GameBanshee Forums

To refresh the game change class to the NPC is a fun opportunity.
The thread is made for getting new ideas for new classes that would fit the original NPC.
Whot intend in "fit" is: no changing of stats (eventually slight change of alignement is alouded).
Here are some ideas (some well known).

Viconia: she can be a great C/M (has better stats than Aerie+MR) or a awesome sorcerer (18 Wis. good for wish spell+MR).

Edwin: great sorcerer.

Jaheira: Cleric/ranger seems a common choice, but also F/T and C/T could be options

Mazzy: she could be an archer, but I see her well as a F/T (with NG alignement).

Imoen: a bard.

Nalia: a bard, but she could be a nice archer (18 dex+16Con are great stats for archers and the 14 str is useful for wearing armour,helmet and weapon without encumberance).

Minsc: some are using it as a paladin, but a better option for him (RPG wise) would be the berserker or barbarian.

Keldorn: cleric or a fighter dualled to cleric (he has better stats than Anomen, although I don't know if he can be effectivly dualled to cleric not having 17 Wis).

Valigar: an archer.

What do you think and do you have any other ideas?

Valygar as an Archer Druid.

The restriction against changing stats seems a little arbitrary to me, given the usual character creation process. When you create your own character, you choose your character's profession and then you roll up stats, see? Look at how arbitrary some of the NPCs' stats turned out to be. For example, the only reason that Jaheira has Charisma 15 is because that's the minimum requirement for a Druid. If she wasn't intended to be a Druid, I doubt that her Charisma would be so high--certainly not higher than Khalid or Minsc's.

I could see Jaheira as a Bard, specifically a Jester ("well-versed in the arts of ridicule and intimidation...to deadly effect") or a Skald ("a warrior of great strength, skill, and virtue"), if her Intelligence was 13 or higher. Otherwise, I can't see changing her, not even to a Cleric/Ranger (no matter how much I like that class).

I've made Imoen a Swashbuckler several times. "My blade will cut you down to size!" I usually make her a Thief dualled to a Conjurer since that's what I made her in BG1. I like having continuity going from BG1 to BG2. On the other hand, since they are two different games, you can't always expect a character who was suitable for BG1 to be an optimal character in BG2, so I usually allow for some changes (such as which level at which Imoen should be dual-classed). We've talked about that before. But back on topic, I've also made Imoen a single-class Wild Mage, Conjurer, and Sorcerer to make her a more powerful Mage. I suppose she could be a Bard, but I never thought of making her one even when I played a party of Bards (my troubadours).

I've also made Haer'Dalis a Swashbuckler before. It's not that I have anything against Bards (I've played a Bard several times); I just think that being a Swashbuckler suits him.

Mazzy wants to be a Paladin, of course, so sometimes I grant her that wish, but strictly speaking, she doesn't qualify because she's not a Human and her Charisma is not high enough. I've also made her an Archer before, but she strikes me more as a knight than a sniper.

I'd also consider making Anomen a Paladin after he passes his Test (simply a Fighter before that or a Fighter if he becomes a "Fallen Paladin"). Becoming a Paladin seems to be his aspiration to me, and I can't see him becoming the most powerful Clric of Helm in the land if he fails his Test, whether the game allows it or not.

Valygar would be a natural as an Archer--it's just a different Ranger kit. I once made him a Wizard Slayer, and it was a big mistake.

I've made Minsc a Berserker and a Barbarian, and they both suited him very well. How many people actually play him as a Ranger in the first place? I'm slowly coming around to the idea of him being some sort of Paladin, but I've never tried it myself. You'd have to change his stats quite a bit, unless you want to say that his Wisdom and Charisma are low simply because of his h-h-head wound. The most important thing of course is, what would Boo say?

I've made Aerie a a single-class Illusionist before, but she is best as some sort of Cleric, of course. I usually make her a multi-class Cleric/Illusionist, like her mentor. I know that Elves aren't supposed to be Cleric/Illusionists, but they aren't supposed to be Cleric/Mages, either.

I've made Jan a single-class Illusionist before to make him a more powerful Mage.

I've made Nalia a single-class Conjurer before since she is obviously well-educated and her thieving skills don't amount to much. If you want her to wield a bow, you could make her a single-class Thief (her stats are almost as good as Yoshimo's), and she could be the best Thief in the game since a single-class Thief gets more thieving points than a multi-class Thief or a Bounty Hunter like Yoshimo. You want a Thief in your party? Think of Nalia. Or don't think of her if you don't like her. If her was Wisdom was 14 or higher, you could make her an Archer, but it doesn't really suit her character since she's not an outdoorsman.

Yoshimo would make a good Swashbuckler, and maybe with the Swashbuckler bonuses he could actually hit something. Maybe you have noticed, but I like the Swashbuckler kit and I wouldn't mind turning a lot of the NPCs into Swashbucklers.

Likewise..

As VonDondu said, I think it's really more rational to suit their personality, and tweak from there.

A case in point would be Minsc - he makes a great (and hilarious) Paladin, far better really than his rangerness, but his stats don't fit at all.

Jan makes a very good single class rogue or mage, he'd be a rockin' good bard, too, I'd think - hell, he'd be great in just about any role... I'm currently playing him as an Assasin.

Jaheira would fit very well in any priestly, fighting, or bardic role, I'd think - even a monk. Cleric/Ranger, though cheesy, is a great choice (and my current one).

Mazzy, of course, just cries out to be a Paladin - nothing else really fits.

Edwin - sorceror, or wild mage in ToB.

Viconia - cleric/mage, fighter/cleric or even fighter/cleric/mage - I've got her as single class specialty priest of Talos, which seems like a super duper fit for our lady of shadows.

Imoen should be a single class rogue, pick a kit to taste though swashie is certainly an obvious choice.

I can't imagine hacking Valygar - he's such a perfect fit & the same really goes for Keldorn, Anomen or Korgan. Cernd, Nalia or Aerie? Nothing springs to mind.

Good gaming!

I think starting from the personality is a better way to do it, and as long as you keep the point total the same I don't see any harm in changing stats to suit.
Edwin would defiantely make a rockin Sorceror.
Jan I can defaintely see as a Bard, maybe a Jester, or even a straight up Illusionist.
Minsc(if I ever chose to play with him) would have to be a Barbarian or Berserker.
Jaheira, hmm... defiantely not a Charisma of 15 that's for sure. It's defiantely not fitting to her personality.
Mazzy of course would have to be a Paladin.
Viconia as a Cleric/Fighter would be awesome, especially with the Magic resistance.
Aerie should be a pure mage of some sort, an Enchanter maybe, kinda like Xan but not nearly as cool. Damn them for removing the moonblade animation from BGII.
Nalia should just be a vanilla Bard. I think it's more fitting and she'd be a little more than useless that way.
I can't really think of anyone else I'd change at the momment, but I'm sure more will come to mind given time.

I usually make Imoen a Bounty Hunter or Assassin. Since Irenicus got hold of her she is pretty much focused on getting revenge (as some of her dialogue indicates) and her personality is a little less chipper than in BG1. Of course, her playfulness could make her a good Jester, as well. Depends on which side of her you want to emphasize, but I prefer the trap-setting abilities from a meta-game standpoint.

Minsc was obviously intended to be a Berserker, they just didn't have the kit in BG1.

Mazzy has to be a Paladin of some stripe, maybe a Cavalier?

Edwin strikes me as a sorceror, even though I don't play him much.

Viconia seems perfectly fine as a cleric, but maybe an Assassin/Cleric would be interesting. (I don't think she should be any type of mage. Drow women don't go in for that sissy stuff, do they?)

Valygar seems naturally a Wizard Slayer. What was the problem with that VonDondu? Just the fact that WS is a lousy kit? But Valygar has a bland personality so that seems to fit, IMHO.

Nalia as a Bard sounds interesting, but I really think she should be a cleric, since she is always helping the poor. But then again her wisdom is too low and she doesn't really help them much, hmm?

Originally posted by JackOfClubs
Valygar seems naturally a Wizard Slayer. What was the problem with that VonDondu? Just the fact that WS is a lousy kit?

The problem with making Valygar a Wizard Slayer is that it naturally seems to fit him, but it's such a lousy kit.

Bear in mind that I tried to play Valygar as a Wizard Slayer before Throne of Bhaal came out, which meant that he could not use healing potions, there weren't many strength-enhancing items that he could use (I kept his Strength at 17), and there weren't any High Level Abilities. Wizard Slayers probably aren't quite as bad as they used to be, but in a world of magic, the kit seems kind of like a joke to me.

If making change in abilities Viconia would be a fantastic F/C (would fit her aggressive character and drow are fighterish race).
I don't understand why drow women are not for arcane magic.

Nalia could be a fighter (only few lev.) dualled to thief with gran mastery in bows (you could use the archer kit for fighters). Some kind of melee training is possible for the only doughter of a lord.