The mighty Ranger/Cleric

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I was testing out a Ranger-Cleric this morning.

When I dualed (Ranger level 7 to Cleric) and gatekeepered the XP to level 8 Cleric I got some extra Driud spells (two level 2 and two level 3 spells with no level 1 or 4 spells being added on). This was BG1 btw.

If I import this character into BG2 will she eventually have all the BG2 druid spells all the way to level 7!? Even though a level 7 Ranger can't cast a single spell yet!?

Is that the way it's suppose to work or is this a bug?

 

That's what does indeed happen; further, a ranger can't cast druid spells above level 3, while an R/C gets them all. It's the main reason why some consider an R/C to be overpowered. Whether it's a bug or not is debatable.

 

Well that settles it.
My fourth character will be a Cleric dualed from a Ranger then.
I was planing a Cleric dualed from a Fighter but driud spells are more important than getting 3+ weapon slots in hammers or flails.

 

In ToB multiclass is better than dual class. Most importantly if you dual class you won't get any fighter type HLA's.

 

Ahhhh, I've been absent for a while, but I'm getting back to BG slowly, so maybe I'll finally complete the saga solo.

And R/C is the best eh? Could anyone explain, in terms of game-rules, why? Isn't Ranger stripped-down Fighter? Yea, some druid spells are nice, but cleric has most of them(Wait - is Stone Skin a druidic spell?).

I would play warrior/mage but I'd have to be a longeared treehugger(Euphemistic: elf) to do so and even though I will powergame, I have some rules(Heh). So my guess is on Dwarf, F/C.

But let me guess - only Elves can be R/C, right?

 

Hm, actually I'm not sure on elves - I think only half-elves can manage it.
Anyway, some of the pluses and minuses of a R/C compared to ye olde fighter-cleric:
+ Has all cleric and druid spells: iron skins among them
+ 2 bonus slots in 2-weapons style, same weapon selection as F/C otherwise (can't get 3 slots there, though)
+ can use ranger abilities (stealth, charm animal) when in light armor
+ 1 extra HLA (although I never bothered with it anyway)
- slower levelling in the warrior class: eventually it does not matter much, but initially it can be quite a pain - you get those extra attacks, THAC0 improvements, etc. considerably later; HLAs come somewhat later too.

 

Yes, only a half-elf can multiclass the Ranger/Cleric.

The limit of 2 slots on 2 weapon style is actually a bug that's rectified with the Baldurdash patch. The only real penalty versus a Fighter/Cleric is the slower levelling, but that won't matter in the long run. Stoneskin is the reason that Fighter/Mages is one of the reasons that they're so awesome... and a Ranger/Cleric gets the same thing . A Ranger is a stripped down Fighter, but a multiclass Fighter is even more stripped down than a Ranger is. That's why the Ranger/Cleric is so awesome . Well, that and for some reason you get to cast all Druid spells.

 

...unless you use tutu tweaks/ease-of-use to allow yourself these 5 stars in multiclass.

*hides*

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll go with F/C - even half-elf is still an elf, and the only bonus I see here is Stone Skin, which is great to have, but I think I can pull out something like -13 AC or more.

 

5 stars in multi? Yeah, but that kinda messes up the balance... after all, the only plus it leaves pure fighters with is faster (slightly) levelling.

 

Actually Ironskin is slightly better than Stoneskin since Ironskin is not affected by Breach.

 

Heh, didn't know. Enemy mages don't tend to cast Breach too often... if ever...

 

But I bet that'll help out heaps in Tactics.

 

Iron skins can't be breached? Are you sure?

 

I assume that is because the breach spell is coded to remove the effects of the spell code, which is stoneskin...and the devs forgot to add Ironskins as well.

Wonder if this works for Bark Skin, Righteous Magic, etc?

 

Here is a quote from the Breach description taken from http://members.chello.nl/~j.vanthull/BG2SR/Main.htm

 

i dont think you can dual class a rangeR!

 

At least not to druid because of the alignment restriction, but to cleric is an option if you have the right stats.

 

@Balle
Yes, you can dual class a Ranger. We've established that earlier in this thread. If you don't believe it then make a ranger and test it yourself.

 

Though you WILL need godly stats.

Doubt: If you dual class a cleric from say...lvl 13 to a Ranger at lvl 14...will you get Ranger and cleric spells only upto lvl 3, or will you get to cast spells all the way to lvl 7 while being a ranger?

 

Hm, I don't know about dualing, but a multi-class cleric-ranger goes beyond lvl3 in both clerical and druidic spells.