4 man party for a first timer

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Well, I'm not a complete first timer, but I never got far.

I used to own the important 3e rulebooks, and I'm a big fan of multiclassed characters. I've also always liked slightly smaller parties, and would like to try out a 4 man crew.

Please LMK how my party looks:

1) Male Drow Fighter 4/Rogue 3/Barbarian 3/ Wizard X (I might specialize, not sure) This is my main tank, and backup Wizard. I've never really been a fan of Thieves in these types of games, and I think with a high INT, 3 levels of Rogue should be enough to be a little sneaky and deal with Locks and Traps well. Since I will concentrate on spells that make this guy a better combatant, is there a school I should choose that won't hinder those types of spells?

2) Aasimar Paladin 3/Sorcerer X. I'll probably start off as a Sorcerer until I get some good offensive spells like Fireball. Then I'll add 2, maybe 3 Paladin levels later (I like the idea of using a missile weapon when not casting, and the Immunity to Fear is really cool!).

3) Human Druid X/Bard 11. I like the Bard songs, and noticed that WCotS it in this game too. That's the reason for the 11 Bard levels. I've never been a huge fan of Druid spells, but dipping into a new class seems better than advancing more as a Bard (doesn't seem too important IMO). This character will do most of the talking, and I guess is the most "support" based of the crew.

4) Drow Female Cleric (LG) X/ Monk 3/Paladin 3. This is my main Cleric. The Monk and Paladin levels can be added later on (after some cool Cleric spells are had!). I like the Monk WIS bonus to AC, since this character won't have a really high STR, and I also like moving faster! The Monk levels will be added when the WIS bonus makes a better AC than the armor I can wear. The Paladin levels are there for the same reasons they are on the character #1, and I may only add 2 (It depends on what feels right).

 

Too many multiclasses.
Your drows will have about level 16, the Aasimar level 17 and the human level 18 at the end. (unless you cheat)

Characters 2,3 and 4 are far better if they are pure class.

 

Hmm, I'll take your suggestion into consideration, and I thank you.

I just want to make sure you understand that I don't plan on really multiclassing with 2, 3, and 4 until I am significantly into the game.

In other words, here's what I project my 10th level party to look like (just picking a nice round number):

1) (ECL2) Fighter 2/Barb 3/Rogue 3
2) (ECL1) Sorcerer 9
3) (ECL0) Bard 10
4) (ECL2) Cleric 8

It's not until at least this point that I plan on adding multiclassing any of Character 2, 3, and 4.

If your level estimations are correct, I'll probably be around this:


1) (ECL2) Fighter 4/Barb 3/Rogue 3/ Wiz 6 (enough to cast Mirror Image, baybee!)
2) (ECL1) Sorcerer 15/ Paladin 2
3) (ECL0) Bard 11/ Druid 7
4) (ECL2) Cleric 15/ Monk 1

BTW, I think I'll choose the Lathander Cleric here. The alignment fits, and it's kinda cool to get all those Fire spells! Since I'll be choosing Lathander, maybe a Drow isn't best though. Maybe an Aasimar and I'll drop the Monk completely in favor of a few Paladin levels.

More to come....

 

For your 1st character, the wizard levels depend on what you want him to do:
a) Attack (Evocation spells?) avoid: Conjurer and Enchanter
b) Defense (e.g. Mirror Image) avoid: Abjurer and Necromancer
I personally like Diviners (opposition school = Conjuration), because I usually leave my sorcerer to do the conjuring spells.
You don't like thieves? You must HATE most BG forums (the number of times I read read about katana wielding Fighter/Thieves)!

Lathander? The fire spells are nice, but consider this: "Improved Turning" - just get Club of Disruption or Hammer of Lucerne instead; "Lathander's Renewal" - you can cure 22 hit points at level 11... compare that with the Heal spell you can now cast.
You could consider making your cleric/monk the main "decoy" - put everything into AC (including maxed DEX and WIS) for this character, throw her into the middle of a group of enemies and laugh as they hopelessly swing and miss!
Ok, it doesn't happen this way further on in the game...

Your sorcerer/paladin. The fear immunity is great for the few times you really need it, but the aura will be next to useless in battle, as this character should be out of the way casting spells. Also, if you calculate a level 17 character, the 2 Paladin levels mean you will miss out on 8th level spells (9th level if you reach level 18).

As for multi-classing, I have no problems with this. You should avoid multi-classing for your main spellcasters (see last paragraph) - 1 arcane and 1 divine, but after that it is not as important. Just try to avoid the multi-classing penalty.

But hey! It is your party - you don't have to listen (?) to me!

 

Yeah, I find that I plan to add a multiclass to spellcasters but when it comes to actual levelling up I just can't bring myself to pass up those next few high level spells.

 

1) I'd take transmuter as specialist class because of the special benefit only transmuters get in a later chapter.
I don't know if favored class wizard includes the specialists, maybe someone else knows more.
I'd start with a rogue level for the skill points.
Since you can't buy the low level spells in later chapters you'll have to buy scrolls and carry them around in a scroll case before you start chapter2.(or take a mage level early and scribe them right away)

2)You'll loose a spell level if you add the paladin levels.
If you really want to do so I'd do it right after level 12 so you get mass haste before.

3)Pure druids are very powerful, but you can't exspect a druid who is 10 levels behind to be very helpful. The only real benefit you get are a few low level barkskins.
Keeping your bard pure might be more useful.

4) I wouldn't take a monk or paladin level. Additional spells like mass heal benefit your party greatly, a little extra fighting skill for just one character is nothing compared to this.
I wouldn't create a low-strength high-dex build, there are great full plates out there. I'd take only 13 dex so you can take the rapid shot feat, 14 if you want to drink the potion which trades 1 dex for 2 wis without loosing the feat. High strength is highly beneficial.

 

A Fighter/Thief is really cool, but regular straight forward thieves stink up the joint!

 

I'm thinking of making a new party with a Nakia inspired character. Some sort of halfling rogue/fighter specialising in slings and short swords. Wonder who else should be in the party. Maybe Rallymama cleric and a chevalier Paladin. Hmm, no arcane magic. Who could be the fourth party member?

 

I'm flattered, HB. Especially since Nakia evolved out of IWD II. She was such a fun character and very valuable. She was a fighter/thief.

What about a gnome illusionist ala Takara?

I had a gnome illusionist in my party. If you can keep the character alive through the first part he becomes pretty good.

 

The party is underway right now. Currently, the party is:

Harbourboy - Human Druid 5
Nakia - Lightfoot Halfling Rogue 2 (specialising in slings with DEX of 19)

Nakia has already pulled off a couple of pickpockets in Targos (including my first ever sighting of Ned's Lucky Knucky) but failed against Kolhum.

Still not sure when then the next two party members will make their appearance. The party is still missing a tank, an arcane caster, and a cleric. We might need some backup before we reach the Shaenegarne Bridge.....

 

I like Nakia's Takara idea.

How about:

Chevalier - Aasimar Paladin of Mystra and/or
Felinoid - CN Tiefling Bard (Tiefling chosen because 16 CHA is still enough to get all the bard spells, and because of all the IWD2 races they have the most cat-like features).

Between those two you should have plenty of healing, so you might even be able to get away without a cleric. This would keep the party numbers down and be something of a break from the norm in IWD2.

 

HB, maybe you should start a separate thread about your party. Naturally I am very interested in it. I really want to hear how your Nakia plays. I hope you made her CG or CN. She is not evil.
Just likes adventure and what else can halfling do but be a rogue?

Would 'Felinoid' want to be in a 3.5ed adventure?

I wish I was more talented in writing. I see a fun Creative Surge story here.

Harbourboy-druid; Nakia-F/R; Takara-mage illusionist; Chevalier-Aasimar Paladin.

I always have a hard time figuring out how to keep the party small. I would definitely want Rallymama-cleric of Selune and Felinoid-Tiefling.

 

Yes! Another Newbie thread!

I actually thought just that after I'd posted! I'm sure he wouldn't mind too much... I know how much he still enjoys OotS, after all.

 

OK, I've started a new thread. I'll see whether I can keep it up all the way to the end of the game or not. I still have no idea what other characters are going to join HB and Nakia. It will probably depend on how they get on with the challenges ahead.

 

Heh.

If there are too many multiclasses, how is this?:

Character 1: Same as above. Since he's my main tank, maybe I'll add a few levels of Ranger too, for the TWF and added sneakiness.

Character 2: Aasimar (or Human) Sorcerer. If I find a Holy Avenger (heck, they're in all of these games!), I might add a level or two of Paladin, but not until then.

Character 3: Human Bard 11. After that, as I explained above, I may go with Druid levels for a switch. I could also go with a few Fighter levels, to make this character a better archer. I really don't know what to do here. I'm basing the character on the IWD1 Bard. They were great with that level 11 song, but stunk aside from that. If there's no point in going over level 11 as a Bard, I'd rather just try to add levels of a different class.

Character 4: Dwarf Cleric of Tempus: This is pretty close to a Tank now, and I have no problems using axes! I guess I could simply keep this character single-classed so that I'll easily gain levels and have as highe a Cleric casting level as possible.

EDIT: Wouldn't having 4 characters help offset the multiclassing? I mean, more XP divided between less characters, right?

[ July 23, 2006, 14:56: Message edited by: Klorox ]

 

The 4 person party will reach the next level slightly faster than the 6 person party.
But at higher levels the parties will often reach a point where they don't get fighting XP because they are too strong for the monsters they face.
The 4 person party will just reach the 0 XP point earlier and has to wait longer until they meet monsters again which grant XP.
So the 4 person party will only be 0-1 (0 more often than 1) levels higher than the 6 person party.

About bards: They can learn to cast level 6 spells during the game (like the powerful shades which gets better with levels, additional level4 and level5 spells aren't useless either) and it's nice if the buffing spells last longer.
The bard's BAB progression is nearly as good as the fighter's.

 

The mod that gives XP for all battles is a must have. Zero XP is psychologically demoralising.

 

In 3.0+ rules it's hard to argue that any class is "useless" when taking a full, non-multiclass progression. Fighters continue to gain more feats, barbarians getting better at raging and gain other useful class abilities, rogues are skill powerhouses, etc.

Prestige classes add a lot of new opportunties that make multi-classing much more attractive, but being that there aren't any PrC's in IWD2....

Bards, for example, continuing to increase their spellcasting power until level 20, continue to gain a large number of skill points, and have other various abilities that get better with level.

The druid levels do very little to aid this charcter. You'd be much better off dipping into a warrior class such as fighter or barbarian. Paladin actually works well too due to the reliance on charisma for both classes. Because a bard can learn cure spells, they also not only make decent backup arcane casters, but backup healers. Very useful class.

Taking ECL into account and all the multi-classing you're considering, I think you'll find that your characters generally develop very slowly, and are not particularly great at any one thing. This will certainly serve to make the game more challenging, as your foes will typically have more powerful skills and spells than your party will.

My recommendation, ease off the multi-classing and ECL races a bit.

Of course, this is all just my opinion, and I'm sure that just about any party makeup can be made to work if you're creative enough about it.

 

Not sure what you will be able to achieve with a "Holy Avenger" if you are a pure sorcerer with a late level of Paladin added in. Firstly, a sorcerer wouldn't normally be any good in melee and secondly, a sorcerer would be far busier casting offensive spells.

But do whatever seems the most fun to you!

 

Does the Holy Avenger offer any special powers?