4 Member Party advice

Thrasymachus

Assuming that one wanted to run through BGEE and then (most likely) Vanilla BG2 all the way to ToB, would this be a good 4 member party for the BGEE portion?

1. Zeno (the PC) - Wild Mage - CG
2. Imoen - Thief > Mage - NG [Would probably dual at level 6]
3. Viconia - Cleric - NE
4. Shar-Teel - Fighter > Thief - CE [Would dual at level 6/7]

[I would try to ensure that Imo switched out of thief at roughly the same time that Shar switched to a thief.]

Alternative:
a. Keep Imoen as Thief all the way through BG1
b. Keep Shar-Teel as fighter or use Kagain insead

Or just go for a more good-inclined party with
c. Ajantis or Kivan as the main warrior

Positions 1, 2, and 3 are non-negotiable. I just need an interesting warrior for the final slot (and preferably not Coran, whom I like a lot, but whom I've played way too often).

CaptRory

I don't think I'd bother to dual class Shar-Teel. And to be honest I'd be more tempted to take Kagain or the new half-orc guy whose name I'm totally derping on at the moment as the party tank. Oh! And if you're making Imoen a mage you might wanna make your guy Neutral or Evil so you can wear one robe of the archmagi and Imoen can wear the other.

You'll probably want to plot the game out so you do thiefy things while Imoen is a thief, then do stuff you don't need a thief for while she's only a mage, then do the end game when she has her levels back. Or just take on another thief for the interim.

shawne

Well, assuming you don't want Viconia to be the only evil character there, I'd recommend Dorn for the fourth slot. He's incredible at melee and his Blackguard abilities give him an edge over Kagain.

zur312

i think ajantis or kivan > sharteel
and blackguard > all fighters in bgee
kagain with 1 item is great tank-meatshield tho

but i think your party is weird because
you are mage
you dual imoen to mage
you have weak (con) cleric
and only 1 real fighter so probably kagain would be the best because he would have like 3x more hp than viconia

SionIV

BG1

Zeno (Wild mage)
Imoen (Don't dual class)
Yeslick
Kagain

That's a great team for BG1

Yeslick : A good cleric and fighter, short saving throws because he's a dwarf.
Kagain : Great tank and fighter, amazing Con and great saving throws.
Imoen : A thief that can take everything you need
Zeno : A pure class mage.

Everything changes with BG2 as you won't get Imoen before very late into the game, but for BG2 i would go with...

Zeno
Keldorn
Jaheira / Anomen
Jan

Keldorn : Amazing fighter with one of the best kits in the game. Give him the gauntlets of dexterity and he'll have 17/18/17/12/16/18 . He has 18 in charisma so he'll be your face when shopping and getting items cheap. He will destroy all mage fights with his inquisitor kit, and give him carsomyr and he'll carry that weapon from early SoA to final fight. He comes with a full plate with a ring of protection +1 in it and free action.

Jan : Your thief and secondary mage. He'll take care of all the thief problems you might need, and he is a really good mage aswell.

Jaheira / Anomen / ???? : A strong divine caster that can pick up a shield and tank for you.

You can clear the game with any kind of combination, so in the end it depends on who/what you like.

Quartz

SionIV said:

Zeno (Wild mage)
Imoen (Don't dual class)
Yeslick
Kagain

Having those two together could end up being bloody.

Urd1en

Zeno (wild mage)
Montaron (fighter/thief)
Xzar (mage, dual to cleric at lv.5 BUT it requires +1 *wis)
Dorn (fighter)

*wis: you make find +1 wis tome in Durlags Tower; I'd suggest going there right after Nashkel

SionIV

Quartz said:

SionIV said:

Zeno (Wild mage)
Imoen (Don't dual class)
Yeslick
Kagain

Having those two together could end up being bloody.

I don't remember them ever fighting? Do they?

Tyranus

I like running 4-mans like this:

Sorcerer
Ranger/Cleric (or Berserker/Cleric, if you prefer more melee over druid spells)
Fighter/Thief
Mage

This allows your Thief and Cleric to progress at the average rate a single-class would in a party of 6, which is fine for the skill requirements on traps/locks and divine de-buffs vs. tough enemies. You also take advantage of how stupidly powerful arcane magic is in this game much faster. Pound for pound mages are better staying single-classed than any other class in the game.

A F/T and R/C with buffs and summons are more than capable of tanking the baddest of baddies. They don't even have to meat shield for that long assuming your two casters are lobbing Missiles, Acid Arrows, Minute Meteors, and Fireballs like candy.

SionIV

I think he wants to run with the NPC's and not create his own. It's very simple to make a power gaming party of your own, and quite harder to use the NPC's which also give you dialogues and more flavor to the game.

Cavalier
Cleric/ranger
Mage
Fighter/thief

That party would easily take care of everything if you're making the party on your own.

elminster

SionIV said:

Quartz said:

SionIV said:

Zeno (Wild mage)
Imoen (Don't dual class)
Yeslick
Kagain

Having those two together could end up being bloody.

I don't remember them ever fighting? Do they?

As far as I know they just argue. They don't break out into a fight.

zur312

SionIV said:

I think he wants to run with the NPC's and not create his own. It's very simple to make a power gaming party of your own, and quite harder to use the NPC's which also give you dialogues and more flavor to the game.

Cavalier
Cleric/ranger
Mage
Fighter/thief

That party would easily take care of everything if you're making the party on your own.

but why cavalier? he just soaks xp from mage and others there is no purpose for him
both x/fighters will be very good maybe better than cavalier and your mage will advance fast in levels

SionIV

1.) Immune to fear and poison, two things that are very annoying and you'll find everywhere in BG1.

2.) Amazing bonus when fighting dragons

3.) Free resistance which will let you get the most important ones up to 70-90%

4.) Easy to get good stats with and you'll be able to have 18 STR, DEX, CON and CHA.

5.) His weakness is null.

6.) He can use Carsomyr and Purifier

In my opinion the Cavalier is a better fighter with some neat bonuses, and he is amazing in BG1.

[Edited] :

7.) He can get divine spells and easily boost his STR,CON,DEX to 25

8.) He can get a Deva

9.) He can turn undead

10.) Lay on hands is great and very fast to cast so useful in close combat.

Tyranus

SionIV said:

I think he wants to run with the NPC's and not create his own..

In that case...

PC Ranger/Cleric
Montranon
Baeloth
Edwin

SionIV

Tyranus said:

SionIV said:

I think he wants to run with the NPC's and not create his own..

In that case...

PC Ranger/Cleric
Montranon
Baeloth
Edwin

1.) You have to kill Xzar to get Montaron and that removes the whole RP / story part. Montaron isn't even that good of a character.

2.) Baeloth is a power gaming character that doesn't have any lore points in the game and was purely made as an easter egg.

3.) Edwin is an evil character and i doubt he wants to play evil.

zur312

SionIV said:

1.) Immune to fear and poison, two things that are very annoying and you'll find everywhere in BG1.

2.) Amazing bonus when fighting dragons

3.) Free resistance which will let you get the most important ones up to 70-90%

4.) Easy to get good stats with and you'll be able to have 18 STR, DEX, CON and CHA.

5.) His weakness is null.

6.) He can use Carsomyr and Purifier

In my opinion the Cavalier is a better fighter with some neat bonuses, and he is amazing in BG1.

[Edited] :

7.) He can get divine spells and easily boost his STR,CON,DEX to 25

8.) He can get a Deva

9.) He can turn undead

10.) Lay on hands is great and very fast to cast so useful in close combat.

beside carsomyr and lay on hands f/c has everything better

Thrasymachus

SionIV said:

I think he wants to run with the NPC's and not create his own.

Yes. And ideally with Imoen as one of the NPCs (for RP-reasons, namely, continuity with BG2). I also plan to RP the romance with Viconia in BG2, hence I thought it would be good to have her in the party in BG1 as well (although I guess that's not essential, since BG2 assumes, iirc, only that you've met her previously, not that you had her in your party).

The wild mage part stems from my curiosity about what it would be like to play that class all the way through the trilogy. I've never played a wild mage PC before.

Hence my question about which NPC should occupy the fourth 'warrior' slot.

I'm not asking about what combo would make for the most powerful four-party group in BG1, just which warrior NPC would help make a party with a wild mage, Imoen, and Viconia feasible. On reflection, I would consider replacing Viconia with another cleric in BG1 (perhaps Yeslick).

Thrasymachus

Also, I'm curious about a four party group because I've never played all the way through BG1 with just four characters (in the past I've used 5-6 characters).

I'm looking for something a *bit* more challenging in my next run, but not something *too* challenging (so no 'solo' run or wizard slayer).

In any case, thanks for all the suggestions!

zur312

i think someone like kagain yeslick or ajantis for meatshield

other npc are a little less meaty for tanks so kagain is perfect tank for your party

JLee

I'd say Kaigan -> Korgan.

But, I am incapable of playing BG1 w/o Kivan and BG2 w/o Keldorn. Too bad VIconia and Keldorn don't get along so great or I'd recommend him instead. I guess you could always use the Happy Patch.

zur312

but you are probably playing with much different team than thief + mage + weak cleric :P

Wisp

elminster said:

As far as I know they just argue. They don't break out into a fight.

They can end up fighting, but it's randomly triggered so it may not necessarily happen (and you can reload if it does).

Quartz

Thrasymachus said:

Also, I'm curious about a four party group because I've never played all the way through BG1 with just four characters (in the past I've used 5-6 characters).

I'm looking for something a *bit* more challenging in my next run, but not something *too* challenging (so no 'solo' run or wizard slayer).

In any case, thanks for all the suggestions!

Lolz, as far as BG1 goes, four party runs are much easier than six party runs believe it or not.

Thrasymachus

Quartz said:

Lolz, as far as BG1 goes, four party runs are much easier than six party runs believe it or not.

Interesting. I assume that's because the additional experience gained by each character would outweigh the disadvantage of having 2 fewer characters?

In any case, it would at least be a *different* experience (for me).

zur312

i don't think so
6 archers would go so
4 archers would be 50% lost power

SionIV

Both BG1 and BG2 are much easier to play with as a four man party. You can fill out all the slots required easily with 4 people and you'll require much less gear which means even more money and gear for the four you have. You also don't have to split experience as much and reach higher levels quicker, it's easier to micro manage a party of four.

The only bonus of playing a party of 6 is the extra dialogue between the characters.

CaptRory

It also lets you bring in a fifth member whenever you want to do their personal quests. That's more of a BG2 thing though. Have some random naked NPC trailing after your party as you get their stuff done." "Okay Bob! We cleared the floor, come to the stairs so you can watch us kill everything on the next floor while you get revenge." "But I haven't done anything!" "You can unplug something when we're done."