Help me settle on a character

Morvian

I'd like to finish a playthrough, but I keep getting new ideas and starting over halfway through Chapter 2...

So help me decide on a character :P

These choices are in no particular order, and all would be intended for a full run from BG1-TOB. I'll be awaiting BG2EE before going that far though, so I'll probably end up playing 3 or 4 of these. Anyway, which should I play first?

1.) Elf Archer - Longbows, Longsword as a last resort if enemy gets close. Seems like a very solid CHARNAME option since I'd be at range all the time. Should help avoid the need for reloads. I'm not sure how these are later in the series though, since I've never actually played one. The stats seem pretty straightforward, but anyone have suggestions/observations about gear etc?

2.) Half Elf Stalker - Single weapon style with Scimitar/Wakizashi/Ninjato. Backstabbing only hits with the main hand anyway IIRC, and the weapon style helps with AC. I'm not dead set on the weapon choice, but I like the low speed factor. I would go Katana, but it's impossible to buy or find one at the beginning of BG1. Stats/gear suggestions?

3.) Half Orc Barbarian - Two Handed Swords and Longbows. All the fun of rage and huge strength and constitution. I'm almost scared of how good this will be in BG1. Thoughts here?

4.) Human Berserker - This one I'd really only be taking to level 9 and dual classing in BG2 to either a mage or cleric. Suggestions are welcome here, as I didn't do much dual classing "back in the day."

5.) Human Kensai - Yes, this is another dual class option. I'd take it to 9 and go to mage or take it to 13 and get a thief. Suggestions are again welcome.

6.) Human Priest of Lathander - Dual class choice number 3. This is one I never really see, probably for a reason, but thought would be interesting. I was thinking I'd take my cleric levels up to 11 then dual to ranger for the rest of BG2. The end result would be a ranger with the Boon of Lathander. Probably dual wielding undead slaying weapons of doom. Thoughts on this idea?

7.) Something else. This is where you can tell me I'm dumb and the obvious choice is X.

Which character do you think I should pick and why? I'm mostly looking for fun and the ability to build a decent good/neutral party. I'm not terribly worried about effectiveness beyond the "not awful" level. Typically I prefer dual classing to multi classing because I consider the downtime less boring than the slow progress of multiclass characters. Especially on good/neutral runs where everyone and their brother is a multiclass something.

Thanks for your input

Greenman019

6

Or a plain ol' shapeshifter

raywind

I personally would not pick any of those, they are all rather boring. I would suggest some bountyhunter, pure thief, blade, skald action.

Necroblivion

All of them are good choices. I always go for a character which I know will be affective all the time. Fighters are such characters because they always have something to attack and they deal good damage. My problem with fighters is that their progression is not as interesting as a spellcaster, so after a while there's nothing really special about gaining a new level.

I like the idea of dualing a character. I have never done it mylsef but I am thinking about it. The fighter (random kit) dualed to mage or thief suonds kinda awesome and interesting to me.

I can tell you that Archers are super over powered and after a while if you have the boots of speed you will be able to solo almost everything.

Space_hamster

Playing a thief is always fun. I generally shy away from dualing, as pure classes level up faster.

The_New_Romance

I'm playing a Cleric of Helm at the moment. Pure classes do indeed level faster, so I'd suggest one of those (although I'm tempted by a Berserker -> Mage dual class, or better yet Sorcerer, but that ain't possible).

That in mind, I'd say an Archer is interesting, but he does indeed get boring after a while as the progression is rather foreseeable. Same problem with the Stalker. However, if they fit your character concept (and they both sound cool), play them. Same thing for Barbarian.
Maybe you're actually best off going Cleric of Lathander -> Ranger. Of course, it's got harder XP requirements and takes a long time, but he'll be interesting. Plus, it's always great to bring your own Cleric, as I tend to not like the Cleric NPCs for various reasons.

Cheesebelly

Berserker > Cleric is easily one of the most fun classes to play all around. They are even capable of soloing the game with ease actually, thanks to the immunities provided by enrage.

Morvian

It does sound like the Cleric of Lathander -> Ranger may be the best option, at least for an interesting progression. I like mages/sorcerors, but don't like to play a pure mage myself because there are so many NPC mages. Especially in BG1, where they are arguably least useful. Of course, the same argument could probably be made for any class.

Anyway, cleric does let me put Rasaad and Neera in the party more easily. What are some thoughts on a party? I was thinking something like:

1.) Me (Priest of Lathander)
2.) Imoen (Keep as thief)
3.) Rasaad
4.) Neera
5.) Minsc
6.) Dynaheir

That would give me three frontliners, theoretically. Minsc and CHARNAME wouldn't have much trouble staying alive. Rasaad will probably die a lot early on. Maybe I'll drop him for Kivan. Is his content worth keeping him around for?

Imoen could backstab things and/or use a shortbow. Neera and Dynaheir could blow things up. I'd like to have another healer though. Dynaheir can dual to Cleric if I throw some tomes at her right? Maybe I'll do that. Or let her die and get Qualye or however you spell his name. :P

Komarr

Two words for ya: Gnome. Barbarian. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KqjOGdOMtA

Madhax

The first time I beat BG2 was with an elven archer PC. One of the most powerful characters I've ever played, as well as one of the most boring. I like having the main character being an integral part of the fight, but an archer basically just auto-fires the whole time. The extent of archer strategy in a full party seemed to be pausing when it was time to swap targets...

Have you considered, rather than a dual class, a MC Cleric/Ranger? I forget what Boon of Lathander does, but a R/C gets dual-wield right off the bat for two different blunt weapons, and access to both cleric AND druid spells. You wind up with a highly versatile divine spellcaster that's also extremely competent in the melee as either a flank attacker or a tank.

Morvian

Boon of Lathander grants immunity to level drain and some combat bonuses. And stacks. It's not as good as Storm Shield (from the Talos kit) or the Berserker rage, but still pretty beneficial. I don't generally use multiclass characters because of the downtime. However, I might consider a Ranger/Cleric multi.

Morvian

Slow progression I meant. Not downtime. I prefer the downtime to the slow progression.

BelgarathMTH

Your cleric of Lathander would be a solid character for a good party, especially since there are very few choices of clerics among the NPC cast.

However, you should not dual him. There is a huge gap in xp between levels 8, 9, and 10 for a cleric. (125,000 for 8, 250,000 for 9, and 500,000 for 10.) This is because the access to fifth level spells for a cleric represents a huge, huge, increase in power and favor from the god - it brings the ability to Raise Dead, to cast a Flame Strike, and to provide almost total immunity to mind-control and crowd-control spells cast by enemies, as well as illithid psionics, through the Chaotic Commands spell.

If you go all the way to 11 and then dual, you are going to be deep, deep into BG2 before you get there, and then, you are going to effectively sacrifice all your massive clerical powers for basically nothing in return, for the rest of the game.

You cannot go beyond 161,000 xp for all of BG1, even if you solo, unless you mod out the xp cap.

Just stick with the pure cleric of Lathander if you want to run with the holy men - it is a solid, very powerful choice as a pure class.

Nazad

I want to second either the single-class Cleric of Lathander or the ranger/cleric multiclass. I think you might be dissatisfied waiting for your cleric powers to return if you dual him late and into a class that requires a lot of experience. If you want to dual him, do so at level 7 and make him a Thief. You can reach level 8 thief by the end of BG1, so your cleric powers will return before the finale.