fighter / Mage plans.

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When planninging a fighter type/ Mage dual class how do you plan the proficiencies?

 

You plan what weapons you'll be using through the game. Celestial Fury, Belm, Crom Faeyr, Staff of the Magi, etc. Choose beforehand and make your proficiency selections accordingly.

 

It seems like I remeber seeing that if you for example take ****in staff as a fighter, dual to a mage antake * in staff before you regain your fighter levels it still counts only as **** in staff when you do regain your fighter levels. is this true?

 

Yeah, the numbers don't stack.

 

Yes, that's true. They don't stack. But once you get your fighter levels back, you can start improving on the skill again; a bug that can be exploited if you feel like it.

 

If you guys could, please post some ways you would plan a fighter(kit) / Mage if you were building one that you were going to play in a SoA game only. No Plans for ToB.

 

I played a Berserker (9)/Mage (x) through SoA once. A very powerful character, owing to the combination of combat abilities, immunities and magic. This guy frequently had to bail out his party members who got into all sorts of trouble... and what could make a cooler PC than that? Kensai (9)/Mage (x) is another option that will allow you to (near enough) max out your spellcasting in SoA, but is probably weaker than a Berserker when dualling at level 9. For the most out of Kensais, you really have to dual at level 12 or 13. You'll also be vulnerable to critical hits, as SoA doesn't let K/Ms wear Ioun Stones.

 

what equipment and proficiencies do you usually take?

 

Kensai 9/Mage X with 2 handed sword, halberd, 2 handed weapon style as Kensai, then dagger and quarterstaff as a Mage. He hasn't regained his fighter abilities yet.

 

@Bassil - like Fel said, it completely depends on what you want to use as your weapons. If I dual wield, I usually would place two prof points in two weapon style, and two points each in whatever weapons I'll be using - for example two in flails and two in war hammers if I'm planning on using Flail of the Ages and Crom Faeyr. Or two in katanas and two in scimitars if I'm going to use Cestial Fury and Belm.

On the other hand, if you're planning on using a two handed weapon such as Staff of the Magi or Warblade, then in makes more sense to distribute your proficiencies as two stars in two handed weapon (which is distinct from two weapon), two in two handed swords, and two in quarterstaves.

Regardless of what way you go, it's usually best to place the proficiency points you earn as a mage into something other than you've already picked until you get your fighter levels back. If you dual at level 9, you'll only get two proficiency points before reactivating your fighter class. I'd probably place my first point into slings or darts, as you won't be going anywhere near the front line while regaining your fighter levels, and the second point in daggers. Your third proficiency point will be earned at 10th level, which will also reactivate your fighter levels, so that point should be placed in something you already spent two points on.

 

Well, my 'serker/Mage went with Katana +++++ and TWF ++ by level 9, taking Dagger and Staff as his Mage profs before topping off TWF at Mage lvl 12. A Kensai could do the same, although it may be more efficient not to go for Grandmastery unless you have Blucher's Improved Grandmastery patch, as it's not really worth it in vanilla BG2. In that case, you're probably better off looking to either Scimitars or Short Swords as off-hand weapons. Both Belm and Kundane will give you an extra attack, after all. Bear in mind who you'll take in your party and what weapons they'll be using to work out which is the best choice for you.

 

If you have the bonus pack, and you should, the merchants in that bonus pack give you an additional reason to specialize in katanas for a F/M. Specifically, the one in The Magpie's avatar.

Dual-wielding that with Celestial Fury will get you through SOA sitting real pretty.

 

If you are going to play ToB you shiuld definatly take long swords and bastard swords for foebane and avungdal or perhaps scimitars for belm.

If your just running SoA I'd go with hammers or katanas or scimitars.

 

Long swords are always a good bet as they appear throughout the game. Katanas are good for Celestrial Fury and the Zerth Blade.

As this the SoA forum, we should assume he isn't going through ToB so no Foebane.

I tend to leave Crom Faeyr for my cleric, but Flails for the FoA is a good choice as you can get it very early.

 

I am trying the Kensai 7/Mage. in the early going she was a good combonation, but later she all but stopped fighter activity. I think I should have dualed at level 9 or 10, that way she would be a more effective fighter, it is taking too many resorces to keep her able to fend of a melee threat by herself (which is what I want my F/M to be able to do). I think that at level 9 or 10 her Kai ability last longer, THAC0 is way better and more hitpoints is always good. I enjoy this class combo, they seem made for each other. I think I will make another one dualed at level 10. the tough thing is, how to arrange my weapon profficiencies, I want ***** in staff and ** in two-handed weapon style and the rest I haven't decided. The problem is, If I take staff as a fighter I am going to waste a * as mage because a Kensai can not use a sling or darts so I would have to waste one on staff again. Can you suggest a solution or alternative.

 

If you are playing with a party and can actually resist levelling up until you have enough experience to regain your fighter levels, then put your first mage weapon proficiency in dagger. When you finally do level up, you can put your other *s in anything you want. This is the one exception where the numbers will stack.

 

I recently completed SoA with a Kensai(13)/Mage(17), I specialised him in Katana (+++++) and TWF(++). Naturally he used Dakkon's Zerth Blade and Celestial Fury, as a Mage only he used Staffs. To level him up quickly I sold everything I didn't actually need or plan to use (I'm not a pack rat), and then bought every scroll I could. I then kicked everyone in the party out (except Jaheira - Romance) and read the scrolls, I acheived level 8 after dualling by using this method. I'd continue selling stuff and buying scrolls wherever I could, because of the wonderful Erase option, learn a spell, erase it from your book, learn a spell.

 

As a Kensai, take 5 stars in staff and one in (for example) katana. When you dual to mage take dagger and then two-handed weapon at level 6. At level 12 you will be able to take another star in 2-H weapon, as you will have regained your kensai abilities.

Edit-> My apologies, but I forgot that mages can't take stars in weapon styles. Please ignore this post.

 

2 out of 3 is, as they say, not bad. You are correct about Thac0 and HP, but the Kai ability only increases in frequency of use- the duration is unaffected.

If you dual at level 10 as you suggested, you will gain 16 Mage levels. With only SoA, I'd advise against dualling at level 13 as you will only get 14 Mage levels before hitting the cap and so will spend most of your time inactive.

 

The thing to remember is that you can keep putting more stars in anything up to five once you get your fighter abilities back. There are a few ways to think about this.

Offensive: go for Kensai or berzerker or the like that give good HP and abilities, but most will mean no armor for your mage (no chain). That's ok, as the elven chain is the only armor he could use. It may also mean no shields and/or helmets, though, not sure.

Deffensive: go for something that will still let you use the elven chain, shields and helmets. Put at least one star in Sw&Sh if you plan on using a shield.

Ranged: this is the one I'd go with. Go with a vanilla fighter (probably) and put **** into longbow(or short or crossbow or whatever you like) and two into two weapon fighting. When you dual, put one in sling or dagger, one in staff later, and once you get your fighter abilities back, finish off your bow skill. Get yourself a good bow, a nice helm, maybe some elven chain, and the Staff of the Magi Now here's the thing, after every action you take in serious battle, equip the Staff of the Magi again, this will make you invisible again. You can attack with the bow from good range to do good damage, especially with special arrows, you can cast spells, and you can use your staff's abilities, and those of any other staves, bows, daggers, slings, or whatever else you have. You become invisible immediately after, wich means enemies cannot target you with spells or attacks, though AoE spells still work and the various dispell invis. are still a problem.

All in all, figure out how you want to play your char beforehand. Do you want to use throwing axes? Halbreds? How effective do you want him to be in melee? How much do you use MMM or Energy Blades?