Best RP class/race?

Aztaroth · Post by **Aztaroth** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:07 am

What class and race combo is best (in your opinion) to roleplay? Please post reasons, too!

I'm asking because I'm thinking of replaying SoA-ToB roleplay-style! ^^

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:37 am

[QUOTE=Aztaroth]What class and race combo is best (in your opinion) to roleplay? Please post reasons, too!

I'm asking because I'm thinking of replaying SoA-ToB roleplay-style! ^^[/QUOTE]This depends completely on your roleplaying "theme". For example, my current neutral evil elf F/M/T went solo through SoA and teamed up with his brother in ToB. I found the idea interesting to go through SoA as a "lone wolf" evil Bhaalspawn and then to embrace my brother in ToB. F/M/T was the perfect class for this and elf the logical choice for the race.

Class and race come into play after you've decided on your alignment and the party you're opting for. Also, some people prefer spellcasters, others don't.

The overall most fun class in my opinion is F/T and the best race for it is probably halfling. The reason is simply that the PC gets a great amount of adventuring tasks if he's the thief and, besides that, gets all the goodies (UAI).

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:40 am

It depends a lot on you role playing preferences. For me, I'm a goodie goodie when I play. So I've always found the paladin to be a great and fairly straightforward RP class.

Aztaroth · Post by **Aztaroth** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:44 am

Yeeaahh... about the UAI... I find it to be the most cheesy ability in the entire game. And I *hate* cheese.

That is why I'm not going to play a thief... I get tempted too easily, then get bored when my thief "pwnz".

Also, Phantom Lord, notice I said *in your opinion*

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:22 pm

Well, there is no "best character" to play. It depends too much on personal preference. Cleric or F/C may be a nice choice if you want a strong support character. Sorc would be great if you're the spellcaster type and don't want Edwin in your party.

As for cheese, UAI is a killer but for sheer (combat) power, others outmatch it imho. Greater Whirlwind, Summon Planetar, Imp Alacrity and Time Trap (never used it in earlier games but it turns out to be really powerful) shift the balance in most situations.

Caranthol · Post by **Caranthol** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:52 pm

I'd have to say the chaotic neutral swashbuckler (lvl 10) dualed to mage. My reasons are these:
* "Enough" thief skills. There is even room for some pickpocketing.
* Very low AC for a mage. Dakkon Zerth and (** in single) lowers it 3 more.
* Good weapon options, select for perks, not damage. Single- or dualwield. Staff of the magi is also possible.
* Magic. This is how you slay your foes.
* Cat familiar scout.
* Quick re-entry. lvl 11 is only 375000. It isn't fun to be without disarm.
* Perfect tag-teamer with Imoen. If you use her (and start on 161 000) then you almost always have a thief.

Is it an Imoen/Nalia copy? Not really. You will actually survive on the frontline and thus new spells will come into play. This is the perfect candidate for things like King strohm's mask, Dakkon Zerth's blade or the robe of the apprenti. Also you can set int and wis to 18 for the wish-spells.

Now I noticed how far from the mark I shot. Roleplaying, not powergaming! Then my suggestion is a true neutral cleric (of Oghma or Deneir). The influence from Candlekeep was strong on the main character in his youth.

Thrifalas · Post by **Thrifalas** » Wed May 04, 2005 2:17 am

I have a hard time seing "best" and "roleplay" in the same sentence, as you either powergame to be "best" or roleplay to have fun. Or, as some sees it, it's fun to the best. Whatever.

Play whatever you want, if you know how to roleplay and makes sure to get something you enjoy playing, that's all that matters. Personally, I think that Paladins are the ones that fits BG the best, since the obvious lack of rewarding cruelty, reputation loss for killing people in a dark alley and so on. I love roleplaying evil chars, but they just don't do in BGII.

Bards are known to be something to roleplay as well. They have some special abilities and are pretty all-around... But anything works, it's your pick.

Dedigan · Post by **Dedigan** » Wed May 04, 2005 5:19 pm

Every class has some role playing options. In the BG world, I prefer priests or bards. The priest is because the class quest is over pretty quickly and I dislike the two possible NPC clerics. The bard is because it fits what I've always done.

An interesting idea which I've always wanted to try would be a "natural" party. Valygar, Minsc (both rangers), Jahiera, Cernd (both druid), one of the mages (I prefer Imoen), and me (class almost doesn't matter, I prefer skald). It wouldn't be the most powerful party ever, but the RP options would be interesting.

Another one is the crusades party:
Keldorn, Mazzy, Anomen, a good mage (Nalia maybe?), Imoen (for role play reasons, the "quest" for the above is to find her, would be a pity to let her go after you do), and again, PC class almost doesn't matter. I prefer mage.

But my personal favorite is the evil party.
Me (berserker), Korgan, Viconia, Edwin, Haerdalis, Jan. You could also ditch Jan and be a thief-combo (thief-mage is best IMO) then gain faster experience from having only 5 party members. Between Korgan, Vic and Edwin, there isn't anything in the game you can't handle. Having a berserker PC only makes everything die more quickly.

lucky19 · Post by **lucky19** » Wed May 04, 2005 8:29 pm

[QUOTE=Thrifalas]I have a hard time seing "best" and "roleplay" in the same sentence, as you either powergame to be "best" or roleplay to have fun. Or, as some sees it, it's fun to the best. Whatever.
[/QUOTE]

I agree
In my opinion the "best" would be a kensai dualed to a thief and the "funnest" would be an archer simply because bows are my favorite weapons.

Malykor · Post by **Malykor** » Wed May 04, 2005 9:04 pm

I define "roleplay" differently than you guys do. I guess you could consider it a lesser form of roleplaying in this sort of game. Roleplaying to me was always done with fellow players, whether it be playing paper and pencil AD&D or sitting at a campfire with my group in Everquest. But I understand the concept that this can also be done in Baldur's Gate. Seeing everything through your character's eyes and only doing tasks in the game that your character's persona would do, could also be a form of roleplaying.

The best RPing class/race? Anything you can have fun with and enjoy. Playing BG and looking at the clock to find out it's 7am and you wonder where the time went.......that's when you know you got the right class/race combo. I am currently playing a chaotic good, gnome illusionist. My party mostly consists of evil based characters (Korgan, Viconia, and such) But bieng evil is fun! I, personally, am kind hearted guy. So bieng able to do what I want, when I want, is pure fun. (Just hope this game doesn't change my personality,

)

Deadalready · Post by **Deadalready** » Thu May 05, 2005 12:14 am

Personally I find the most rewarding classes are the ones that level up often, because they give me a sense of achievement for my work, with that said I enjoy the high levels of the thief and the priest.

For myself I tend to fit into the role of a dubious loyalty thief far too much, dextrous, deceptive and capable of achieving my own means.

The true beauty of a thief is in the fact that most people don't use them to full effect - usually cheese trapping, dealing with locks and traps but generally just sending them into a fight more or less like a bloody fighter.

So for me winning every fight with only a thief always makes me satisfied, even though it may take 10 or more reloads.