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Looks like a well balanced party to me Columbo.

Spoiler (highlight to read)

Spoiler

If you don't mind taking advantage of a glitch, put two weapon proficiencies in Axe, as well as two in Two-Handed Sword.

Spoiler Ends

Crenshinibon wrote:Don't forget the Staff of the Ram.

I didn't, it's horribly overrated. Knockback is mainly annoying and the damage isn't that awesome. 14-22 base damage, FoA has 16-21, is onehand, has MR, slowing ability and Elemental Damage. The *only* usability of the staff is for fun, to make overkill-backstabs.

Just loaded up the game with TOB installed, the latest patch and most of the G3 fixes.

Now right at the beginning I'm level 7, is that right? I kind of expected to start at level 1 but maybe it starts at 7 as a carry on from BG1 or is it a bug from the G3 fixes?

Many Thanks.

You are supposed to start at that level as you finish BG with 89,000 experience. The Tales of the Sword Coast expansion lets you go all the way up to 160,000. If you had those two games, you could import your characters into BGII.

Great, Thank you.

You're gonna dig your party. Jaheira has alot to say during many of the story's events, H'D & Aerie have alot to say when paired together, Jan has alot to say period, and Minsc's running commentary of events with Boo is just nuts. And as previously mentioned, a heroic paladin is an appropriate protagonist for this game. A few other mentions:

If you romance Aerie, you get several additional banters with her and H'D.

If you romance Jaheira, you get an expanded version of one of the game's cooler side-quests. (Beware of bugs with J's romance, although the G3 fixpack may squash these.)

I'm an Imoen advocate, but it's impossible to see everything in one playthru. New class, new stronghold, new alignment, new party... this game screams to be played more than once.

The BG Saga is one big story, detailing your protagonist's start from humble level 1 beginnings in Candlekeep, to the final epic battles in ToB. I HIGHLY recommend playing BG1 first. You'll appreciate the epic story of SoA and ToB that much more.

There is one caveat regarding playing a Paladin if the player is a serious role player Spoiler foollows, highlight to read:

Spoiler

If you are a serious role player then getting to Spellhold to release Imoen requires you to work with either an outright evil faction, or an evil oriented criminal faction. Obviously no slef respecting Paladin would do this. This prevented me from playing the game with a Paladin until I discovered the Saerileth mod, which provides a third way to gget to Spellhold by working for the Radiant Heart. The Saerileth mod is available here Saerileth Mod, if you're interested.

Spoiler ends

Thanks again.

I've had a little change around and have now settled on this party for my first run through:

Myself - Kensai/Mage
Jaheira
Minsc
Imoen
Aerie
Jan

Obviously that means Haer'Dalis has been dropped but for my first time through I wanted to keep the BG1 characters together.

And choosing a Paladin just for 1 weapon is a bit silly so I went for a class both recommended and one I think I will enjoy.

Only thing now is when to dual over to a Mage, I have read three opinions, 9, 15 and 19

I'm assuming that 9 was when it's just SOA and 19 is the natural jump when the added XP comes into play with TOB so seeing as I'm intending to play all of SOA & TOB should I wait until level 19 to dual or for a first time through is that a long time to wait?

Many Thanks.

*Edit*

Just had a thought - the only reason I'm choosing Minsc is because he is amusing and an original BG1 character but to be honest I'm not a big fan of Rangers, so I was wondering what would happen if I changed his class to a Paladin with Shadowkeeper?

To me there is not really that much difference between a Paladin and Ranger to start with, both Fighters that have Priest spells, so if I did this would it affect anything ingame, his story for instance?

Many Thanks

Changing Minsc's class to a paladin won't affect the game but somehow I don't see him as one. From a roleplaying point of view Minsc would better serve as a Barbarian or Berzerker but definitely not a paladin although if you don't mind that feel free to make the change.

I suggest to dual at level 19 because by that time you'll be getting a +6 to hit and damage of the Kensai and you will be able to old your own in battle. Even if you dual, the bonus carries over. As a mage you will have a fairly good time in melee due to your Kensai levels, you'll have a nice amount of life and you can gain experience through scrolls, quests and combat. When I play that mix I often use the Spell Shapeshift at higher levels in order to use the given bonus, not to mention that spell gives access to two of the best "weapons" in the game and on top of all that you can buff yourself up. You are quite literally untouchable in Greater Wolfwere form and the Iron Golem form would be causing you do chunk everything because of such high damage.

Great Thanks.

I've always thought of and played Minsc as a Fighter/Tank first with back up heals so switching him to a Paladin seems perfect in my eyes, of course he will no longer be able to beserk but thats ok with me as long as it doesn't affect the game with him as a Paladin.

Please. The levels to dual are 9, 13 or 15. 19 isn't better than any other level, it's nowhere near one of the "recommended" levels. The natural jump gives level 18, by the way.

Besides - it's your first run through. Why going through such a pain to try to create the perfect party? You'll need to play the game at least two dozen times to even begin to understand it's complexity and how to get the most out of every spell, ability and combination there is.

The strenght of this game isn't overpowered characters loaded with epic items and good weapons. It's been proven times and times again that knowledge of the game will beat overpowered characters, no matter what. Kuroisan and the Eclipse Party are great examples of that.

Why not just play it and take things as they come?

But they are not part of the actual games. And yes, the level at which you dual does matter. It's true, he'd need more knowledge of the game to make a perfect party... or character rather, but this particular one is almost as strong without items as he is with them and, which is also influenced by the Kensai part.

Also, he's here for advice and we're giving it to him because all of us know the game well enough to contribute out knowledge.

Nah, he could come up with a strong line-up or character, but that doesn't matter if he doesn't know how to handle them. That was my whole point - knowledge is so much more important than the actual characters.

It's true that Kuro isn't in the vanilla game, but what does that matter? After being able to solo the vanilla game with any character you automatically persue some greater challenge. And Kuro is a nifty example of what you are able to do with a little nasty spell protections.