Class-based dialogue options (SPOILERS)

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Putting spoilers in the topic for those who haven't been through the game.

I'm trying to catalogue all of the different instances where a particular character will get a different outcome due to their class. The only times I have seen this happen are for Paladins, Clerics, Druids, and Bards - but I'm hoping there are others. This is also a good place to list alternative solutions if the required class isn't present.

1. Bard - Extra XP for water elf / Jhonnen quest
   Easthaven - 2400 bonus XP
2. Druid or Fighter/Druid helping the ogre with this headache.
   Kuldahar pass - 1200 XP.
   ALTERNATIVE: Speak to Arundel, same XP.
3. Cleric or Paladin - Convince ownperson in orange to worship Ilmater
   Kuldahar - 1200-2400 XP
   ALTERNATIVE: Druid can convince to worship nature (I think you can do both)
4. Paladin - Debating Mytos about necromancy
   Kresselack's Tomb - 6450 XP
   ALTERNATIVE - Never tried this without a Paladin, so do you just fight?
5. Paladin - Expose creepy monks as lizard people
   Dragon's Eye Lv 4 - no XP
   ALTERNATIVE - As far as I can tell, you LOSE XP here by the Paladin seeing through the ruse and starting the attack immediately. Confirm?

These are the only ones I know of offhand / have experienced myself. if there are others, please let me know.

Part of my interest in this is my calculus for considering certain classes "necessary" in a playthrough. Since I hate missing out on things, I've always had a Paladin, a Bard, and a Druid in my parties, always. But it seems like you only really miss out on a relatively negligible (over the course of the game, anyway) chunk of XP and a few gems by excluding this classes.

Thoughts?

 

I opened this forum by mistake, and I only can speak of the original game.
There are several MINOR instances of extra story and background if you use a bard, but you don't get any XP or items from most of those. Only a bit more of the backstory, as if the bard had extra skills in sussing out information by asking for tales. I'm surprised the thief doesn't get the same bonus dialog.

There are examples of this in Easthaven, when talking to people.

I could have sworn there were a couple other instances where a bard came in handy, but it's been so long since I've done a full playthrough I can't recall off-hand.

 

Yeah, IWD was very good with having small touches to reflect your race and class. Not all of it is substantial; sometimes it's just a nice touch or a slightly different reply.

EE adds a few more for the new options--a number of characters will respond to Tempus clerics differently, and we've added a few places for half-orc-specific dialogue, too.

 

Ok, thanks. So did I pretty much call out the major ones?

Part if this is I'm trying to play with just a Ranger/Cleric (with the ini file enabled) instead of having to have a druid as well. Cleric spells are so great for buffing, but Druid spells are so great for offense...

 

Offhand, I can think of a few more. Certain classes can convince Jed, the Easthaven drunk, to reform; on the flipside paladins condemn him automatically and have no opportunity.

Murdaugh's quest in TotL needs a bard to kick off.

I believe Mytos can also be debated by a cleric. I'm less positive, but druids might be able to do so as well.

Bards also get small opportunities elsewhere; e.g. I think you get a bit of XP for recognizing Tiernon.

In the new content, there's an alternative resolution for Presio for paladins and mages. A couple of the item upgrades are a touch easier with certain classes.

 

I know that if your Bard has good enough stats, he can convince Jed. I pretty much have the Bard lead in towns since most of the extra touches seem to involve him.

I think there is some extra dialog if you have a druid talk to other druids in Kulahar, especially the archdruid.

 

Well, I've answered two questions in my current playthrough.

First is the Paladin exposing the creepy monks. I always assumed that merely having a Paladin in your party would trigger this. But he has to be the party spokesman for it to work. I did a reload where I swapped my Bard into the top spot. However - I always thought you could find the "Eating Humans" or whatever book, and then start a convo with Albion about it to net more experience before they turn all snakie-snake. In my playthough, I got the librarian out of the room but the minute I got the door open, they went hostile with no extra experience for exposing the ruse. I may have done something wrong.

I also haven't missed playing with a Druid this time, as I have a Ranger/Cleric and she's covering those spells nicely.

I've also determined – and this is probably the most important point – that any loss of experience points gained from convos can easily be made up by trying to rest in the middle of a hallway in Dragon's Eye (or whatever) and getting into a few respawn fights. Ultimately, I've concluded that aside from a small amount of interesting role play, you can really enjoy all of IWD with any party combo you want. The only consideration at that point is having the classes along to make use of unique items.

 

My Dwarven fighter recognized him too.