Ok the races and classes are set in stone because this is my childhood DnD party.
I want advice on Tactics and Weapon choice..
Also tactics on how many levels of ranger to take
halfling Fighter/Thief
human Ranger/cleric dual class
elf Fighter mage
human druid
Advice for my party
Advice for my party
Right Speech has four aspects: 1. Not lying, but speaking the truth, 2. Avoiding rude and coarse words, but using gentle speech beneficial to the listener, 3. Not slandering, but promoting friendliness and unity, 4. Avoiding frivolous speech, but saying only what is appropriate and beneficial.
I started up the game and have my stats.
What I need is to know about spell picks/strategy and also what weapons to give proficiencies to use...
Right now.....
elf Druid staff and missile (sling and thrown)
human Ranger (to be Cleric dual class) hammer 2, mace 2... sling will be taken as a cleric???
elf F/M large swords 2, bows 2
halfling F/M small swords 2, bows 2
What I need is to know about spell picks/strategy and also what weapons to give proficiencies to use...
Right now.....
elf Druid staff and missile (sling and thrown)
human Ranger (to be Cleric dual class) hammer 2, mace 2... sling will be taken as a cleric???
elf F/M large swords 2, bows 2
halfling F/M small swords 2, bows 2
Right Speech has four aspects: 1. Not lying, but speaking the truth, 2. Avoiding rude and coarse words, but using gentle speech beneficial to the listener, 3. Not slandering, but promoting friendliness and unity, 4. Avoiding frivolous speech, but saying only what is appropriate and beneficial.
I'd replace the Halfling's Bows with Small Swords or Axes, for throwing daggers/axes. That way, you can equip a shield and a ranged weapon.
Give the Druid Small Swords or Clubs instead of Staff, so you can equip a buckler. There's a nice Druid-only shield in the game, too.
Yes, R/C should take Sling as Cleric. Remember, no shield, so he can "dualwield". Dualwield works with twohanders as well, so Staff *might* be an option. Hammer & Mace are probably safer, given the random nature of loot.
Consider Halberds/Spears for the F/M, although Large Swords aren't bad at all.
As for the races/classes, if you would restart:
Consider dualclass for the Druid & Mage, take a Half-Elf for the F/M (better CON, if you'd go melee with this one), or Fighter/Druid. Pure Druid in a 4 man party is a bit overkill, IMO. There's very few benefits from the higher levels of Druid and you'd reach the important ones with a multi or dualclass anyway.
Give the Druid Small Swords or Clubs instead of Staff, so you can equip a buckler. There's a nice Druid-only shield in the game, too.
Yes, R/C should take Sling as Cleric. Remember, no shield, so he can "dualwield". Dualwield works with twohanders as well, so Staff *might* be an option. Hammer & Mace are probably safer, given the random nature of loot.
Consider Halberds/Spears for the F/M, although Large Swords aren't bad at all.
As for the races/classes, if you would restart:
Consider dualclass for the Druid & Mage, take a Half-Elf for the F/M (better CON, if you'd go melee with this one), or Fighter/Druid. Pure Druid in a 4 man party is a bit overkill, IMO. There's very few benefits from the higher levels of Druid and you'd reach the important ones with a multi or dualclass anyway.
Thanks, Gawain. I liked your first paragraph ideas. I don't think small swords will cover daggers for the halfling?? I think the Druid can use scimitars like you said, but I'm not sure if that is large swords, small swords or what have you. The druid only rolled enough stats to give 10 in strength. I can re-roll of course, I just figured to make it a ranged character with 19 dex (I think she was an elf now?)
The second paragraph the problem is that this is my childhood party so I want to keep it as it was in our game.
I can't thank you enough for the advice
The second paragraph the problem is that this is my childhood party so I want to keep it as it was in our game.
I can't thank you enough for the advice
Right Speech has four aspects: 1. Not lying, but speaking the truth, 2. Avoiding rude and coarse words, but using gentle speech beneficial to the listener, 3. Not slandering, but promoting friendliness and unity, 4. Avoiding frivolous speech, but saying only what is appropriate and beneficial.
If there's a seperate catergory "Daggeres", then no, Small Swords don't cover them. I know they're seperate in BG2, but not in BG1. Not sure about IWD.
Scimitars are Large Swords.
Item descriptions always mention the proficiency type.
I didn't know the party was a given. It's a very solid party; I just offered some tweaks.
Scimitars are Large Swords.
Item descriptions always mention the proficiency type.
I didn't know the party was a given. It's a very solid party; I just offered some tweaks.
Thanks, Gawain. It's easy to miss in my first post, but yeah the races and classes are based on my childhood neighborhood DnD game.
Do you have any advice on effective spells? I choose shield and identify for the mages first spells. My druid can use spells and later on the Ranger dual Cleric. Will I get ranger spells for the cleric picks from the ranger? I know that's a bug in some of the infinity engine games.
Do you have any advice on effective spells? I choose shield and identify for the mages first spells. My druid can use spells and later on the Ranger dual Cleric. Will I get ranger spells for the cleric picks from the ranger? I know that's a bug in some of the infinity engine games.
Right Speech has four aspects: 1. Not lying, but speaking the truth, 2. Avoiding rude and coarse words, but using gentle speech beneficial to the listener, 3. Not slandering, but promoting friendliness and unity, 4. Avoiding frivolous speech, but saying only what is appropriate and beneficial.
Your Mage should focus on offensive spells. You don't have enough slots by far to ID every item you find, so don't bother. (That's why I always include a Bard.) The moment you need Shield, you're pretty screwed anyway.
Fill the 1st lvl with Chromatic Orbs. They have nice side effects later on, and are quick to cast, so ideal to interrupt enemy casters. Haste is a staple, and the two Emotion lvl 4 spells are good buffs too. For the rest: control and damage spells.
Same goes for the Druid, but be sure to add in some Healing. Do you know the Static Charge trick/exploit?
Ranger/Cleric: IWD works correctly, I think, in that you only get Druid spells if your Ranger level is sufficiently high. (In BG2, both MC & DC Ranger/Clerics get both Druid & Cleric spells, IIRC.) I'd focus this one more on buffing spells, since he'll be in the thick of melee most of the time, so won't have much opportunity to cast spells in combat.
Fill the 1st lvl with Chromatic Orbs. They have nice side effects later on, and are quick to cast, so ideal to interrupt enemy casters. Haste is a staple, and the two Emotion lvl 4 spells are good buffs too. For the rest: control and damage spells.
Same goes for the Druid, but be sure to add in some Healing. Do you know the Static Charge trick/exploit?
Ranger/Cleric: IWD works correctly, I think, in that you only get Druid spells if your Ranger level is sufficiently high. (In BG2, both MC & DC Ranger/Clerics get both Druid & Cleric spells, IIRC.) I'd focus this one more on buffing spells, since he'll be in the thick of melee most of the time, so won't have much opportunity to cast spells in combat.
Hmm I am going to use the druid at range. It's hard to get druid rolls of stats good, because so many have to be high due to class such as Cha 15... My druid only has 10 strength. Of course I could just reroll.
So I plan to use the other 3 as tanks.
So I plan to use the other 3 as tanks.
Right Speech has four aspects: 1. Not lying, but speaking the truth, 2. Avoiding rude and coarse words, but using gentle speech beneficial to the listener, 3. Not slandering, but promoting friendliness and unity, 4. Avoiding frivolous speech, but saying only what is appropriate and beneficial.
I hope it is not too late for this, but here are my two cents.
Keep in mind that most weapons in the game are a random drop (you can't influence what you get). Also be aware that the final boss in the game (IWD, I've never played the expansion sets) can be hit with magic weapons of +3 or better. Thus you will need some really good weapons in the final section of the game. The best non-random melee weapons in the game (meaning you always get them in any game) with enchantment of +3 or better include spears, axes, daggers, flails, long swords, maces, hammers. Avoid taking proficiencies in other melee weapon groups (especially in halberds and scimitars). Also, all characters should be proficient in ranged weapons from the very beginning.
In conclusion, I would say that axes, spers and long swords include the best weapons you can find in the game - Slayer (spear), Spear of Kerish, Axe of Caged Souls, Joril's Axe, The Celebrant's Blade (axe), Alamion (l. sword), L. Sword +3: Enforcer, Restored Blade of Aihonen (l. sword) and the great Pale Justice (paladin only).
Countrary to what GawainBS said, I would suggest you give your druid daggers and slings (but not clubs and scimitars, as there aren't many good weapons of these types in the game).
As for tactics, use ranged weapons a lot in the early stages of the game - they work miracles. Later in the game use the ranger/cleric as a meat shield as your other party members assist him with ranged weapons and spells. I can't tell you how to use your druid, as druid are inferior to clerics IMO and I tend to use fighter/druid multiclasses instead of single-classed druids.
Keep in mind that most weapons in the game are a random drop (you can't influence what you get). Also be aware that the final boss in the game (IWD, I've never played the expansion sets) can be hit with magic weapons of +3 or better. Thus you will need some really good weapons in the final section of the game. The best non-random melee weapons in the game (meaning you always get them in any game) with enchantment of +3 or better include spears, axes, daggers, flails, long swords, maces, hammers. Avoid taking proficiencies in other melee weapon groups (especially in halberds and scimitars). Also, all characters should be proficient in ranged weapons from the very beginning.
In conclusion, I would say that axes, spers and long swords include the best weapons you can find in the game - Slayer (spear), Spear of Kerish, Axe of Caged Souls, Joril's Axe, The Celebrant's Blade (axe), Alamion (l. sword), L. Sword +3: Enforcer, Restored Blade of Aihonen (l. sword) and the great Pale Justice (paladin only).
Countrary to what GawainBS said, I would suggest you give your druid daggers and slings (but not clubs and scimitars, as there aren't many good weapons of these types in the game).
As for tactics, use ranged weapons a lot in the early stages of the game - they work miracles. Later in the game use the ranger/cleric as a meat shield as your other party members assist him with ranged weapons and spells. I can't tell you how to use your druid, as druid are inferior to clerics IMO and I tend to use fighter/druid multiclasses instead of single-classed druids.
Majorman, please read more careful: I adviced Small Swords (which entails daggers in IWD, IIRC) & Club, but confirmed to Claudius that Scimitars are Large Swords and that Druids can use them. I *do* seem to recall that Icingdeath is fixed drop too, from the Frost Giants, but I'm not sure at all about that.