Armor selection of iwd2

damien the 3rd · Post by **damien the 3rd** » Tue Nov 12, 2002 6:34 pm

whatsort of armor and weapons can u get? ie: an you get padded armor, daggers. the basic and advanced stuff. I think ill use axes and leather armor, with a drow charzcter so she wont need heavy armor.

aberrant80 · Post by **aberrant80** » Wed Nov 13, 2002 1:57 am

this is a pretty weird question... can u get padded armor and daggers; basic and advanced stuff? the answer is no and yes. no, cos i don't think there's padded armor; yes, cos there's daggers and there are the basic nonmagical stuffs and the advanced magical stuff.

and then ur reasoning of using a drow with axes and leather is pretty confusing. watever form of twisted logic got u the conclusion that drows with leather armor and axes don't need heavy armor?!? and y would u want to use axes when drow have free proficiency in large swords? unless u want clerics of tempus i suppose. still, using a drow doesn't mean u don't need heavy armor.

Skooter327 · Post by **Skooter327** » Wed Nov 13, 2002 5:10 pm

Am I correct to assume @damien the 3rd is new to IwD II and starting a new game? I suspect @damien the 3rd is curious about the availibility of specific weapons and armor later in the game, after the feats have been spent on them.
I also suspect the character in question is intended to have at least one ranger level and dual-wield either axes or daggers, and such requiring light armor. This is how I interperet the question. Please correct me if I am indeed wrong.

Assuming the above, daggers are a good plan for a dual wielder. The small blade proficiency includes short swords as well, which are the most damaging off-hand weapons usable without penalties. There is also a good number of magical short swords and daggers to be had throughout the game.
For a character in light armor, it is important to be able to do a lot of damage quickly and then retreat out of harm's way. Axes are often too slow for that tactic and as a result are better suited to a heavy armor-clad tank. A drow doesn't always make the best tank because they just aren't that hardy and their level penalty delays the hit points recieved at level up.
However, if you are smitten by the proposition of an axe-wielding drow, by all means go for it! The satisfaction of running her through the game will probably be more rewarding to you than using a "better" character.

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Nov 13, 2002 6:10 pm

Armor quality no longer matters as much, thanks to changes in the rules. You'll find that some characters actually show a drop in maximum armor effectiveness if you get heavier armor for 'em, because the game factors in encumbrance and dexterity to get that value.

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 12:43 am

Very true - my high-dex thief had as high an AC in her studded leather as my paly in his full plate.

damien the 3rd · Post by **damien the 3rd** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:34 am

oops did i say axes? i meant maces

i think its more drowish. Since drow got dexterity and if i just were studded leather or some thing i think it would be fine. maybe id get more but drow never really wore plate mail did they?

lompo · Post by **lompo** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:56 am

Drow could wear drow chains and plates (adamantine).
They are supposed to turn to dust outside the underdark (at least that use to happen in BGII).

Skooter327 · Post by **Skooter327** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 4:37 pm

There's no adamantine in IwDII. Actually, there's hardly any type of armor beyond chain in IwD (although some good plate armors would be greatly appreciated). I think of drow as agile, offensive fighters, whose attacks do max damage in little time. Using light armor reinforces this, and any (dark) elven-crafted or adamantine armor usually has low mass, even if classified as a "heavy" armor.

I like maces more than axes for a drow, but if you use BGII's drow as a reference, drow wield longswords, flails, halberds, and crossbows. Also, drow, as elves, get a longsword feat for free. That doesn't mean you can't outfit your char with whatever you want to.

It seems like you are aiming for a more "traditional" drow. If this is the case, your best bet would be researching drow outside the game. There is a plethora of information contained in the 3rd Ed. D&D rulebooks. They are a good investment if you're into these games, and offer great insight into them. You might also like to read R.A. Salvatore's (sp?) trilogy about Drizzt and his adventures in Icewind Dale. There are also many websites devoted to D&D lore, such as drow and other races. (Edit: Try Dlabraddath.Net) When searching, remeber that drow are an elven sub-race, and are sometimes called dark elves.

Note: I do not stand to gain anything by promoting D&D books and websites. I am not selling anything, but I'm sure the creators and owners of these likely-trademarked books and websites would appreciate your bussiness. I am simply a fan. If there are any problems with the content of this post, please let me know, and I will remove it.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Fri Nov 15, 2002 3:08 pm

Originally posted by Skooter327
There's no adamantine in IwDII. Actually, there's hardly any type of armor beyond chain in IwD (although some good plate armors would be greatly appreciated).

Patched the game yet? Apparently, they ommited all the good armours...

EDIT - and the sites good and clean, I'll allow it.

Ambiorix · Post by **Ambiorix** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 4:33 pm

Originally posted by Sojourner
Very true - my high-dex thief had as high an AC in her studded leather as my paly in his full plate.

And then there's that great peace of armour you find later on in the game with no limit to the dexterity bonus to AC. Gives my thief by far the best AC of the whole party. I'd easily give 100.000 gold for another suit like that.