Favourite Class

Olmer · Post by **Olmer** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 12:29 pm

Re: More...

Originally posted by nephtu
Olmer, that's hardly a fair comparison - any character with mage spell defenses can achieve essentially complete invulnerability (at least for a while) quite easily, so the example used is hardly relevant. Viconia can be a terrifyingly destructive character, especially given her ability to dominate undead into handy little pets

I know what do you mean - you compare characters with their advantages in team, not their individual abilities, but that changes everything. Now we must look for someone versitale, who doesn't need to be strong. Then the best character will be dual classed Mage\Cleric because of his ability to cast both kinds of spells...
I know that without Breaches everyone protected by mystical spells will be immune to almost all attacks but we compare fighting abilities, and those are greater with spells on characters...

nephtu · Post by **nephtu** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 3:27 pm

Re: Re: More...

Originally posted by Olmer
...SNIP...Now we must look for someone versitale, who doesn't need to be strong. Then the best character will be ...SNIP...

Umm...why someone versatile? It seems to me that party groups in BGII can work very well indeed with each character being a pure discipline specialist, versatility is not needed at all.

Some people might prefer a party of generalists, but it's only in solo/small group adventures that versatility is so critical.

Enjoy!

Olmer · Post by **Olmer** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 9:52 am

Now I really don't know what do you want. We are here to select best character to play WITHOUT help. When I tried to point out one, you said that with magical protections everyone can be powerful. So I told that someone versitale would be good. If someone isn't versitale or powerful alone then how he could be the best character?

nephtu · Post by **nephtu** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 12:22 pm

Hmmm...

Well, as is often the case, the topic of the post has shifted over time form it's original
what is your favorite class?
to what is the most powerful class. If you restrict to solo play, you get a radically different answer from group play, which was my focus. Neither has a definitive answer, however.

I'll demur commenting on solo play, as I never do it, but you're absolutely right - versatility is highly desirable in solo play.

Good gaming!

Olmer · Post by **Olmer** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 2:47 am

Then my favourite class would be mage able to wield longsword (Xan in BG was in my party even, when I was playing as evil character).I don't know why, it just... looks great

Bladesinger (in TDD) is my favourite profession then (but he must be an elf and I want romance with Viconia... this will be hard joice...). Good gaming to you.

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 4:17 am

Originally posted by Olmer
Then my favourite class would be mage able to wield longsword (Xan in BG was in my party even, when I was playing as evil character).I don't know why, it just... looks great Bladesinger (in TDD) is my favourite profession then (but he must be an elf and I want romance with Viconia... this will be hard joice...). Good gaming to you.

Well, there's a spell called Black Blade of Desaster ... this one really rocks if you're into sword-swinging mages.

Bruce Lee · Post by **Bruce Lee** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 4:31 am

I have played most classes. Long time since I played bg2 actually. Might give it a try again soon though. My favourite single class was the swashbuckler. Maybe not the most powerful but deceptively powerful still. Quite capable to handle the game on his/her own. And it is a classy class.
My favourite dual class has to be swashbuckler10 dualed to mage. Now this class has it all. This is a very good solo class. IMO better than fightermages and better than tripleclasses because of the fast levelling. You can dual very early and regain your thieving abilities early on.
Favourite multiclass for me is the gnome cleric/thief. Maybe a strange character but a great asset to any party. Playing this character means that you can pick party members without having to worry about partycomposition.
Honorary mention to the blade class. This would possibly have been my favourite singleclass if my favourite NPC haerdalis hadn't been in the game.

Olmer · Post by **Olmer** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:42 am

Bruce Lee - you're the first, who appreciate power of that NPC. Most thinks that he's very weak character. Thanks to you but I didn't say, that mage able to wield long sword is powerful but that I like that class.

Bruce Lee · Post by **Bruce Lee** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 11:35 am

Blade was a good class already in SoA and then in ToB they get the best ability for themselves, the improved bard song, and share the second best UAI with thieves. They also get the traps so they are really beefed up. The also reach a much higher level of spellcasting than other casters which makes their dispel and remove magic awesome.
Simply an outstanding class.
Elegant aswell.

JonIrenicus · Post by **JonIrenicus** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 1:33 pm

I really liked playing fighter/thief and fighter/mage. F/T could instantly kill mages if they did not have their defensive spells on and could hold their own against other melee characters. F/M just owns. Can play they entire game with F/M and not get any damage dealt to him (well not much). F/M can also solo all the dragons in SoA. Every fun classes.

Galmar · Post by **Galmar** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:36 pm

A few things really, firstly a Human wild mage, CG alignment, these are probably my personal favourite, a huge arsenel of spells combined with the danger element, at lower levels NWD is just asking for trouble, and really is a do or die spell, but later on it becomes actually usable once you hit level 25+. Extra spell slot.. no opposing school, really makes you feel magic has a nasty side however.. a vanilla mage may be safer and smarter to play, but i just love seeing a demon of some sort being gated in when you try to cast friends in town.... reload anyone?

Other then that my other choice is CN or NE human berserkers, CN allows a lot more freedom, usually i go bastard or longswords, then later put points into maces and dual wielding, it just reminds me of the lord in those old "Ogre battle" games. Plus the fighter stronghold is just 10x better then the paladin's crappy "room".

A fun class to play is also a gnome illusionist / theif, brings back memories of picking fights at the friendly arm in, only for that guy to come.

I dont really like halflings / elves / half elves / half orcs or gnomes tho.

Elemental ZOOT · Post by **Elemental ZOOT** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:14 am

Necromancers rule
1. They don't miss out on much spells (But a good 1 they miss is sirculim)

2. but they rule W/ Automatic high wisdom which is good

Balthazar-LOM · Post by **Balthazar-LOM** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:23 am

mage fighters

yea mage/fighters do kick some ass teners transformation is awsome with blakc blade lots of hp

Adahn · Post by **Adahn** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 9:13 am

I'd have to go with Sorcerer, just wait till he's at a good high level, give him the good spells, and watch him freeze time, improved alerticity, and skull trap the entire room, after that, ad alittle AB's Horrid Wilting + Greater Malison and any, I repeate any enemy should croak, if by any chance it's a lich, dragon or whatever, add alittle breach or spell strike, and you da man!

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:29 pm

Originally posted by Adahn
I'd have to go with Sorcerer, just wait till he's at a good high level, give him the good spells, and watch him freeze time, improved alerticity, and skull trap the entire room, after that, ad alittle AB's Horrid Wilting + Greater Malison and any, I repeate any enemy should croak, if by any chance it's a lich, dragon or whatever, add alittle breach or spell strike, and you da man!

sorcerors are the best...period...only edwin comes close...and he's a better sorceror than a conjuror...with a little help from sk...

Galmar · Post by **Galmar** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:26 pm

Elemental ZOOT, fable deleted your posts methinks. But "Netromazers" suck, you loose mirror image, project image, simulacrum for a start, pretty invaluable spells if you ask me.

But oh well, i suppose you could munchkin all the way through sleeping after every encounter.

And i still think a mage can kick a sorcerers arse, sorcerers have the whole versitility thing, but mages can be much better prepared if you know what you are up against.

nephtu · Post by **nephtu** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:56 pm

Well...

Originally posted by Galmar
Elemental ZOOT, fable deleted your posts methinks. But "Netromazers" suck, you loose mirror image, project image, simulacrum for a start, pretty invaluable spells if you ask me.

Necromancers lose two whole LINES of excellent spells - the Invisibility spells (all 4) and the mislead/ proj.image/ simulacrum line. The only specialist mages hit so hard are Enchanters who lose the sequencer/trigger and contingency lines. IMAO Illusionists, Conjurers and Invokers (or is Evokers?) are the only specialists worth bothering with.

Originally posted by Galmar
Elemental ZOOT, fable deleted your posts methinks. But "Netromazers" suck, you loose mirror image, project image, simulacrum for a start, pretty invaluable spells if you ask me.

But oh well, i suppose you could munchkin all the way through sleeping after every encounter.

And i still think a mage can kick a sorcerers arse, sorcerers have the whole versitility thing, but mages can be much better prepared if you know what you are up against.

In principle, that's absolutely true. since mages have a much wider variety of spells to pick from. But Sorcerors don't HAVE to prepare - they're always ready for trouble. I've played Edwin through as conjuror and sorceror - he's an excellent mage, but an amazing sorceror. Try the side by side play through, and you'll see what I mean. I think I'll have to side-by side Edwin as a wild mage next time in ToB, that'll be interesting, if I can get a hndle on being a wild mage.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 8:11 pm

even if a mage tries to prepare to fight a sorceror, the mage will lose...

mages have limited spell slots, so you have to always sacrifice some offensive spells for defensive spells...

like level 2, you're going to have to give up at least one melf acid arrow spell you could memorize for a mirror image...(well, you don't have to, but you will if ya know what's good for you...)

so the sorceror will always have a bigger arsenal...and defensive ability, and unlike a mage, who probably has one mirror image memorized, a sorceror can recast mirror image if its dispelled or true sighted...

the only classes that come even remotely close are cleric mages and maybe a really lucky wildmage...

the only advantage mages have over sorcerors, besides allowing you to experiment with spells you haven't tried before is multi or dual classing...

Galmar · Post by **Galmar** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 10:26 pm

I didnt include the invisibility spells =/ i forgot this time... actually im annoyed, because elemental zoot made a few threads on the ToB forum i think that fable deleted for spamming, one had me whining why necros suck so bad.

As for enchatment spells, i didnt know they lost those as well.. thats just bad.

The thing i really despised in bg is that specialist mages are a load of crap, i mean they only give +1 spell a level, and forbid you from learning / using spells of the opposite school. They dont actually specialise, as much as pick the least usefull school.

I think that like specialist mages should get some hefty bonus's in the school they pick, like maybe double effectiveness of level based spells... thats a surefire way to make abi's horrid wilting and necromancers sickenenly strong.

Dosnt make much sence to me that a Conjurer and a Necromancer can cast eachothers spells with the same effectiveness, i dont know if its like that in D&D, but if its the same as it is in BG then specialist mages suck.... so bad.

Bruce Lee · Post by **Bruce Lee** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 1:52 am

I am pretty sure they get some other bonuses apart from one extra spell slot. Something like their specialist spells being harder to save against and like you said higher level. But I may be getting things confused with 3rd edition.
I class that would have been great had it been allowed is the fighter dualed to swashbuckler. Very tough on the defense and not bad on the offense either.