What will my new 6th party member be?

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What's the point of extra feats? Well, leveling goes very slowly later in HoF, so it can be preferred to get a useful feat as a level 25 caster, instead of becoming a level 26 caster... So I guess it's optional... It's nice to have all the useful feats by level 30 instead of 40. My sorcerer can get all of the spell focus feats by the end. After all the crucial caster levels are taken, useful mix-ins can be taken, then when no more mix-ins are useful, you can go back to the (less) useful main caster levels. BTW I updated my characters in an earlier post.

My guide will make it clear that it's all optional. It will also be made clear that every mix-in you take, puts you permanently behind a level. Reinforcing the message that many mix-in levels are a bad idea early on. Novices who read the guide will then know they have the option of 3 quick feats, at that price. By only reading what's in the information screen / manual, they'd perhaps figure out they could get one quick feat with a fighter level...

 

Wait wait, you're not writing this guide for plain IWD2? Level cap should be at 30 and those items don't look like standard ones.

If you're writing this for modded IWD2, we're talking about a whole different ball game.

 

It's in tune with my stickied thread on this forum, which gives tips how to fully mod your game. I like the 'megamod' style of game play, which I feel gives a richer gaming experience. It's all about the options in the game, modding is harder to set up, and with Tactics it's harder to play. To each his own. Most of the hints and tips hold true for the unmodded game anyway, and I mention differences. Like that ranged weapons are much less useful with 'Armours and Shields give Damage Reduction' option from Ease-of-use...

 

F Drow Cleric of Bane 1/Druid X is a good character. I like this better than the Monk/Druid character you have (although, if you are going with that character, mixing in a level of Cleric of Bane really helps).

Change that Paladin1/Sorcerer X into an Aasimar. -- You're building a powergaming guide, and level-squatting is important to powergaming, making the ECL races more valuable.

I've always been fond of a Svirfneblin Monk. With a 13 INT and expertise, they can be just as good as any of Jukka's decoys, which are always useful.

 

What is the quest? and how do i get it ?

 

apoum, you will fight Hiephierus in Kuldahar anyway, but if you happen to have a banite (mix-in), it will get a bonus.

Spoiler

+2 WIS!!!!!

The svirfneblin monk is definitely worth a try. who knows, i may do that in the future. But my personal playstyle is more focused on spells and weapons. I just think it's a waste if my main warrior doesn't even use the magical weapons i find... And a monk is an easy character to use, not much tactics required once he's high level. He just cuts through most enemies like a knife through butter, and still manages to be relatively weak against bosses. But i don't speak from experience.

My druid wil have both banite and monk as a mix-in. But personally i think the monk mix-in is much more useful: Sure, the banite gets a quest bonus, which is great for wisdom, but the druid uses too few enchantments and the like for the tyrant's dictum to mean anything. Now the monk level gives evasion and armour class bonus from wisdom to the monk, both of which carry over into the shapeshift form! I don't regret starting out as a monk.

Now the reason I won't go for aasimar is simple: All my party members should have some form of spell protection. Either Spell Resistance or Evasion. A cleric has poor reflex save progression, so Evasion would work badly. SR is the way to go, and drow and deep gnome are both suitable. The deep gnome just scores poorly in mix-in options and weapon proficiencies... The aasimar's weak elemental resistances aren't much to write home about, neither is the +2WIS IMHO. As you said, ECL races are viable because of the dynamic XP system. The drow starts off at a disadvantage, making it behind one spell level early in the game. But she catches up, and the effort pays off in the late game. Also, aasimar are limited in mix-ins, but this only becomes relevant in the late game.

 

And yet you consider taking a Banite level for that very reason.

Truth be told, I've had characters with one level for the quest bonus but it really doesn't make any sense for a character to take one level for that. Definitely the most dubious choice of a level for any character who is kicking the butts of his fellow Dreadmasters in league with the Legion. Sure, being in the service of hatred and strife you can find some justification for it but IMHO it's quite unsavory (not that I expect you would agree because this thread is about optimization and these considerations are way off in that respect).

 

coineineagh thx for the info.

 

I just realized that no one in the party will be able to use the Unstrung Harp... it has a 13WIS requirement. Maybe if my illusionist takes a level bard late in HoF she could use it... it's a powerful item, too bad.

The banite mix-in was most useful in the example you quoted. It improves the WIS AC bonus with the monk mix-in. My druid is primarily an offensive spellcaster, so +2WIS does more for her than for my bard or illusionist. For these two, the level is for enhancing the will save. The enhancement not only comes from the quest bonus; i believe that the cleric mix-in itself will improve the will save by 2 or more points.

 

If you haven't started yet, I'd advise leveling only as a Druid until you hit level 4 or 5, then adding the Monk level. You want to get Call Lightning in this game ASAP -- seriously. Don't worry about the Banite level until much later (since you now know about it).

A few things: Evasion is almost useless IME unless the character has a very good REF save. Spell Resistance is the best way to go. Also, an Aasimar's mix in is a VERY good one, as there are a few very good bonuses for Paladins (even with only 1 level). IMHO, maybe even better than the Cleric of Bane bonuses, and certainly more flexible.

You won't even miss it.

And your FORT save too.

 

Actually it didn't make that much of a difference. By the time I got to spell level 3, i was indoors anyway, and I chose Spike Growth instead. Believe me, if you just use your spells creatively, then not having higher level spells early doesn't matter much. Entangle with Spell Focus: Transmutation was what carried my party through the early levels. Bull's Strength made for a great addition later. My banite adds a new dimension to my battlecleric

I know there are good bonuses for paladins, and I plan to take advantage of them with my drow cleric. Aasimar race is not necessary, just a paladin mix-in.

Spoiler

Here's another mix-in:
OLD:-18-18-16-5-18-5 LG F.Drow LATHANDER X / Paladin 1 / Fighter 2 / Wizard 1 (fighter and wizard levels when 2 quick feats are preferred over leveling)
NEW:-18-15-16-10-16-5 LG F.Drow LATHANDER X / Transmuter 1 / Paladin 1 / Fighter 2 (Transmuter for its quest bonus, then paladin for its quest bonus, fighter levels when 2 quick feats are preferred over leveling)
The transmuter w/10 alchemy has the ability to create a potion that gives her +1STR and another bonus. I'm sure I'll get criticized for this little mix-in, but it pays off in the long run.
If I reimagine my character like this, then she'll also have leftover skills to take 10 Spellcraft and Spirit of Flame feat, but that's much later.
This is an example of a character that wouldn't be possible in the vanilla game, because it requires skill point squatting, so I can take 10 points in Alchemy when I mix-in transmuter... Together with the paladin bonus, she will have 20STR 19WIS in normal mode, and 22STR 20WIS in HoF!

I think I will. A casting of Heal is pretty major. The HoF version also has a casting of resurrection (and no WIS requirement), and it was crucial in my final battle; HoF mode, Insane, with Tactics. When one cleric was dead (2 other characters were dead too at the time), and the other cleric had no more resurrections/raise dead, my illusionist with a level bard saved the day! I expect that not being able to use the normal mode harp will make things more difficult.

 

The tranny (sorry) mix-in if fine, IMHO. Don't start with anything less than maximum WIS for a character who's mainly a Cleric though! Lose some DEX (you won't need it anyway).

 

18-13-16-10-18-5 ?
I'm not sure about this one... It means I'd have to give up on dual-wielding.
You might have the right idea, though. But it cuts into the character's versatility. There are some great off-hand weapons she won't be using then. But with the highest strength in the team, she should probably take a 2H-weapon anyway... I planned to have her use Golden Heart as an off-hander in HoF, but I'll just find the nastiest greataxe instead.
OK, I'll do it. Thankfully this character has SR, because her reflex save is worthless. She'll be the best melee combat character in the team, but will need a throwing weapon for ranged attacks.

A minor correction:

Actually the banite mix-in also gives Tyrant's Dictum, meaning a +1DC for enchantments and other will-save spells.

---------- Added 16 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds later... ----------

Update: I tried the 18-13-16-10-18-5 cleric, but I stumbled on a problem:
10 INT gives most characters 2 skill points per level. Rogues would get 4 skillpts/lvl.
But Clerics, Fighters, Paladins and Sorcerers still only have 1 skill/lvl at 10 INT...
Which would mean my cleric needs 18-11-16-12-18-5 to be able to get 2 skills/lvl

So I need to look at the situation again carefully, and weigh the pros and cons:
Advantages:
--> the potion created gives a bonus, 5 HP.
--> 10 spellcraft and the ability to take the Spirit of Flame feat
--> Perhaps potential dialogue options from an intelligent cleric
Disadvantages:
--> -4 attack with ranged weapons
--> -4 reflexes. the reflex saving throw deteriorates from decent to poor. there's much less chance she'll make saves.
--> no possibility of taking the Ambidexterity feat (15DEX)
--> no possibility of taking the Dodge feat (13DEX)
--> no possibility of taking the Rapid Shot feat (13DEX)
--> the transmuter bonus can only be acquired by using the skill point squatting option from Mindchild's fix, meaning it's the only character I have that is impossible in the vanilla game...
I came to the conclusion that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. The -7DEX really cuts into the character's versatility and resilience. The build might be suitable for an ultimate powergaming party, but I'm into versatile powergaming, so I'm sticking with my old build: 18-18-16-5-18-5.

I have come up with another idea though. Unlike the Banite and Paladin bonuses, there can only be 1 Transmuter bonus, since the potion can only be made once.
My druid has some skill points left over, since she only needs 10 Spellcraft for elemental feats. I've decided I'm going to wait with 10 Spellcraft until I get 14 Alchemy first (with 3INT there's a -4 modifier), because I'll need the alchemy sooner.
Since the monk mix-in gives her the axe proficiency, she can use the added strength well, both for melee and ranged (flying death).
The great thing about this, is that I don't need to change her abilities to accomodate INT! I should have considered my druid before my cleric; this mix-in makes more sense.
The only disadvantages I'm left with, are that it delays her elemental feats considerably, and I need to skill point squat (using Mindchild's fix), because Alchemy is a cross-class skill for druids (don't agree with that), and it isn't for a transmuter. So this build isn't vanilla-game-possible. I'll just write a warning in my guide
EDIT: Transmuter bonus isn't getting +1 STR, so the bonus isn't as good as I thought. I advise people not to go to any trouble for this bonus, since it's only 5 hitpoints.