best multi or dualclass combinations

Leviathan · Post by **Leviathan** » Sun Nov 05, 2000 4:47 pm

What multi/dualclass combinations do you like the most? And is there anything that differs multiclassed characters from dualclassed except for the way they advance in levels? for example lvl 9/10 multiclass figher/mage compared to lvl 9/10 dual class figher/mage. I am currently playing an elf fighter/mage/thief. It works quite well at current level 9/10/11. I will probably have to use the capremover to get full advantage of it though.

Earcaraxe · Post by **Earcaraxe** » Mon Nov 06, 2000 1:42 am

The best dual class combination is, of course, the great CHEESE: Kensai/Mage. It has everything... It has spell protection, it has spell negation, it has powerful attacks and it's damn ugly.

Another one of my favorites is Mage/Cleric, because it has a lot of spells, very verstile.

Maurice · Post by **Maurice** » Mon Nov 06, 2000 4:01 am

The above mentioned ones are good of course, but I have another one that I like. My new protagonist (well, new isn't the exact word - he has gone through BG 1 two or three times, and already once through BG II as support unit) is a dual-classed fighter/thief. For the first six levels, I played him as a fighter. This gives not only a nice amount of hitpoints to begin with, it also gives a nice THAC0, and you can put numerous points in a preferred proficiency - I recommend short swords. By level 6, you should have at least 4 points in this.

Then I dual-classed him to thief. Once he's level 7 and higher, you play him as a thief, but with numerous benefits, like the ability to wear a helmet, dish out loads of back-stab damage, etc...

Sherman · Post by **Sherman** » Fri Nov 10, 2000 10:56 am

What level will your dual class thief max out at with the XP cap, Maurice? I'm curious because I was thinking of starting one =D

Chade Fallstar · Post by **Chade Fallstar** » Fri Nov 10, 2000 12:17 pm

the best ... My Berserker (9th level) dual classsed to Cleric just rocks most of the time. Give the guy 5 stars in Flail prof. and make him a dual wielder. when the guy reached 10th level as a cleric he's amazing. Just hit him with righteous magic, call upon holy strenght and a few protective spells + make him go berserk his thac0's are around -6 mainhand & -1 ooffhand with AC of -16 ... you get 3 attacks / round (with boots of spped I think 3½)plus all the abiliteis of 'normal' cleric.

Nighthawk · Post by **Nighthawk** » Fri Nov 10, 2000 3:58 pm

I kind of like...

Blade: Fighter/Mage/Thief

and

Monk: Fighter/Thief/Cleric

Maurice · Post by **Maurice** » Fri Nov 10, 2000 4:47 pm

Sherman: I just checked for you.

Fighter: level 6 (32000 exp.). A fighter gets an extra proficiency star at this level, and you can (if I'm right) bring one weapon class to at least 4 stars. If you finally gain the benefit of both classes, this will have great impact on his damage potential and chance to hit. I have chosen for short swords, but I heard you can also backstab with long swords.

Then Dual Class to Thief, and he should be able to reach level 23 (2,918,000 exp.).

He also gains great benefit from the extra hitpoints gained in the fighter-class. My Thief ended up with 134 hitpoints (139 with Helm of Balduran). Oh, that's another benefit: you can wear helms and such without penalty to your thieving skills. Doesn't count for all armors though.

Nighthawk · Post by **Nighthawk** » Fri Nov 10, 2000 5:52 pm

It might be worth giving up a thief level to get the extra 1/2 attack fighters get at level 7.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Fri Nov 17, 2000 2:43 am

When you have a mulitclass or dualclass character, lets say a fighter and a mage. Can you where the stuff the fighter can , and still cast spells as a mage? you get the best of the two classes, if you know what i meen.

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Chade Fallstar · Post by **Chade Fallstar** » Fri Nov 17, 2000 3:04 am

Mages can't cast spells while wearing armor or gauntlets and that's it. Though there are a few exceptions in the game, f. eg. different kinds of elven chainmails. I've always thought that it's only elven fighter / mages that can cast spells while wearing elven chainmail but it seems I was wrong (or then they've implemented it differently) Yesterday I noticed that Imoen can wear the drow-made elven chainmail +3(+2?) which gives you 5% magic resistance & -1 casting time and cast spells while wearing it ... Which is nice =) Now I only have to find a way to get those things out of underdark. btw. Is there a better fullplate in the game than the Drow FullPlate +5 ... ?

daemon · Post by **daemon** » Fri Nov 17, 2000 3:19 am

The best armour for fighter mages (that works out of the underdark) is the Bladesinger Chain + 4. This is wearable by fighter/mages and has an AC of 1 (combine this with Helm of Balduran, 2* Ring of Gaxx (I've been through the game twice already), plus 2* in single handed weapon) AC = -10

You wouldn't want to F*** with my mage...

Maurice · Post by **Maurice** » Fri Nov 17, 2000 4:20 am

There's a trick to get Drow Equipment into the daylight.

Just stock every drow item you have on one of your NPC's, and send the person out of your party while still being in the Underdark. Tell the person to meet again in the city (e.g. Copper Coronet or similar). Then exit yourself, and meet again with the NPC in the city - voila, Drow equipment in full daylight! However, don't take it back into the screen where you met the Elves on the surface, because this will destroy the equipment.

The reason for all this is that there is only one map which has a trigger to replace drow equipment by adamantite dust, and that's the map where you resurface after your trip to the underdark. In other maps, this trigger does not exist, and the drow equipment can exist there without problems. A minor bug, I'd say.

Hazim ibn Gorion · Post by **Hazim ibn Gorion** » Sat Nov 18, 2000 10:52 pm

Can I piss and moan for a second about the Kensai/Mage fad? If you read the PnP player's handbook (granted, this isn't PnP, but it's supposed to emulate it), it's quite clear that a Kensai is NOT the type of fighter who would even consider taking up magic. In fact, it's a fudge in BG2 that he's even able to use magical weapons. If you follow the PHB, he works more like the monk, with AC bonuses and gradual plusses added to his non-magical weapon thac0 as his levels increase.

Personally, I'd like to dual a wizard slayer to a mage and see if he kills himself once he reaches fully active dual.

Cyphus · Post by **Cyphus** » Mon Nov 20, 2000 10:40 am

im a human fighter (normal one) at lv11 and it wont let me use the dual class ability... I thought it was for human ppl??? i know its too l8 to use it now... but i wanted to do it

bullions27 · Post by **bullions27** » Mon Nov 20, 2000 10:45 am

There is no time limit when you can dual class Cyphus. You need to have at LEAST a 17 score on each of the base stats for the class you want to change to. E.g. if you want to be a cleric, their base stat is Wisdom so you will need at least a 17 in wisdom to change to it.

Nighthawk · Post by **Nighthawk** » Mon Nov 20, 2000 11:49 am

Questoin about the PHB Kensai. If he can't use non-magic weapons, do weapons he's using eventually count as magical? If not, he'd be utterly helpless against a good portion of the monsters in BG2 so there is a good reason for letting him use them.

I hadn't heard that they gain AC, but in PnP you could wear two Ring of Protection +2, a Cloak of Protection +2 and an Amulet of Protection +2 at the same time which with a high dex (18) and the bonus 2 to AC would give an AC of -6. I also heard that this sort of + protection item stacking was typical for Kensai so I don't see them being anti-magic item, just really picky about their weapons.

Hazim ibn Gorion · Post by **Hazim ibn Gorion** » Mon Nov 20, 2000 12:05 pm

Yes, PnP Kensai gets thac0 bonuses to his non-magical sword as he progresses, just like a monk's hands.

As for the rings and such, I probably wasn't as specific as I meant to be. Yes, he can use magical items, but not magical weapons. He considers them cheating and therefore dishonorable.

bullions27 · Post by **bullions27** » Mon Nov 20, 2000 12:06 pm

The rules are somewhat confusing but this is pretty much the overall gist. Kensai can use magical weapons but they take xp penalties if they use it in combat unless the magical weapon is his Specialty weapon.

bullions27 · Post by **bullions27** » Mon Nov 20, 2000 12:14 pm

Hazim -

Ack, I'd just re-read the rules and I was off. Kensai cannot use any magical weapons, even if it's his specialty, unless they want to take half xp penalty. The only way they can fight magical creatures is if they dual wield a magical weapon and his own weapon which would be non-magical. So Kensai are helpless against magical creatures. This is sort of lame considering this is coming from the Seocnd Edition.

Nighthawk · Post by **Nighthawk** » Mon Nov 20, 2000 4:24 pm

Actually, I guess that just means that they get half-exp from creatures that can't be hit except by magical weapons...ie, carry a magical sword and whip it out when your weapon doesn't work...

Still, a very silly way to work things. If they can't use them, they should be able to make the regular act like it was magical. Plus to hit and counts as +x are VERY different things.