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I have went through this game several times and on each occasion I have been sure to include a druid or a fighter/druid in my party.
Unlike BG/BG2, druids in this game, if you have HOW, are excellent, and in my view their spells rival those of mages. Indeed, I think they may even be a bit better, though that is, of course, wholly subjective. I really don't think I could live without Entangle combined with Spike Growth, and Spike Stones.

So, the question is, which character class do you view as indispensable? Clearly, everyone's play style is different, so no doubt we'll all have differing views on the subject

Bards or thieves. Bards make good spellcasters and better fighters than fighters themselves and backstabbing is a great advantage if you're out of magic, enchanced so much more with buffs. I soloed the entire game (HoW and TotL included) with both of these classes, however, I'm trying to stay away from the obvious classes as the way HoW's cap is you can make a Fighter/Mage/Thief that is level 30 in all classes. Kind of cheap in my opinion. As for Clerics... eh... I liked the more in BGII. The undead you encounter can be dealt by the normal means and healing isn't that much of a problem with potions, regeneration, a safe place to rest and of course a means to avoid it altogether.

Hmmm interesting question - because i played IWD b4 Baldurs Gate I was expecting more from the BG druids - to say the least I was disappointed.

I love the action of this game so its most likely an action based class - namely the Paladin but I always enjoy watching my fighter obliterate the opposition - Probably followed by a cleric, but I would agree they are better in BG

Thieves probably come in fourth

I'd say a bard or a fighter. Due to AD&D's system, high levels fighters are virtually untouchable. (Best saves, several attacks, great THAC0, most damage.) Bards are truelly jacks-of-all-trades and have more options than a fighter due to spells, can ID things with lore (I always liked that), are tougher than mages and they levels up *fast*.
I don't like heavy reliance on things like Entangle, i.e. anything with saves that ignore, because I always experienced that enemies 95% of the time made the save, while I wouldn't even do it once. I try to minimize my reliance on luck.

For my particular style of play, definately mage, druid, cleric and thief - I always have those 4 in my party no matter if its BG or IWD My playing style thrives on spell casters in every rpg I've ever played, and I love using a litle halfling thief just to scout around, back-stab and run tactics that lead the enemy straight into my druid, cleric and mages spells while my thief pulls out her bow and joins in a little too.

Very interesting topic, DW!

I don't think I could live without a multiclassed Druid. I don't know what it is, but I really dig F/D's.

Klorox wrote: I don't think I could live without a multiclassed Druid. I don't know what it is, but I really dig F/D's.

Agreed! I think it was my fighter/druid that inspired me to begin this thread
I suspect I like fighter/druids so much because they are incredibly versatile. Before and during battles they cast some awesome offensive spells (and they get more of them than mages), they heal, and you can also have them at the front lines engaged in direct melee combat... all while wearing the same set of armor.
I also enjoy the role play concept of a fighter/druid... a warrior who is a servant of nature... They're sort of the militant environmentalists of Faerun

Another class I don't think I could really live without is a fighter/thief.... backstabbing and also having the ability to engage an enemy directly can be a lot of fun. I also like to use thieves for scouting... very handy when you like to prepare virtual minefields with your casters. :devil:

My halfling thief. I'm saying 'my' halfling thief because I've apparently been blessed by the god of Randomly Working Script with this particular class in my game. My thief does exactly what I tell him and acts according to his script. With a shortbow and decent ammo, he's a better sniper than my ranger. He actually moves to position himself during fights - you can watch him run away, hide in shadows, strike from a distance. He doesn't deal as well in close combat, granted... but his sniper skills make up for it.

( ...as opposed to, say, my sorcerer who, no matter what script I choose for him, always attempts to bull-rush enemies and only now and then applies the 'cast offensive spells like whoa' script I'd LOVE him to use continuously. )

Thieves are vital in IWD in my opinion, and I hate booby traps. Most people choose a halfling Fighter/Thief for the item and defense bonuses(they can turn into tanks with very good armor class).

I really never understood why everybody is so delighted with Backstabbing. For me, this only served to get my thief killed. Either he'd appear out of shadows before stabbing, he'd miss his backstab, or something else, despite having 120%+ Hide in Shadows/Move Silently and approaching from the back.
Also, I never trusted scripts for an inch.
I do agree about F/D's. Tehy're one cool class, especially with HOW installed.
My party always consists of this: one full divine caster, one multiclass divine caster, one full arcane caster (wizard), one multiclassed arcane caster/bard, some one with thief skills and one warrior. The thief may be attached to a multiclass or be a warrior, and the other multislots are filled with warriors.
Last time I played with four: Fighter, Cleric/Ranger, Wizard and Fighter/Thief, IIRC. Pretty powerful.
I always try to cover all the spell lists: Cleric, Druid, Wizard.

For me it's a Fighter/Thief. A Thief is absolutely vital in order to deal with all the traps, but a pure Thief is over-kill. In IWD I always have a Halfling Fighter/Thief using Short Swords and Slings and later learning Large Swords and/or Daggers, so (s)he's able to use any backstabbing weapon.
With 18+ strength due to my Bard's Strength spells, the little bugger can do lots of damage when back-stabbing - nothing like chunking ememy spell casters for 68 points of damage.
With a low AC the figher/thief is also great for getting behind enemy parties, wait for the grunts to rush the visible party and then step out of the shadows and force the archers to use their melee weapons instaed.

There's no class I couldn't live without, if you play without your favourite class it can be an interesting experience having to develop new tactics. I didn't really know the power of mages,druids or thieves before I soloed them.

The class most painful to play without in a party of 6 is thief, having to walk into all the traps in Dragon's Eye or detecting secret doors in TotL without the search function isn't fun at all.
Next in the row I'd name bard, with HoW the healing song is great.

I have found a dual classed fighter/druid to be a very apt and versatile character. In my multiplayer game in HOF he's having about 45% of the party kill total, and thats without using any "uber" gear (he's using Valiant scimitar + some shapechanges now and then). While buffed with entrophy shield, untouchable sanctity of the mind and regeneration, nothing can stop him :speech:

I'd vote my elven fighter/thief using long bow+4 hammer and long sword of action+4 as the second favorite. When not distrupting all spellcasters on the screen with a barrage of arrows, he is running around sneak attacking every single mob like a madman

I've only played the game once and I really liked the Paladin. I will probably play it again in the near future and choose a different style of party.

The class I couldn't live without is fighter, which is slightly strange since I rarely ever use a pureclass fighter. However, fighter multiclasses and dualclasses are the backbone of a versatile party. I can live without a thief, although it's painful at times. I'd hate to do without a druid or cleric (my parties typically include at least one of each), but I could. However, multiclassing other classes to fighter neutralizes the weaknesses of those classes (HP, Thaco, attacks/round) while maintaining the strengths of said classes, which is why it's the most important class for me.

Interesting thread.

I'd say that i would not like to go through the game without a dual class Fighter Druid. In normal, usually a f3>druid, in Hof, usually a f7>druid. They provide so much useful spells early on.

The 2nd character will be a multi classed cleric. I've been using a R/C quite often. Now, however, i quite like a dwarf F/C which give so much more saves.

I can live without a thief or mage or bard. A pain though.

Although some consider this multiclass a "cheese" character, I really like the Ranger/Cleric. I have had a party without one but they seem to be the best combo (IMHO) and really prefer one in my group. They get all the normal cleric spells plus they can cast the druid's spells due to their ranger half so they have a much wider spell selection. With my style of play though I seem to almost always have a Paladin. I really like the sword "Pale Justice" and with the best saves of any class (IIRC) they are pretty formidible. I am also of the school that theives are very beneficial however not worth having as a single class. I usually have either a halfling or a gnome Fighter/Thief combo (they can use that great Helm which Conlan sells). That character has been able to handle any thief requirement I have run into.

A druid is the number one must for me in Icewind Dale. There are so many battles in this game that my druid is the sole reason it went so well. Having the added healing helps too.

The mage comes second. They have their own area effect hold spells and area effect damage spells that compliment the druids very very well.

Traps always annoy me so I gotta have a thief.

With Icewind Dale I've recently been including a bard as the team leader. They seem to have a few conversation options that no one else does. Try talking to the drunk sailor in Easthaven with a bard.

I've always have some kind of cleric to help out too.

Aye, a bard is a solid addition: useful with a bow, early access to mage spells (due to low XP requirements), songs if they can't fight, and lore. Lore is pretty useful, I think, given the high amount of loot you find in this game.

Paladin, solid as a rock and dependable ^_^