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New Build Help

So I want a new build for BG:EE only, I have completed using a Kensai and want to try something different. im a melee guy but like to have some additional skills to play with.

I was thinking a swashie but the thac0 progression and 1 APR sounds a bit rubbish, or am i totally wrong?
maybe a dual fighter lvl3->thief, a dual zerker lvl3->cleric so i can get grand mastery?

FYI I plan to use atleast Dorn, Edwin and Mr B in my party and ive got SCS installed!


Comments

  • brtl33brtl33 Member Posts: 17
    You could go with a classic Cleric/Ranger or Ranger ---> Cleric. That will give you lot's of extra stuff to play with and you'll still be great in melee.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    Based on your NPC selection, it looks like you are planning to be Evil, right? If so then a Ranger may not be the best way to go... losing all your goodies due to low Rep would suck.

    Gnome Illusionist / Thief or Illusionist / Fighter is fun, and a good match for the rest of your group.

    Druids are also fun. Shapeshifter is a good tank at low levels, and a fine caster / summoner at high levels (when the shapeshift form starts to be inadequate).

    Avengers are basically the opposite: good casters at low level, and their spider form (situationally) good in melee. That situation being "to destroy casters" and "after you cast Web everywhere".
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    I've completed the game with a dual berserker Druid (I suggest 7/9 but stats suck) and a gnome fighter/illusionist. Highly recommend both. Both were melee gods for a good portion of the game and really fun. Both builds used Drizzts Scimitars as appropriate.

    For other options anything utilising Stupifier is an instant win. Backstage are heaps of fun in BG1 and cleric/thief multi or dual is a current favourite of mine with staff of the ram though grabbing Tiax from Beregost with SCS option fills that role fine too.

    Finally, maybe a blade? Check if Chelsey Crusher still works with offensive spin first and if so go with that and crossbow of speed. Again though, Eldoth might fit your party well (with bracers of archery).
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    edited February 2013
    I'm currently running a human Berserker 3/Cleric dual-wielding maces and it's pretty satisfying. He's now at Cleric 7. The cleric buffs take a bit of time to cast, so I don't use them often (and don't really need to either).

    But for my taste, it's not quite as much fun as I had in the previous game using a half-elven Fighter/Mage. I had him wearing the Robe of the Archmagi and buffed with Armor and Shield. Didn't really need any more buffs than that.

    With that character I enjoyed living a bit dangerously by casting a few choice spells in the midst of combat now and then (casting almost never got disrupted, btw). Mixing in wizard spells with melee is a lot of fun. I'd usually cast either Sleep or Glitterdust at the onset before dashing into melee (with a standard mage in the party casting a lot of the same spells as well). Then in melee I'd also sometimes use Blindness, Slow, and Hold. (The casting time for these is fairly fast.) You could also use the Wand of Paralyzation instead of Hold Person but that's so powerful it's almost game-breaking.
  • MikeMastersMikeMasters Member Posts: 141
    @Lemernis I really like a fighter/mage in BG2 but with auto-buff scripts, do you use any? im guessing yours is a multi?
  • MikeMastersMikeMasters Member Posts: 141
    @Wowo ive never used the Stupifier but ive heard alot of good things about it and want to try it
  • MikeMastersMikeMasters Member Posts: 141
    So I think I should go with either a Blade or a Swashbuckler, anyone have strong opinions about this?
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Nifft said:

    Based on your NPC selection, it looks like you are planning to be Evil, right? If so then a Ranger may not be the best way to go... losing all your goodies due to low Rep would suck.

    Gnome Illusionist / Thief or Illusionist / Fighter is fun, and a good match for the rest of your group.

    Agreed, these a perhaps the strongest multiclasses in the whole game - they're the only multiclass to get a specialist mage kit (so extra spells) *and* the shorty-con based bonuses to spell saves. They don't get the elf +1 THAC0 bonus to all swords and bows (not crossbows) nor access to necromancy spells, though, but unlike elves can have 18 starting Con (though not 19 starting Dex). Also the terrible BG2 gnome avatars and paperdolls have been replaced with much better ones in BGEE, especially the female ones.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064

    So I think I should go with either a Blade or a Swashbuckler, anyone have strong opinions about this?

    No backstabbing on the swashbuckler is a deal breaker for me. I'd much prefer a fighter/thief (dual or multi) for backstage and proper specialisation (no additional attacks for swashbuckler).

  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729

    So I think I should go with either a Blade or a Swashbuckler, anyone have strong opinions about this?

    Blades are a solid class, they're up there with fighter/mages, but play a little differently - not quite as strong, but more interesting, I think (especially their HLAs and the bard-specific items in BG2). I think both classes are great.
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    Since you specifically said this is for BGee only, I assume you mean that you're not planning to take the character on through BG2ee.

    In that case, avoid Swashbuckler. I've just completed a run with a swashie, and you really don't get much worthwhile benefit from the kit features at BG1 levels. It'll be a good character for taking on into BG2ee when that arrives, because then the swashie bonuses will start to add up enough that melee is viable, and being viable in melee is the main point of being a swashie instead of a vanilla Thief. But at these lower BG1 levels, you can't develop a swashie far enough for the benefits to become very useful, s/he's still a little too fragile for melee.
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    If the choice is now down to Blade or Swashbuckler, personally I'd try Swash just because I've yet to try one out.

    Blade is very solid choice. You're probably acquainted with the kit already from using Haer Dalis'. I would think it'd be fun for BG:EE.
  • MikeMastersMikeMasters Member Posts: 141
    ive never used a blade or a bard before so decided to go with this, so far its fun!
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    Offensive Spin is great. And as Oxford Guy noted, like a F/M you get to cast spells. Fun kit.
  • OzzyBotkinsOzzyBotkins Member Posts: 396
    Gnome Illusionist/thief you can have your own version of Jan Jensen
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729

    Gnome Illusionist/thief you can have your own version of Jan Jensen

    Only without the turnips :-)

    Once you get Use Any Item at 3 million XP, you can even use his character-specific items if you want, his "Adventure Wear" is actually pretty good


  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Lemernis said:

    Offensive Spin is great. And as Oxford Guy noted, like a F/M you get to cast spells. Fun kit.

    I think Defensive Spin was a bit bugged in BGEE, though, am not sure if this has been fixed in the current patch.
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