What @KidCarnival says doesn't strike me as particularly unusual.
I've only done one full run using Dorn throughout, and in that case I gave him a pip in Crossbow for when I wanted to attack from range (fairly often, at least as a preliminary to running into melee) and a pip in Quarterstaff for when I needed a blunt instrument (rarely). However, in the same run, I also had Viconia up front beside Dorn, with (of course) her trusty sling for ranged attack, but also wielding Stupifier for melee - if you give her the Big-Fisted Belt or the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, then Viconia can max out on armour and tank pretty effectively. Later in the same run, for example, Viconia went toe-to-toe alone against Aec'Letec (while Dorn and the others were busy eliminating Aec'Letec's acolytes) ... and Viconia killed him, which I thought was quite impressive.
Building on dagger and long sword, since I intend to keep her dual wielding Varscona (sometimes switching to Harrower) and Dagger of Venom. Basically, I treat her like a fighter, despite being a thief now. She'll use the dagger to backstab and won't get any ranged weapons.
But you'll lose any pips put into dagger or long swords when a thief when you get your fighter levels back! Or at least that's how it's meant to work...
What profs would you give her if you want her to use dagger and long sword? Anything else would be wasted because she never uses other weapons.
But putting pips into daggers or long swords as a thief is a complete waste, as once you get your fighter levels back, they get over-written with the number of pips you put into these as a level 1-3 (or whatever) fighter. Hence why I put pips into clubs and shortbows at level 1 thief when I dualled her to a thief in my last game with her, as at least they don't get lost and are marginally useful.
I find your strategy a little surprising, @KidCarnival. Proficiency points are rare and valuable, so (like @Oxford_Guy) I find it very difficult to swallow the idea of "wasting" them.
In my next Evil run I'm going to try the idea of dualling Shar-Teel to Thief, but during her Thief-only downtime I think I'll use her differently from before and after, probably hanging back and fighting at range with the Light Crossbow of Speed, and probably also with a pip in Quarterstaff (or maybe Club) in case she's forced to melee. Then when she gets her Fighter levels back, of course she can return to the front to dual-wield her blades as usual, but having a pip in something ranged and something blunt is always going to be useful additional flexibility for some situations.
Obviously your strategy of continuing to treat her as a dual-wielding Fighter even while she's Thief-only can be made to work, since that's what you've done, but I can't see that as maximising her effectiveness (because I find the dual-wielding penalties pretty crippling without at least 2 pips in it). Nevertheless, of course there's a lot of room for different roleplaying opinions, and your way evidently works for you, so fair enough.
I gave Dorn a pip in longbow, so if I really need ranged support, he can handle it. For blunt damage, I have Viconia with Stupifier.
Dorn on ranged and Vicona as melee.
That's different.
In my current game I gave Dorn 2 pips in longbows and he uses the Dex gloves, as no one else needed them (I have a Blade CHARNAME, Dorn, Viconia, Imoen, Neera, Coran - everyone apart from Dorn already has 17+ Dex) and they help his AC to tank and make him a beast with the +1 Composite Bow (and at level 7 5/2 APR with poisoned arrows will be nice...)
In my next Evil run I'm going to try the idea of dualling Shar-Teel to Thief, but during her Thief-only downtime I think I'll use her differently from before and after, probably hanging back and fighting at range with the Light Crossbow of Speed, and probably also with a pip in Quarterstaff (or maybe Club) in case she's forced to melee.
I usually find I haven't got enough gold to buy her the Light Crossbow of Speed when she dual's to athief at level 1 fighter, so would either have to equip her with a normal crossbow until I could afford it, or just give her a shortbow (I think there are at least two +1 shortbows in the game and a +2 one later)
I usually find I haven't got enough gold to buy her the Light Crossbow of Speed when she duals to a thief at level 1 fighter ...
I'm thinking of dualling her at level 3, for the extra proficiency pip - effective dual-wielding costs a lot of pips! By then I should be able to afford the LCoS fairly quickly.
But anyway, in my case this is all for the future. I'm in the middle of a different run now, and my next run isn't likely to be Evil either (I only play as Evil occasionally), so it'll be a while before I get to try this plan.
I usually find I haven't got enough gold to buy her the Light Crossbow of Speed when she duals to a thief at level 1 fighter ...
I'm thinking of dualling her at level 3, for the extra proficiency pip - effective dual-wielding costs a lot of pips! By then I should be able to afford the LCoS fairly quickly.
Sorry, I meant level 3 fighter/level 1 Thief - I still don't usually have enough gold at that point, but it's not a big deal as she can manage with an ordinary light crossbow until you can afford it.
I gave Dorn a pip in longbow, so if I really need ranged support, he can handle it. For blunt damage, I have Viconia with Stupifier.
Dorn on ranged and Vicona as melee.
That's different.
That's exactly why I try this. Usually I have Shar-Teel throwing daggers at first, then move to a shortbow when I can afford to buy a good bow and at least +1 arrows. She filled Dorn's role in vanilla, so I figured it's worth a try to have them switch places. Dorn still melees with Rancor sometimes, but mostly it's Kagain, Shar-Teel and Viconia on the frontline.
I picked Safana because I've been trying her out lately and feel that she fits in well personalitywise with an evil party. I would say that Tiax is really my favorite, but unless playing with a mod you get him far too late in the game, and by that point my team is already well established (I have the same problem with Alora in my good runs). I find it odd that the NPCs you get in The city of BG don't have anything to really make them stand out from everyone else, aside from personality, they need something a little extra to intice people into choosing them at that point.
I picked Safana because I've been trying her out lately and feel that she fits in well personalitywise with an evil party. I would say that Tiax is really my favorite, but unless playing with a mod you get him far too late in the game, and by that point my team is already well established (I have the same problem with Alora in my good runs). I find it odd that the NPCs you get in The city of BG don't have anything to really make them stand out from everyone else, aside from personality, they need something a little extra to intice people into choosing them at that point.
Well Alora now has her super awesome double luck rabbits foot...
For good or mixed parties, Alora is my favorite; for the Ren & Stimpy line alone. But it's still far more convenient to take Shar-Teel or Monty instead; to me the two most versatile and useful thieves. I also wish the late game NPCs had something more special to make it worth the waiting.
Comments
That's different.
I've only done one full run using Dorn throughout, and in that case I gave him a pip in Crossbow for when I wanted to attack from range (fairly often, at least as a preliminary to running into melee) and a pip in Quarterstaff for when I needed a blunt instrument (rarely). However, in the same run, I also had Viconia up front beside Dorn, with (of course) her trusty sling for ranged attack, but also wielding Stupifier for melee - if you give her the Big-Fisted Belt or the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, then Viconia can max out on armour and tank pretty effectively. Later in the same run, for example, Viconia went toe-to-toe alone against Aec'Letec (while Dorn and the others were busy eliminating Aec'Letec's acolytes) ... and Viconia killed him, which I thought was quite impressive.
In my next Evil run I'm going to try the idea of dualling Shar-Teel to Thief, but during her Thief-only downtime I think I'll use her differently from before and after, probably hanging back and fighting at range with the Light Crossbow of Speed, and probably also with a pip in Quarterstaff (or maybe Club) in case she's forced to melee. Then when she gets her Fighter levels back, of course she can return to the front to dual-wield her blades as usual, but having a pip in something ranged and something blunt is always going to be useful additional flexibility for some situations.
Obviously your strategy of continuing to treat her as a dual-wielding Fighter even while she's Thief-only can be made to work, since that's what you've done, but I can't see that as maximising her effectiveness (because I find the dual-wielding penalties pretty crippling without at least 2 pips in it). Nevertheless, of course there's a lot of room for different roleplaying opinions, and your way evidently works for you, so fair enough.
But anyway, in my case this is all for the future. I'm in the middle of a different run now, and my next run isn't likely to be Evil either (I only play as Evil occasionally), so it'll be a while before I get to try this plan.
I find it odd that the NPCs you get in The city of BG don't have anything to really make them stand out from everyone else, aside from personality, they need something a little extra to intice people into choosing them at that point.