Jaheira Weapon Proficiency

elminster

So I'm writing up an NPC guide on Steam. I'm doing it alphabetically and I've gotten to Jaheira at this point. Anyways I got to thinking and realize I really don't use Jaheira much when I play BGEE (its just a personal thing I guess).

So I figured I'd get some crowd sourcing involved here and get some help with Jaheira weapon proficiency strategies.

Keep in mind I'm trying to avoid giving strategies surrounding specific difficult to find/acquire items (like getting Drizzt's scimitar's) and its more an NPC guide for people who are having trouble with certain characters (because of the characters stats being low, proficiencies, spell selection, or class).

Anyways between level 1/ 1 and her max levels Jaheira gains 2 proficiency points. How would you distribute them?

These are her stats in BGEE.

Str : 15
Dex : 14
Con : 17
Int : 10
Wis : 14
Cha : 15

Weapon Proficiencies (levels 1/1): ** Club * Quarterstaff * Sling

Other possible weapon proficiencies she can acquire: Scimitars, Daggers, Spears, and Darts

Possible weapon styles she can acquire: All (only 2* to two-weapon style though)

SionIV

1.) There aren't any good clubs in BGEE that are worthwhile.

2.) There is a Scimitar +2 at the top of Durlag's tower which you can get very early and if you got something for the basilisks gaze it's very easy to get aswell. Drizzt also drops his scimitars if you're into killing him.

3.) Sling is amazing because you can use a shield with it. You can get a +1 sling very cheap in beregost and for free in Gullykin. There is a +3 sling in the game. It should be her main ranged weapon.

4.) Quarterstaffs are nice and you can get a +3 early in the game, but Jaheira really needs her shield. And you'll end up swapping very much if you're going to use a staff.

5.) Spears are pretty much useless in BGEE

6.) Darts of stunning and wounding are amazing and you'll only want to put 1 into it. It's easier to let someone else take darts instead, as Jaheira already got problems getting all the * she wants.

I don't remember what she starts with in BG1/BGEE but the best possible setup for her would be.

** Sling
** Scimitar

You can still run well with.

* Sling
** Scimitar
* Random

alnair

You might also want to include she gets an additional proficiency in Scimitar if you recruit her at an higher level (Fighter 4/Druid 4).

elminster

alnair said:

You might also want to include she gets an additional proficiency in Scimitar if you recruit her at an higher level (Fighter 4/Druid 4).

Yea I'm covering all of the proficiency points at NPC's various possible levels (as well as spellbooks for mages/bards) in the actual guide. I was more looking at the perspective of level 1 onwards though.

elminster

Yea I think I've figured something out to write. Thanks everyone.

[Deleted User]

If you have her using a sword and shield, you can just have her use the Club +2 and put the proficiencies where you like. Since she's packaged with Khalid, though, you may be more inclined to use him as a tank. You could toss her pips into two-weapon fighting and dual wield the Club +2 and one of the +1 clubs. Or you could bump slings and quarterstaff to 2 pips. For an offense boost, you could toss one pip into single weapon or two-handed style (depending on your choice of primary weapon) and toss the other pip into sling or quarterstaff.

For an unconventional option, you could toss both pips into daggers and have her use the Dagger of Venom. Aside from giving her one of the better weapons in the game, this also gives you someone specialized in daggers for using Werebane on Werewolf Island

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

SionIV

typo_tilly said:

The dagger of venom is great for Jaheira. Unlike a thief, she'll be in thick of close-ranged battle all the time. Just deadly with that, eh?

The problem with the Dagger of Venom is that everyone want it or can use it. And it isn't worth giving to Jaheira when you can give it to your thief or fighter instead.

I would rate it like this.

1.) Thief / Stalker.

The thief has the best use of this weapon as if they land a backstab on a caster it's over from there. You only need to land the backstab and the poison will do the rest, and the mage will be able to put protections up if you got Jaheira running up to them.

Backstab + Dagger of Venom - Win

2.) Fighter / Paladin / Ranger with high STR.

If you're not giving this weapon to someone that can backstab, you want to give it to someone with a high STR for better Thac0. The moment you hit someone with the dagger, you can move on to your next target and the one you leave behind will be so crippled by the poison that people with ranged attacks in your party can shoot him down.

Jaheira can ofcourse use the dagger, it's just a shame to give a powerful weapon like that to someone multi classed with 15 STR.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Corvino

To an extent the big question is this: Will you be giving Jaheira the gauntlets of dexterity? If you do, then she's a solid tank and will need melee weapons. If not, then she's more of a support character due to middling AC and points in slings or darts is a good next step.

Clubs are a viable weapon now that there are +1 and +2 varieties available fairly early in the game. They're a solid damage type, and she starts with the specialisation. Even if you gained no further points she'd be fine.

Scimitars are a good option, of course. There are 2 +2 scimitars available fairly early on, and those will last all game. However, you'd need to put both proficiency points here for maximum effectiveness and would miss out on additional points in slings or two-weapon style.

You could spend a point in staves to get to specialised and use the staff mace from the Werewolf island - one of the most damaging weapons in the game.

It arguably depends on the rest of your party makeup and the role you need her to fill. While her weapon choices are unlikely to conflict with other party members, if you've already got 3 frontliners then giving her missile weapons is a good idea.

SionIV

Corvino said:

To an extent the big question is this: Will you be giving Jaheira the gauntlets of dexterity? If you do, then she's a solid tank and will need melee weapons. If not, then she's more of a support character due to middling AC and points in slings or darts is a good next step.

Clubs are a viable weapon now that there are +1 and +2 varieties available fairly early in the game. They're a solid damage type, and she starts with the specialisation. Even if you gained no further points she'd be fine.

Scimitars are a good option, of course. There are 2 +2 scimitars available fairly early on, and those will last all game. However, you'd need to put both proficiency points here for maximum effectiveness and would miss out on additional points in slings or two-weapon style.

You could spend a point in staves to get to specialised and use the staff mace from the Werewolf island - one of the most damaging weapons in the game.

It arguably depends on the rest of your party makeup and the role you need her to fill. While her weapon choices are unlikely to conflict with other party members, if you've already got 3 frontliners then giving her missile weapons is a good idea.

Would like to point out what exactly Gauntlets of Dexterity gives Jaheira.

+4 AC
+2 Ranged Thac0

So not only will it turn her into a beast of a tank, but it will also improve her Thac0 with slings by 2.

If you're not going to use Ajantis or Yeslick, you might want to hand the Gauntlets of Dexterity over to Jaheira.

elminster

Keep up the discussion but for the record I've moved past Jaheira

SionIV

elminster said:

Keep up the discussion but for the record I've moved past Jaheira

Garrick next, save Garrick!

[Deleted User]

I think in Jaheira's case scimitars have too high an opportunity cost when she already has specialization in clubs. Leaving aside Drizzt's scimitars (for the reasons given in the OP), the difference between a Scimitar +2 and the Club +2 is one point of average damage, which is not much for costing you all of your spare proficiency points. @Corvino makes a good point with the Staff-Mace though, especially since that's a very good weapon that's usually not in high demand from other NPCs, as most melee fighters in the game don't come with quarterstaff proficiency.

CutlassJack

I've kind of grown to like her Club specialization. Scimitars have way too much competition at the moment with both Safana, Rasaad (and more importantly myself). Its a weapon type no one else deals with, and I'm expecting them to put in at least one or two new magical clubs in the 2EE since they put her down that road.

I always give her the second point in slings the first chance I get.

ZanathKariashi

And keep in mind, blunt weapons are generally better then slashing vs most armor types (except splint, which is pretty rare), so her hit chance is a bit to a lot better depending on what the target is wearing which helps offset her low str somewhat.

Corvino

Jaheira using scimitars is more of a big deal in BG2 due to Belm being a great offhand. She does take a while to build into a decent dual-wielder though. I usually end up giving her a shield for most of SoA, and get her dual wielding in ToB.

CutlassJack

Well I'm a scimitar wielding swashbuckler so she's never getting Belm.

One other nice side effect for Jaheria and clubs in the early game is actually having an excuse to use the Shillelagh spell.

elminster

CutlassJack said:

Well I'm a scimitar wielding swashbuckler so she's never getting Belm.

One other nice side effect for Jaheria and clubs in the early game is actually having an excuse to use the Shillelagh spell.

Not really. Magic weapons like that don't benefit from existing proficiencies so it will be a difference of 2-8 damage (Shillelagh) vs 3-8 (regular club) damage (not counting the half attack per round bonus the regular club will get). Thac0 will be the same.

That poor spell too. It was dying for its one chance at being useful hehe.

JuliusBorisov

I my current game I'm successfully using Jaheira as a damage-dealer and Yeslick as a tank (due to his shorty bonuses mainly). I'm sure Yeslick with Gauntlets of Dexterity, his clerical buffs and especially shorty bonuses is a better tank, that's why I've decided to try and to make Jaheira badass.

I've given Jaheira gauntlets of Ogre Power and have put her 2 pips into two-weapon FS. She wields the Mighty Oak club+2 and a magical club+1, has a good THACO due to 18/00 STR and frequently chunks enemies. The crusing damage is good, she has 2pips in clubs from the start, I can't make her such a good tank as Yeslick - that's from what I've decided to make a start.

Corvino

Jaheira gets a much-needed dexterity boost in BG2, as her BG1 dexterity score is mediocre. I'm sure she can be used as a melee damage dealer, but given her fairly poor AC and the importance of AC in BG1 I'd be worried about her taking a lot of damage.

JuliusBorisov

@Corvino

Even with SCS a geneal fight looks like: a tank (a person with very good AC, HP and saving throws) goes to the enemy (enemies) first, they begin fighting, a damage-dealer comes second and finish this enemy.

Using this scheme, in general, means all the enemy attacks are taken by a tank, so that a damage-dealer can think more about the damage he gives, not AC. In this case Jaheira's AC is not a problem even with 14 DEX.

It's been a success in my SCS-run. I think a tank and a damage-dealer have different tasks and the emphasis of their equipment should be different too.

SionIV

In SCS they tend to change target to people with lower health or AC. It's very hard for Ajantis in my team to get in any hit with his two hander as they will turn around and face him. With the right positioning i can get him to be somewhat safe, but last time a doom guard just turned around and chunked him before going back to Yeslick.

Schneidend

There's a +2 club now, so having Jaheira go sword-and-board (board-and-board, in this case?) or dual-wielding clubs (also board-and-board; gods I'm clever) is definitely an option in BGEE. Two-handed style with quarterstaves is great, too, as she can make up for the loss of a shield with the slightly increased range of the staff for positioning tricks, and can pump her AC with spells.

I always used to run her in BG2 with staves until I fell in love with the Black Blood +3 and Bone Splinter +2 clubs. If BG2EE is going to have a BGTesque complete transition from one game to the next (please do this, Overhaul), I would definitely spec her in clubs and possibly dual-wielding early in BGEE so she's ready come BG2EE.

Dino

Theres a +2 club in Cloakwood. Thats more than enough to finish the game with.

element

I give her scimitar but in my games she rarely has competition for them

zur312

Weapon Proficiencies (levels 1/1): ** Club * Quarterstaff
either **club * 1 weapon style for crit
or ** quarterstaff *2handed weapon style for crit quarterstaff's are even +3 so not bad for BG:EE

elminster

element said:

I give her scimitar but in my games she rarely has competition for them

Safana might challenge her for those (I'm actually working on Safana's page now).