Best choice for Charname? (Little spoiler)

Pluc082

Hi everyone! I want to start a new game with team that will start BG2,

Minsc (Ranger)
Khalid (Fighter)
Jaheira (Fighter/Druid)
Imoen (Thief)
Dynaheir (Mage)

So what is the beat choice for Charname to have a balance team? Did I need a true cleric? An other ranged character?

Thanks!

KidCarnival

The party looks balanced as it is. I would probably take a bard kit or cleric/mage to add more spellpower, but that depends on your taste and style. Dynaheir misses out on summons, so it might be handy to have a non-specialized arcane caster.

RnRClown

I had a look ahead to the joinable NPC's in BG2 at one time, to foresee which class Charname would most benefit from choosing across both games. I saw that a Bard could (it's a matter of opinion) result in the most beneficial class considering the options, especially those presented in BG1 if it is a complete playthrough being planned.

We are in a no spoilers section, so information on the sequel and its NPC choices should perhaps be left unsaid. I truly regret a few pieces of information regarding the sequel that came about as a result of looking up mere NPC options. Heed thy warning if you have never played the sequel.

The other option, as also put forth by @KidCarnival is a Cleric, which is absent in the popular canon line-up.

I also thought Charname as a Thief would be beneficial.

KidCarnival

Without spoilering: A good party (with room for the occasional neutral druid or so) has no reason to worry in BG2. The NPC selection for evil is a different story, but with the list here, I assume charname is good aligned.

Pluc082

I change the section to have little spoilers!

Thanks for your answer.

Madhax

You probably want some sort of caster, given your current melee focus. A sorcerer would be pretty badass, or perhaps you could try the new Dragon Disciple kit. Alternatively a Cleric of Lathander gives you a pure-class divine caster with the potential to mix it up in the melee a bit.

revaar

In bg1, you'll be wanting an extra cleric, as there are a few spells you will miss out on with just Jaheira. In BG2, you'll be wanting a thief, since

Imoen will start the game dual classed to Mage.

With this in mind, a gnome or half Orc cleric/thief multi sounds right up your alley.

mattinm

I'm running through with a similar group with a Dwarven Defender as my CHARNAME. Khalid died fairly early, and to Jaheira's dismay, I neglected to res him (Khalid did his standard *run away*, and my CHARNAME is a strong, hold the lines kind of guy, and has no need for that in his party). So, I replaced Khalid with another thief (Safana) so I could dual-class Imoen to Mage at level 4 and will be either replacing Safana with Neera, most likely, when Imoen gets her powers back. Which is just in time for Dyanheir to reach level 6 so I can dual her to a Cleric (she's getting two of the books of Wisdom, since my CHARNAME has no need for extra Wisdom).

I'm really loving the party, by the way. CHARNAME is exceptionally sturdy (*huge* HP pool and defensive stance), Minsc is a destroyer (though he's had terrible HP rolls in my game) with the Stupefier, and Jaheira can either sling pebbles or get dirty with a nice shield.

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Pluc082

It's viable to just have Jaheira and no cleric?

Kilivitz

In BG1, yeah. In BG2, having another priest can make life a little easier.

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KidCarnival

I wouldn't run with only a druid. Not for the healing; a druid can handle that. But some spells are only available to clerics, i.e. Command on level 1.

Thinking about it... It may be a good idea to take a kitted human cleric and dual to thief or mage early. That way, you get some extra healing and the low level cleric spells, and the extra arcane power later to make up for Dynaheir's forbidden school (either charname or dualed Imoen if you decide to dual charname to thief instead). From the kit, you also have some useful extra abilities.

Wanderon

Ranger/cleric is a pefect fit provided you don't have issues with Charname being very powerful - I'd go half-elf multi for ranger/cleric goodness through the entire saga.

Cleric thief is another excellent option - gnome for saves or half-orc for melee power.

ReadingRambo

Ranger cleric would work great. Either that or a back up arcane caster if immy is single classed, or a thief class if u dual her.

PugPug

revaar said:

In bg1, you'll be wanting an extra cleric, as there are a few spells you will miss out on with just Jaheira. In BG2, you'll be wanting a thief, since

Imoen will start the game dual classed to Mage.

With this in mind, a gnome or half Orc cleric/thief multi sounds right up your alley.

I've read on these forums that overhaul has said there will be a new thief NPC in BG2. That game really was low on thieves, which is kind of silly.

Madhax

@PugPug

While that is true, chances are the new thief will be evil, and the OP is clearly running a good party.

That said, I disagree with @revarr's suggestion that you need a new thief. Imoen has enough thieving abilities to perform all lockpicking and trapfinding duties for the remainder of the saga, so the only use for another thief is if you want the more combat-oriented thievery, like backstabbing, trap setting, or illusion detection.

PugPug

@madhax

Maybe they'll spend Imoen's points more wisely. Not something we can plan on, though. My fantasy is that they give her persistent levels and stats when you import, and

just make her a dual class level 1 mage with 0 XP if you import her as a thief.

Lemernis

Just one man's opinion, but I'm playing a game with Imoen dualed to Mage at Thief 2 and found that I quite miss having her as a pure Thief. I had dualed her once or twice many years ago, and now recollect I wasn't fond of it then either.

Using the Level 1 NPCs mod for BGT I used to enjoy changing her to a pure class Bard, but that's another story.

It's entirely a matter of taste, but in my games she's either Thief or Bard. (I guess she could be EEKeepered to Bard even now, although I'm not sure how stably the game would run as such.)

RnRClown

In my current playthrough Imoen is level 4. I am toying with the idea of dual-classing her now, or at level 5. Charname is a Swashbuckler with Find Traps, Set Traps and (soon to be) Detect Illusions in his locker. Imoen is versed in Open Locks and Pick Pocket, at this time. As a Swashbuckler, Charname is unable to backstab. Thus I have been considering maintaining Imoen as a pure Thief to further develop Hide in Shadows and Move Silently for backstab purposes. I have never overly relied on backstab as a tool in any playthrough. It just so happens I now find myself considering it.

I picked up Neera at the earliest opportunity and she has remained part of the group, indefinitely so. I do not know if I'll keep Neera for the duration. That was never the plan, but her voice set, her background story, and the quest she wishes us to undertake all sit very comfortably with me. This also weighs on the decision to dual Imoen, or not. I've always felt one mage was adequate, for my needs.

Space_hamster

Gnome Illusionist/Thief with high INT. He'll take a while to level, but the little critter becomes godlike before long.

FrozenCells

I'd go with a caster-type since you already have three warrior-types. Cleric/Mage or Sorcerer or something like that. For BG2 having a thief character is usually a plus since there's a bit of a lack, in which case Mage/Thief or Cleric/Thief also would be worthwhile (also for BG1 since Imoen isn't really the best backstabber, you could take over that).

Manbeleth

Ok, and what if we are following the evil path? What would be the best choice of NPC's and class for player?

Oxford_Guy

Manbeleth said:

Ok, and what if we are following the evil path? What would be the best choice of NPC's and class for player?

CHARNAME Gnome Illusionist/Mage or Elf Fighter/Mage or Half-Elf Blade
Dorn (or Kagain if wanting something more tanky)
Viconia
Shar-Teel dualed to Thief at Level 3
Edwin
and

Baeloth

Pluc082

Thanks for advises! I will probably try a cleric/mage or thief/cleric.

Severon

Gnome or Half Elf Cleric/Mage
You character could have been taught magic from Gorion while you worked as a cleric of Ogmha the rest of the time.

RnRClown

Severon said:

Gnome or Half Elf Cleric/Mage
You character could have been taught magic from Gorion while you worked as a cleric of Ogmha the rest of the time.

I like it!

I too think of how Charname would have became proficient in a class. If a Fighter it could have been through participating in daily training drills lead by the Gate Warden, while sparring with Fuller and Hull before sun down. Rogue skills are a trait Charname could have learned from Imoen while growing up in Candlekeep together, refining their skills in tandem within the vast library with many an opportunity to test their ability to hide in shadows, to move silently, to open locks and to pick pockets. Mage and Cleric have been mentioned above.

It's the likes of a Druid or a Ranger that I find a shade more difficult to weave a background for. Both are woodsmen with a desire for nature, and the protection of animals for which they form a mutual bond of kinship. Charname could have discovered a secret way out of Candlekeep's walls to explore the surrounding wilderness, especially with Imoen looking to improve her sleuthing and lock picking skills. Charname may have been an avid reader of books relating to nature and/or the elves, especially if Jaheira had made a lasting and a positive impression upon Charname whilst visiting Gorion in years past.