Spear options for BG

pipinho

im thinking about a spear wielding paldin but the spear options seem to be very slim. Any advice on spear using npc?

ScytheKnight

Could always use Backbiter :P

PawnSlayer

I wouldn't go for spears for a Paladin, personally. Not enough good ones. You'll get far more damage out of a two-handed sword like Spider's Bane. Spear + 2 I think is the best spear in the game, since Backbiter is cursed.

KidCarnival

Spear +2 is the best you can get. Nothing with fancy names or magic that I'm aware of. But I only used a spear in Black Pits on a druid, who was more a caster and shapeshifted for melee.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

pipinho

i think that poe from firewine has a spear +1, it's sad that the developers never put in javelins in the game.. ;s

[Deleted User]

Spears are a little more viable in BG2, but they suffer from having low damage for a two-handed weapon and from dealing piercing damage, the most resisted (melee) damage type. In BGEE, the Spear +2 is the best one, and it's easily outclassed by several *one-handed* weapons with better damage types, to say nothing of what you could do with a different two-handed weapon.

If you really want a Paladin wielding a pokey stick, pick up Quarterstaff proficiency and use the Staff-Spear; it deals significantly better damage than the Spear +2.

Fardragon

Yeah, Staff would be better for a paladin, there are several decent staves, including the staff-spear.

If you really want a spear guy, you might try a dwarf/half orc barbarian and use Backbiter. Have enough hp to ignore the self damage.

PawnSlayer

Staff is still a really bad option for a Paladin when there's two handed swords and Halberds that deal so much more raw damage.

Sharn

Spears are a poor choice no matter how much damage they do, the only weapons that have more enemies completely immune to their damage then piercing melee weapons are ranged weapons.

PeteAtoms

If you happen to be roleplaying (rather than simply powergaming), go ahead and choose spears. I tend to do whatever I think best fits the character or roleplay I am doing. I know I might face a harder game because of this, but it doesn't bother me to turn the difficulty down to accommodate this.

Sharn

I wouldn't call a preference for weapons that 1/3 of the enemies on the sword coast are not resistant too and many are completely immune to, lacking in role playing.

PeteAtoms

Sharn said:

I wouldn't call a preference for weapons that 1/3 of the enemies on the sword coast are not resistant too and many are completely immune to, lacking in role playing.

Um... I don't see what this has to do with what I said.

TJ_Hooker

Sharn said:

I wouldn't call a preference for weapons that 1/3 of the enemies on the sword coast are not resistant too and many are completely immune to, lacking in role playing.

I think the idea is that you would only know that if you're meta-gaming. And there's nothing wrong with meta-gaming, it's just that using your meta-game knowledge to maximize your combat effectiveness doesn't really make sense from a roleplaying perspective.

[Deleted User]

PawnSlayer said:

Staff is still a really bad option for a Paladin when there's two handed swords and Halberds that deal so much more raw damage.

In terms of average damage, the only two-handed sword or halberd that beats the Staff Spear is the Two-Handed Sword +3, and that's only one point better. The Chesley Crusher gets more damage per hit, but that advantage disappears the moment the Paladin can take more than one attack per round (which is to say, immediately).

Staff proficiency is actually rather nice in BGEE, because it gets you access to the most damaging weapon in the game (Staff of Striking), one of the most damaging one-handed weapons in the game (Staff-Mace), and a good, all-around high damage two-handed weapon (Staff-Spear). Also, the Quarterstaff +3, which can be purchased whenever you get around to sauntering up to Ulgoth's Beard.

As far as piercing damage goes, it is the most resisted melee damage type, but that still doesn't mean it's resisted *often*. Aside from skeletons and jellies, you're pretty much fine. In general, physical damage resistance (aside from *missile* damage) is pretty rare in BGEE. This isn't BG2, where there are golem packs hiding around every corner.

Fardragon

I would rate the staff +3 as good as a 2H sword +2, once you take into acount the distinct advantage of crushing damage. The Staff +3 can be obtained easily and early, a staff +1 is likely one of the first magic weapons you come across.

Sharn

TJ_Hooker said:

Sharn said:

I wouldn't call a preference for weapons that 1/3 of the enemies on the sword coast are not resistant too and many are completely immune to, lacking in role playing.

I think the idea is that you would only know that if you're meta-gaming. And there's nothing wrong with meta-gaming, it's just that using your meta-game knowledge to maximize your combat effectiveness doesn't really make sense from a roleplaying perspective.

Maybe in Greyhawk, but not in forgotten realms, powerful people practically grow on trees in the FR setting, there are so many people in the setting that would become less powerful by becoming gods its actually silly. This isn't a world where people see a clay golem and go "What the hell is that?", its a setting where people see a clay golem and say "That's a clay golem, we better get out the blunt weapons."

TJ_Hooker

Sharn said:

Maybe in Greyhawk, but not in forgotten realms, powerful people practically grow on trees in the FR setting, there are so many people in the setting that would become less powerful by becoming gods its actually silly.

I'm not sure where you're going with this part.

Sharn said:

This isn't a world where people see a clay golem and go "What the hell is that?", its a setting where people see a clay golem and say "That's a clay golem, we better get out the blunt weapons."

There's a big difference between knowing what weapon to use when you see a certain enemy, and somehow knowing that you'll be fighting that enemy months or years in advance and training with the appropriate weapon in preparation.

[Deleted User]

TJ_Hooker said:

There's a big difference between knowing what weapon to use when you see a certain enemy, and somehow knowing that you'll be fighting that enemy months or years in advance and training with the appropriate weapon in preparation.

Right, there are how many clay golems in BGEE again?

Nonnahswriter

I recall a couple good spears in BG2 if you intend to transfer.

Everyone's pretty much hit the nail on the head when it comes to advice with spears, but in the end, it's entirely up to you what you decide to do.

Kaigen said:

Right, there are how many clay golems in BGEE again?

2 inside High Hedge that you don't have to fight, either 2 or 3 more inside the pirate cave on one of the maps, and... I think there might be one more somewhere. So at least 4, probably more.

(I remember because I HATE golems with a burning passion...)

PawnSlayer

Nonnahswriter said:

Kaigen said:

Right, there are how many clay golems in BGEE again?

2 inside High Hedge that you don't have to fight, either 2 or 3 more inside the pirate cave on one of the maps, and... I think there might be one more somewhere. So at least 4, probably more.

(I remember because I HATE golems with a burning passion...)

Flesh Golems in all cases. No clay golems until BG2.

Nonnahswriter

PawnSlayer said:

Flesh Golems in all cases. No clay golems until BG2.

Ah, thank you. I got them mixed up. ^_^;;

pipinho

well the thing is that i rolled an 95 on cavalier that had two points into speers. Oh well i just go with it.

[Deleted User]

Yeah, don't worry about it; just drop some points into another weapon type when you get the chance so that you have something to use against jellies and you'll be fine.

Edit: Axes wouldn't be a bad choice, since you can pick up magical throwing axes to get around the "no missile weapon" clause on Cavaliers.

mjs

to back up a couple of other people on this thread

staffs, 2handed swords, 2handed style and a ranged weapon

staffs in bg:ee will get you up to +3 and give you a staff/spear +2 option. then in bg2 there are more staffs (with excellent extra abilities) than you shake a stick at!