Weakest PC

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What's the weakest PC you could go through the game with? Most times when I pick a PC, I roll and reroll my stats to end up with the highest possible scores and also use stat-boosting items to further enhance them. But just to be different, I thought I'd try the exact opposite: the really weak PC.

Now there's a limit to how low your starting stats can be but I was planning to use Shadowkeeper to edit them down to 10 in each category. However then I got to wondering just how low stats can go before the PC becomes useless. If I edit them down to a miserly 3, will the PC still be able to get anything done? He'll be too weak to wield most weapons and too stupid to cast lots of spells (and learning spells will also be a pain) and on top of that he'll probably fail all his saving throws. He'll also have truly lousy HPs that even Aerie can put to shame.

So does anyone know what the weakest possible PC in the game could be? Is it even possible to finish the game with a PC whose stats are 3 in every category?

[ April 01, 2004, 17:21: Message edited by: david w ]

 

F/C, F/D or F/M mayby since they get some buffing spells and bonus HP from beeing fighters. Though with those stats, I doubt it - they won't get many spells will they? Almost no HP, awful THAC0 and damage...

Try it!

 

Perhaps going with simply the racial and class minimums would be the way to go. For example, if you were a fighter, take a 9 in strength, and 3's in everything else. The one stat you really don't want to put really low regardless of class is strength, simply because if you keep it at 3, I think you're limited to 10 lbs of equipment, which is basically nothing. Also, even the most basic weapons (like a quarterstaff) require a 5 strength.

That's why I recommended a fighter with a 9 in strength as the weakest character that is conceivable to finish the game with. If you do the same thing with say, a cleric with a 9 in wisdom and 3's in everything else, I don't know if you'll even be able to hold a mace, and any type of armor will be completely out of the question.

 

If you're not soloing, you can finish the game with any character. The NPC's are perfectly capable of handling everything you encounter except for Bhaal in the dream, and he's not much of a challenge.

But magic items can also make any character powerful. With magical aid, any character can have 22 STR (belt), 18 DEX (bracers), 20 CHA (ring + cloak), 18 CON 8 hours per day (belt), and high WIS and INT as needed (potions). Potions can also enhance the other abilities. You can also get items that summon things to fight for you (staff of fire, etc.).

I think the weakest character you can make is a vanilla mage that never learns any spells and has no inventory whatsoever. But even then you can survive if you're an armchair general with good NPCs.

 

Hey! and you can use that wacky elf portrait that comes with the game!

(better make him a jester...)

 

I was planning to make it a PC with a group but I see what you mean about the NPCs handling the encounters. In theory, the PC could stand in the background and wait out every fight because there are no fights in the game (well, maybe improved Abazigal and the Five) that can't be handled by five NPCs.

So I suppose the best way to go about it would be to edit everyone's stats to average levels but that might be a bit of a pain.