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OK, I've got two choices, both seem equally good to me...

Choice number 1 (Please be aware that this time around I'm using Shadowkeeper extensively):
Multiclassed Swashbuckler/Mage. It's practically a Fighter/Thief/Mage! With three stars in dual weaponry, I'm thinking dual-weilding longswords (or Katanas, because of CF/Dak'kon's Zerth).

Multiclassed Assassin/Mage. The main reason for this is that the Assassin's got 7x backstab. With Mislead and Staff of the Ram, you can get some pretty sweet damage off of that...

Also, if I go swashy/mage, what weapons should I dual wield? Longswords? Katanas? What HLA? Obviously I'm getting Improved Alacrity, UAI, and xtra 6-th, 7-th , and 8-th level spell, but what else? Should I invest heavily in Spike Trap cheese? I don't need time trap b/c of Timestop ... or do I? Maybe timetrap INSTEAD of Timestop would = more 9th level spells? Like what, then? Should I invest more heavily in Dragon's Breath and Improved Alacrities?

Go Swash/Mage

If you choose to do this legit, you can always do it dual classed.

Anyway, I'd use Celestial Fury in my main hand, and Belm in my off-hand if I were you.

You'll just get more attacks with CF this way! Remember to become proficient with clubs and pick up that Acid +3 Club along the way. You're going to need a blunt weapon too, and I think club is the only one that a thief/mage can use one-handed (keep belm in offhand for more attacks with club too!).

Hrm, well, the reason I insist on using SK and multi Swashy/Mage (instead of legitly dualling) is because I want the thief High Level Abilities AND the mage High Level Abilities. Specifically, I want Use Any Item AND Improved Alacrity. Plus, I want a large number of thief skills AND the ability to cast magic. PLUS, Swashbuckler can get three stars in two-weapon fighting AND has kit bonuses to AC and THAC0. I've already dualed a Kensai to a Mage. it was a lvl 13 Kensai, lvl 27 Mage. It was powerful, it was cheesy, I got bored. Plus, I never even got to use the High Level Abilites of the Kensai, cool stuff like Whirlwind Attack. Imagine 10 attacks per round, for two rounds, with Celestial Fury during a Timestop! Now, Mr. Swashbuckler can't pull off the same 10 attacks, but he CAN pull off Use Any Item, as well as Spike Traps galore.

But, if I went multi Assassin/Mage (with ShadowKeeper), I can get, as a HLA, Assassination. With Assassination, Improved Haste and Timestop, I can pull off tons of 7x backstabs in the safety of a Timestop! But, does the fact that I can do this offset the fact that I'm relatively weak in the beginning, since Assassins don't have Swashbucklers' advantages in combat? Does the poison weapon make up for it?

What does Belm do again? Add an extra attack? Well, it's useful I guess but hardly essential. I like using Dak'kon's Zerth Blade, because that thing is just so useful for mages. And, it shares its item type with CF! The reason I was torn between what blades to use is because I was wondering if I should dual wield Longswords, for Blackrazor and Answerer.

A little thing i learned from UU:

The problem with Timestop is the long casting time. But if you place a Time Trap and then cast Timestop, no one will be able to interrupt your casting as Time Trap gives you a small 10-secs timestop, more than enough time to cast the real timestop.

Why is it, then, moltovir, that liches seem to be able to cast Timestop perfectly fine every single ding-dong time?

1) That extra attack is really sweet, trust me. I know that Dakkon's Zerth Blade is cool too, I guess it's a matter of what's more important: the Fighter or the Mage side of your character.

2) Any casting time problems are easily solved with the Robe of Vecna and the Amulet of Power.

I've looked at everything; it seems to me that Belm is more useful for a multi Assassin/Mage than for a Swashy Mage. The Assn/Mage would rely on Timestop + Assassination for tons of 7x backstabs, and so the more attacks the better obviously. The swashy mage mainly just dukes it out, kinda like a Kensai Mage only less powerful in mono-a-mono combat, but with stuff like Use Any Item and Spike Trap.

It's just such a shame that Monks and Sorcerers aren't allowed as multi-class. I mean, can you imagine a Monk/Sorcerer multi? That would really be something, especially with mods that replace the kinda boring generic fighter HLA for monks with real monk stuff like shadowless kick.

[QUOTE=Opalescence] Why is it, then, moltovir, that liches seem to be able to cast Timestop perfectly fine every single ding-dong time? [/QUOTE]

(1) They are often pre-buffed with various protections you can't remove fast enough.
(2) They are completely immune to any level 5 or lower spells. No interrupting with a Magic Missile, for instance.
(3) They often use an uninterruptable spellcasting script function.

If you plan to be a swash/mage multi you should really look into the scarlet ninja to. Very good weapon and usable with UAI. I would use that in the off-hand and then whatever is useful in the current situation in the main hand, foebane, crom, MoD. Don't worry about thac0 once you get UAI it will be low enough.
Weapons that add extra attack are really very good, remember improved haste.
Timetraps are quite handy, pick atleast one of them. Makes for a more rounded character.
I know this multi is tempting but you'll get by quite well with a swash dualed at level 10 to mage. Ofcourse no UAI but quickly a very good mage. You'll gain levels so fast its frightening with this character.
My favourite solocharacter next to berserker/mage.

you thought a dual classed legit kensai mage was overpowered and cheesy and you got bored and yet you're using extensive shadowkeepering?? good luck. i would personally go for the swash/mage, but i' a more combat orientated player.

A quick question - how do you SK a kit into a multi-classed character? I didn't see any selection criteria for that, only for Kit Selection. Doesn't selecting a Kit totally overwrite the class selection?

Cheers,
TGHO

Please start new questions in new threads.

Since this one's finished, it's closed.