FMC gets an advantage from its Fighter-Class in early game BG1 from better than 18 strength. 18-00 is huge until you get the Strength Tome. In the end game, Fighter HLAs are great ~ creating an end-game Godling Tank.
The key is not to think of FMC as a caster but as probably the game's best back-up tank with maximum pre-buffing that can also plug any holes left if one of your main casters gets taken out of the action. If nothing else, having a second party-member wielding Wand of the Heavens can be very handy in BG1.
FMC probably only fits the bill with a Neutral-Good party playthrough. Evil parties might need help with Thief abilities in BG2 so FMT would be a better fit if you want a triple class.
Note: Half-Elven FMC with 18Con begins with 11HP/Elf FMT with 17Con begins with 9HP
This is quite old thread but I still comment this, if someone can benefit about my thoughts about the FMC.
I think that the most common mistake is compare FMC to MC and ponder what you get from a fighter class. I think that FMC is not played like MC, MC is a one of the best caster classes in the game, which is played typically like a mage or a sorcerer. It's true that you can melee decently with MC by casting a holy power or polymorph spell. The durations of these spells are quite short, which at least by my experience means that you need to cast those spells and maybe some other buffs before every fight. It can become quite tedious.
Moreover the fighter class gives the MC the following benefits:
1. +0.5 apr from second proficiency points
2. +1 apr from dual wielding (true, MC can also dual wield but this happens not until in BG2 and needs the before mentioned short duration holy power)
3. warrior potions (heroism, invulnerability and different strength potions)
4. fighter HLAs
With 3 I think that FMC is one of the few classes, who can kill Drizzt in BG1 with pure melee fight. With DUHM and warrior potions you can get 23+ strength very easily and early.
I think that the correct comparison class for the FMC is FM, because play style of those classes are quite similar. You cast some buffs before the fight and hack& slash everything. During the fight FMC typically renew the following spells: DUHM, stoneskin, mirror image, PFMW, just like FM. Casting time of those spells is very short, which means that you have always almost the full round to strike with your weapons.
When compared a FMC to a (multiclass) FM, the FMC essentially sacrifices the highest mage spell level (and some spell slot from the lower levels) to get a lot of cleric spells, eg. DUHM, righteous magic and true sight. When FM get the ninth spell level, yeah, FM become more powerful than FMC, but it's a long journey before that. Moreover, FM can cast timestop + alacrity + vecna only once per day. I think that if I need that strategy, I should use Edwin or sorcerer to that.
Because typical party does not need several clerics and can survive very well with a low level cleric with very high wisdom, I think that one benefit of the FMC is that the other cleric is not necessarily needed. Which means eg. that FMC + Edwin + Jan Jansen is more powerful party than for example FM + Viconia + Imoen.
FMC doesn't have access to the 9th level sphere as a caster, but *can* cast 9th level spells off of scrolls. So, while you won't be able to cast Time Stop an infinite number of times, you can certainly have access to the spell itself if you save up on scrolls.
Comments
The key is not to think of FMC as a caster but as probably the game's best back-up tank with maximum pre-buffing that can also plug any holes left if one of your main casters gets taken out of the action. If nothing else, having a second party-member wielding Wand of the Heavens can be very handy in BG1.
FMC probably only fits the bill with a Neutral-Good party playthrough. Evil parties might need help with Thief abilities in BG2 so FMT would be a better fit if you want a triple class.
Note: Half-Elven FMC with 18Con begins with 11HP/Elf FMT with 17Con begins with 9HP
I think that the most common mistake is compare FMC to MC and ponder what you get from a fighter class. I think that FMC is not played like MC, MC is a one of the best caster classes in the game, which is played typically like a mage or a sorcerer. It's true that you can melee decently with MC by casting a holy power or polymorph spell. The durations of these spells are quite short, which at least by my experience means that you need to cast those spells and maybe some other buffs before every fight. It can become quite tedious.
Moreover the fighter class gives the MC the following benefits:
1. +0.5 apr from second proficiency points
2. +1 apr from dual wielding (true, MC can also dual wield but this happens not until in BG2 and needs the before mentioned short duration holy power)
3. warrior potions (heroism, invulnerability and different strength potions)
4. fighter HLAs
With 3 I think that FMC is one of the few classes, who can kill Drizzt in BG1 with pure melee fight. With DUHM and warrior potions you can get 23+ strength very easily and early.
I think that the correct comparison class for the FMC is FM, because play style of those classes are quite similar. You cast some buffs before the fight and hack& slash everything. During the fight FMC typically renew the following spells: DUHM, stoneskin, mirror image, PFMW, just like FM. Casting time of those spells is very short, which means that you have always almost the full round to strike with your weapons.
When compared a FMC to a (multiclass) FM, the FMC essentially sacrifices the highest mage spell level (and some spell slot from the lower levels) to get a lot of cleric spells, eg. DUHM, righteous magic and true sight. When FM get the ninth spell level, yeah, FM become more powerful than FMC, but it's a long journey before that. Moreover, FM can cast timestop + alacrity + vecna only once per day. I think that if I need that strategy, I should use Edwin or sorcerer to that.
Because typical party does not need several clerics and can survive very well with a low level cleric with very high wisdom, I think that one benefit of the FMC is that the other cleric is not necessarily needed. Which means eg. that FMC + Edwin + Jan Jansen is more powerful party than for example FM + Viconia + Imoen.