Interesting character builds

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It seems - from reading the various threads - that Rogue/Duelist, Warlock and Pally/DivChamp/NW9 seem to be the most common and popular builds, the latter being in the lead.

I'm about to beat the game with the Pally/DivChamp, so naturally I'm already plotting and planning my next go-through. Recently I've built a dual-wielding Fighter/Weapon Master that I'm anxious to see through.

Curious for suggestions, ideas, and anecdotes. This can also serve as a "what if you tried..." thread.

Thanks a pantload.

 

I havent tried this yet, but i think it could be interresting. either a human or a woodelf ranger (9)/ blackguard.

that way you would get sneak attack, some interesting abilities, such as bull strenght, which would add a little damage if you go weapon finesse, at 5th lvl black guard, you get a fiend which at this point should replace your pet, and on 4th lvl you get to summon an undead.

if you have a decent charisma you get to add that to your saving throws and so on.

its probably not the strongest ranger build, but it could be fun for the rare evil ranger.

 

You only need to take 7 levels of WM to really max the class. This makes it a lot easier to either wait to take the class or rush into it, get two weapon fighting after you already have the class (or just before, since a human fighter can get all those feats by level 4 iirc) then go 7 level of WM and start taking fighter again. The loss of feats isn't so bad when you're doing max damage on some hits and have increased critical strikes and +1 to hit with your weapon.

The thing to watch out for though is what weapons you're going to use. If you use 2 medium weapons you're taking -4/-4 to your attacks instead of -2/-2. with WPFocus and WMFocus you'll have a +2 though so it kind've comes out to -2/-2 and at higher levls (10+) -4/-4 makes you +25 a +21, which is hardly a bad thing considering you have an extra attack to make up for a lower attack bonus!

In the end I believe the highest damage output you can get with a WM is using a scythe/Great Sword/Great Axe because of the power attack feats give double damage when using 2h weaps. Then again with 2 1handers it's almost as if you're doing double PA damage.

 

the dragon berserker seems to be quite popular among the people in the official nwn2 forums, so i'm posting it here as well:

sorry for the crappy format, but i can't post this in any other way because the forum says i need to remove a HTML tag (?)
could use some help from a mod here, to have this quoted
thanks

[The problem were the < characters in the post used to make arrows, ala <-. This can be part of HTML syntax, which is disallowed, so the board doesn't allow it to go through. I've only removed the four <'s now. -Tal]

[ May 01, 2007, 16:24: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

I may have to try that one, though I'll likely crank the difficulty up if I do. Seems overpowered to me. Hell, my current Pally / DivChamp seems overpowered, and he's perfectly legit and non-powergamed.

 

I like this build a lot:

• human, starting feats include able learner (important in order to make best use of your skill points; and don't forget to spend 5 points on intimidate) -- concentrate on the WM feats - dodge, mobility, spring attack, expertise -- save choosing power-attack/cleave for later
• starting class rogue
• 4 fighter levels
• one rogue where I gain the whirlwind attack feat
• gaining access to the the prestiege class on level 7.

With this build I use a singlehanded weapon (axe, l'sword, scimitar) relying on strength, retaining the option to use a shield, or to use it two-handed. I do not think that the advantages of exotic weapons are really worth the feat invested.

That leaves me at level 13 with the option to go to x-cap with whatever other class I like -- assassin, or max out the rogue or fighter, divine champion, blackguard, shadowdancer (easy to get, after the WM feat requirements, and the rogue skill options). Í agree that seven levels of WM are sufficient.

 

Anybody have any decent builds with clerics of any variety?

How about monks? I hear there are some nice role-playing options within the keep if you go all monky-like...

 

I built a cleric with

• Sun Domain:
  Clerics who take the Sun domain are better able to turn undead than their brethren, and gain spells that are harmful to undead.
  
  Domain Special Abilities and Bonus Spells:
  
  · Exceptional Turning: The cleric has a greater chance of turning more powerful undead creatures, as well as being able to turn a larger number of undead at once.
  · The cleric gains access to the following spells at the specified spell level: searing light (2), sunbeam (7).
  .
• Evil Domain:
  Clerics who take the Evil domain are masters of the vile creatures that lurk beyond the Material Plane and are granted spells that manipulate negative energy.
  
  Domain Special Abilities and Bonus Spells:
  
  · Turn Outsider: The cleric's turn undead ability functions against outsiders, such as demons, devils, and bladelings.
  · The cleric gains access to the following spells at the specified spell level: Evard's black tentacles (4), weird (9).

That allows the Cleric to turn outsiders and undead at the same time and truly maximises advantage of the turning ability.

Seemed very effective to me. Never played it though. The prestige class would be, of course, warpriest.

 

i agree clr16/wp4 is one of the most powerful builds in the game right now

but wasting two feats to improve turn undead sounds like a huge waste, since the ability isn't that great to begin with (except towards the beginning)

 

By choosing the two domains, you get the feats automatically at the first level.

The sun domain's exceptional turning gives you a +4 level adjustment. Add high charisma, maybe an aasimar character, or a drow even, and there you go. Pretty powerful.

 

I played the game with a vanilla paladin. Boring?

Let's look at the stats (plain human):

STR 14
DEX 8
CON 12 (actually, 10/10 is my typical division, but I wanted variety)
INT 16
WIS 14
CHA 14

I took Able Learner for the geeky value of it. I also took Zen Archery in honour of Daeghun and what he said about my instinct of a marksman (doesn't matter it's scripted and all...). I didn't take any weapon feats because so long as it mattered, I didn't have the holy avenger and that's the only weapon paladins really need it for because once they get the holy avenger, they will switch over to that. So I had room for Blindfigth, which helped. I still had Divine Might and I think I had Cleave... yep, I did. I also had Practiced Spellcaster to improve the spells over what you normally have.

So, I wore some stat-enhancing items. Strength +8 on a belt made things simpler, as did Constitution +8 on the shoes. Hurrah for big pwning. Add a Ring of Regeneration and the ability to cast 4 instances of Shield Other on weaker party members. No problem since near-maxed Heal did the job, besides, the paladin wouldn't be going down that much faster as a result, so he could wait until mass healing spells later in game. What I also had was Periapt of Wisdom +5 for a bit more spellcasting. And Headband of Intellect +6. Helped my cross-class Appraise purchased at a normal 1:1 rate thanks to Able Learner. I got good prices and some dialogue options. Had Spot and Listen too, although the importance might have been minimal. Took 5 ranks of Spellcraft rather than 4 (required for Practiced Spellcaster) for the save bonus vs spells. Then, I took 10 ranks in Taunt at some point, deciding that the big Charisma (+8 from Cloak of the Nymph) made even a couple points in conversation skills other than Diplomacy (not Bluff, though ) worth it. It was 10 for some bonus rather than the check value. Only used in one conversation, never on the battlefield, IIRC.

Oh, and I took one rank in UMD so I could claim the bonus points. Was enough to wear those nifty +5 Dodge AC monk's boots. Casavir also got one point there.

Note that certain spells and abilities work on or with ranged weapons too. That means 14 WIS plus whatever spells get you (+10 WIS from your friend druid's Owl's Insight) and those paladin spells and abilities, coupled with a good mighty bow - and you have the STR to make a mighty +6 bow useful - mean you can stand in place and deliver arrows where you can't run fast enough. Hey, this paladin has an elf for a foster father!

See? You can make a vanilla paladin pretty unique.

Other ideas:

1. Paladin/Warpriest. Aasimar most likely, as you need high WIS to get the bonus spell of level 4 at level 14. Then you take 6 levels of Warpriest. And you rock. You get half your levels back in terms of paladin spellcasting. That's 17, not bad for slots. Caster level is 8, but Practiced Spellcaster makes it 12. That's the biggest turning point, precisely (like +4 from whatever comes at 1/3 levels rate). The most you can get is 14, which doesn't make any concrete difference, it's just that some spells last longer, but the benefits don't increase on any spell I can think of. Note: your father's identity is unknown, so Aasimar may sort of fit.

2. Paladin/Whatever/Arcane Archer, half-elven. Daddy was a paladin, mummy was an elven princess. They met... Uh, never mind. Basically, you're an archer paladin. You don't suck with swords, but you like bows. Really much. And you're deadly with them. And the game actually makes it likely that your mother might have been an elf - plus, you have an elf for a foster father, anyway.

3. Paladin/Sorcerer(Wizard)/EK - if you can balance it well, it should be fun to play, although paladin spells won't be of much use.

4. Sorcerer/EK - yes, you can do it without multiclassing other than EK. It might be better to take that Fighter level, though. Remember that a Mithral Heavy Shield +5 comes with 0% arcane failure (yes, this is no mistake). Mithral armour generally comes with low arcane failure rates, so if you don't mind some 5-10%, you might actually find a non-arcane garb. There are always bracers, anyway. But casting in armour is fun, isn't it?

5. Ranger/NW9 - why not? The skills are not far from each other, the tunic should be good for a ranger. NW9 abilities look like a nice complement for a high-level ranger.

6. Fighter/NW9 - you lose nothing, you gain a lot.

7. Paladin(Ranger)/Harper Agent - you become one level behind, but just one (HA keeps divine spell progression except for level 1). It doesn't really matter. You lose some BAB, you gain skills and abilities. Obviously better suited for a ranger. Obviously makes more difference for a paladin.

8. Cleric. Just that. It's all in what spells you pick. You can actually quickly buff up to such extremes that you will outdo any fighter. Think all those Divine This, Righteous That. One spell raises your BAB to that of a fighter for a long time. Remember Extend Magic exists and is cheap (it makes it just one level higher in exchange for double duration). With the right combination of extended and persistent spells, no fighter will equal you in melee. You can do ranged just as well or even better, with Zen Archery and Owl's Insight. Let's say you have 22 WIS and then +10 from that spell, 32. That's +11 bonus. Your BAB is 15 at level 20, compared to a fighter's 20. At 26, you're like a fighter with 22 DEX with bows. And you can have a mighty bow and more STR (remember persistent Bull's) than most fighters with 22 DEX do, anyway. Persistent Divine Favour, not sweet? Don't forget Divine Might isn't just for paladins, either. Cloak of the Nymph +8 will help it greatly, too.

9. Druid. You can make them into melee monsters - they will have more resistances of all kinds than clerics, but less physical power... though not necessarily. You can add a powerful fire damage enchantment to your weapon, you can also cast Storm Avatar on self. You don't have the cleric's nifty BAB and STR enhancers, but oh well. You can take Elephant's hide for a feat. Couple with Stoneskin and Spell Resistance. Pretty untouchable. There's a lot you can do with a druid. You can play the scout's part too. Look at the skills and some of the spells.

10. Bard. Another versatile race. You can actually cast spells in medium armour with the right feats and Mithral Full Plate Armour +5 is medium armour in case you didn't know. And Mithral Heavy Shield +5 comes at 0% arcane failure rate. You really don't have to go the Finesse route if you don't want to. There are some nice items you can wear with UMD, such as those monk's boots for +5 Dodge AC. You aren't normally a fighter's equal, but some of the spells can help even that.

11. Fighter/Weaponmaster/NW9 - that's a lot of abilities for a fighter. You get a lot of abilities, you don't have to take time buffing up, though. What's not to like?

 

As for multiclassing pallies to a warpriest: When would a Pally receive lvl-4 spells, and what WIS is required to get them?

EDIT: Min WIS 14; @ lvl-14. What do I have my PHB for?

 

A nice powergamer build with decent conversation abilities:

• Drow (couldn't resist) because it allows you to boost INT, DEX and CHA cheaply, and of course for spells resistance (31 on lvl-20).
  Weakness to light and xp malus are a cheap price to pay.
• bard (1) - much better variety of skills than the sorcerer, and more skill points as well. First level feat: Able learner, you don't want to waste those precious skill points.
• fighter (4) - to develop your melee ability I strongly suggest a two handed weapon, greatsword or halberd would be my choices. Pick weapon focus, weapon specialisation.
• dragon disciple (10) - reasons are plain and simple the draconic abilities that boost attributes and AC, and give those lovely immunities (fire, paralysis) and bonus feats.

Who needs a frenzied berserker or barbarian when you can have the power boost permanently. Then add gloves or a belt of strength, or a potion or spell, and hand your char a two-handed weapon, and there you go.

Conversation skills will be satisfactory, not at last because of your draconic charisma boost. The char can even be relatively stealthy and 'observant' when you develop the skill points accordingly - here able learner really helps. When you focus your stat points on strength you'll end up having something around STR 29 on level 20. Add to that weapon specialisation and focus in your big weapon of choice, cleave and great cleave -- you have an absolutely formidable melee fighter, who can even spit fire from time to time

That leaves all options open for the last five levels and of course, for MotB later. Some more fighter levels, one of the new classes, or weapons master, divine champion, shadowdancer, shadow thief of Amn, NWN9, assassin, barbarian, berserker, blackguard -- whatever.

 

An idea I just had, would like some comments.

Teifling, Human or Wood Elf
Ranger 11 / Rogue 7 / DivChamp 3

Take Ranger levels straight all the way up to 11, to get all the Ranger feats (particularly two-weapon fighting styles for free). By this point, I will have finished all of Neeshka's quests and won't NEED a second dual-weilding trap removing sneak-attacker (chimes of opening will take care of any and all locks). The Rogue levels should give me 3d6 sneak attack (if memory serves by level 7) and then the DivChamp is just extra Melee gravy. Another option would be to go NW9 for the last 3 (or 5) levels, as the NW9 abilities and armor compliment this build very well.

Second question: If I choose weapon finesse and boost strength, dex will only effect my to-hit, not damage...correct? And in this case, will I still add my Strength bonus even if I'm using my dex to hit? I heard somewhere that small weapons do NOT apply the strength bonus to damage. Please confirm. If this is all correct, then I'll boost strength as often as possible and stick to Chain Shirts (as my max dex bonus need only be 4).

Also - weapons. Shall I go med/small or small/small? Focusing on short swords is tempting, but kukris and scimitars are also great. For roleplaying reasons a Champion of Meillikki may need scimmies...

Thoughts please.

 

with weapon finesse, dex allways only affect your to hit and only as long as it is higher then your strength

oh and if you go weapon finess and duelwielding small/small will give you more chance to hit then medium/small. except in case of rapier/small.
but duelwielding smallswords with weapon finess will give you decent damage and you will hardly ever miss

 

I have started playing my Drow bard1-fighter4-dragin disciple, and the one thing that hurts more than I expected was the level penalty Drow get. Except for that, awesome char, soon

It's only sort of frustrating to have what will be a melee char, who is so much behind either Khelgar, or Neeshka (who I dualclassed rogue4-fighter3 to dualwield daggers or kukris - she has not only a higher attack bonus, but also two more attacks - and I'm one level behind her.

 

I did a human barbarian (4)/bard (1)/RDD (X) -- a really great character. RDD in a rage was fun.

 

I just got this game (father's day present). I know for the original NWN there were websites that had a lot of character builds on them. Can anyone recommend a site for NWN2 character builds?

 

SP?