Berserker dual > what? (powergaming here)

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hey guys, I'm super frustrated, as my solo, no reloads BGEE trilogy run just ended prematurely by a maze spell on the island of spellhold.

Anyway, I'm pumped to try again, but this time I'm going to use a berserker. I just love the immunities.

To get the most out of this character, I think I'm best off dual classing him. The question is, into what class? I was originally thinking thief or mage, and hadn't considered cleric or druid.

So, which class should I go for? And what proficiencies are best?

I look forward to some interesting answers and ideas!!

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My initial thoughts are to go for a mage and specialize in quarterstaff. There are really good options throughout the game for them. In BGI, you start with a staff and can buy a +3 pretty early. There's even the staff-mace should you need to use a shield. In BGII, you can buy a +4 staff early on, and eventually use the staff of the magi to slip past any fights you're not interested in. You can spend all your money on scrolls and get your class back pretty quickly after dual classing.

The thief can go for two handed swords and eventually use Carsomyr. Using Carsomyr with ***** would be wicked in BGII (magic resistance + dispel on hit - wow!). He'd be able to backstab with any weapons he picks up as a thief, and I'd probably work on quarterstaff since I'll already be concentrating on a two handed weapon.

The cleric could take ** in mace and the rest in flails in BGI. IMHO, mace is the best weapon in BGI because you find the Stupifier so early and easily. Mace of Disruption +2 is an amazing situational weapon in BGII, but, as a solo cleric, you'll probably be able to destroy most undead you meet.

I have no idea how I'd build a druid. I love druids in a PnP game, but I've never been a fan of them on a cRPG.

 

Do you get a game over screen if your solo character gets mazed?

 

Yup.

 

imprisoned not mazed

 

Well, that's weird. Because he cast the spell Maze, and my game ended.

Maybe this wouldn't happen if I were not on a solo run.

Anyway, I got an unreal roll with a Berserker > Mage (I plan to dual-class at level 9): 87 points, and an 18/00 STR.

I decided to place proficiencies like so:

Staff **
Two handed style: +
Halberd *

I wanted the possibility of ***** in halberd near the end, but I don't think it's possible.

I should have just dropped a pip into long bow. That would have been safer for the duration of BG1EE.

I'm on an iPad though and don't know how to edit the game, as I used to know how to use gatekeeper for BG on the PC.

 

This has been a bug since the olden days, where if you get hit by spells like Maze, Charm and Domination, they are fatal to you if you're solo, and when there are no other party member characters controllable (i.e they are also mazed, dead, dominated or charmed.)
Though i believe there's a balurdash patch that fixes this (not sure if its also fixed by the g3 pack and/or enhanced edition)

Keep in mind you cannot use kits when you are multiclassing, so you're stuck with dual classing - this means that when you do dualclass you lose all your capabilities untill you regain the same amount of levels +1 in your second class.

I woould go Berserker/Cleric myself, though Berserker/Mage is allright since you at least get access to spellcasting that way.
Berserker/Cleric has a few advantages over the mage multiclass however :

- A mage is not able to cast magic while wearing armor, a cleric is, even in heavy armor.
- Access to healing spells, (which is huge when playing solo) and also buffs like Chaotic Commands, (with rage + CC, you're pretty much invulnerable vs. all status effects, really useful for things like umber hulks/mind flayers) Defensive Harmony (+2 to AC) and Holy Power+Draw upon holy might for a thac0 bonus, some bonus HP and 25 strength (18/00 with just holy power, remember to cast DUHM afterwards, not before it.)
-The Cleric gets access to Turn undead, which can be pretty useful at the higher levels, especially as there's plenty of undead to go around in bg2.
-Always immune to level drain, even when not raging, through use of the Negative plane protection spell, or by wielding the Mace of Disruption.

The only real setback i can think of is that you do get limited to using only blunt weapons, but even then there's some really good combo's to go around - Crom faeyr & Flail of ages would be my go-to combo, with the mace of disruption as a situational weapon vs undead. during the ToB expansion you can upgrade the flail to +5, and the upgraded runehammer +5 is a good replacement for the mace of disruption.

 

Ok, well, I get the idea behind a no-reloads run, but unless you lose fair and square, I think it's fair play to reload the game. I mean, it's obviously a bug and no fault of your own...

 

It's strange that it's a game over when you get mazed (or charmed) when you solo, but that is how the game works. No version of baldurdash that I used fixed this, nor has any G3 fixpack so far.

A fighter/thief would be able to use any weapon, just remember that you can only backstab with weapons that a single class thief would be able to use (before UAI, anyway). No backstabbing with two handed swords, for instance. Or with the staff of the mage, as it is a mage only weapon (other quarterstaves would work, if they don't have a similar class restriction).

For a berserker, I'd dual to a cleric (probably at lvl 9, though there's no objection to do it at lvl 13 either, as by the level cap, you'll be cleric 39 either way). A berserker / druid wouldn't be that bad either, druids do get some nice buffs and summons. I think the cleric would be more powerful overall (no ironskins as cleric, but you do get chaotic commands). As a druid you'd be able to summon elementals, up to and including elemental princes with the HLA spell, which I consider generally better than the deva that a cleric can get.

Also, yes, definitely get ranged weapons for BG1.

 

It seems unlikely that they would since this is hardcoded behavior. If anything, it's something ToBEx could fix, but I don't recall that being one of the fixes.

 

Yeah, i just double checked it on baldurdash, and while it is listed there as a bug, no solution seems to be available in their fixpacks, just some advice to avoid the situation, which pretty much boils down to using the abilities and spells the game hands you to combat the effects, which still is not ideal for players who haven't played the game enough to know what kind of status effect to expect in what location, and by extension, when to protect against it.

Bug : Spells Maze, Charm and Domination are fatal to protagonist if solo, or there are no other party member characters controllable (i.e. are mazed, dead, dominated or charmed.)
Cause: Programming; may not be a bug as when no chars. are visible or controllable, game may be over by definition.
Solution : Avoid Maze using Spell Immunity: Conjuration, Spell Trap, Protection From Magic scroll, Rod Of Absorption or Berserker Mode. Avoid Charm and Domination the same ways but instead with Spell Immunity: Enchantment/Charm, and also with the cleric spell Chaotic Commands, Potion Of Clarity, Shield Of Harmony, or the Greenstone Amulet.

 

Just a thought, I never solo, I like the interactions. If you summon a skeleton and just have it count its bones while sitting in a corner, would you be able to survive a maze?

 

Is there cheese in there?
The maze spell only lasts so long. You eventually pop back out. Unless your the last (wo)man standing. Lol

 

I don't think a summon counts as an active party member, so i'm assuming the maze wil still kill you if you are playing solo.

 

What is the best weapon choices to a berserker who wants to become a druid. I working on one who is working on scimitar, and is up to 4 pips in it.

I have another game going, and Jaehira can't use Usuno's blade, so I am unsure if a dual class fighter to berserker will be able to use it.

 

It says it's not usable by druids and clerics, I doubt a PC berserker/druid would be able to use it. There are better scimitars, though. Scimitars, spears, and quarterstaves are the best options, I guess.

 

Since you're limited to the druid proficiency options, the only one handed options are scimitars, clubs and daggers - scimitars being the best option by far.
Spectral brand and the scarlet ninja-to should be a good combo - spectral brand starts as +4, can be upgraded to +5 however, and the scarlet ninja-to, even though it is only a +3 weapon it gives you an additional attack per round.

Other then that, two-handed wise spears and quarterstaves are safe bets. Spears have Ixil's spike - which can be upgraded to +6, with a chance to pin enemies in place for 3 rounds.
you'l need to clear up to the 5th level of watchers keep to get both parts though.
For quarterstaves, you'll be stuck with +4 weapons max untill ToB, but the good news is that you can buy a mundane +4 at ribald right out of the gate, assuming you can colect the cash for it.
also, the staff of the magi though only being +1, strikes as a +5 weapon - it also has a ton of utility, making it a very decent weapon as well.

 

Personally I don't like the quarterstaff or spear, because you can't use a shield.

 

Shields are fairly useless by the time you get to BG2, let alone by the the time you get to ToB.

The scarlet ninja-to is a Monk only weapon, so not usable by a berserker/druid. Belm can be used, though, and also gives an extra attack per round. Belm itself is only +2, though, so expect to see the weapon ineffective message quite often.

There's also the Yamato +4 in Saradush, though it only gives +1 AC (well -1, I suppose).