Main character's class for playing thru the whole saga with Tutu for the 1st time?

[Crenshinibon]

Pseudo Dragon:

AC: -4 (-7 with Blur, Ghost Armor doesn't help here)
HP: 48
THAC0 8
Attacks: 2
To Hit: -1
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Magic: 35

Imp: (Normal Form)
AC -6
HP: 48
THAC0: 12 (although he has 15 strength compared to the Psuedo Dragon's 7)
Attacks: 2
To Hit: 0
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Fire: 100
Cold: 100
Electricity: 100
Magic: 35
Magic Fire: 100
Magic Cold: 100

Ogre Form:

AC: 5
HP: 48
THAC0: 9
Attacks: 2
To Hit: +3
To Damage: +6

Resistances -
None

Flind Form: (Weapon counts as +1 and deals fire damage)

AC: -2
HP: 48
THAC0: 10
Attacks: 3
To Hit: +1
To Damage: +1

Resistances -
None

Spider Form: (Poisonous attacks, very deadly in BG1)

AC: -3
HP: 48
THAC0: 12
Attacks: 5
To Hit: 0
To Damage: +1

Resistances -
None

Brown Bear Form:

AC: 6
HP: 48
THAC0: 9
Attacks: 4
To Hit: +3
To Damage: +6

Resistances -
None

Black Bear Form:

AC: 7
HP: 48
THAC0: 9
Attacks: 4
To Hit: +3
To Damage: +6

Resistances -
None

Wolf Form:

AC: 2
HP: 48
THAC0: 12
Attacks: 2
To Hit: 0
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Cold: 100
Electricity: 50
Magic Cold: 100

Mustard Jelly Form:

AC: 0
HP: 48
THAC0: 12
Attacks: 2
To Hit: 0
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Cold: 50
Electricity: 100
Magic: 100
Magic Cold: 50
Slashing: 30
Crushing: 60
Piercing: 100
Missle: 85

The Pseudo Dragon has a lower THAC0, but the Imp can have a stronger defensive presence against magic and in melee still. Also, the Imp does more damage and certain forms have special effects.

[kmonster]

I'm surprised that Tutu uses the upgraded ToB familiars, not the normal ones. In this case you should even get 24 hitpoints for casting this spell unless you're CG.
If the numbers are right (may I ask for your source ?) the imp is really the better fighter (although not in ogre form).
But the pseudo dragon isn't bad, his attacks can render victims unconscious and the ghost armor spell grants the target AC2 for 100 rounds, turning your mage/sorc into a very hard to hit tank.

[galraen]

In my experience Tutu doesn't use the ToB versions of familiars. They appear in the creature Browser is SK, but every time I've cast the spell I got the standard version.

PS er, actually that's a lie, the last time I got a standard version, as edited by me, I cheated in better thieving abilities for my pussy cat, so I could dual Imoen ASAP.

[VonDondu]

If Tutu lets you have familiars like that in BG1, then it's much cheesier than I thought.

[ktchong]

Forget about the Sorcerer. I have already decided I'm NOT going to use a Sorcerer.

There's no "Find Familiar" scroll in BG1. There's just no way of getting a familiar in BG1 without cheating or wasting a spell slot. I just don't want to waste a precious spell slot for the "Find Familiar" spell -- which is only going to be cast once, ONCE, and that's it -- and then be stuck with a spell that I'll NEVER use again. I've read enough forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs to know that using a Sorcerer's spell slot for the "Find Familiar" spell is a very, very bad idea.

And I'm going to play a good character, either neutral good or chaotic good. I have never really enjoyed playing an evil character.

[Crenshinibon]

You don't have to chose the spells that you don't want to. These are just suggestions. As a sorcerer though, you do have an edge in BG1 because you have access to SoA spells as well and don't need to find scrolls.

I would personally go with a blade, as it's a very versatile class, able to use magic, hold it's own in melee and can control the field with magic. Not to mention it's a single class, so you don't have to wait long periods of time before level ups come through. As a rogue, it gains levels pretty quickly and is ideal for shoplifting.

In SoA and ToB, the class becomes even more powerful, having a greater melee presence than a fighter.

[kmonster]

I've read enough forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs to know that using a Sorcerer's spell slot for the "Find Familiar" spell is a very, very bad idea.

Not it isn't. It's actually the logical choice if you start in Tutu since it makes you stronger for the whole game.
There are of course many "forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs" about not picking the spell and using a scroll instead, but they are not about your situation if you look closely. You're not playing a BG2 only game, you're starting in tutu and continuing to BG2 with your character.
You can be sure that if I would have been telling nonsense in this very alive forum it wouldn't have taken long until a BG veteran would have objected.

[ktchong]

Not it isn't. It's actually the logical choice if you start in Tutu since it makes you stronger for the whole game.
There are of course many "forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs" about not picking the spell and using a scroll instead, but they are not about your situation if you look closely. You're not playing a BG2 only game, you're starting in tutu and continuing to BG2 with your character.
You can be sure that if I would have been telling nonsense in this very alive forum it wouldn't have taken long until a BG veteran would have objected.

I've already seen couple of objections in this thread. Not to mention those other forum posts and suggestions are also pertinent to Tutu for BG1 and BG2 and came from other BG veterans.

I'm just not going to use a Sorcerer and waste a spell slot on a spell that's going to be used only once. I don't even like the idea of it. It's just seem such a complete waste of a spell slot. That's just not how I'm going to play the game.

[ktchong]

Is there a chart on how many "high-level abilities" each class/multiclass receive throughout the game?

I know Ranger/Cleric gets the total of 20 high-level abilities from both Ranger and Cleric pools, which is sweet.... when I play Fallout, I was very excited when I got pick a new perk.

[Crenshinibon]

If you think it's a waste of a spell slot, then don't choose it. It's as simple as that, although I can't possibly think of enough level one spells that you would pick to use. Magic Missle and Protection From Evil, the latter one being used mostly in BG1 are pretty much all you'd need. There are only so many level one spells that you'll end up using, you simply don't need all the slots.

I think you're approaching this from the wrong point. This is a roleplaying game. It seems like you want to create a godly character just so you can breeze through and say you beat it. You make it sound like it's a job.

[VonDondu]

If you think it's a waste of a spell slot, then don't choose it. It's as simple as that, although I can't possibly think of enough level one spells that you would pick to use. Magic Missle and Protection From Evil, the latter one being used mostly in BG1 are pretty much all you'd need. There are only so many level one spells that you'll end up using, you simply don't need all the slots.

I use Sleep, Grease, and Chromatic Orb (which serves as a stunning spell at higher levels) more often than Magic Missile and Protection from Evil. (Does Tutu alter BG1 spells such as Chromatic Orb?) In fact, at the beginning of the game, I'd rather pick Sleep than Magic Missile if I had to make a choice. Burning Hands is also useful on some occasions. It's nice to be able to use all of them.

But this is a moot discussion.

[kmonster]

I've already seen couple of objections in this thread. Not to mention those other forum posts and suggestions are also pertinent to Tutu for BG1 and BG2 and came from other BG veterans.

Not a couple, no one in this thread objected that picking the FF spell at the start yields the more powerful sorcerer, actually a couple did recommended picking this spell.
But you've "seen" enough to "know" we're only giving "very, very bad" advice.
I'm even sure there isn't even a single character level when the sorcerer without the FF is as powerful, but since - like vonDondu already wrote - , "this is a moot discussion", to get back on topic:

It's very easy to count the number of HLAs each build can get. Everything you need is in the short ToB manual: the XP cap, when you get HLAs, which HLAs you can choose and the XP tables. You only need to know that for dualclassed characters the XP of the first class doesn't count for deciding when you start getting HLAs.

[VonDondu]

Just for the record, the familiars in BGTutu are not as powerful as the ones Crenshinibon described, and the Mage/Sorcerer only receives 6 extra hit points. For example:

Imp: (Normal Form)
AC -2
HP: 12
THAC0: 19
Attacks: 1
To Hit: 0
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Fire: 100
Cold: 100
Electricity: 100
Magic: 25
Magic Fire: 100
Magic Cold: 100

Ogre Form:
AC: 5
HP: 12
THAC0: 16 (including Strength bonus)
Attacks: 2
To Hit: +3
To Damage: +6

Resistances -
None

[Klorox]

My suggestion is a Halfling Barbarian.

Barbarians are the toughest characters to play, and most enjoy playing tanks (especially if you're a bit inexperienced).

I suggest Halfling for a few reasons:

1)It's unusual and fun
2)They can romance all romance-able NPCs
3)Short dudes are more powerful than the taller races.
4) (going back to the romances) Everybody's the same height laying down
5) It's a lot of fun!

[Dedigan]

In my opinion, every class is a powerhouse at the end. Some are slightly more benificial than others, but every class has clear advantages.

In the start of BG1, I typically have trouble with the mage, as they have very few spells to start out with and no fighting ability. But dualling to a mage in BG2 is very possible.

The already mentioned cleric/ranger is my choice for super powered end-game.

My personal favorite is just plain berserker, but that involves teaming up with a couple of evil characters in BG2. Sure there are good versions of the evil characters in BG2 with lots of personality, but the evil ones have a little bit more power.

Anything dualled to a thief is pretty powerful in the end game for the high level abilities and the cheesy traps.

As far as I'm concerned, archery is the best choice of weaponry in the start, but at the end, the melee weapons or spells rule the roost.

So if I were you, I would either choose the half elf cleric/mage or a fighter (subclass doesn't matter) specializing in archery then dual classing to mage in BG2.

But it all depends on just how you want to play it. You could choose any class and have no troubles later on in the game.