How do you normally build Mazzy?
Itstucktwice
Member Posts: 182
Mazzy is an interesting character because she comes with the stats and pips in shortbow that make her the undisuputed best archer of the game, but if you get her early enough that she only has 1 pip in shortswords you can basically mold her to fill whatever role she likes and use whatever weapon she likes.
I'm just curious as to how some other people build Mazzy? What proficiencies/weapons/equipment you give her and how do you normally use her.
I'm just curious as to how some other people build Mazzy? What proficiencies/weapons/equipment you give her and how do you normally use her.
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If you don't need the CON bonus from the watcher's keep, give it to her, and she'll be as strong as any other warrior.
Concerning her bow proficiency, keep her as a support archer (since she'll have a sword and shield), since many other characters can use ranged weapons (Minsc, Sarevok, Valygar, Keldorn, Imoen, Nalia, ...) that can be bows or crossbows - since most of them have two handed weapons.
Also keep in mind ranged weapons are less uesful in BG2 because of the lack of arrows / bolt that can reliably hit enemies (and the nerf of ranged weapon in this game - compared with Vanilla BG).
But many of the other fighters (Minsc, Keldorn, Sarevok) are trained in two-handed swords so I usually give her proficiency points in halberds. Since none of the other NPCs are trained in halberds, she won't be competing with them. And, there are many great halberds out there waiting.
Her strength is a bit low so she is one of the first candidates for a girdle of giant strength.
@shawne - Mazzy is a halfling so she can't dual-class. Unless of course you cast Power Word: Shadowkeeper on her. :-)
great point
impaler is 3rd best damage weapon in the game and spears + 2hand weapons = more crits even more damage!!!
Doesn't Keldorm have helbard specialisation? You will need near infinity as ,at this time, SK doesn't show the dual flag (I.e. changing a single class to fighter/thief, say, will automatically make it a multiclass)
All told, no shortage of good or decent short bows, though I wish someone had thought to make someone besides Jan use a crossbow. So damn many archers, enemies and npcs
It's restricted to Lawful Evil bards, spreading the speech from The Nine Hells ;-)
One brick at a time savoring the placement of each one...
Sings: "She's a brick..... house mighty mighty letting it all hang out...
I usually stick to 4 or 5 person parties and a fighter archer usually is not one of the roles that is needed.
With Mazzy it comes down to when you want the power. She remains the best archer in the game from the moment you recruit her to the end. Meanwhile when you first recruit her, a lot of the other NPCs in the game are better in melee combat AT THAT MOMENT, but she quickly outscales them if you spend her pips well.
She surpasses Minsc in power rather quickly. She levels up quicker and therefore gets her pips quicker, and he is unable to to go past 2 pips in any one thing. She also comes without the enrage, and with vastly superior special abilities.
I still maintain that Keldorn is actually a rather poor NPC overall, and that his only redeeming factor is that he can use the Holy Avenger. His dexterity REQUIRES he have the gauntlets, and his strength isn't high enough to go very long without a boost either. (Subjectively he is a also one of the biggest douchebags in the series.)
I see no real reason to compare her to Yoshimo because he is a thief with pretty good stats. He comes with the thieving skills, but she is a vastly superior fighter in both ranged and melee combat.
Overall Mazzy is the second best fighter in the game behind Korgan, she just requires the time to develop into such. A lot of people see her pips in shortbow and assume that is all she is good for so they pass on her, and that is simply not the case.
She is probably best though dualwielding FoA as main and the short swort that gives an extra APR in her off-hand (first 2 * in flail, then 2* in 2W-style, rest in flail again). Together with a str-belt, she'll be a beast this way.
Korgan might be a tad more powerful in melee, but she is such a nice ranged support on top of her melee capabilities.
His str is high enough to get by until you have many sources of str, but 17 is survivable. As for dex, it's practically his quest that gives you the gauntlets. So yeah. Heck, just have your Mage prepare Strength until you can belt him. You can't argue that Keldorns poor str is a game killer while supporting mazzy! AC is hardly the big deal it is in bgee. His starting armour too btw is awesome.
While his use is unquestionably one of the best ones in the game compared to other NPCs, role-playing also plays a factor for me
Incidentally, my favorite weapon spec for her is halberds, because two-handed weapons take a lot less time to train than dual-wielding.
Doesn't Keldorm have helbard specialisation? You will need near infinity as ,at this time, SK doesn't show the dual flag (I.e. changing a single class to fighter/thief, say, will automatically make it a multiclass)
Yes, Imoen, Nalia and Yoshimo are only 1 pip but giving them a pip in crossbows cuts their APR in half, shortbow base APR is 2 while crossbows are 1. If Mazzy had grand mastery in another type of ranged weapon other than shortbows she wouldn't really be affected as badly as changing any of those NPC's to a different weapon. Also, I'd prefer my +5 weapons on people who have trouble hitting (most of the time anywaysm barring boss fights of course) since it fixes that problem... they have trouble hitting...
I was just thinking that since the Halfling Sling bonus has been fixed in EE wouldn't slings be a much better choice for her now? I mean being a fighter we all know that she'll be getting a Str increasing belt which could add damage to her sling attacks which she would make better than any other NPC in the game... Hmm...
No, really, I just keep her as an archer, and keep at the short swords and single weapon with her. Then, I give her clubs, then, err, whatever else fills my cup of tea!
I like picking her up with ***in short sword (level9, IIRC), as she will be good in melee if forced at that level (at level 8, Mazzy will nay have * in short sword). I build her towards Halberds. No NPC starts with Halberd proficiency, and it's too good a weapon to let go by. Halberds switch easily with her short bow.
Yes, Imoen, Nalia and Yoshimo are only 1 pip but giving them a pip in crossbows cuts their APR in half, shortbow base APR is 2 while crossbows are 1. If Mazzy had grand mastery in another type of ranged weapon other than shortbows she wouldn't really be affected as badly as changing any of those NPC's to a different weapon. Also, I'd prefer my +5 weapons on people who have trouble hitting (most of the time anywaysm barring boss fights of course) since it fixes that problem... they have trouble hitting...
I was just thinking that since the Halfling Sling bonus has been fixed in EE wouldn't slings be a much better choice for her now? I mean being a fighter we all know that she'll be getting a Str increasing belt which could add damage to her sling attacks which she would make better than any other NPC in the game... Hmm...
No, let's hope they will not.
They have changed characters in BG:EE because they used the old proficiency stem (Vanilla BG1).
Mazzy will always be far more strong with short bow than Imoen or Yoshimo will ever be.
Yoshimo will die, half way through the game, so he is already out.
Imoen and Nalia would better pick-up the dart or dagger ability because they will never be as good as a bow.
There is an infinite +3 dart easily obtainable in the Watcher's Keep and a throwing and returning fire dagger +3 (IIRC) they can keep until the end of the game.
So please leave Britney alone ! ... err Mazzy !
Hope they will not what? I never suggested that they change her proficiencies only mentioned that she would be better with a sling as her preferred ranged weapon which is easily accomplished by getting her early enough and putting pips into it.
I'll take the extra ApR of a bow over the sling.