Let's discuss the perfect four- character party. *Spoilers Inevitable*

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This thread is to try to come to a group consensus about what combination of classes and races make up the optimum balance. If you have come here to post that there is no such thing as a perfect party or anything similar, please move along and don't waste everyone's time.

This thread is for compulsive replayers who restart games over a misalocated skill point, and need the "perfect party". I have not yet achieved my perfect party. Those who believe they have are encouraged to give their opinions. If you decide to contribute, please go into some detail, rather than simply listing your PC's. We want to know why you made your choices. It's pretty dull to look at list after list of characters.

I've decided to go with a four-member party for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it ends the debate over how many characters are optimal... at least for the purposes of this thread. Secondly, it would seem that four PC's is the lowest number that the game was balanced for. Any fewer than four and the diminished exp values for creatures would not seem to outweigh the disadvantage that one fewer party member gives.

***

The first PC in your party is probably the most important. He's probably a good fighter and negotiator. The most common choice, and the one we'll use for now is...

Aasimar Paladin
Lawful Good
Str: 16
Dex: 10
Con: 16
Int: 14
Wis: 12
Cha: 12

Diplomacy: 4
Intimidate: 2
Bluff: 2

Since the front man of a 4-man party is going to be called upon to do a lot more tanking than a normal fighter, I believe the expertise skill is a must. The int requirement fits in with our role for him as chief negotiator. Those extra skill points come in handy to give him a wide range of dialogue options. His 12 wisdom isn't a problem until late in the game. Before it becomes a hindrance, we'll have plenty of chances to raise it, be it through regular level advancement or magical items.

***

Every party needs a cleric. Some try to get by with a druid or even a bard as primary healer, but for now let's stick with the tried and true. Clerics in IWD2 are very powerful. With their Domain spells and deity abilities they are very flexible. Our second party member is going to be called upon to feature as healer, as well as melee fairly often. With that in mind, I've taken a combat-minded cleric as my second choice...

Aasimar Battleguard of Tempus
Chaotic Good
Str: 16
Dex: 10
Con: 16
Int: 10
Wis: 18
Cha: 10

Concentration: 4

Our cleric comes out of the box with double-proficiency in axe. Our cleric will stand behind the party tank and hurl throwing axes at the enemy until he is either engaged or required to heal. With 18 Wisdom, he's a powerful spellcaster. High marks in str and con ensure he'll stick around if we need him to tango.

***

The last two are where I am stuck. Would like to know what classes you think would go well with these two front characters... or maybe I made a mistake in the first two and you'd change something else to make room for someone you want to see.

Combinations I've tried in the last two slots:

Bard and Rogue
Fighter (archer) and Rogue/Wizard
Sorcerer and Rogue
Bard/Sorcerer and Rogue
Monk/Rogue and Sorcerer
Fighter/Rogue and Sorcerer
Monk and Rogue/Wizard
Fighter (archer) and Bard (w/ lockpicking, search, disarm)

I really like bards, but sorcerers are so much more powerful late in the game. Bards are also most powerful in a party of 6. It's always nice to have a real archer, and not some wizard with a bow on your back lines as well... so I'll probably go without a bard. The sorcerer vs Wizard debate comes up a lot as well. I like the sorcerer much more, but a wizard dual classes so much better.

Idealy the two back characters will combine a powerful spellcaster, a capable rogue, and a strong damage dealer... preferably an archer. Would love to hear your ideas of how to get all three in two characters with maximum effect. Moving the cleric to the back row and giving him a bow is another option.

[ September 22, 2002, 09:40: Message edited by: Blitz ]

 

I have to say that I wouldn't, personally, give any character, at any point in the game, any more points into their spellcasting stat than they need to cast the highest level spells. 19 for Sorcerers/Wizards/Clerics/Druids, 18 for Bards, 16 for Paladins/Rangers. Why? Because, if I recall, the extra stats don't affect the spellcasting much except to give extra spells and allow the use of those spell levels.

Further, at the beginning of the game, I never give them the full amount in their casting stat. If you check the manual, your character will gain a total of 7 extra stat points throughout the game if they reach the level cap. One at level 4, and one for every 4 levels thereafter. I tend to give them 4 less than they need for the maximum level of spells, that way, by the time they have the highest level spells, they will be able to use them, and I can use the stats at the beginning of the game to help them be more able to survive.

For my personal tastes, an ideal party of four would consist of the following characters. I am not going to go into party order, just the characters themselves, in no particular order.

Human Rogue
Str 10
Dex 18
Con 10
Int 18
Wis 10
Cha 10

The lack of strength is only a problem when it comes to carrying, because at level 3, when he can choose his first feat, he can pick Weapon Finesse, to apply his dexterity bonus instead of strength bonus. Further, I would give him the use of a ranged weapon of some kind, and two slots in the use of short blades.

Human Sorcerer
Str 10
Dex 17
Con 10
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 15

I might vary this one and have Dex and Cha both at 16 instead, I might not. The Weapon Finesse rule applies here as well, and the reason for the Cha score being as low as it is, with it being his casting stat, is that you will gain 4 stat points before you can cast level nine spells, each stat point will come before you can cast the appropriate level spells anyway, so as long as you put them toward the casting stat, you will be able to reach your full potential. Afterward, other points can go into Dexterity. The 14 Int will provide a few extra skill points per level. For weaponry, I would give him a crossbow, and again Short Blades, since he'll be relying on Weapon Finesse.

Human Battleguard of Tempus
Str 18
Dex 10
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 16
Cha 10

In this case, the dexterity bonus is less useful, since the cleric will be wearing heavy armor, which won't let him put his dex bonus toward his total. The Wisdom, as long as you put the next three points toward it, will allow you to cast ninth level spells at the appropriate time. The extra points, of course, go into Int again, for more skill points.

Human Fighter
Str 18
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 10

To be honest, i'm not sure about putting the points into Con, or even Int since he only really has one class skill, and that's Intimidate. I would give him points into Hammers, though, and for his ranged weapon, I would give him a magic throwing hammer, in fact there's one of those, a returning throwing hammer, for sale in Targos.

 

Wouldn't it be ironic if a party of 4 humans in base classes were the optimal .

While I do believe in having all 4 base class types, and also would rather not multiclasss if at all possible, I'm not sure we're looking at am optimal party.

Firstly, anyone who has browsed even the topics of this message board knows that somewhere in the game there is a Holy Avenger. For the same reason 90% of BG2 players used Keldorn, I believe a paladin is a definate fit in our IWD2 perfect party. The paladin's advantages as a lone fighter outweigh those of the fighter in my opinion. With one tank you probably don't want to skip expertise. If you are giving your tank 13 int you might as well make it 14 and get the extra skill point. While it is true that the diplomacy skills are the same price on average for the fighter and the paladin, the paladin also benefits from charisma in multiple ways, making him the superior party leader. If you don't want your fighter as party spokesman, those 4 skill points per level are going to be wasted for the most part.

As for your point regarding skill bonuses for casters, I agree that beyond the top level required for their spells, there is a significant case of diminishing returns. 20 would be the highest I would want a cleric's wisdom in the game... 19 for 9th level spells and 20 for the extra bonus level. At what point those skills max out is a good question. I tend to not max out my arcane casters early, as they are generally weak and need constitution badly in the early game. However, the bonus first and second level spells for clerics come in very handy early... when a cure light wounds is 1/3 of your tank's health.

As for using all humans, I would agree that humans are one of the best races. Unfortunately I believe a party of all humans will have trouble in dark dungeons. Correct me if I am wrong. This was the case in previous games. Lastly, I don't think I would ever give an arcane caster weapon finesse. Ranged weapon feats are one thing, but the last thing I want is my sorcerer meleeing under any circumstances.

 

For a more complete picture of our "perfect party", I'll include the two characters who are currently occupying the back row of this working draft. Neither is perfect, or especially creative, but they may spark some ideas.

Human Rogue/Fighter
Chaotic Good
Str: 16
Dex: 16
Con: 16
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 08

Disable Device: 4
Pick Lock: 4
Search: 4
Concentration: 2
Pick Pockets: 2

Ambidexterity
Two-Weapon Fighting

Our rogue is fairly bland. He'll alternate levels in rogue with fighter, and work towards maximized attacks. While he will do most of his work from the back row, there will be times when his melee skills will be important. In "swarm" situations, or when more damage is needed in a hurry, he can be moved into position to take advantage of his sneak attacks. In the lategame he will most likely leave his bow behind and join the front ranks full-time. In the early game however, bows are excellent.

***

Human Sorceress
Chaotic Good
Str: 10
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 10
Cha: 16

Knowledge Arcane: 4
Spellcraft: 4
Concentration: 2

Martial Weapon: Bow
Mercantile Background

Our primary spellcaster is for now, a sorceress. SHe is human because none of the extra elf characteristics are important to her with the exception of the bow. We'll take the bow feat instead of one of the elf kits, and bank the extra skill point per level. An option I considered for this character was the Bard dual classed to sorceress at level 1. In the end I decided the level 1 bardsong was inferior to the bow in a four-person group.

 

Paladin is a good choice, assuming you aren't that concerned about his refusal to accept rewards or engage in various nefarious plots.

However, I think it would be insane in a four man party not to take the Paladin of Helm option and dual class him with fighter. Take at least 4 levels of fighter and possibly go 50/50 the whole way. Four levels gives you weapon specialization and 2 other bonus feats. It also has a gamesmanship function of letting the paladin use the Initiate robes.

My initial thoughts:

1)Gold Dwarf Paladin/Fighter (You are the plate boy, so screw dex).

2)Tiefling Wizard (two levels of rogue *might* be worth it for Evasion, hard to say)

3)Human Cleric of Lathander (I'd use this as the talker, actually)

4)Half-Elf Ranger/Druid (can do the Search/Stealth stuff and druids have awesome spells)

This party can't actually disarm traps, but should be able to spot them if the half-elf is built right.

The gold dwarf I chose because the Con bonus is more useful as a primary tank and even more save bonuses never hurt. Fighter as a favored class means you can balance the pally and fighter levels however we choose. The dex penalty is minor, since we don't want more than 12 anyway.

Tieflings make great wizards and we really need the skills from the wizard, imho. Could go tiefling sorceress, though, as long as the Int was decent. Charisma could only start 16, but we could buy it up later. Evasion would be very, very nice to keep those AoE spells from toasting our low hp friend, but we probably can't afford the lost levels of spellpower.

Lathander is a very good cleric class: Improved Turning and a number of very nice spells (Sunscorch, Agannazar's, Shield of Lathander, etc). Human for the feat and skill points, if we want to use this as the talker, to avoid the paladin issues.

The ranger/druid can fight very well and a number of the druid spells really rock. Can also bolster our healing abilities. Search and stealth can come from the ranger side of things.

[ September 22, 2002, 12:24: Message edited by: Vormaerin ]

 

Good post Vormaerin.

As for the Paladin, I would agree that taking at least 4 levels of fighter is a good idea. You'd even be able to save a few skill points by raising intimidate on the fighter levels at the cheaper rate. The question is if the +4 to damage and 2 feats is worth losing the high level paladin spells. Chances are you won't be able to cast 4th level spells in any number if you dual class him. My suspicion is that four levels of fighter would be optimal.

As for your choice of race... I don't really understand your choice of Gold Dwarf. It's hard enough getting a paladin's stats to where they need to be with the Aasimar kit, let alone with a standard race. The Aasimar pally has 16 str and con, 14 int, and 12 wis and cha. A gold dwarf would either have to forgo the int (and expertise), or go with 14 str and con. Neither of these options seems attractive to me.

As for your party, taking a few levels of rogue with your wizard would be a good idea, as you could grab a few points in disarm traps that way. But the Ranger/Druid... you are going to have to explain that one to me. Neither class is one that I've played at all in IWD2. I liked Jaheria in BG2 simply because she had the best story, and the insect plague or whatever was amazing for interrupting spellcasters. IWD2 does not seem to have the same type of effect, nor the number of enemy wizards to deal with... thus I'm not as fond of the druid as any number of other classes.

 

As a matter of fact, I am exactly the "perfect party" person. At first I needed to start the game really quick to advance my solution, but now I have gotten myself a couple of hours to nitpick my chars.

From my previous experience I wanted the following:
1) evil party.
2) frontline tank with evasion - I want to throw fireballs at him and not worry about him taking damage.
3) a potent cleric that has good number of spells really fast (meaning no svirf clerics )
4) wizards stink - sorceres rock - so one sorcerer (for the above mentioned fireballs)
5) I also need some levels of thief
6) They all will be powergamers - so no CHA 10 dwarven fighters.

Ironically, I also choose 4 chars for my ideal party - exactly the same as Blitz.

It is IMHO useless to write about all the choices that I initially took and then discarded - I will only list the final version.

1) Tank, HP powerhose, Sword and Shield type, Intimidate to the extreme:

Yarpen - Shield Dwarf - Neutral Evil.
He is planned to be Barbarian 2 / Rogue2 / Fighter X
He needs Rogue levels to Hide and Evade, Barbarian - for Rage, Uncanny Dodge, HP, and a few takeable feats.

His stats are: STR 18, DEX 13, CON 20, WIS 10, INT 13, CHA 2.

2) Great support char - Dualwield, Pickpocket, Open Locks, high attack rolls.

Geralt - Human - Lawful Evil.

He will be Mond of Old Order 2 / Rogue 3 / Ranger X

Monk needed for WIS bonus evidently and Deflect Arrows. Rogue for Evasion, Uncanny dodge, thief skills. Ranger for free dualwield, racial enemy, casting ability

Stats: STR 18. DEX 18, CON 16, INT 3, WIS 18, CHA 3

3) Healer, buff up, heavy armor, thrown axes

Alaksule - Tiefling - Cleric of Tempus

Stats: STR 18 (high thown damage), CON 18, DEX 13, WIS 18, INT 10, CHA 1

4) Area effect caster, Bluff, Diplomacy, buff caster

Jennifer - Aasimar - Sorceress

Stats: STR 8, DEX 18, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 8, CHA 20

She is a real spell - powerhose, and has very high negotiation skills.

------------------------------------------------

Now for the lineup - both frontliners have very good AC (boosted by mage armor and Cat's Grace), very high STR (Bull's strength and later Champion's STR), and they both have Evason, Uncanny Dodge, they both can sneak attack and hide.

Cleric is the middle range attacker with that nice returning Axe - can also provide healing anf HP support for the front line.

Sorcerer - hurls AoE spells at the front line, aiming for the monsters surronding the tanks, but not touching the Cleric. She also MMs enemy mages to ensure prompt death. She uses a Xbow and is VERY good at it due to the high DEX. When she picks up that nifty Duergar bow from Chap 3, she will be unstoppable.

That's it!

 

Well, I am not especially impressed with Expertise overall. Its nice, but not nice enough that I would bend over backwards to get it. I'd organize the character stats as follows:
S:14 D:10 C:20 I:8 W:12 C:12

Yes, Aasimar get 2 extra stat points and some resists, but I'd rather have the +2 on all spell saves and 50 hp you get this way (extra class lvl and 2hp/lvl). And the obscene poison saves! Strength is easy to boost with items and with Bull's strength spells, so I am not that concerned over +1 to hit and damage lost. The +1 to hit is actually made up by the added class level anyway. If we were going to wield a 2h weapon, it would be different. But the HA is a longsword in this game.

The druid/ranger is a very nice combination. It allows for the development of good levels of Hide/Search/Move Silently, and a variety of powerful druid spells (and shapeshifts). Barkskin adds 3-5 pts of AC to the recipient. Flameblade, Iceblade, and Moonblade provide a variety of nice special attacks even if your main weapon is so-so. IceStorm, Flamestrike, Thornspray, Firestorm, Static Charge, etc give very nice offensive firepower. The summon spells are competitive with anything (except maybe Animate Dead). There are a few other nice defensive spells and the option to pick up more healing. Insect Plague is just as effective as before, but it spreads to anyone who enters the area if effects rather than just focusing on the bad guys. I think you will be very surprised at how effective druids are in IWD2. They sucked in BG1 and were mediocre in BG2. That is definitely NOT the case now. In fact, if you aren't concerned about scouting, it might even be worth going pure druid.

aloha
Vormaerin

[ September 22, 2002, 20:42: Message edited by: Vormaerin ]

 

Excellent points again Vormaerin. Perhaps I've been focusing too much on getting expertise for my front tank. After all, is 5ac really worth spending 4 skill points, a feat, and losing 5 attack roll? Not to mention, if we aren't using expertise, we can use Power Attack. I'm not yet sold on your Gold Dwarf, but I've modified the paladin a bit.

Our new and improved paladin has +4 to damage and hit points per level. Arilon's concept of minimum spellcaster level applied pretty well for a melee fighter. Frankly, with the 4 warrior levels we're taking, spellcasting will be mostly an afterthought anyway. A +3 modifier to charisma means we start at 3 in Bluff, Intimidate, and Diplomacy, which gives us a nice base to work with.

Your dwarf will have more hit points. At level 10 you're looking at a 150hp character... but the Assimar will have a very respectable 126hp and +3 to all saves... not to mention 4 more strength.

I'll stick with the Aasimar for now, but ditching the int and expertise was probably a good idea. Seems like we agree on the single class cleric, and it's going to be hard to talk me out of a sorcerer . I'm not sure if I want to abandon the rogue altogether and go with your druid though. The more I think about my fighter/thief the more I like him. I think he needs a little tweaking tho... maybe lose some of that strength and go fulltime-archer?

With recomendations taken from this forum and others, I've revamped my "perfect party" work in progress and restarted the game. The paladin and rogue have been reworked, and the sorceress decided to lay down her bow in favor of the free crossbow.

Here is how the party looks now:

Aasimar Fighter/Paladin
Str: 18 Dex: 10 Con: 18 int: 08 Wis: 10 Cha: 16
Longsword, Power Attack

Aasimar Cleric of Tempus
Str: 18 Dex: 10 Con: 16 Int: 12 Wis: 16 Cha: 08
Two-Handed Axe, Combat Casting

Tiefling Fighter/Rogue
Str: 12 Dex: 20 Con: 16 Int: 12 Wis: 10 Cha: 08
Longbow, Short Blade, Rapid Shot, Weapon Finesse

Human Sorceress
Str: 08 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 18
Crossbow, Quarterstaff, Courteous Magocracy, Mercantile Background

Our Paladin will be able to use maximized attacks with his inherant concentratoin bonus. The new Tiefling rogue will pick up alchemy in his fighter levels and work towards envenom.

Comments on Party 2.0 are welcome.

[ September 23, 2002, 08:49: Message edited by: Blitz ]

 

Just thought I'd point out an oversight in Aerilon's theory: The opponent's saving throw target for you spells is 10+spell level+caster's spellcasting stat bonus. So that difference does matter in a real way beyond just a few extra spells.

I'm wondering about the choice of Tempus for cleric. The domain spells aren't all that impressive,IMHO.

Tempus
1) Bless, Magic Stone
2) Chant, Draw on Holy Might
3) Animate Dead, Prayer
4) Blood Rage, Recitation
5) Champions Strength, Chaotic Commands
6) Circle of Blades, Spiritual Wrath
7) Power Word: Blind, Monster Summon VII
8) Power Word: Stun, Monster Summon VIII
9) Power Word: Kill, Monster Summon IX

Lathander
1) Sunscorch, Faerie Fire
2) Bull's Strength, Restoration
3) Agannazar's Scorcher, Negative Energy Protect
4) Holy Smite, Shield of Lathander
5) Flamestrike, Raise Dead
6) Firestorm, Heal
7) Greater Restoration, Sunbeam
8) Aura of Vitality, Resurrection
9) Meteor Swarm, Mass Heal

I don't know about you, but I'd much prefer the second list.

Aloha
Vormaerin

 

Agreed. It's applicable for paladins and rangers I would say, and not in the case of a pure caster or bard.

As for the cleric... my thinking was that in a 4-PC party, we're going to want a little more summoning power than usual. Lathander has AWESOME spells, and is clearly a more balanced deity. Later in the game though, we're going to need more than one tank. We could rely on our mage for the summons and use our cleric for damage dealing, but it's asking a lot of a cleric to tank some of the later creatures.

Tempus clerics also get those two free feats in Axe proficiency and a killer str booster. Lathander gets a little screwed with improved turning, although the extra lay on hands is quite handy. Through chapter 2, my Tempus cleric has accounted for 30% of the total exp kills, only 5% behind the paladin. That axe is pretty important to the party.

I think both are good choices, but I'm not sure the Lathander cleric can be relied on to provide the muscle that a 4-PC party needs from it's cleric. While you could easily give him double-proficiency in bastard sword or axe, that's two feats spent, while the Tempus cleric is able to spend them on other things... like Spirit of Flame and Spell Penetration for badass flamestrikes .

All things considered, if you want to make your cleric into a nuker as well, take a look at Talos. My god.

1st: Shocking Grasp, Doom
2nd: Death Armor, Gedlee's Electric Loop
3rd: Storm Shell, Lightning Bolt
4th: Protection From Electricity, Static Charge
5th: Slay Living, Ball Lightning
6th: Whirlwind, Chain Lightning
7th: Tremor, Destruction
8th: Fire Storm, Acid Storm
9th: Wail of the Banshee, Horrid Wilting

Lemme just say that Gedlee's Electric Loop on a tanking cleric is a serious beating. That spell is amazing for a level 2 slot. My sorceress uses it all the time (4-man party remember. The mage gets beat on too). But look at the damage capability of these guys later... start with Lightning Bolt, which is usable now that it dosen't bounce off walls. Chain Lightning kicks ass. Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting got toned down a little from when it was the best spell in BG2.. but my lord, D8 * level damage is insane.

A Talos cleric can lay it down like no other. I'd say your choice of ethos for your cleric is pretty dependant on your playstyle. Everyone nukes with their sorceress, and tanks with their fighter. There's a little variation with rogues, as many like to melee and some like to use bows. But with clerics there is probably the greatest variance. My cleric is going to summon a few beasties and wade into the fray swinging his axe, pausing now and then to heal himself or his paladin. Maybe yours will do a little less grunt work and a little more on the casting side. Whatever the case, perhaps some room for individual taste should be left in our "perfect party"

Clerics are so good in IWD2 that I'd probably play with two in a 6-PC party. Would you rather have a bard or another fighter... or a seocnd healer and backup tank who will cast Flamestrikes, Lightning Bots, and Horrid Wilting someday? But that's a topic for another thread.

[ September 23, 2002, 09:57: Message edited by: Blitz ]

 

Well, my Tempus cleric in my first party fell off the radar screen as a melee character well before the end of the game. May have been design decisions or bad dice (I don't use the max hp options), I'd have to analyze it more carefully to be sure exactly why that happened. Improved Turning is decent enough, though there isn't that much Undead in the game. It would own in BG2, of course.

Talos is, indeed, a powerful attack cleric. However, unless I am misremembering, Talosian clerics must be evil. The inability to spontaneously cast cure spells is a disaster and the loss of Holy Word and Holy Smite is rather unpleasant, too.

In fact, if it wasn't for the spont curing issue, I'd be trumpeting the druid rather more. His melee capability is as good as any cleric and his offensive spell capability dwarfs even a Talosian. I still think a ranger/druid would kick more booty than your rogue, disable device or no.

 

Talos clerics can be Chaotic Neutral, which allows spontaneous casting of healing spells.

Ok I'm gonna try druids. They better not suck, this is restart #45 already

 

So, is your druid rocking the casbah or what? Give up some feedback, man!

 

Blitz, I see that you wanted a rogue who dual wields, here's a tip. Take 1 level of ranger, you automatically get ambidexterity and two-weapon fighting for free (2 feats free, that actually gives you 2 more points for other features). Skills, just increase you hide or move silently. I'm not sure about this one but I think a ranger also gets bonus to hide and move silently. Feature, choose one that would be useful for your rogue. Regarding 4 levels of fighter, it's up to you. But that 1 level ranger is worth looking at, even for non-rouge who wish to dual-wield.

Weapon finese is one of the best feature for rogues with high DEX and planning on using short swords and daggers.

I always get Snake Blood feature whenever I have human character. This is, however, exclusively a first level feature.

 

Sorry for the late reply. I took that 4 man party about as far as the underdark before I restarted. I recently completed the game with the following party, which I was very happy with. Stats are starting level choices.

Assimar Paladin of Helm (4 fighter levels)
Str: 18 Dex: 08 Con: 18 Int: 13 Wis: 10 Cha: 13
Longsword/Shield

Half-Orc Fighter
Str: 20 Dex: 10 Con: 18 Int: 08 Wis: 10 Cha: 08
Polearm/Two Handed Sword

Assimar Cleric of Tempus
Str: 16 Dex: 14 Con: 18 Int: 08 Wis: 16 Cha: 08
Throwing Axe/2 Handed Axe

Dark Elf Sorcerer (4 Rogue Levels)
Str: 10 Dex: 16 Con: 10 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 20
Crossbow/Dual Short Blades

Easily the best character in the bunch was the paladin. By the Wandering Village he had an armor class of 35, thanks to his expertise. Not sure why I didn't think about sacrificing a point of DEX to find room for the needed INT sooner, but clearly it's a net gain of 4ac, which is great. Any time I was faced with a boss and 20 minions he simply walked up and tanked the boss while the other three cleaned house.

The Half-Orc was a damage machine. I decided on a fighter as opposed to a barbarian for obvious reasons. Barbarians aren't really tanks, even their massive hit points tend to drop quickly in medium armor. He ended up with 52% of the kills and 45% of the total exp in the party. The polearm specialty let him stand BEHIND the paladin and dish out hits without taking too many himself. The difference in armor was around 15 points throughout the game. I loaded up the paladin with the defense and let the bruiser dish it out. Worked great.

The cleric wasn't bad. If I had to do it over again I'd probably take a Talos or Lathander cleric and given him the crossbow... leaving the bow for the sorcerer. Throwing axes aren't bad, and it did keep him out of trouble for the most part. Being able to switch to two-handed axe and wade into the fray was nice though. In the end, my paladin, cleric, and sorcerer all had about 17% of the total exp, which is a good sign in a small party. Everyone needs to pull their own weight.

Going with a dual class caster was a tough decicion, but it worked out well. I gave the book from the monastary to the sorcerer of course. There is just no way to fit two bruising fighters AND two full casters into a four-man party, so I made the sacrifice. In the end he reminded me of my BG2 avatar, who was a swashbuckler/wizard.

Was this a perfect party? Pretty close. I didn't reload much at all during the game, even in the areas which were new to me. If the party was fully rested, they just didn't lose. The few times I did have to reload were usually when I was pushing ahead without rest. I'm not a big fan of over-resting. Takes a lot of the fun out. Generally I would clear a whole area before resting, it was my "rule" to keep myself honest =).

 

I've got a Paladin of Mystra -- and have noticed that not many people have chosen that. She's doing quite well...but only after she reached level 10. Thoughts?

 

What do you mean? So long as you don't multiclass, there's no difference whatsoever. As for a wizard/paladin... Maybe for soloing? It's not a combo I would ever use.

 

I'm trying one out currently. Its rather odd, since they don't have any natural synergies. A lot depends on what role you use him for. If you go for two or three Paladin levels and a lot of wizard, that's fairly effective. The extra hp, saves, and such from the paladin class are a nice bonus. Might or might not be worth the lost spells, depending on your party make up.

Used as a fighter, such a character can be fairly effective if you concentrate on the useful combat buffs like Shield, Mirror Image, Stoneskin, Fireshield. The problem is most of the really good ones (other than Mirror Image) are 4th level, so you won't see them until the end of the game if you split class. The armor situation is kind of dubious for this purpose, too. Without taking a bad spell failure risk, you aren't going to get much more than a +4 armor (bracers) and possibly another +3 from a shield if you take all the armored arcana feats.

Paladins of Mystra sound cool, but are clearly less efficient than those of Helm or Ilmater if you intend to actually fight.