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Dumb question alert !

I can't figure out the difference between multiclassing and dual classing. I read the descriptions in various places but I just don't get it.

Seems to me that either one will let you work with the skills of more than one class, except that dual classing has a bunch of restrictions.

At the risk of sounding like an utter newbie, what is there difference here, and what are the advantages of one over the other?

As a beginner, would it be simpler to just start with a fighter and go for it? In some places a fighter/thief is recommended, but don't you find a thief along the way? I've not played a game where NPC's are added later, instead of making up your own party entirely.

Starting with a standard fighter will definitely be the easiest run of the game for a first time.

I always play a multi-classed fighter/thief but that is just the way that I like to play. You can add a total of 5 NPCs to your party. There are many NPCs available of various classes so you can pick and choose what your party consist of.

A multi-classed character has access to the abilities of all of the classes at all times. When they receive XP's those points are split between the classes the character has therefore causing them to level up slower than a single class.

A dual-classed character is someone that has decided to change the profession they are in. This character will be a certain class for a time and then stop that class for a new one. They will not have access to the abilities of the first class until their second class level is higher than their first level. For example, a level 2 fighter that dual-classes to a mage will not have their fighter abilities back until they reach level 3 as a mage.

Only humans can dualclass. Only non-humans can multiclass.

When you dualclass, you can decide how many XP levels you give to your first class before you begin your second profession, if you multiclass the game will just split the XP gain evenly and the classes develop parallel.

The first joinable NPC you meet will be a thief, so it's not neccessary taking thief levels. (but it can be fun for sneaking around and backstabbing)

Fighter is probably the easiest choice for a beginner. Set strength, dex, con and maybe cha to 18 and ignore int and wis, they're useless. Put profiency points only in bow and longsword.
Cleric (pure or with fighter/ranger levels) using slings and hammers is also an easy choice, but you can't use bows and therefore won't have impressive kill statistics.
But you can play any class you like, a PC mage with a NPC fighter isn't much different from a PC fighter with mage NPC.

If you start as human fighter you can dualclass at level 3-4 to thief and dualclass the NPC thief to illusionist mage at level 4-5 if you want or just stay pure.

My preference is to play a small party or even go solo. That way you don't divide your Experience points with so many characters. If you go solo, Fighter/thief or fighter/mage/thief are the easiest. However, as others have said, you can play just about any character you like, as other party members can make up for any deficiencies your own character may have. If you play with a party of four say, you should have a druid or cleric, a mage of some sort, a fighter and a thief. Multiclassed or dual classed characters enable you to manage with a smaller party. Something that is useful to know is that the level of characters that join you is dependant on the level of your party, so if you build up your level first on easy quests, the characters that join you will be of a higher level. There are some very easy quests such as buying a book for somebody.

Not a dumb question at all! Unless you've been around AD&D 2nd Edition rules for a decade or two, it is a little strange.

I would agree that a single-class fighter with a full load of 5 NPCs, comprising a wide range of classes, is the best way to go for a beginner. Or at least until you're comfortable with spells, classes, abilities, and other game mechanics.

Regarding dual-classes... I'll use the NPC Imoen the Thief, dualling to a Wizard, as an example.

Imoen CAN dual from a Thief to a Wizard because:
- she is human
- the main ability score of her original class (DEX for a thief) is at least 15.
- the main ability score of her new 'dualled' class (INT for a wizard) is at least 17.

Imoen can NOT dual to a fighter or cleric bcause:
- the main ability score of the new 'dualled' class (STR for a fighter, WIS for a cleric) is not at least 17.

"Imoen the Thief" reaches Level 7 with 40k experience points (XP). You decide to dual her to a wizard. Her thief class becomes 'inactive' (can't pick locks or pockets or traps, can't wear Boots of Stealth, can't use a bow or sword, can't backstab, etc), and for all intensive purposes, she becomes a Level 1 Wizard with 0 XP. The only thing she keeps is the Hit Points she obtained as a thief.

From there on out, any XP gained is ONLY added to her wizard XP amount, i.e. the only class Imoen will EVER gain levels in is as a wizard.

When "Imoen the Wizard" reach Level 8 as a wizard with 90k 'wizard' XP (i.e. one level higher than her original thief class), her original thief class becomes 'active' again. She can pick locks or pockets or traps, wear Boots of Steath, use a bow or sword, backstab, etc, as the Level 7 thief she originally was. She will continue to gain levels ONLY as a wizard, but she can use her thief abilities and items too.

Important note: the game has a cap of 89k 'total' XP. Installing the TotSC expansion raises this cap to 161k 'total' XP (one of many good reasons to install the excellent expansion). Without the expansion installed, dualling Imoen the Thief at level 7 is a really bad idea, because she'll never be able to get to level 8 as a wizard (i.e. have her thief class become 'active' again), because of the XP cap. Dualling a character requires a little planning with the class XP level progression table, to be sure.

Dualled Imoen Upside: you got a wizard that can use a bow and use thief abilities, which may alleviate the need for another thief in the party (especially if you poured all her thieving points into Find Traps & Pick Locks before you dualled her).

Dualled Imoen Downside: you got a wizard that is 40k XP in the hole, compared with other single-classed wizards. And if Imoen is your only thief, you'll have to go thru a good chunk of the game without a thief, while you wait for Imoen's thief class to became 'active' again.

Wow, thanks everyone. I think I get it now.

I think I also understand now how I managed to mess up big-time with the multiclassing while playing Icewind Dale :laugh:

I'm assuming that, like Icewind Dale, you still control your merry bunch of adventurers, even if you did not create them personally. Fighters are great stress-relief, but magic is far more fun

You do indeed have full control over your NPC's just like IWD.

Just remember to turn off your A.I. or they will do there own thing its in the bottom right hand corner.

They'll actually act according to the script you give to them.

You can also play the game in multi-player mode and play it exactly like Icewindale, though in my opinion, single player mode is more fun.