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So, I've played BG and BGII and I was wondering if IWD and IWDII use the same classes as BGII. For example, can I pick a Fighter and choose his kit as a Wizard Slayer? Or a mage and choose her kit as an Invoker?

I only ask because I'm seriously considering buying both IWD and IWDII and am wondering how the classes work in those two versus BG and BGII.

Icewind Dale uses the classes like BG1 does.
Icewind Dale II uses a (strange, messed up) version of the D&D 3.0 rules and thus works quite differently. Try to grab the manual from IWDII somewhere on the net to see how it works. Multiclassing works likes this: each time you level, you choose in which class you want to level. At lvl 8, you could be a Fighter 6/Rogue (=Thief) 2. That means you get all the abilities of a lvl 6 Fighter and a lvl 2 Rogue. HP, Attack Bonus (cfr THAC0) and saving throws stack. All classes require the same amount of XP.

GawainBS wrote:Icewind Dale uses the classes like BG1 does.

Ok...as soon as I get BGI working, I think I'll get that. :laugh:

GawainBS wrote:Icewind Dale II uses a (strange, messed up) version of the D&D 3.0 rules and thus works quite differently. Try to grab the manual from IWDII somewhere on the net to see how it works. Multiclassing works likes this: each time you level, you choose in which class you want to level. At lvl 8, you could be a Fighter 6/Rogue (=Thief) 2. That means you get all the abilities of a lvl 6 Fighter and a lvl 2 Rogue. HP, Attack Bonus (cfr THAC0) and saving throws stack. All classes require the same amount of XP.

Sound fairly similar to how NW2 does it. Or at least the direct precursor to that. Actually sounds better to me.

I didn't know you played NWN1 & 2. Yes, IWDII uses those rules, albeit in a strange way. (The Infinity Engine wasn't designed for them, so they had to improvise.)
I agree that this is a better system, yes.

Ah, ok. Cool, I'm more familiar with that anyway.

Lord Ataxia,

Although the Baldur's Gate Series and Icewind Dale 1 games both use the AD&D 2nd edition rules in general (IWD 2 as mentioned uses AD&D 3rd edition), only BG 2 and the expansion Throne of Bhaal use the "kits" that you mentioned at the beginning of this thread. IWD 1 does have "specialty mage" as a choice, but kits such as "Wizard Slayer", "Bounty Hunter" thief, "Undead Hunter" paladin, etc. don't exist in that game.

Yeah, I figured that out pretty quick. However, I did notice IWDII has paladin & cleric (I was surprised to find "Paladin of Mystra", didn't know she even had Paladins...) kits, along with the normal specialty mages. I'll also prolly check out some mods for it, see if I can dig up some interesting stuff.

Yes, Mystra has some Paladins. There's actually quite some material about/for them in Forgotten Realms.