Looking for small party of 3 to 4 characters

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:06 am

Hi!
I want to play IWD again after all these years(and after that iwd 2)

I need advice on a small party of 3-4 people that is fun to play.
Which classes should I get?
What about their stats?
Important: Which weapon proficiencies should I let them learn?

When should I start heart of winter and totlm?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:41 am

Fighter/Druid or Fighter/Mage or Paladin. (Longswords or Scimitars)
Thief 6 -> Mage. (Crossbow)
Cleric/Ranger. (Maces or Hammers)
Bard. (Longbow, Spears/Halberds)

This way, you have access to all the sidequests, (virtually) all spells and a broad range of weapons.

Alternatively, change the Bard for a Fighter/Mage who specialises in Longbows & Spears or Halberds or Greatswords, or make a Fighter 9 -> Mage.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 9:15 am

Thanks.
Is a cleric really needed if I have a druid?
Which thieving skills should I max before changing to mage?
If you think the cleric isnt needed which class would you sub for him?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 10:09 am

I'd stick with a Cleric rather than a Druid. Clerics have good buffing & protection spells.
The only Thieving skills I bother with are Detect Trap & Open Lock. Pick Pocket (there are some good items) is covered by the Bard, and Stealth never worked for me, in none of the IE games.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 10:19 am

But dont I need the better offensive spells the druid has to offer?Doesnt he have enough healing spells?

While the bard sings he cannot attack or cast, is that right?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:16 am

True about the Bard, but they're versatile, and War Chant of the Sith is awesome, if only for the regen between combats.

You have already two offensive casters: A Mage & a Bard. If your sole divine caster is a Druid, and you're going to load him with offensive spells, you'll have very few healing spells.
Besides, Druids don't get Defensive Harmony or Prayer.
Note that the Ranger/Cleric gets Druid spells on top of Cleric spells as his Ranger level increases.

Personally, I've found the Druid's offensive spells in IWD overrated. They are good, and I love Druids, but they're far from the be-all-end-all people make them out to be. (Apart from Static Charge abuse.)

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:32 am

Does the ranger/cleric get druid spells as fast as a Fighter/Druid?

I think all my guys should have some sort of ranged combat.Which proficiencies should I give them?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:06 pm

Check the Ranger's spell progression: that's how fast he gets access to Druid spells.

Your tank/melee-character should have a one-handed ranged weapon, so he can put it in his quickslot and equip a shield. That means Throwing Daggers or Throwing Axes or Slings.
Slings are pretty much the only choice for Clerics and their deratives.
If you have a meleecharacter who uses a twohanded weapon, Longbows are the obvious choice.

BTW, I start HoW after Dorn's Deep and then I do TotLM. Afterwards, I collect the badges in the Deep and then finish the game.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 6:16 am

What does aurils bane actually do?

Which stats are important for a bard?

Can I set the clerics intelligence to 3 without problems?

What stats does a thief need if I want to dual-class him to mage?

Can I dual him to a specialist mage?
If so which specialisation would be best?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 10:03 am

1. No idea. I suggest Google.

2. CHA needs to be at least 15, so make her your vendor and go for 18 CHA. DEX 18 for missile THAC0. CON 16 for HP, STR at least 13 or 14, preferably 18, for added melee THAC0 and carry weight, which can be an issue with small parties and 18 INT for spell memorisation.
I suggest rolling & rerolling ALL of your characters untill you get good stats. (18 DEX, 16/18 CON for non-warriors/warriors, 18/51+ STR for warriors, 18 in other primary stats.)

3. Yes. Even CHA can be lowered to the minimum. BTW, I never suggested a pure Cleric, but a Cleric/Ranger.

4. At least 15 DEX & 17 IN, but really, roll untill you can get an 18 in those.
You can dual him to a specialist, but I don't recommend it, given that you are forced to exclude two schools. You do need extra stats then, though.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 10:14 am

Thanks.
What do you think about a cleric/mage?
Is he good?
And who should i replace with him?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 10:27 am

I'm not a huge fan of Cleric/Mages, because they can only cast one spell at a time. Sure, a huge variety. Especially in a small party you don't want to be forced to choose between casting a healing spell or an offensive one. You're putting too many eggs in one basket.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 10:58 am

Okay. Why a ranger/cleric and not a fighter/cleric?
I would love to use a dwarf....

If I go with the thief 6 mage, dont I level too fast to have mage-scrolls available?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:16 am

Ranger/Cleric: you get the Druid spells as your Ranger-side levels and if you leave the offhand empty, you get an extra attack. I don't see the benefit of a Fighter/Cleric. (The faster leveling is hardly noticable in a multiclass). If you absolutely want a Dwarf, go for it. It's just a less optimal choice.

The Thief/Mage: No. You won't level too fast. Buy the scrolls when you find them in shops, though, don't wait to buy them untill you can memorise them, but keep them close.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 3:14 am

I heard there arent any level 8 and 9 mage scrolls in the game.Is that true?

Okay so:

Thief 6 -> Mage. (Crossbow) (why crossbow and not bow?)
Cleric/Ranger. (Maces or Hammers)(or F/C ) (plus sling?)
Bard. (Longbow, Spears/Halberds)

Who would you add?

Which spells would you give to the bard and which to the Mage?

What are the best two-handed weapons in the game?

Wouldnt a F/C have more tanking power because of 19 Con and a shield?

What about a fighter DUALED to a druid?

I somehow want a gnome or halfling in the party.How can I achieve this?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 5:53 am

There are lvl 8 & 9 spell scrolls in the game, IIRC, but you can't memorise them. Mods out there change that. I believe that, realistically, your mages would never reach sufficiently high levels to use those spells. Or at least that's what the devs thought at the time.

I'd add a Paladin, Fighter/Illusionist Gnome, or a Druid multi or dual class.

Crossbow instead of Bow: Bard already has bows, and there are some pretty good crossbows in the game. Feel free to spent another point in bows, and use the best of either, as they come up.

I distribute spells based on role: my Bard or Fighter/Mage gets all the buff spells, the main caster gets the offensive ones. Ofcourse, copies go to the one who doesn't have it already. Don't be afraid to spend money on scrolls.

Best weapon is hard to say, given the random nature of loot in IWD. Check this site's equipment database.
IIRC, the most powerful weapon is a Paladin-only Longsword.

A shield can just as well go on the Cleric/Ranger. Given the "half HP on level up" nature of multiclasses, I'm not even sure if the 19 CON comes into play. Even then, it would mean, by lvl 9, a 9 HP difference, at the maximum. The extra attack of the Ranger really helps.
Oh, btw, this extra attack also applies (wrongfully) to twohanded weapons. In this case, quarterstaffs. Not sure if there are any good ones.
Yes, give at least one point to slings.

Dualclass is generally speaking the same as multiclass, so go ahead. Be sure to take the Fighter side first, and go to lvl 3 (3 weapon stars in a weapon), 7 (extra half attack), 9 (5 starts in a weapon) or 13 (final half extra attack.) I consider 9 optimal in IWD.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:08 pm

Which mod changes that I can memorise 8 and 9 level spells?

But if the R/C uses a shield, he will loose the extra attack, right?

What stats do I need for a F/D dual class?

If I have 3 arcane casters in my party, will I get enough scrolls so everyone gets enough spells?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:17 pm

I believe it's in one of the Ease of Use packs. Check sorcerer's place . net, or Google.

Yes, if he uses a shield, he loses the attack.

F/D dual: STR 15, WIS 17 & CHA 15, IIRC. WIS & STR should be 18 & 18/51+ anyway.

Three might be pushing it, but I think you do, yes. Again, buy the scrolls. Most vendors sell more than one copy.

Sloty1984 · Post by **Sloty1984** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 7:52 am

What do you think about a dwarven fighter(or gnome for the helmet) with 5 pips in axes as the frontliner?

What do the other bard songs do, I only know about the one that gives HP regeneration?

Which Level will my party reach if I play through iwd, how and totlm?

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 1:14 pm

1. Stupid idea, it's a character that doesn't bring anything unique to the table in a way too small party. That aside, the game is easy enough to finish with every kind of party. But since you are so nitpicky, I'll be more specific as well.

2. I don't answer questions that can be found in the game manual/easily Google'd.

3. Going from memory, and it varies based on class, but deep teens is a safe bet.