[NO SPOILERS] First time party planning

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Ok, I don't know much about this game. All I know is that it's based on AD&D 2e rules, it's mostly hack-n-slash, and you create up to a 6 member party. My previous experience in games like this all comes from the Baldur's Gate series. Here's the party I'm thinking about, please tell me what you think:

1)Human Paladin -- High CHA makes for a good leader
2)Dwarf Fighter -- great saving throws, I like tanks. And Dwarves are my favorite race.
3)Human Fighter(2)-> Mage. I'm not sure about level limits in this game, but I like the idea of giving my mage a bow or crossbow when he's not slinging spells. After studying the XP/level limits, I might go a little more as a fighter before switching.
4)Human Ranger(2)-> Cleric. This is a Bioware game, right? I like getting all of the priest spells, and ** in slings is better than *.
5)Half-Elf Bard. Nice little backup mage, and some power when I don't have a mage near the beginning of the game. A high Lore makes the game less frustrating, IMHO.
6)Halfling Fighter/Thief. I don't like single-classed thieves, and the slower advancement of a multiclasser is offset by the Halfling thief-skill bonuses and that of a higher DEX.

 

What all did you install; IWD + HoW + TotLM?

Human Paladin - Pallys make great tankers, specially since they will have the maximum range of weapon options. Remember that IWD is really combat oriented, so the more fighting capable people you have the better.

Dwarf Fighter - Korgan is a bad influence isn't he.

Human Fighter[2]/Mage[x] - 2e mate. If a class can't use a certain weapon type, then it can't use that weapon type. Mages can't use Xbows iirc so you are stuck with slings. Why not make him Fighter[3] before you dual, you can get an extra point in the weapon of your choice.

Human Ranger[2]/Cleric[x] - I've never played this class.

HalfElf Bard - You will love the bards in IWD. Bards is BG will seem to have been short changed.

Halfling Fighter/Thief - I dont think there is any use of having a multiclassed thief. Of course there is the bonus to halflings. Generally I Make a Human Thief[9] whom I then dual to mage since I already have all the skills I want.

 

It all looks good. You've got plenty of PCs to share the weapons; no one's hogging the long sword.

Not much else I can say without throwing spoilers left and right. Have fun!

 

My first party I played through with, and one I really liked was something like this:

Elf or Half-Elf (can't remember) Fighter/Druid

Human Paladin

Human Fighter5/MageX

Human Fighter5/ClericX

Human Fighter5/ThiefX

Human Bard

The 5 fighter levels for most everyone means that the beginning, when mages, clerics and thieves are weakest is easier: at the very beginning, they're just fighters.

Once they make the switch, they've got some health and proficiencies to fall back on till they get their spells and stuff. Later on, if things go bad, they're able to defend themselves in melee till the active warriors can help them. The lack of healing at the very beginning is the worst part, but later on, they'll be fine.

 

Fighter-Mage dualclasses can use any weapons, so the ploy to get extra Crossbow proficiency points would work.

However, I'd suggest doing a straight mage for the extra arcane power, and because a sling would suffice anyway.

The rest of it looks pretty well balanced.

 

Thanks everybody!

Shrikant, I think you're incorrect about the weapon restrictions. I also plan on getting "The Ultimate Collection," which I believe is all of the things you mentioned.

Andyr, I don't know the level limits or the XP caps, but I really don't think 2 fighter levels really hurt the mage class too much.

BTW, what is the XP Cap with the Ultimate Collection? Or is it a level limit? TIA

 

I know a single class character can get to 30 th level. Not sure if it is the same for dual-class and multi-class.

 

In an IWD + HoW game with a full 6 member party starting in EastHaven on Insane mode, a Bard can get to L30 (the max possible) by the end of the game. The rest were uniformly above L25.
I had a Human Fighter[9]/Druid[x] who dualled just before picking up the Heartstone and was L27 Druid by the end. Unlike in BG II, druids shine throughout IWD.
Taking 2 or 3 Fighter levels first will in no way make you weaker. Mages are a liability early on anyway.

I might be wrong about weapon classes for Mage since I anyway gave them Bows and Long Swords. I had that problem with that when dualling to Cleric or Druid.

I would not advise doing what Kam did. Suddenly you have 3 charecters who could hold thier own in a fight now cowering at the back till they regain their levels. Also you get a Weapon profeciency at every 3rd level, so why not wait just that much longer.

 

"I might be wrong about weapon classes for Mage since I anyway gave them Bows and Long Swords. I had that problem with that when dualling to Cleric or Druid."

Only Cleric and Druid have the problem with weapon's, becose they are "prohibted", the other classes (like mage) is becose they are just to lazy to learn them

So multiclass a fighter and mage and you get all the weapons. Personally i recomend Fighter 3, take double specialisation in bows and then dual to wizard, endure 3 levels of crappy slinging, then you have a very adept artilery expert.

And yes, Go fighter for level 3, 6 or 7, then dual. posiblly 9 if you absolutelly want that grand master.
(3=double specialisation ***, 6=master ****, 7=extra half attack per round, 9=grand master *****) No point in going to 13th level (second half attack.)

 

Looks like a melee intense party, but I don't think you're going to have too much of a problem. Resting is going to take some time, of course. My preference is always to take along a mage and a cleric, though.

 

Well, Chev, I'll have both a Mage and a Cleric, with a Bard and a Paladin to play as their assistants.

Maybe I'll go to level 3 before dual-classing then. My point in taking a few levels of the Fighter or Ranger classes is to provide a minor bump in their power over the course of the whole game, but I really don't want to be restricted for any considerable length of time trying to reactivate those dualclassers!

BTW, Srikant, please don't mention parts of the game in this thread. I'm trying to avoid reading any spoilers before I begin. I think I might be "pulling a Harbourboy" and posting my first time through the game here.

 

Hey Klorox, good luck in your journeys

 

Thanks Lynadin!

I'm considering multiclassing that Cleric/Ranger instead of dualclassing him now.

If I keep the character as a dualclass, I think I'll wait until level 7 to dual. The added 1/2 ApR should help. The Fighter/Mage dualclass will probably switch later as well.

 

Iirc in the expansion a Cleric/Ranger have to have 6 Ranger levels before gaining access to the druid spells. Just so you know.

 

A fighter can only put upto *** in ranged weapons and ***** in melee weapons. So a Fighter[3] may master one ranged weapon or a Fighter[9] can be GM in a melee weapon.
Unlike BG II, these are not nerfed in IWD.

A Ranger may have to wait till L6 before casting spells but he also gets to cast upto 6th level spells. This when a Cleric has max. spell level 7.
A C/R is better than a pure Cleric since you will be able to use all those damage spells rather than just healing.

 

Klorox, you can take a look at this. There's no spoilers, so no need to worry.

 

Cool, thanks for the updates.

Here's my updated party idea, LMK which one you like better:

Paladin
Dwarf Ftr/Clr
Human Ftr(7 or 13)->Druid -- maybe I should multiclass this one instead.
Half-Elf Bard
Halfling Ftr/Thief
Human Ftr (3 or 7)->Wizard

 

I don't think the F/C would be better than R/C in any way. Also you will be negating the HP bonus that a dwarf gets from 19 Con. Then again you will need the healing offered by the Cleric.

Fighter/Druid - I prefer to dual this charecter. Fighter[7] should be enough. I assume you will be playing on Normal mode for your first run, so it might take a while to get the best out of this charecter.

Fighter/Mage - Dual at Fighter[3] after putting *** in a ranged weapon of your choice. I don't remember which was be the best type.

 

You're not negating the 19 CON. You get +3 on the Fighter levels, +2 on the Cleric levels. A dwarf gets excellent saving throws, which is part of the reason I like them so much.

 

Actually, Klorox, concerning the con bonus, you get +2 on odd levels, +3 on even levels, when you total the fighter and cleric levels, which happens to be what you described.

I'm not sure, but I heard that a r/c only can cast those druid spells he would be able to cast anyway based on his ranger level. So at level 6 he would only be able to cast 1st level druid spells. This is only a rumor, and I'm not sure about it at all.