A Listing of Unconventional Characters

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Hi all. I just had an idea. All of us are getting used to some rather staple char builds in IWD 2, whether they be common ones like Fighter 4/Paladin X or JUPP type like Cleric 28/Monk 1/Rogue 1. You get the idea. So I just thought, how about we start coming up with new and unusual builds? Good, decent characters that you think would be strong in one or the other aspect of the game. Try not to pick em out of guides. Interested?
I'll give it a start with a few of mine-:

1. Drow (M) – Druid 12 / Wizard 17 / Monk 1
Stats: STR 6 DEX 20 CON 16 INT 18 WIS 15 CHA 5
Stats w/ buffs: STR 6 (8-14) DEX 30 (32-38) CON 20 INT 22 WIS 24 CHA 5
Armor class:10
+7 (Shield)
+5 (Ghost Armor)
+10 (DEX bonus without Tenser’s)
+5 (Brazen/Indomitable Bands)
+3 (Sunfire Talisman)
+5 (Expertise)
+1 (Dodge)
+7 (WIS bonus – 2x PoHT, EGR)
+9 (Haste, Bark skin)
+2 (War Chant of Sith)
===
64, 69-72 with Tenser’s Transformation active
Start as Wizard. Take 1 Druid level, 1 Monk level. Continue with Druid
levels. Resume Wizard levels after 12th Druid level.
Skills: Concentration, Alchemy, Knowledge: Arcana, Spellcraft, Wilderness Lore
Feats: Expertise, GSF: Transmutation, GSF: Evocation, Dodge, Weapon Finesse, WF: Small Blades, Shield Proficiency, etc.

A decoy character, as you can see. Becomes pretty damn painful to the enemy once he learns Fire Shields. Becomes unhittable with Blur and Mirror Images, and has decent combat capability with Brilliant Short Sword and Shield. True, the 20% XP penalty is kinda annoying, but... what the hell.

2. Drow (F) Cleric (Ilmater) 25 / Monk 1 / Fighter 4
Stats: STR 18 DEX 18 CON 16 INT 5 WIS 18 CHA 5
Stats w/ buffs: STR 24 [32] (6 pts) DEX 18 [26] CON 16 [24] INT 5 WIS 19 [24] (1 pt) CHA 1
Berserker character. Boost 6 pts in STR, 1 in WIS. Focus in Axes. Use Throwing Axes ONLY in combat. Avoid standing in the battlezone. Twelve Paces can also be used.
-Cleric 1
-Fighter 1
-Monk 1
-Cleric till 25
-remaining Fighter levels via level jump

Mighty dangerous, whether you look at melee or casting. Painbearers have some pretty painful spells to cast, and her WIS and level are decent enough. If you're not in the mood to cast, hack away with Big Black Flying Death and watch the ensuing carnage.

3. Drow (F) Cleric 16 / Sorcerer 14
Stats:
STR 6
DEX 20 --> 32, (34-40 Tenser's)
CON 7 --> 13
INT 13
WIS 18 --> 23
CHA 16 --> 18-21
Levelling order:
1->16 - Cleric
17->30 - Sorcerer
Strategies: Normal mode, use as archer, buffer and secondary tank.
Later levels can be effective with Mage/Spirit and Ghost Armor. Avoid
attack spells, as we dont have the DC for them. Choose all defensive
Domain spells.
In HOF, start tanking once Sorcerer levels start coming up. Use Blur,
Blink, Mirror Images, Death Armor, Fire Shields, Circle of Bones, Circle
of Blades, Luck when serving as decoy. Keep Stoneskin, Seven Eyes and
Death Ward active. Use Tenser's Transformation when in tight spots. Cast
Mord's Sword if needed prior to Tenser's, and chop opponents apart.

4. Tiefling Rogue(3)/Wizard(12)/Barbarian(15)
STR 16 -> 22
DEX 20 -> 32
CON 14 -> 20
INT 16
WIS 11 -> 12
CHA 1
AC: 10 (base)
+8 (Chain of Drakka's Fury)
+5 (Ghost Armor)
+11 (DEX bonus without Tenser's)
+4 (Shield bonus)
+9 (Equipment)
+6 (Feats)
+9 (Haste, Barkskin)
+2 (War Chant)
====
64, 69-72 with Tenser's
Bastard Sword + Shield
Concentration, Spellcraft, Search, Disable Device

-Rogue 1
-Barbarian 1
-Wizard 1
-Rogue 2
-Wiz/Barb alternate till level 27
-Rogue 3
-squat Barbarian levels till 30

This here is my new test project. Coiny inspired me to give Barbarian a shot, but any char without at least a few levels of caster is a waste for me. And voila! we have the Tiefling Barbarian Shaman, with a 2d6 sneak attack, Evasion, Greater Rage, Tenser's Transformation, Blur, Blink, etc. Nice eh?

5. Drow F Monk(1)/Paladin(3)/Rogue(1)/Ranger(1)/Painbearer(24)
STR 18 -> 26
DEX 20 -> 26
CON 14 -> 20
INT 5
WIS 18 -> 36
CHA 5
AC: 10 (base)
+7 (Shield ring)
+6 (Divine Shell)
+8 (DEX bonus)
+13 (WIS bonus)
+9 (Equipment)
+1 (Feats)
+9 (Haste, Barkskin)
+2 (War Song)
====
65
Cera Sumat + Golden Heart/some Bastard Sword
-Cleric 1
-Monk 1
-Ranger 1
-Cleric till chp 5
-Rogue 1
-Paladin 1
-Cleric till X
-Paladin 3

Well, this one's less of a tanker, but she can do some pretty neat damage. And the Cera Sumat/Golden Heart, Cera Sumat/Bastard Sword of Heroism, and Golden Heart/Bastard Sword of Heroism are some very deadly sword combos. You could always bring her INT to 13 for Expertise, but I wouldn't recommend it. Clerics are a lot harder to kill thanks to Heal.

 

I think some of your descriptions could use more explanation. For example the high stats, you don't explain if they are buffed. How can your first character get DEX 30 (32-38) CON 20 INT 22 WIS 24 ? Edited with Dalekeeper?
As for the characters, the multiclassing is inefficient, and they all have XP penalties. They could be easily adjusted to avoid XP penalty.

 

Umm... I am confused. Are you just putting these out there as just builds for people to try or are you using them all in a party at the moment?
If so, how can you account for bonuses from war chant as I didnt see any characters with the bard class?

But the builds themselves do look rather interesting and would be rather fun to try.

 

@Coiny
Yes, the stats are buffed. DEX 30 (32-38) means the DEX is normally 30 (18 base +7 pts raised + 5 from Chimandrae's Slippers) and it becomes 32-38 with Tenser's. CON goes 16 to 20 with Aura of Vitality. WIS becomes 15 to 24 with one EGR, and bonuses from Potions of Holy Transference. I thought ppl would understand all this.
The only char that has a regular XP penalty is the 1st Drow. All others only get the penalties at their final level jump, and since at that time they anyway hit level 30, it isn't a bother. I specifically mentioned that those last levels should be squatted and jumped to avoid those penalties.

@TrueBlueAussie
I'm trying them in various parties myself, and I just put them here for other people to comment on, and maybe use themselves. I'd like it if other people suggested their own unique builds too.

 

I always use half-elves, they're pretty balanced but I'm starting to think I need to be more imaginative. Great idea for a post!

 

@Ajax
The first and the fifth ones in your party are pretty much JUPP chars. I am using something like it in my HoF run:

Deep gnome 8 20 12 13 20 1 starting, improve WIS (can be Drow also, switch advancement for Cleric and Wizard)
level progression:
- Rogue 1
- Rogue 1/Cleric 1(any, I like Mask and Bane)
- Rogue 1/Cleric 1/Monk 1
- Rogue 1/Cleric 1/Monk 1/ Illusionist 1
- Rogue 1/Cleric 1/Monk 1/ Illusionist 1/ Ranger 1 (3 feats for weapons that need in that build)
- Rogue 1/Cleric 1/Monk 1/ Illusionist 3/ Ranger 1 (for mirror image)
- Rogue 1/Cleric 2/Monk 1/ Illusionist 3/ Ranger 1 (another possible level for no multiclass penalty)
- Rogue 1/Cleric 2/Monk 1/ Illusionist 11/ Ranger 1 (Tenser's)
- squat 15 levels until Rogue 1/Cleric 16/Monk 1/ Illusionist 11/ Ranger 1

At level 16 he had 71 AC without Tensers and Divine Shell and Bard song, and NO multiclassing penalties.

Now he has 72 without that =)

My second favourite is an "all utility+diplomat"

Tiefling advance 1 stat WIS, all rest in STR
starting 8 20 16 5 15 14

level progression:
- Bard 5/ Druid 6 (even level advancement)
- Bard 5/ Druid 6/ Rogue 2 (evasion + skill points)
- Bard 11/ Druid 12/ Rogue 2 (bard songs + barksin)
- squat levels for Bard 11/ Druid 12/ Rogue 2/ Fighter 5 (switched him into 2-nd damage-dealer with Spec. in Bows and Large Swords)

Guy has 300HP, he is a terrific Sniper, has 5 att per round with 2 weapons, has Evasion, Mirror Image from Bard, sings all songs, plus all healing and offense a Druid can give.

Intimidate 10, Diplomacy 11, Bluff 15 and a bit in Concentration. Again - NO multiclass penalty until last levelup.

 

@Modjahed
1. It seems pretty good as a decoy and divine/arcane support, but the problem is that a squat of 15 levels is MASSIVE, especially on a Deep Gnome. True that he won't really need to level up as such, his armor class being massive enough. But still...
2. I've seen a similar character, minus the Fighter levels. Its pretty good for normal mode, but come HoF I think its too risky to send him into melee. Won't it be better using Big Black Flying Death, as you're upping STR anyway?

 

@AjaX

1) The only problem with stacking of those levels is moderate saving throws. I grew a bit tired raising dead after my Drow Sorc's DBFB's =)

Otherwise he is pretty much unhittable - 6 Mirror Images, 4 Shields, 3 Blink's and Imroved Invis (patched) for major battles. He had 125 HP which was quite enough for him to survive 3 major battles withput resting. I did Horde Fortress without resting from start to finish.

2) Of course I do not ALWAS send him into melee - he has lots of arrows to shoot and lots of songs to sing... But when I am outflanked or some mob goes crazy and targets for my sorc he is the guy. Most fun I had when I buffed him with everything (22 STR, 27 DEX) + Exec. Eyes and Mirror Image and gave him the Goblin Slayer outside the Horde Fortress... he also has Cleave =) It went like *schmak*,*schmak*,*schmak*.

I have a Fighter/Cleric with 32 STR as a dedicated Big Death/Halberd of Hate wielder =)