Multiclass vs. Dual

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Most people seem to prefer dual class to multiclass in SOA with good reason but the TOB expansion changes this, for me at lest.

If you dual class you get 1. the ability to grand master your weapons, 2. more weapon proficiency slots, 3. more hit points 4. the ability to choose a kit for your first class.

If you multiclass, you get 1. more high level abilities (you can even get assassinate multiple times (probably a bug)), 2. don't have to deal with the annoying exercise of getting your second class level up to your previous class level, 3. get to choose from two sets of high end abilities.

If you like Ranger/Clerics, the Multiclass version is sooooo much better than the dual class version. If you dual class, you probably start as a straight Ranger because none of the Kits are really worth it if you dual to a cleric. You can't get better than regular specialization anyway. The limited weapon choices available to clerics means that you have more than enough weapon slots to get what you want (I have noticed a disturbing inability to get more than two slots in two weapon style and more than one slot in two handed style). Which leaves you with a tradeoff of hit points for more high end abilities and access to two sets of high end abilities (I have also noticed that the elemental summoning of Ranger/Clerics are more likely to summon a prince (but maybe that'sa just me). When was the ;last time you needed more than 145 hit points to get through a battle (this is at max level but the difference is even smaller at lower levels. The choice is pretty clear for me.

Thief/Clerics ,Thief/Mages and cleric/mages are also pretty heavily weighted towards multiclassing.

The choice is not as clear for fighter multiclasses but in all honesty, how much good a fighter is a kensai mage (or beserker mage that you dual over at level 9 or 13). Even given the differences in weapon specialization, the 24th level fighter/20th level mage (what you eventually get when you multiclass a fighter) kicks your butt and has access to fighter high end abilities. You lose out on quantity of 9th level spells 2 vs. 4 but when do you need more than 2 9th level spells in an encounter.

Fighter thieves have the added bonus of being able to combine whirlwind with assassination (you have got to try this, it rocks).

Never tried a fighter/cleric but, Clerics run out of high end abilities (as do mages) long before thay run out of levels, so you kinda waste those high levels (I know you get more spell castings and stuff but nothing to really look forward to (I know you don't get a holy symbol because you stop progression at 24 but if Viconia gets imprisoned after she turns good she gets an extra holy symbol when you free her (heck you can even imprison her yourself)). Fighter/Druids also seem to work well multi. I compared Cernd (druids still kinda bite) to Jaheira and the fact that Cernd runs out of high level abilities fairly quickly is irritating. Jaheira really comes into her own in TOB (she rocks with ixil's spike).

My opinion of the Multi NPC's are much higher now. Yes I now like Jan, Aerie and Jaheira (I ditched these guys as soon as I completed their quests in SOA). I wish Jaheira was a Ranger/Cleric but oh well (too bad SK seems to muck up the game in TOB.

Jaheira: gets all the druid quest spells and gets a boatload of fighter high end abilities.

Jan: More than enough thief for the game and he gets all the 10th level mage spells as well as a boatload of high end thief abilities (read traps and assassination).

Aerie: can get every high end spell (probably my least favorite of the multis.

(note Aerie and Jan's intelligence needs boosting, potions of mind focusing are very useful).

With that said, only Jaheira is a regular member of my group (if she were a ranger cleric, that would be a different story).

 

I think dualclassing is mostly used to actually specialize in one class, but still have some benefits of another class.

Say I want a mage, but if I can sacrifice 1 high level for 6 low fighter levels, ofcourse I would do it. Lots of hit points and the ability to use armor (like elven chain) and perhaps a bow or crossbow. Or shield and helmet.

and about the multiple assasination ability, I think it's like whirlwind. every time you select it, you get to use it one more time pr day

Though as for multiclassing is taking and improving two classes of the same time, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but just that dualclassing should be thought of as single class specialization with extra benefits instead of having a doubleclass character

[This message has been edited by Lokken (edited September 08, 2001).]

 

Other than the increased casting slots what purpose is there to having a mage higher than 20th level (spells don't get any more powerful). You also get a reasonably good fighter in the bargain. You also get access to all those neat fighter abilities.

With that said, I love sorcerers. I guess I'm big on flexibility.

 

I don't really need a fighter, I need a mage with many hit points. And therefore I have no reason to make a multiclass instead of dualclass.

And mages at 20th level might be a bit early, I think the levelup stuff stops being usefull once they reach level 25-26, and at that time, there isn't a whole lot of xp remaining in the game anyway.

Depends on how you play your character

[This message has been edited by Lokken (edited September 08, 2001).]

 

i've never liked the idea of dualclassing. Don't know why just doesn't appeal to me. Tho i must admit it is very useful.

However, playing a thief/mage multiclass char is incredibly fun. I mean you never charge into battles. And you have the clever tactics of both the thief and the mage (my the only chars i like playing in p&p) at your disposal For ex: mislead + cloak of nondetection (or just a nondetection spell) and wham you've already got assasination heh

another advantage of multiclassing is although you have less hitpoints (btw i never like the idea of a char (much less a mage) having 150 hitpoints almost like a dragon ) but the multiclass char make more levels as a total.

Anyways my inchorent 2 cents After all this is just a matter of choice and whichever makes you feel better about your char is the way to go. I'd rather have a somewhat weaker pure mage than a dualclassed one.

"Is that a dagger which i see before me ?" - Macbeth

 

I know I'm off topic, but you mentioned something about getting multiple symbols by imprisoning Viconia. Actually, all you have to do is take all of hers off her, kick her from the party, and when you invite her back, she'll be given another one. Thieves can use them via their "use-any-item" ability(not that they're that great), but more importantly, you can just get another one for her (i.e. take hers off her, boot her, invite her, and give the one you took back).

 

No contest........Dual class is best.

First of all you get better bonuses which last.
For example i have a fighter which i dual at level 7 to a theif. I can then get a level 39 theif by the end with all fighter abilities. If you multiclass you get two medium level professions when you don't need them. Plus you can include kits with DC. My berserker theif is just finishing now and he can beat Demogorgon (harder version) Single handed! not bad for a theif!

 

I agree that dualclassing is stronger thatn multiclassing. Still, i think multiclass characters are more enjoyable

 

I basically think that multiclassing offers some advantages compared to dualclassing in ToB, insofar I have to agree with Arek. More here:
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum10/HTML/000405.html

 

I dualed my R/C at level 10, now that I am a Level 29 Cleric and just defeated Yaga-Shura, meaning still more of ToB to go, I think I should have waited a bit later to dual. No matter, my R/C is proving his worth, leading the party in total # of kills by far... Rounding to the nearest hundred I know from the top of my head, that he has killed 800 enemies, Mazzy's killed 600, Valygar 500, and Aerie 300. Um yeah, he's doing his fair share of dealing out damage How different would this be if I had him multiclass instead? Well he wouldn't be a level 29 cleric that's for sure...and the extra spell slots are great. I love Ironskins!!!

I will say this about multiclass though, here we are in chapter 9 and Aerie still hasn't reached level 18 in mage (she's almost 17) which means no level 9 spells. Geez by the time she gets them, we'll almost be done...Slower than Chittika Fastpaws is all I have to say about her multi-class.


Mini-spoiler>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lol! We'll end up having three more kids by the time she reaches level 18

[This message has been edited by Big B (edited September 09, 2001).]

 

You might want to try playing SOA with TOB installed. The xp cap is 8 million and you get close to 4 million even if you jet throught SOA (only do the Edwin quest, your stronghold, the harper quest and anomen's quest in Athkatla (that way all the NPC's get all the bennys they can from SOA)).

You end up hitting your xp cap pretty early in TOB if you do all the quests in SOA (now that the xp cap is so high, the incentive is higher, you used to max out by the time you got out of underdark if you did most of the quests and didn't have TOB installed).

If you want a mage, get a sorcerer (their magical versatility and ability to cast 6 ninth/tenth level spells make them almost unbeatable e.g. cast animate dead and invisible stalker (both long lasting summons) and then time stop, then improved alacrity, then just kick their butts with things like maze and wilting).

I think I'm gonna turn Jaheira into a multi ranger/cleric, Imoen into a sorcerer, someone into a monk, someone else into a multi fighter/thief and play a multi mage/thief. I already played through the game before I discovered SK and let me tell you SK can make the game so much fun (especially altering NPCs into whatever you want, that way you play the exact type of party you want and you also get to hear all the npc dialogue.

 

Dual class and multi-class characters are both good, it just depends on what type of character you want.

With Ranger/Cleric I'd go for multi-class, but for a Fighter/Mage I'd probably dual class at L12. Go with which ever type appeals to you more for the character you're trying to build.

-- Tiger

 

I'm probably being presumptuous in thinking that I'm clever for having thought of this, but after my thief got the use any item ability, I wondered what would happen if a cleric dual classed to thief did it. Would they be able to use edged weapons?

Yes!!!!

That's one bad girl!

So another pretty viable dual, perhaps even multiclass option is the cleric/thief. It does suck for a while during the time you are playing catch up, but after that it is pretty cool having a cleric who can use any item, including edged weapons and the paladin’s bracers and swords as well as all of the magic user and monk stuff.

To answer the topic question, I generally prefer dual classed characters, but I made an exception for my dwarven fighter/cleric and he turned out to be pretty cool.

 

I have done a little experimentation and basically, I have come to the conclusion that multiclass is better than dual class in TOB. Dual class is better than multi in SOA but the higher XP limit makes the higher levels of fighter and thief less desirable than the first say 25 or so levels and other than casting frequency the magic classes tend to go downhill fast after level 20 or so. I am playing a game with all multiclasses and eveyone is a fighter that can actually fight pretty well. There are so many cool weapons that you want those fighters. Fighter thieves (I've got four) are so cool with assasssinate/greater whirlwind (kill everything in one round).

 

Finally! Aerie leveled up to an 18th lvl mage. Yeah! Never mind the fact we just have to finish up Sendai's place and do Abizgal, Balthazaar, and the end of the game. Well here's to Aerie for finally making it.

 

What's the point, she doesn't get ninth level spells does she?

 

Why wouldn't she? This is ToB.

 

oh.. so a char with 16 int does get 9th level spells. Nice.. or no ?

in 3rd ed you have to have like 19 int to cast them. Yikess!!

 

She still was able to cast lvl 9 spells for me. Must be a ToB thing, also, I did raise her int score by one though with the Machine of Lum the Mad.