Tell me about your group

1-800-DOCTORB · Post by **1-800-DOCTORB** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 1:49 pm

What I meant was that thief skills are not necessary to finish the game. Traps are nothing, just open everything with your strongest character; I've never found one trap potent enough to outright kill any of my characters so I just pretty much ignore traps. Lockpicking can easily be replaced by bashing with a high strengthed party member enchanted with strength buffing spells. Hiding and Moving Silently don't need to be too high anyway to be effective, sure it helps, but it's not the end of the world. This is the beauty of Icewind Dale 2, as long as you have an arcane spellcaster, a devine spellcaster, and a tank, you could make it through the game with any combonation of characters. Don't get me wrong, Rogues can make things alot easier, but they aren't necessarily "required."

Tharan · Post by **Tharan** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 8:22 pm

Yup, Doc is right. Most of the time you can just bash the lock open but if you dont want to, there is allways that nice "Knock" spell that opens anything you want =). Thats how you can get through without a rougue heheh. And the traps..... lol just have your mage Mirror Image himself and open the stuff he just 'knocked'. Horrid Whilting, will take away 1 little image all the damage stuff takes away 1 little image.... so basically rougues dont even exist in my parties anymore =)

Underdog77 · Post by **Underdog77** » Tue Oct 22, 2002 12:19 pm

Eryn's Mercenaries

Leader
Female Human Bard, Eryn Flynn

Male Half Elf Ranger, Johan the Wanderer

Male Dwarf Barbarian, Farin Baradur

Female Wilf Elf Druid, Gwaen

Male Stoutheart Halfling Rogue, Tolma

Male Gnome Wizard, Muto the Mystical

nuther · Post by **nuther** » Wed Oct 23, 2002 7:57 am

I made a new party designed to optimze my playstyle based on what I experienced up through the Chapter one Troll.

Leader
The Wild Fire - Wild Elf Sorcerer (Bombardier) Bow & Long Sword

The Shambling Mound - Wild Elf Druid (Bombardier) Bow & Scimi

The Iron Bull - Human Fighter (Defensive Tank) Sword & Shield

The Scout - 1/2 Orc Ranger/Barbarian (Scout) Two Axes

The Small Sword - Rock Gnome Thief/Illusionist (Thief & Backstabber) Small Swords

The Healing Dawn - Human Cleric of Lathander (Healer & Bombardier) Mace right now

jim0525 · Post by **jim0525** » Wed Oct 23, 2002 8:24 am

new group

i finished the game last night so i decided to start a new group (this one will be evil). i upped the difficulty level to change things up a bit.

Jhargen-human-male-monk (of the old order)-LE
Lomax-drow elf-male-fighter-NE-will be dualing short swords
Syndra-human-wizard-NE
Bodac-human-cleric of Talos-CE (leader)

they are all picking up some theif skill to compensate for the lack of a true rogue.

nuther · Post by **nuther** » Wed Oct 23, 2002 12:47 pm

I made a new party designed to optimze my playstyle based on what I experienced up through the Chapter one Troll.

Leader
The Wild Fire - Wild Elf Sorcerer (Bombardier) Bow & Long Sword

The Shambling Mound - Wild Elf Druid (Bombardier) Bow & Scimi

The Iron Bull - Human Fighter (Defensive Tank) Sword & Shield

The Scout - 1/2 Orc Ranger/Barbarian (Scout) Two Axes

The Small Sword - Rock Gnome Thief/Illusionist (Thief & Backstabber) Small Swords

The Healing Dawn - Human Cleric of Lathander (Healer & Bombardier) Mace right now

Tharan · Post by **Tharan** » Wed Oct 23, 2002 2:37 pm

Well I started a new party, just cause I guess I didnt like how my other turned out in the HoF mode. So this party went through normal pretty good and now is in HoF.

Sir Nathan of Selina (human paladin of helm) - Great Swords, Uses Bull's Strength and hacks stuff into chunks

Flare of the Petals ( aasimar fighter/paladin of helm)- Got the fighter to lvl 6 so he can have 3 points in Long and Bastard Swords. Too bad for his constitution is not good, but stands up really good in a fight

Hotgar Whirlwind Axe ( Human Barbarian) - Two-Handed axe, really powerfull

Lana Helf-Elven (Half-Elf Fighter) - She is the bow of the party and uses shortswords if someone gets too close

Tanya Silvermoon (Human Cleric of Selune) - Good heal, uses x.bows from distance, in close a mace or something, that Elemental Legion comes in handy really good.

Moonlight (Moon Elf Wizard)- This is my war wizard, he dumps things like chaos and confusion and buffs the party and then does wail of banshee and stuff like so.

All in all the party is really good I think.

Skooter327 · Post by **Skooter327** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 3:44 pm

When I first started playing Black Isle games, I would quick toss together a band of misfits just to get into the game; in IwD I, I made it to Kuldahar before switching and restarting. In IwD II had good intentions to plan a thoroughly interesting and versatile party. In my haste, I therw together a party without foresight, whose salvation came only from the ability to multi-class after creation:

Wild Elf Paladin of Helm, L.17-an odd combo, no? Oh well, it works.
Half-Orc Barbarian, L.17-Grunt! grunt!
Drow Ranger, L.15-inspired by that helpful Drow fellow in BG II
Wild Elf Druid, L.17-pretty logical class for a Wild Elf, I thought. Are Wild Elves also called Sylvan Elves?

Deep Gnome Rogue/Necromancer L.7/7-Multi-classed @ L.4 or so when I realised I didn't have an effective spellcaster. Fortunately, I gave him Int. 18 at creation for some reason. Anyway the rogue levels were a waste.

Human Fighter/Sorcerer L.8/9-My worst mistake. I had planned on a Fighter/Wizard, but forgot to add wizard until L.3 or so, then added Sorcerer classes instead. Played for quite a while until I realized why I couldn't cast spells--Her base Cha. of 10! oops.

For HoF, I'm trying to decide who to keep, as I plan on adding a Monk (whats a good monk race?), and maybe a Dwarven Fighter/Cleric, a real spellcaster, and possibly a Bard. Any suggestions on whom to keep & whom to cull?

For the record, I loved BGII's Shapeshifter Druid kit, but I think Lycanthrope should be a separate class/race. I also loved Arcanum's classless system.

Tharan · Post by **Tharan** » Sat Oct 26, 2002 4:16 pm

Hmm good monk race, I duno really, I have a monk aasimar but he not very good in HoF, maybe I havent given him much thought though. But in HoF the enemies pound you and pound you and then you die. I have a 400 hp barbarian and it takes few hits to take him out, I had a guy do 100+ damage to me per hit, it was sick, thank god for the mass heal. So basically tanks and a good healer and a 1 or if you think you have good tanks, 2 spell casters for that wail of banshee >=)

Oh yea that party that I mentioned above, actually went through HoF! Oh well started a new game on normal with an all evil party! WooT!

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Mon Oct 28, 2002 11:52 am

After several false starts and cursing at my computer, I'm currently playing through with this party:

Male aasimar paladin of helm
Female lightfoot halfling ranger-rogue
Male gold dwarf fighter-cleric
Female half-elf ranger-druid
Male wild elf fighter-sorceror
Female human monk

paulcris · Post by **paulcris** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 8:20 am

Deep Gnome - Monk - Small Blade/Throwing Knife
Half-Orc - Fighter - Axe/Throwing Axe
Aasimar - Paladin/Fighter - Great Sword/Bow
Deep Gnome - Rogue - Bow/Small Blade
Aasimar - Bard - Crossbow/Long Blade
Drow - Wizard - Bow/Quarterstaff

The monk has very high AC since I maxed DEX and WIS and does not wear any armor, but has low damage. Can handle most opponents, albeit slowly.

The rest is to finish off the monks enemies and to buff up the monk's AC and strength.

rumagent · Post by **rumagent** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 9:18 am

Originally posted by paulcris
Deep Gnome - Monk - Small Blade/Throwing Knife
Half-Orc - Fighter - Axe/Throwing Axe
Aasimar - Paladin/Fighter - Great Sword/Bow
Deep Gnome - Rogue - Bow/Small Blade
Aasimar - Bard - Crossbow/Long Blade
Drow - Wizard - Bow/Quarterstaff

Seems interesting, however, doesn't it take forever to gain levels?

/Rumagent