Caster Level is the level of your spellcaster. Or their spellcasting class if they are dual or multi-classed. Many spells improve as your caster level improves. Magic Missile for example, gains extra missiles as your spellcaster gains levels.
Just read the spell descriptions, anything based on level is based on caster level. With exception to the wild mage, whose caster level gets modified every time they cast a spell (it tells you by how much in the dialog box), your caster level is always equal to whatever class is casting a spell (technically rangers and paladin are supposed to have a massive caster level penalty, but it's not implemented). If you have a 7th level mage, then you're caster level 7 when casting mage spells. If you're a 7 mage/8 cleric, then your mage spells are 7, and the cleric spells are 8.
Hit-dice = Level as well. In spell descriptions. Characters with class levels have HD equal to their class level, while monsters generally have a set HD depending on their type (like all Illithid are 8 HD, and Umber hulks are 6). Ogres are 3. Ogre berserkers are 4. Some spells require the target have equal or less then the HD to work. (Sleep only works on creatures up to 4 HD, but has a nasty save penalty so they rarely, if ever, save, if it can effect them).
Would running a full, 6-man party spread out the exp too thin in the long run? Also, is there any particular reason for dual-classing Imoen other than just having a second mage?
1) If you like exploring and doing all the little side quests, there's enough XP in the game that you'll hit the experience cap before the game ends. This is true even with a 6 man party.
2) You don't really need a maximum level thief, and Imoen makes an excellent mage. If you focus on just the thief stuff you need, you can dual class her to a mage relatively early. She's an excellent thief, but you only really need one to find and disarm traps. And making her your thief and second mage opens up party space for someone else.
As CaptRory said, there's plenty of experience to go around, as long as you explore.
As for Imoen, sometimes I switch her to mage, sometimes I don't. It all depends on if I need her to be a mage or a thief! You need one of each, at least. Imoen can take both jobs. But if you're already good at mage, leave her a thief. With some of the dynamite trick arrows in this game, she can often do more good as a thief than as a mage anyway.
You can also stick them in Neera's gem bag so they don't take up so much room. Just be careful not to accidentally sell or lose track of quest jewelry.
You also might want to hang onto one Angel Skin Ring for a quest in BG. Some guard I think asks you to get one for him. Not really a spoiler, just an annoying side quest since you'll have sold a hundred of them by that point.
Very few of them are needed for quests, and the majority that are, have someone's name on them. And even then, the rewards for the few that use generic gems are VERY minor, and not worth losing sleep over if you sold all your gems of that type but don't remember where.
You also might want to hang onto one Angel Skin Ring for a quest in BG. Some guard I think asks you to get one for him. Not really a spoiler, just an annoying side quest since you'll have sold a hundred of them by that point.
I always make sure I sell at least one of these in the Nashkel store. Just in case I forget and accidentally sell my angel skin rings elsewhere. I suppose I could just put them in a barrel but I don't mind paying the extra to retrieve it (and its only if I accidentally sell any others off).
I've picked this back up again after not playing for a month. I just hit level 3 with my paladin, but I can't raise his Two-Handed Sword over 2 slots. Any reason why?
Only fighter classes and some specialists can get above "specialised" (2 pips) in a weapon. Specialised is pretty good, really. Putting 3+ pips in a weapon is the preserve of fighters and some other specialists.
Cavaliers are a very solid class to play, I quite enjoy mine. They have a nice broad selection of passive immunities, all the usual paladin benefits and very few downsides. They're not as subtle or flexible as multiclasses or mages but they're simple, direct and tough.
It's useful to play through with a few NPCs with you, you'll often find out a lot about the game from using them.
Man you guys are confusing me with all this talk of caster levels and rolls, but still, I think I've decided on Neera.
If you are nervous about Wild Mages and don't like "cuckoo for cocoa puffs" Xzar, you will get two other mage options fairly early in the game, Dynaheir is an Invoker with great Con score and a Slow Poison ability, and Xan is an Enchanter with a cool blade and the best dialogue of any of the mages (IMO). I use Xan in almost every playthrough. You should have access to both of them before you finish Chapter 2.
Do plain necklaces, amulets, and rings have any use? They're sort of clogging up my inventory.
You need one angel skin ring (I just equip it on a character with an open ring slot) and one sphene gem (these are rare enough that you may want to save one). Every other ring or gem that I can think of has a named version if you need it.
The idea is to sell stuff you don't need so you have gold to buy the things that you do! Good luck with it. Some things don't necessarily jump out as items you need to keep because the game is from an earlier time when we didn't quite get the same help you get today from the game (such as quest items in inventory going somewhere else and the like).
Comments
Hit-dice = Level as well. In spell descriptions. Characters with class levels have HD equal to their class level, while monsters generally have a set HD depending on their type (like all Illithid are 8 HD, and Umber hulks are 6). Ogres are 3. Ogre berserkers are 4. Some spells require the target have equal or less then the HD to work. (Sleep only works on creatures up to 4 HD, but has a nasty save penalty so they rarely, if ever, save, if it can effect them).
Someone here got that result.
2) You don't really need a maximum level thief, and Imoen makes an excellent mage. If you focus on just the thief stuff you need, you can dual class her to a mage relatively early. She's an excellent thief, but you only really need one to find and disarm traps. And making her your thief and second mage opens up party space for someone else.
As for Imoen, sometimes I switch her to mage, sometimes I don't. It all depends on if I need her to be a mage or a thief! You need one of each, at least. Imoen can take both jobs. But if you're already good at mage, leave her a thief. With some of the dynamite trick arrows in this game, she can often do more good as a thief than as a mage anyway.
it is like saying that pure mage is better
Cavaliers are a very solid class to play, I quite enjoy mine. They have a nice broad selection of passive immunities, all the usual paladin benefits and very few downsides. They're not as subtle or flexible as multiclasses or mages but they're simple, direct and tough.
It's useful to play through with a few NPCs with you, you'll often find out a lot about the game from using them.
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/baldurs-gate-2-best-class
Hope this helps you get started!