Build advice for druid and sorcerer

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I plan to create deep gnome monk/druid or pure druid with max wisdom and dex and 12 in each int and con. If I choose monk1/illusionist1/druidX and continue as druid, would I get xp penalty?
I also plan aasimar paladin/sorcerer combo, to get awesome saves, aura of courage and holy avenger. Should I boost dex or str? I dont plan four paladin levels, so I might leave wisdom at 10.

 

The deep gnome will get the XP penalty unless you level up both the monk and druid levels in equal measure as neither is the favored class. If you had monk/illusionist or druid/illusionist it would work. monk(1)/druid(1)/illusionist(x) would also work, but what you propose for the svirfneblin would incur XP penalties.

The asimar on the other hand will work because their favored class is paladin.

 

It depends on what you want.

As casters, druids shine when they get their spells ASAP (human, if possible) because many of their low-mid level spells are quite powerful and you basically just "snowball" through the game (ie, gain momentum and ultimately just rampage through everything). Late game they're not as powerful as arcane casters or clerics, but can still do massive single target damage and clear out entire mob groups without hassle with persistent area effect spells (at the cost of having to wait for these spells to complete their duration).

For anything else, druids are rather meh unless you pair them a utility class. Also, I've never actually tried to make a warrior-type druid so maybe those can work.

 

You can't make a Deep Gnome have either Monk or Druid levels as a primary without incurring an exp penalty, since none of the Monk variants allows for free multiclassing with a Druid and thus you can't even do a 50/50 mix of the two. Besides, you'd need to have a Dreadmaster mix-in there somewhere, lest you toss away 4 WIS/2 AC from the end-game build.

Also, I wouldn't recommend 12 CON / 12 INT, but rather 10 CON / 14 INT. This way you at least get access to Expertise. Although if you aren't making him the tank, it doesn't really matter.

 

I can recommend a pure (modded see below) monk. This gives you more freedom to chose your race too.

(My plan is to one time play a pure modded monk to level 26 and - with the level 40 extender - continue as druid. extra usage for wisdom, and some interesting spells, heal at monk26/druid13 ..)

 

Monk1/DruidX is a great character. The WIS synergy is just too powerful.
- WIS improves spellcasting accuracy/success
- WIS improves AC
- Shapeshift forms inherit AC bonus from WIS
- Equipment restrictions that would hamper a pure warrior, can be negligible for a caster
- customDLL fix even allows monks to wear robes

Unlike cleric, where focusing on WIS improvement on level-ups is of questionable benefit (few spells with saving throws; cleric is more about healing, buffs and offensive spells without saves), the DruidX/Monk1 gets optimal benefit from WIS-advancement. I prefer to advance CON with clerics, and WIS for druids.

Unfortunately, only a lawful neutral human/half elf will be able to take advantage of this combo. any other version gets a multiclassing penalty, and NO benefits are worth even a 20% XP penalty.
The human is much better than the half elf, because you get more skills for Concentration and Spellcraft.

 

Why 26 instead of 20 or 21? I don't recall any class abilities beyond level 20 in IWD2, but maybe I'm remembering wrong.
I have not done the druid, but I have multiclassed to cleric upon reaching level 21 or 22.

 

Impossible without XP editing.
I went through Icewind Dale 2,
then through Icewind Gate 2 (conversion of BG2 into ID2 engine),
then through Icewind Dale 2 Heart of Fury mode,
then my characters were roughly level 33 when they went into Icewind Gate 2 Heart of Fury mode.

*and* that was using my own edited moncrate.2da where I always got some XP for kills.

What I'm trying to say, is that it's not useful to plan for character improvements at the end. I've heard people say they'll take a mix-in level at level 30 or 40, cleverly avoiding the XP penalty. What's the point if you'll never get to use the character as such?
I'm a great supporter of character build planning, but you should realistically mix in your most functional classes before level 25 if you plan to make any use of them at all.

TL;DR
If your characters are paintings, they should have taken form well before you are halfway leveling.

 

Sadly the original monk as implemented in iwd2 is most useful as a level 1 mix in as perfectly demonstrated by coineineagh. Continuing to level a monk is not really useful and it is best to give him some magic weapons negating much of his monk 'aspect'.

I am such a big fan of the monk that I started to mod him so that I could play and enjoy him as a pure monk. (link see signature)
Now levelling a monk to his final form at level 26 you get an additionally 1d10 fire damage and permanent Executioner's Eyes. He is also hasted with 300% movement speed (An unmodded high level monk will not get faster if hasted because of a faulty implementation of speed affecting items/abilities).

You are right. I could not get Icewind Gate to work and had to rely on a custom moncrate.2da for easier xp gain to enjoy the game without ever level squatting or cheap tactics (killing every thing that moves after completing quests). That way I can enjoy the game and on my second run in HOF mode I might be able to reach level 40 (I have not yet done this).
I play the monk as a pure monk the whole time which I greatly enjoy. In the end adding some levels as Druid is just the icing of the cake and until now only a theoretical construct as I have not yet finished.