What's the difference between dual-class character and multi-claas character (consisting of two classes) ? Which option is better ? If you choose multi than you advance and use abilities of both classes. If you choose dual than you can advance and use abilities of only class at the time - so what's the sense ??
Somethings not right and if you would like to clear this up a little i would be grateful.
dual-class/multi-class
a multiclass is available to all demi-humans (ie non human races). it basically allows you to advance in two (or sometimes 3) classes at the same time, splitting the exp between the two (or 3) classes.
a dual class is ONLY available to humans. it allows you to advance so far in one class, then switch and start developing in another.
the benefits of dualclassing over multiclassing:
- more HP
- original class can have a kit
- Ranger->Clerics get more spells
- Theives need only get the required skills for open locks/find traps and can then dual class to a mage or whatever
- Fighter->druids don't have to go through the crappy lull period jaheira goes through
although in ToB, multiclasses definately get the edge because of HLAs
a dual class is ONLY available to humans. it allows you to advance so far in one class, then switch and start developing in another.
the benefits of dualclassing over multiclassing:
- more HP
- original class can have a kit
- Ranger->Clerics get more spells
- Theives need only get the required skills for open locks/find traps and can then dual class to a mage or whatever
- Fighter->druids don't have to go through the crappy lull period jaheira goes through
although in ToB, multiclasses definately get the edge because of HLAs
I'd say it primarily comes down to this - what kind of character do you want? Do you want someone who's good in both classes? Then do a multi. Do you want someone who's really good in one class, with just a bit of some other class? Then do a dual.
Now just to make sure of something:
[QUOTE=Valhallen]If you choose dual than you can advance and use abilities of only class at the time - so what's the sense ??[/QUOTE]
You do realize that once you exceed in your second class the level of your first, you will regain all the abilities of your first class? For example, start as a Fighter, dual to a Mage at level 9. Once you reach level 10 as a Mage, you'll regain all your fighter skills.
Now just to make sure of something:
[QUOTE=Valhallen]If you choose dual than you can advance and use abilities of only class at the time - so what's the sense ??[/QUOTE]
You do realize that once you exceed in your second class the level of your first, you will regain all the abilities of your first class? For example, start as a Fighter, dual to a Mage at level 9. Once you reach level 10 as a Mage, you'll regain all your fighter skills.
Multi-class should be used when you intend on using the abilities of multiple classes to compliment each other. Both (or all three) classes share experience equally and therefore level up alongside each other. The net result of that however is that a multi-class character never reaches the same levels as a single (or dualed, get to that later) classed character. The advantages are, as I said before, from the beginning you get to use the abilities of both classes.
An example of a typical multi-class character is a fighter-thief. The idea behind a fighter-thief is that all parties need a thief, to open locks and disarm traps, but thiefs are not as capable in combat as a fighter. By having both classes at once, you use the fighter combat abilities, but still retain your thief abilities. You have to abide by both classes restrictions still though, or you cannot use that classes abilities (in this case, you could not wear more then studded leather or you would lose your thief abilities).
The drawback of course, is that you never reach the full scope of your thieving abilities, nor are you as good a fighter as a single classed fighter.
A dual-classed character advances in one class, then chooses a new class. Whenever the level of their new class exceeds their old class, abilities from the first class become useable. In the previous example, it may go like this. A person would begin as a fighter, and then at level 9 say, change to a thief. They no longer have any fighter abilities until they reach level 10 as a thief, at which point both classes are useable.
Whats the point? Well there is something like a 2,900,000 experience cap in SoA, and if you have ToB, basically not one at all. Since experience increases at almost exponential levels for the first 15 or so levels, a level 9 fighter only has like 90,000 experience, while a level 15 fighter has well over 2,000,000.
As you can deduce, dual-classing rarely inhibits the level maximum of your second class. So while a multi-classed fighter-thief maybe something like a 13/15 fighter/thief. A dual-class fighter/thief would be a 9/18 (im guessing completely at the levels here, but im probably not outragously far off).
As you can see, the dual-classed character has slightly less fighting ability then the multi-classed character, and the gap will grow, but he is a better thief, and that gap will grow also. This allows the dual-classed character to still have a thief who fights better, but unlike the multi-classed character, will still play like a thief.
In the example I provided the differences would really come to shine at the end of SoA and in ToB. The dual-classed character would be concentrating on thief HLA, have a better backstab, have more traps, etc. So if you are comfortable using thiefs like thiefs, then dual-class is far superior.
On the other hand the multi-classed thief will be a better fighter. His thaco will get lower then the thiefs, he will have more attacks, and eventually get access to figher HLA. So if you are wanting more fighting power in your party and only have a thief do the bar minimum nessecary (traps, locks, etc) then multi-classed is the way to go.
An example of a typical multi-class character is a fighter-thief. The idea behind a fighter-thief is that all parties need a thief, to open locks and disarm traps, but thiefs are not as capable in combat as a fighter. By having both classes at once, you use the fighter combat abilities, but still retain your thief abilities. You have to abide by both classes restrictions still though, or you cannot use that classes abilities (in this case, you could not wear more then studded leather or you would lose your thief abilities).
The drawback of course, is that you never reach the full scope of your thieving abilities, nor are you as good a fighter as a single classed fighter.
A dual-classed character advances in one class, then chooses a new class. Whenever the level of their new class exceeds their old class, abilities from the first class become useable. In the previous example, it may go like this. A person would begin as a fighter, and then at level 9 say, change to a thief. They no longer have any fighter abilities until they reach level 10 as a thief, at which point both classes are useable.
Whats the point? Well there is something like a 2,900,000 experience cap in SoA, and if you have ToB, basically not one at all. Since experience increases at almost exponential levels for the first 15 or so levels, a level 9 fighter only has like 90,000 experience, while a level 15 fighter has well over 2,000,000.
As you can deduce, dual-classing rarely inhibits the level maximum of your second class. So while a multi-classed fighter-thief maybe something like a 13/15 fighter/thief. A dual-class fighter/thief would be a 9/18 (im guessing completely at the levels here, but im probably not outragously far off).
As you can see, the dual-classed character has slightly less fighting ability then the multi-classed character, and the gap will grow, but he is a better thief, and that gap will grow also. This allows the dual-classed character to still have a thief who fights better, but unlike the multi-classed character, will still play like a thief.
In the example I provided the differences would really come to shine at the end of SoA and in ToB. The dual-classed character would be concentrating on thief HLA, have a better backstab, have more traps, etc. So if you are comfortable using thiefs like thiefs, then dual-class is far superior.
On the other hand the multi-classed thief will be a better fighter. His thaco will get lower then the thiefs, he will have more attacks, and eventually get access to figher HLA. So if you are wanting more fighting power in your party and only have a thief do the bar minimum nessecary (traps, locks, etc) then multi-classed is the way to go.
Multiclassed and dual-classed characters both have stumbling blocks, but they are unique to one another. In midgame, multiclassed characters start levelling up extremely slowly, due to the nonlinear placement of character levels. Around 11th or 12th level, the experience required to progress to the next level of experience is DOUBLE the experience required to reach your current level. This means that your multi-classed character will be essentially stagnant for a goodly section of middle of the game. However, dual-classed characters become hopelessly and helplessly weak for nearly an equal period of time when they switch classes, and nearly always end up wasting proficiencies, especially if they dual-class to mage. (There are tricks to avoid this, but they make the game insanely difficult and aren't really worth it.... spoiler If you don't level up after dualing until you have enough experience to reactivate your first class, you can distribute your weapon proficiencies as a dual-classed character.)
I don't really think one has a particular advantage over the other, really. In ToB, multi-classed characters get to choose HLA's from their combined class pools, while dual-classed characters do not, but multi-classed characters cannot use kits, except for gnomes. Gnomish mages are always illusionists, period. (which is kinda silly, really...)
Fighter/mage/thieves are very powerful, but so are kensai/mages and assassin/fighters. I like 'em all.
I don't really think one has a particular advantage over the other, really. In ToB, multi-classed characters get to choose HLA's from their combined class pools, while dual-classed characters do not, but multi-classed characters cannot use kits, except for gnomes. Gnomish mages are always illusionists, period. (which is kinda silly, really...)
Fighter/mage/thieves are very powerful, but so are kensai/mages and assassin/fighters. I like 'em all.
I had played final BG1 as a stat-cheated fighter, and when I imported him into BG2, was given the option of choosing a kit! After noodling around on the non-spoilerish sections of the BG2 section, I chose kensai, and dual-classed at 9th to mage. I did not find that he was useless for very long; just memorizing the battery of spells to become useful pushed him up to 7th level or so, and he was only a drag to the party for about 3 hours of playtime, after which I ditched my "primary mage" (Nalia).
To be honest, he was too powerful through the midgame; his pre-HLA melee output greatly exeeded all of the stock characters in game (*between* casts), and he never took melee damage. Now he is in his early 20s, and his fighting skills are really best served using a simulacra tensor fighter, though the additional hit points push him out of the range of any symbols until pretty badly beaten up. Jaheira's HLA-enhanced abilities are finally beginning to shine, but as a (roughly) 1-time player, that's too long for me to wait until real usefulness
.
To be honest, he was too powerful through the midgame; his pre-HLA melee output greatly exeeded all of the stock characters in game (*between* casts), and he never took melee damage. Now he is in his early 20s, and his fighting skills are really best served using a simulacra tensor fighter, though the additional hit points push him out of the range of any symbols until pretty badly beaten up. Jaheira's HLA-enhanced abilities are finally beginning to shine, but as a (roughly) 1-time player, that's too long for me to wait until real usefulness
.[QUOTE=glenfar]For example, start as a Fighter, dual to a Mage at level 9. Once you reach level 10 as a Mage, you'll regain all your fighter skills.[/QUOTE]
And what becomes next ? I advance only as a fighter and have all the 10th level Mage abilities, yes ? Are there some restrictions what can i dual to (If i have chosen thief for example)?
And what becomes next ? I advance only as a fighter and have all the 10th level Mage abilities, yes ? Are there some restrictions what can i dual to (If i have chosen thief for example)?
[QUOTE=Valhallen]And what becomes next ? I advance only as a fighter and have all the 10th level Mage abilities, yes ? Are there some restrictions what can i dual to (If i have chosen thief for example)?[/QUOTE]
Actually in my example you'd be advancing as a Mage. The advantage (as has been mentioned) is that you'll be almost as good a Mage as a single-classed character (not long into the game you'd be at most 1 level behind), and yet have the Fighter skills to back you up. So as I said, dual-class is when you still want to be primarily one class, but have a few extra skills.
As for what you can dual from/to - Fighter, Mage, Thief, Cleric, Druid and Ranger. However, you'll be restricted in your choice based on your stats - can't remember off hand, but you need something like a 15 in the primary stats of the classes you're dualing from and to.
Actually in my example you'd be advancing as a Mage. The advantage (as has been mentioned) is that you'll be almost as good a Mage as a single-classed character (not long into the game you'd be at most 1 level behind), and yet have the Fighter skills to back you up. So as I said, dual-class is when you still want to be primarily one class, but have a few extra skills.
As for what you can dual from/to - Fighter, Mage, Thief, Cleric, Druid and Ranger. However, you'll be restricted in your choice based on your stats - can't remember off hand, but you need something like a 15 in the primary stats of the classes you're dualing from and to.
@iamweaver:
Dualing to a mage is an exception to the midgame lag rule, simply because of the spell-scribing experience, which I personally think is silly, especially given that you can erase spells and relearn them with a few Potions of Genius or a lower difficultly level, giving you basically free experience. I read a fairly good rant about scroll experience, I believe in a solo sorcerer guide. Paraphrased, it says, "Mages already get the advantage of a new spell and more power, why give them experience also? This is especially unfair when compared with sorcerers and clerics, who have no such benefits." And I agree. My kensai-mage reactivated his abilities about 10 minutes after I dual-classed him (at level 13!) because of this "feature." Took the fun right out of the game.
Dualing to a mage is an exception to the midgame lag rule, simply because of the spell-scribing experience, which I personally think is silly, especially given that you can erase spells and relearn them with a few Potions of Genius or a lower difficultly level, giving you basically free experience. I read a fairly good rant about scroll experience, I believe in a solo sorcerer guide. Paraphrased, it says, "Mages already get the advantage of a new spell and more power, why give them experience also? This is especially unfair when compared with sorcerers and clerics, who have no such benefits." And I agree. My kensai-mage reactivated his abilities about 10 minutes after I dual-classed him (at level 13!) because of this "feature." Took the fun right out of the game.
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FireLighter
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