they are powerful in their own as are the ones I have listed. Each class / kit brings something to a group. You just have to play with them all to find out which class works for you. If you want a tank type who uses melee weapons you want some type of warrior (Fighter, Ranger, Paladin or Barbarian). If you like throwing magical energy at your enemies you want a mage or sorcerer. Now given there are NPCs in the game you can mix and match their skills to help you out. As for a good group here is what I recommend.

Minsc – A great front liner / tank who has exceptional strength.

Jaheria – She can be a good front liner / tank and can help buff out other characters

Imoen – If you go after her right away than she is really good, if you wait to long than it is not worth getting her. She is one of the best thieves and second best mage in the game.

Nalia – In BG2 you want at least two mages. You can pick her up early and she is basically a weaker thief than Imoen and a decent Mage.
OR
Jan Jensen – I would take Jan over Nalia because he can still level up as a thief and since he is an Illusionist he gains one extra spell per a spell level.
OR
Amoen – He will provide the group with the missing Cleric and he is pretty good fighter as well with his high exceptional str.

The final spot should be for rotating characters for their quest or for who ever you wish to add in to finish up the group.

One thing to remember is that you should have at least the following in your group.

Healer/Buffer – 1
Tanks – 2 or 3
Mage – 2
Thief – 1
Ranged Characters – 2

Now if you add up what I have listed it totals over 6, it is simple to have a character in more than one category. For instance Imoen is a Ranged Character and a Mage. Minsc could be a ranged character than go be a tank, etc… As for the PC it is usually whatever you would prefer to play. There are enough NPC that you can be whatever you want.

 

Another vote for f/m and r/c here. Both are amongst the most powerful and fun classes. Pure casters like sorcerers while also very powerful is just not as fun for me since he become pretty much a support character in trivial fights. I just dont like my protagonist to take a supporting role when he's supposed to be the leader and a child of bhaal nonetheless. A mixed fighter caster however will always be in centre stage both in both trivial and big fights ^^b. Between f/m and r/c, r/c is probably the easier one to play due to limited weapons/spell selection . F/m gets my vote though simply because he's more flamboyant and has more varieties in "combos".

ditto on all kuemper said about r/c. Here's my attempt at f/m to try and break the class down for you.

Race : Gnome, elf, or half elf.
prof at start : 2 in 2 weapon style, 2 in katanas, 2 in longsword
stats : Pump str dex int and con as high as possible

spell selections :
Protection spells : Mirror images, stoneskin, and 1 or 2 protection from magical weapon, are your bread and butter spells, always keep enough of them memorized before other spells. Pre big fights you will also want to memorize some spell immunities, fire/ice/acid/lightning protections as needed etc.

Protection remover : In the unmodded game all you really need is breach, lower resistance and true sight. Keep 1 or 2 of each memorized if you can so you can help your main caster remove enemy mages protection quickly.

Support spells : Once you have enough number of protection spells, start memorizing spells like slow, greater malison, and chaos. I usually use these at the start of a fight in tandem with my other casters. my f/m might for example open with greater malison, while my other casters cast chaos,fear etc. Haste and improved haste is also great for really big fights.

Offensive spells : lvl 1 spell slots should be filled with as many magic missiles as you can. These are good for disrupting enemy's casters, ranged attack (since I'm usually too lazy to switch to ranged weapons if I'm dual wielding =P ), and just basically anytime your char looks like he's bored (Nothing shows your love to your lover better than a dose of magic missile ). As for the rest it is usually fireballs, skulltraps, and sunfire. These are again great to open a fight with. With some practice in aiming you can even use these in battle without harming your party members.

Sequencers : I never really find a need for contigencies for a f/m. Sequencers and triggers though are great. Keep 1 of each permanently in your spellbook. I personally like to use them offensively like this :
minor sequencer : 2x mm
spell sequencer : 3x fireball
spell trigger : 3x sunfire.
They are also great to conserve whatever spell is left in your book before resting so you can cast more spells the following day =)

On tough single enemies I will buff him as much as possible and basically turn him into a nearly invulnerable fighter who can help remove enemy's protection, lower resistance, etc. On non-boss fights I usually give my f/m the first boot of speed that the party find. He can then run around and scout ahead. Once he see enemies, he will open depending on my mood with either a disabler spell or immediately demolish them straightaway with area spells (not many crowds will survive a trigger of 3 sunfires). He is a better tank than any character (and by mid game as good as any in melee damage) and hence can easily charge into a seemingly impossible odd without taking damage while your party follow from behind. Put him on the same "Standard attack" script as your other fighter so you don't have to worry about retargeting him after casting each spells. Just cast as often as you can and him hack and slash the rest of the time. Pure destruction.

 

I really don't understand the logic of people saying stuff like this (it's actually really easy not to fall - just don't do anything stupid, like kill non-hostiles; same goes for the last chapter) and then recommending a fighter/mage/thief as a better choice, which is clearly only good for soloing or 2-3 character parties at best. You want him to be that far behind when he reaches the final battle?

I will say that the Ranger/Cleric is probably the best thing recommended so far. Considering the armor choices available, I still think a fighter/mage is a bad choice for a noob. You really need to know your stuff when it comes to casting (and he clearly doesn't yet) to make a f/m an easy run-through, which he's looking for. Playing a Ranger is extremely powerful if you use the formula I laid out. By the time I reached level 12 with my Ranger I was damn-near unstoppable. With the Ranger you have have access to every armor and weapon, a taste of spell casting, and with dual-wielding maxed out he'll be the best melee character in his party. He can learn the finesses of being a caster from the other party members he's bringing along - he isn't soloing.

@ Abdel

You do realize this adds up to 8-9 characters, right?

 

my vote is for the Ranger Cleric. It will provide good protection (armor and buffs), good melee, and fun spellcasting. Why I suggest it over the vanilla ranger is that after a while you may start to feel a little let down that your ranger isnt getting much beter with every level. They are getting better and they are very powerfull but it feels like they arent geting much better when you see a mon who just gained 42% magic resistance and you just gained 3 hp and 1 point of thac0. The Cleric/ranger always feels like he is getting better and has all the abilities of the ranger and then some. It will help you learn how to work with spellcasters if you dont already because R/Cs are survivers. However they can not use bladed weapons so if you want to use a sword of any type pull out the vanilla ranger as they are great such as the archer they are death with a bow!

 

I agree that if you're looking for easy, the Ranger-Cleric multi-class is your man. Not only do you get all the bonuses that DR mentions, but they are bar none of the easiest characters to roll for at the start of the game. They have so many minimum requirements - strength, wisdom, and constitution, that you're practically guaranteed being able to start with a character that starts with stats that look like:

S18/xx, D18, Con18, Wis18, I10, C10 in less than 5 minutes of rolling. The R/C for me holds the record for most starting stat points I ever had with 94. (And I took him through BG1 first so he actually came out with 102 stat points.)