Could use a class suggestion

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:10 pm

I am curious as to what classes/class comboes people found interesting in this game. I played fighters and spellswords which are all fine and overpowered but I would like to try something different for my next playthrough. In particular, how are the bards, or druids?

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 4:42 am

Totemic druid is a solid class

Blade bard is another solid class

Sorcerer is even more solid than both of the above combined.. What? You didn't ask about sorcerers? It comes free with each of my posts. Advertisement.

QuenGalad · Post by **QuenGalad** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:07 am

I don't know, druids in BG have always been a disappointment for me. Not when it comes to character power, but because they don't really give me the effect of roleplaying a druid. And my insect plague never works even half as good as the one the enemy casts.

Bards are fun, and can be really powerful when done right (cue Crenshinibon! :laugh: ), plus they get the playhouse. Personally I'm a great fan of backstabbers, though. There's something very satisfying in sneaking up to a smug foe and disposing of them with one hit.

Devilock · Post by **Devilock** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:38 am

I liked my Swashbuckler a lot, there aren't a lot of thieves to choose from in this game. Too bad he misses out on the backstabbage, though.

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:52 am

Would it make sense to dual a berserker to a swashbuckler? My curiosity is piqued.

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:56 am

You cannot choose a specialisation for your second class in dual.

Swashbuckler/cleric is a viable option.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:13 pm

My Ranger/Cleric was a lot of fun. Yes I know many call that a "Cheese Combo", but still fun. They cannot use a bow like most Rangers but give them the "Sling of Seeking" which adds strength bonus to damage and they can be quite devastating.

@Quen

I had the same initial impression about druids, but I tried something that made Insect plague "much" more effective and works just about everytime on enemy parties with spellcasters. SPOILER

Spoiler

Don't target the spell at a mage or cleric as they have the better saves vs spells. Instead target the fighter or archer or thief next to them. Even if moderately high level they frequently do not save. The spell then automatically spreads to any other foe within close proximity and apparantly without a chance to save. The enemy spellcasters often cast a defensive spell first, so by the time they are ready to strike at you they are infected and out of the fight.

You may have tried that already but for me, Jaheira kicks butt on enemy parties with spellcasters. **My humble apologies to the IHJ club (I Hate Jaheira)**
@Stworca and Edar Macilrille I am "not" trying to open that can of worms. LOL!!

My big complaint with druids is at the upper levels as the amount of XP to level gets astronomical. Going from 14th to 15th level takes 1,500,000 XP and with Jaheira being multiclass that means 3,000,000.

Darth Malignus · Post by **Darth Malignus** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:43 pm

Philos wrote:My big complaint with druids is at the upper levels as the amount of XP to level gets astronomical. Going from 14th to 15th level takes 1,500,000 XP and with Jaheira being multiclass that means 3,000,000.

Do you honestly need anymore than that?

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:22 pm

Not really!! :laugh: The main reason I keep Jaheira around is for Insect Plague and the XP for her Harper storyline and the side quests. Otherwise, she is mostly a back up divine caster.

Druid is one of the few PC characters I have not at least started through SoA.
(Created one but never even did Irenicus' dungeon with him and have since then deleted).

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:31 pm

Stworca wrote:You cannot choose a specialisation for your second class in dual.

Swashbuckler/cleric is a viable option.

Doesn't that seem like such an arbitrary, nonsensical rule? I don't mind bending arbitrary, nonsensical rules. Perhaps with the Shadow Keeper?

Also, what makes a ranger/cleric particularly cheezy?

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:34 pm

Stworca wrote:Totemic druid is a solid class

Blade bard is another solid class

Sorcerer is even more solid than both of the above combined.. What? You didn't ask about sorcerers? It comes free with each of my posts. Advertisement.

Is it possible to dual a fighter to a sorc?

Stworca · Post by **Stworca** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:37 pm

No. Sorcerers cannot be dualed from or into. For a good reason too, they're powerful as it is.

People tend to play Kensai/Mages though.

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 3:07 pm

I have done kensai/mage. In my estimation a fighter/mage is much more powerful.

Ode to a Grasshopper · Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:05 pm

ushsta wrote:Doesn't that seem like such an arbitrary, nonsensical rule? I don't mind bending arbitrary, nonsensical rules. Perhaps with the Shadow Keeper?

Also, what makes a ranger/cleric particularly cheezy?

The way SK works regarding kits means you can still only have one. That said, you might still be able to keep the berserker rages if you dual-class and change the kit after you've dualed. You'd want to make a level 1 swashbuckler to copy the affects though.

Ranger/Cleric is cheesy because they get all of both the cleric and the druid spells, which the designers have said wasn't their intention. The BG engine doesn't have separate spell lists for paladins and rangers, and just uses the cleric and druid spell lists cut off at level 4 IIRC, and they both show up under the "Divine" list, so you end up with every divine spell there is as well as the automatic ** in dual-wielding. If you have a multiclass R/C they get fighter and Cleric HLAs too, which opens up a lot of cheese potential (i.e. offhand Defender of Easthaven + Armor of Faith + Hardiness, Greater Deathblow + Fire Seeds, Harm + Critical Strike).

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:38 pm

Does backstabbing with a 2h weapon make for a more satisfying effect than with a 1h weapon? Wondering if I should wo with single or 2h weapon styles. Usually like dual wielding katanas, which is cheesy, but wanted to try something new.

Also, what's a good level to dual at, considering I prefer full parties to keep things interesting.

Finally, using the SK to change kits doesn't do jack at whichever level you do it, sadly. The new kit bonuses do not apply.

QuenGalad · Post by **QuenGalad** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:25 pm

Yeah, unfortunately if you want to use SK to change kits you have to apply their special abilities by hand, copying the effect (a series of numbers) from other characters or typing them in if you know the codes.

As for backstabbing, if I recall correctly, the only two-handed weapon you can backstab with is a quarterstaff. People have been getting good results with Staff of the Ram or of the Magi, but personally I find something silly in the very concept of an unexpected bash by a long pole.

Darth Malignus · Post by **Darth Malignus** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:56 pm

ushsta wrote:Also, what's a good level to dual at, considering I prefer full parties to keep things interesting.

That depends on the class. Check the manual and have a look at the different charts and tables. Example: Let's say you have a Fighter and want to dual into a Mage. Now, the Mage doesn't get any spell progression past level 28, ergo it would seem like somewhat of a waste to spend more than 28 levels in the Mage class. And what's that in pure XP? 6750000 points to get to level 28 as a Mage. Meaning you could in theory spend 8000000-6750000=1250000 XP on another class without losing anything.

And voila! Checking the manual I see that the Fighters level at 1250000 XP is... 13. So I could get a character with 13 Fighter levels and 28 Mage levels. That's what I would go for, at least, mostly because Fighters get ½ attack at level 13. It's really all about weighing the pros and cons of the different classes.

Another example: I wanna dual my Fighter to a Cleric. I check the spell charts and see that a Cleric don't get any extra spells past level 38, and the XP charts say 6750000 for 38 levels of Cleric. Again, I can spend 13 levels on Fighter before dualing to Cleric and will have lost nothing.

Ranger to Cleric: I would consider level 16 as a Ranger and then spend the rest in the Cleric class. Etc.

The examples are many, but it's really about what benefits you. Sometimes 9 levels of Thief is enough before you dual to Mage/Cleric/whatever. Sometimes 4-5 levels of Fighter is enough before dualing to Thief. From what I've found through my playthroughs it all depends on preferences.

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:16 pm

Want to dual to a thief and that 1/2 attack at 13 sounds useful.

ushsta · Post by **ushsta** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:26 pm

QuenGalad wrote:Yeah, unfortunately if you want to use SK to change kits you have to apply their special abilities by hand, copying the effect (a series of numbers) from other characters or typing them in if you know the codes.

As for backstabbing, if I recall correctly, the only two-handed weapon you can backstab with is a quarterstaff. People have been getting good results with Staff of the Ram or of the Magi, but personally I find something silly in the very concept of an unexpected bash by a long pole.

Let's say I want a swashbuckler, is there a specific set of numbers for a lvl 1 SB that I need to copy over or can use the numbers from a lvl 7 which is the usual starting point in BG2. And once I enter the right set of values does the character advance normally in terms of kit bonuses. Also, will the old kit bonuses be preserved (berserker-->swashbuckler or assassin).

Darth Malignus · Post by **Darth Malignus** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:28 am

ushsta wrote:Want to dual to a thief and that 1/2 attack at 13 sounds useful.

Well then, Fighter 13 and the rest as a Thief would be my preference.

Well, actually, a multi-class Fighter/Thief would be my preference. In my mind, the benefits of two classes being leveled simultaneously outweighs the ability to pick a new class, but that's just me. And the racial bonuses of demi-humans are tons better than humans', who get nothing there.