Planning yet another run through, BG1 -> ToB would like oppinions on party selection.

Fingers Boggis · Post by **Fingers Boggis** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:54 am

Hey guys, I thought I'd post this here as I have loads of experience with BG2 and know what works pretty well. In contrast I've only completed BG1 once and that was ages ago so I was hoping you could give me some input...

I thought for a change I'd go for a 3 man party...

Char 1: Half-elf Ranger/Cleric, wielding hammers/flails/maces combinations there of. This guy will be my main tank and healer.

Char 2: Gnome Illusionist/Thief, wielding staffs/short bows. My main arcane caster and trap finder/lock opener/scout. I'm hoping someone can confirm whether I can backstab with a quarterstaff, I've heard oppinions both ways.

Char 3: Human Bard, wielding swords. Back up caster, pick pocket, combatant (when buffed Bards make reasonable tanks in my experience) and bard song is usually pretty handy. Can anyone confirm whether I'll be stuck as a basic bard when I import into BG2 or whether I can choose the Blade kit?

I think that combination allows me to use all the best weapons in the games and the best armour. Also it should cover all the necessary abilities. My main concern is that for the start of BG1 I'll be very tank light and my summons won't be anything to write home about really.

Any help greatfully received
Fingers

Coot · Post by **Coot** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:32 am

The ranger/cleric will be a fine tank and he'll be backed up by your other partymembers from day one.
I think this party will be so powerful nothing much will stand in their way.

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:50 am

I like your party make up has the bases covered.

Yes you can backstab (or Bash) with a quarterstaff.

I would recomend installing TUTU if you are going to play all the way through anyway. It will give you the kit choices starting out for your bard and it moves just like BGII which is much faster than the original game which can be hard to take after playing BGII and TOB. BGI movement rates are very slow.

PS- At the end of BGI your bard might be your most powerful character because he will level much faster than his multi-class friends.

CFM · Post by **CFM** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:58 am

Fingers Boggis wrote:Char 2: Gnome Illusionist/Thief, wielding staffs/short bows. My main arcane caster and trap finder/lock opener/scout. I'm hoping someone can confirm whether I can backstab with a quarterstaff, I've heard oppinions both ways.

AFAIK, backstabs are allowed with any weapon that a single class Thief can use. This includes staves, even though they are blunt weapons. (?)

Fingers Boggis wrote:Char 3: Human Bard, wielding swords. Back up caster, pick pocket, combatant (when buffed Bards make reasonable tanks in my experience) and bard song is usually pretty handy. Can anyone confirm whether I'll be stuck as a basic bard when I import into BG2 or whether I can choose the Blade kit?

AFAIK, yes. I imported a single class Cleric from BG1 to BG2, and selected the Lathander Cleric kit during the character import/new game process.

IMO, this group will level fast, so you'll be able to smoke anybody in no time.

Fingers Boggis · Post by **Fingers Boggis** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:34 am

Well that all sounds pretty good then, cheers. I don't mind the bard being the most powerful, I quite like bards, and anyway I'm pretty sure he'll be outshone by the time I reach ToB.

I go back home on thurs so will be able to install things then and look into Tutu a bit more. Does playing with kits make BG1 easier though?
Fingers

CFM · Post by **CFM** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:43 am

Fingers Boggis wrote:Does playing with kits make BG1 easier though?

I would think it depends on the kit. All kits have advantages, but Cleric kits, for example, have no disadvantages. Other kit's disadvantages might be negated with a particular magic item, leaving the character with just the kit's benefits. A particular magic item may or may not be available in both games. Obviously, BG1 wasn't balanced with kit classes in mind.

Missile combat seemed a little overpowered in BG1 to me, almost to the point where I considered coming up with some kind of self-imposed limits to their use in my game. Now, if the Archer kit was used in BG1, I would think there'd be potential for much of the game to become boringly easy. Or, depending on your point of view, it'd be excitingly fun playing a machine-gunner.

SpitfireV · Post by **SpitfireV** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:41 am

noob question here

Fingers Boggis wrote: ...I thought for a change I'd go for a 3 man party...

Char 1: Half-elf Ranger/Cleric, wielding hammers/flails/maces combinations there of. This guy will be my main tank and healer.
...
Fingers

As a newcomer returning to BG after a 6 year hiatus, I am curious as to what would be the advantage of choosing a ranger/cleric over a fighter/cleric? I know the cleric ethos prevents the use of edged weapons, but as a fighter who is the main tank and healer, would not the fighter half of the character get extra weapons proficiencies at higher levels?

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:48 am

Your Cleric Ranger will be 7/7
Your Illusionist Thief will be 7/9
And your Bard would be 10

SO KITS OR NOT YOU WILL BE OVERPOWERING MOST ENEMIES BY THE END.
Especially since you will have a good grasp on diferent tacktics from playing SOA and TOB.

I Agree with CFM the Archer is probably the most overpowered Kit for BGI
Also the Paladin Kits no real drawbacks just bonuses. The only kit you would use would be your Bard probably a blade if your looking for a backup tank. He would certainly be better than a stock Bard but it would make the game more fun in my opinion.

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:54 am

SpitfireV wrote:noob question here

As a newcomer returning to BG after a 6 year hiatus, I am curious as to what would be the advantage of choosing a ranger/cleric over a fighter/cleric? I know the cleric ethos prevents the use of edged weapons, but as a fighter who is the main tank and healer, would not the fighter half of the character get extra weapons proficiencies at higher levels?

Ranger/Cleric can also cast all druid spells thats the main advantage plus a multi class fighter can only specialize like a ranger. A dual classed fighter/cleric could add past specialization at higher levels. And they would all be restricted to blunt weapons.

Fingers Boggis · Post by **Fingers Boggis** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 11:36 am

Jordoo said it, got to love those druid spells without needing to take a druid, in BG2 this is gold, in 1 I'm not sure yet how useful it will be. Thanks for those level break-downs, looking pretty handy

Blade would be the kit I'd use which I'd have thought would be ok in terms of balance so Tutu might be the way to go.

I should be revising for my first lot of exams for my masters but I keep finding myself working out backstories for the characters instead lol
Fingers

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:45 pm

Lightning is particularly useful in BGI lots of outdoor area's to use it and it just keeps striking the enemy while the caster is free to do other things.
I think you will also get summon insects with TUTU.

Let me know how your group goes. (After you Masters of course! lol)

CFM · Post by **CFM** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:45 am

Fingers Boggis wrote:Jordoo said it, got to love those druid spells without needing to take a druid, in BG2 this is gold, in 1 I'm not sure yet how useful it will be.

In BG1, my main dude was a single-class Cleric, and I had Jaheira the Druid. There seemed to be ALOT of overlap with the Priest spells accessable by both characters in BG1. For example, in BG1 my main dude could cast Entangle, a very Druid-ly spell. But in BG2, the Druid and Cleric spell lists seemed much more seperated.

Much luck with the Masters, Fingers!

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:07 am

If he uses TUTU he will get the BGII Priest and Druid Spells. There are all the old ones but also the added spells that where in BGII.

Fingers Boggis · Post by **Fingers Boggis** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:03 pm

Well Im all Tutu'd up and ready to roll! Installed when I got home earlier today. I'm planning on taking a couple of days off from work for the masters so I'll let you know how my first run goes, breaking news is that I've just left Candlekeep with the following party (I'll update with ability scores if I remember)

Char 1: Elisia, Human Blade. Dante's loving wife, the couple have been working as hired swords for some years now her silver tongue getting them as many jobs as his stern demeanor and quick hammer. Ever charming and well dressed Elisia herself is no mug with the blade and wields a rapier (well long sword, I'm limited by whats actually in the game

) with skill, capable of both implacable defense and irresistable attack when as the situation demands.

Char 2: Dante, Half-elf Cleric/Ranger (the protagonist), as Gorion's ward you felt somewhat limited by the stuffiness of the library and craved the outdoors where you felt much more at home. The balance of the natural world is something you crave for desiring to be at peace and to get closer to nature. You also sensed worry in Gorion, worry about your temper. This is something that worries you also. Thus far you have always kept it in check and indeed it has proved useful a number of times in your work with Elisia. Ahh Elisia, always ready with the right word to say to calm you and to spur you on.

Char 3: Lev, Gnome Thief/Illusionist. Surrounded by pipe smoke Lev tells you he has accompanied Dante for some years now at Gorion's request. Whilst he is unsure on all the details surrounding the "boy" who now towers over him Lev does what he can to find a more subtle way of dealing with the situations they often find themselves in. The arts of theivery and illusion are not strangers to him and he embraces their power, anything that can avoid those sparks of temper that fuel the boy in combat. When asked what he thinks of Dante's marriage to Elisia Lev seems unsure, after thinking for a while he says they both seem happy and thats whats important.

I quite like them as a group and in the minor scuffles with Xvarts and Gibberlings so far they have aquitted themselves favourably. Lev sitting back with a bow whilst the other two charge forward. So far their main weakness stems from me using a bard like a fighter when at level one thats a bit tricky!
All good fun
Fingers

Fingers Boggis · Post by **Fingers Boggis** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:28 am

Just entered Beregost, flying through. My definite highlight so far has been offensive spinning an ogre with a belt fettish into the ground, nice.

Fingers Boggis · Post by **Fingers Boggis** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:43 am

Have been strolling around a bit in order to grab a few more levels before Nashkel. The blade is now easily the most powerful character, I just wish she learnt spells spontaneously like in DnD 3.5, finding scrolls is a pain. Still with mage armour, blur and mirror image she makes a better tank than my tank, add in some offensive spin to take things down quickly or some defensive spin to hold off something big whilst the other characters mop up weaker things or damage it with spells and missile weapons. Its going quite well. Major problem is still my gung-ho nature from playing too much higher level stuff, "oh they're only gibberlings, charge! Ahh gibberlings with ghouls, still shouldn't be a problem.... oh!" Save vs breath weapons are not great at the moment and when one character in a party of 3 gets held its a bit of a problem.

There are some situations where I think I'm definitely light a party member, smallest group I've played with before was 4, and theres a definite temptation to add another character like a monk to add to my combat ability. I'm going to try and resist though as I quite like the group dynamic how it is. Anyway on to Nashkel, I'm expecting a slow down in play now as I really need to get into some revision for the exams in Jan, turns out Condensed Matter Physics is pretty hard!
Fingers