Some comments on Cleric/Mage: the most powerful character in BG2
Ganymede
Member Posts: 3
I'm a longtime BG/BG2 player who just joined the forums. After playing BG as a 12-year-old and not really knowing anything about D&D rules (or what I was doing in general) I've revisited the game many times and played as a solo character, to increase the challenge in some ways and because I never liked that NPCs were to some extent pre-made. Whereas fighters were clearly the "easy mode" way to beat BG1, in BG2 and ToB spellcasters are generally far more powerful (in large part because magic protections can only be brought down by other magic).
The most powerful dual- or multi- capable spellcasting classes are cleric and mage, making the cleric/mage the most fearsome BG2 character choice, I think. Here are some tips for how to play this spellcaster, with a focus on spell choices. A lot of the commentary below is generic to arcane and priest spell choices, and I'm sure has been discussed ad nauseum here. But I've tried to focus on how to use cleric and mage spells together, as much as possible. Hopefully two types of people will read this (1) people learning the game looking for ideas; and (2) people who know much more than me who can tell me why I am wrong about what's written.
======GENERAL STRATEGY======
One way to view a cleric/mage is as a mage that has a bit more fighting power and roughly double the spell slots. The reason for this is that clerics have many of the same key spells as mages, allowing the cleric/mage to use up her cleric spell slots to free slots for powerful mage-specific damage and buff spells. Since mages are the most powerful spellcasters in the game, it makes much more sense to dual to a mage (if not multiclassing) than vice versa. You will lose the option of a specialty mage school this way, but guarantee that your late game XP goes towards leveling your more powerful class (mage). Another reason to begin as a cleric (especially if soloing) is that clerics can bash their way through low levels in BG1 far more effectively than mages, mainly because of their ability to wear armor. Pick up the quarterstaff +1 from Silke in Beregost, the Ankheg plate in the field in Nashkel, and the ring of protection +1 from the uninformed widow on the E Side of Beregost at levels 1-2 and you are set for the next several levels. Soloing levels 1-10 as mage is much, much more difficult (requires using early NPCs' potions of invisibility and haste to steal the wand of paralyzation from the flesh golems' cave).
======SPELL CHOICES======
These spell choices assume that you are playing in BG2 with significant XP and levels from BG1, such that you have access to all levels of both mage and cleric spells.
A. CLERIC SPELLS
Level 1: if you have Staff of the Magi, level 1 Cleric spells are pretty much a wash, and you can play around with them however you wish. At high levels with the Staff, I usually fill the level with Armor of Faith and Doom. Doom and Improved Alacrity is a cheap Greater Malison (I'm unaware whether Doom stacks--if it did, that would make it much more viable late game), and Armor of Faith is the least useless of the remainder. One would think that 25% resistance to all forms of damage (what happens when you cast Armor of Faith as a very high level Cleric) is powerful, but as a spellcaster in BG2 if you are taking any damage at all you are probably dead with or without that 25%. (Note: this is a theme in how I think about spell choices--a cleric/mage should have enough buffs at all times to avoid needing to rely on her HP to survive, which is a good way for a spellcaster to die in BG2 and especially ToB.)
If you don't have Staff of the Magi, Protection from Evil and Sanctuary should fill this level. Protection from Evil is for the AC and saves boost (and fairly good duration at higher levels). Sanctuary is an underrated spell that I've never heard discussed much on forums. It's a fast-casting invisibility spell that will allow you to exit battles to re-buff or heal if you are in a tight spot. That has utility at all levels.
Level 2: fill this with Draw Upon Holy Might and Barkskin at high levels, and one or two Silence at low levels (when opposing mages might be weak enough to fail their saves, and not have perma-vocalize). Barkskin is useful because it scales with your level, eventually granting base AC significantly lower than with bracers or your robe (which is Vecna as soon as you can buy it). As a pure cleric/mage you won't use the extra strength from Holy Might much, but the Dex is helpful and this spell acts as a minor healing spell by allowing you to retain the HP you gained as a result of the Con boost once it wears off.
Level 3: Animate Dead, Dispel Magic, and Holy Smite. Animate Dead is a mediocre spell until Level 15, when you can begin spawning Skeleton Warriors. Haste them and watch them tear apart almost any opponent except the most elite fighters and mages. This is the best low-level summons spell.
Dispel Magic cannot be underrated, even at high levels. I believe that the way that this spell operates is to compare the caster's level to the level of those within the area of effect of the spell, and dispel magic on those targets if the caster's level is higher than theirs (subject to some calculus). (If anyone knows what the precise mechanic is, I'd love to know.) Based on the guides I have read I would assume that Breach, Ruby Ray, etc. are the only options for debuffing opposing mages--but in my experience running cleric/mages, Dispel Magic can be more effective. (1) It's AoE; (2) it removes many more buffs than, e.g., a Ruby Ray; and (3) crucially, it can be cast on an area instead of an individual character, and so will work on invisibility-, mislead-, or shadow door-affected spellcasters. And it's level 3! It may be true that this spell is so powerful as a cleric/mage because the calculus for determining whether an opponent's buffs are dispelled includes mage levels as well (does anyone know?). In any event, stock these and use them on groups of buffed enemies and invisible enemy mages to great effect.
Holy Smite is the best damage spell here, because it scales with levels and casts quickly. A poor man's Skull Trap, if you will. The lightning glyph is tempting but that spell takes far too long to cast. Also, Holy Smite can be used in public without blowing up civilians, which is helpful. Sometimes I encounter a fight I don't remember from previous playthroughs and throw this out as an aggressive detect alignment.
Level 4: This is a weak level. Stock a couple of Death Wards and cast them when you wake up, for all-day protection (just in case). Farsight can come in handy depending on how cheesy you get with summons and Project Images, and Protection from Evil 10'' Radius is a good buff for your summons (if that's your style). I prefer to stock mostly Poison here, even though it's a save-and-nothing-happens spell. The damage output from this one is too insane at high levels to pass up, and at a casting time of 4 it is instant-cast with Vecna and Amulet of Power. Useful for brawny mobs who aren't sophisticated enough to have high saves, but would take forever to bash down or wipe out with level 1-2 mage spells, and don't warrant wasting a 'serious' damage spell (and there's always Malison and Doom for the rest--but that's getting pretty complicated for just setting up a level 4 spell). Poison will operate like a Finger of Death at high levels because the damage is so high (and the save-or-nothing nature of the spell).Defensive Harmony is also worth considering in small quantities if you like to buff summons.
Level 5: There are several great buffs here. Even though Flame Strike's damage is sexy, you don't need it as a cleric/mage because you will have great damage spells coming from your arcane magic side. Plus, the casting time is too long to spend on one target, and fire resistance abounds at high levels. Instead, take a Chaotic Commands (cast it right after your Death Ward when you wake up), a couple Magic Resistance (especially at high levels, will do you better than the best items for a cleric/mage will), and then load up on True Sight. This is a perfect example of how the Cleric functions as extra spell slots for a mage. True Sight is an indispensable spell in large quantities in SC2 (3-4 per rest, even) because of how many enemy spellcasters rely on invis to prevent their buffs from being dispelled by the standard debuffing arsenal, which require an individual target.
True Sight is a level 6 mage spell, and at level 6 arcane magic becomes powerful enough that you will be glad to free up slots for it.
If you like going into "fighter mode" occasionally, Righteous Magic is a fantastic spell that should occupy about half of your level 5 slots (displacing True Sights and maybe your one or two Flame Strike). Pair it with a Tenser's Transformation (I am not a fan because it wipes out spellcasting, but it's fun to use) and a Draw Upon Holy Might. I'm not sure how many "turn a spellcaster into a fighter" spells scale with level, but it can't be many. Righteous Magic's duration, plus to HP, and plus to STR all scale with level, making it a legitimate threat to transform your spellcaster into a decent hack-and-slash fighter at high levels. For fighter/mage/clerics, this spell is essential.
Level 6: Another weak level for Cleric magic, at least for a solo cleric/mage (for party players, Heal is obviously important). The spells here aren't make or break and can be fooled around with. It's kind of disappointing for such a high level to have so many spells devoted to slaying undead, since by the time you are a level-6-spell-capable Cleric your Turn Undead should be decent enough to rely on instead of using up spell slots. As a solo cleric/mage here I include a few Aerial Servants (really decent summons), one Heal for the rare situation in which a powerful BG2 healing potion is insufficient, and a bunch of Blade Barriers. Blade Barrier is the most powerful spell at this level, simply because it is a passive effect (cast and go about your business) that does legitimate damage (8d8) and can affect multiple targets. High-level baddies will save vs. Blade Barrier for 10 rounds straight, but it can be used effectively as crowd control against masses of lower-level mobs. Of course, beware of wearing this one around civilians, if you care about your rep.
Level 7: Here there are gobs of spells that pair well with your mage half. I'll cover the ones worth considering in order of utility (most useful up top).
--Implosion: this is as good as single-target damage spells get in BG2. Whopping damage and the save only halves it. Casting time of 5 means that this can be thrown out easily with Vecna and Amulet of Power. But perhaps most importantly (and cheesily), there are powerful synergies with high-level mage spells. Implosion is one of the few damage spells in BG2 that will take effect during a Time Stop (and certainly the most powerful). Time Stop, Improved Alacrity, and fire 10 of these in a casting time of 10. Your enemies will die before time resumes.
--Energy Blades: another instance where you can save a spell slot in your precious book of arcane magic. If you are a fighter/cleric/mage, at high levels you will almost always be better off using your fighter class's weapon of choice rather than this spell. If not, you _must_ stock this as it's almost the only way for your character to be effective against high-level enemies in between casting (i.e. whenever not under the effects of an Improved Alacrity spell). The number of attacks per round, thac0 boost, and addition of lightning damage (hits through stoneskins) make Energy Blades powerful even though your character has no idea how to use a regular weapon. Energy Blades also give you a realistic chance at hacking down enemies during the duration of a Time Stop.
--Shield of the Archons: save some spell-absorbing slots on your arcane side and use this instead. The fact that it scales with level in two regards (duration and number of spells absorbed) make it a worthy choice especially at very high levels. I always stock one or two of these.
--Storm of Vengeance: this spell is a damage spell, but its primary utility is in disrupting enemy spellcasters. Because saves only half damage, the Storm tries a wide variety of damage types (acid, lightning, etc.), and it repeats itself for three rounds, I have found this spell highly effective at dispatching groups of enemy mages (by interrupting their casting) like those pesky Cowled Wizards who will try to tell you you can't cast Mirror Image in the street. The spell is also one of those handful of area of effect damage spells that won't slay friendlies or neutrals, which is another small reason to choose it.
--Summon Deva: the Deva is maybe the second-most powerful summons in the game--so why rank this spell so low? Because as a mage you have access to the Planetar, which is the best summons in the game (and so much better that it's worth using a precious 9th level mage slot for it, even though you have the Deva as an option). This spell should be used extensively only when you are in that range of levels when you have access to it but not yet the Planetar spell.
The most powerful dual- or multi- capable spellcasting classes are cleric and mage, making the cleric/mage the most fearsome BG2 character choice, I think. Here are some tips for how to play this spellcaster, with a focus on spell choices. A lot of the commentary below is generic to arcane and priest spell choices, and I'm sure has been discussed ad nauseum here. But I've tried to focus on how to use cleric and mage spells together, as much as possible. Hopefully two types of people will read this (1) people learning the game looking for ideas; and (2) people who know much more than me who can tell me why I am wrong about what's written.
======GENERAL STRATEGY======
One way to view a cleric/mage is as a mage that has a bit more fighting power and roughly double the spell slots. The reason for this is that clerics have many of the same key spells as mages, allowing the cleric/mage to use up her cleric spell slots to free slots for powerful mage-specific damage and buff spells. Since mages are the most powerful spellcasters in the game, it makes much more sense to dual to a mage (if not multiclassing) than vice versa. You will lose the option of a specialty mage school this way, but guarantee that your late game XP goes towards leveling your more powerful class (mage). Another reason to begin as a cleric (especially if soloing) is that clerics can bash their way through low levels in BG1 far more effectively than mages, mainly because of their ability to wear armor. Pick up the quarterstaff +1 from Silke in Beregost, the Ankheg plate in the field in Nashkel, and the ring of protection +1 from the uninformed widow on the E Side of Beregost at levels 1-2 and you are set for the next several levels. Soloing levels 1-10 as mage is much, much more difficult (requires using early NPCs' potions of invisibility and haste to steal the wand of paralyzation from the flesh golems' cave).
======SPELL CHOICES======
These spell choices assume that you are playing in BG2 with significant XP and levels from BG1, such that you have access to all levels of both mage and cleric spells.
A. CLERIC SPELLS
Level 1: if you have Staff of the Magi, level 1 Cleric spells are pretty much a wash, and you can play around with them however you wish. At high levels with the Staff, I usually fill the level with Armor of Faith and Doom. Doom and Improved Alacrity is a cheap Greater Malison (I'm unaware whether Doom stacks--if it did, that would make it much more viable late game), and Armor of Faith is the least useless of the remainder. One would think that 25% resistance to all forms of damage (what happens when you cast Armor of Faith as a very high level Cleric) is powerful, but as a spellcaster in BG2 if you are taking any damage at all you are probably dead with or without that 25%. (Note: this is a theme in how I think about spell choices--a cleric/mage should have enough buffs at all times to avoid needing to rely on her HP to survive, which is a good way for a spellcaster to die in BG2 and especially ToB.)
If you don't have Staff of the Magi, Protection from Evil and Sanctuary should fill this level. Protection from Evil is for the AC and saves boost (and fairly good duration at higher levels). Sanctuary is an underrated spell that I've never heard discussed much on forums. It's a fast-casting invisibility spell that will allow you to exit battles to re-buff or heal if you are in a tight spot. That has utility at all levels.
Level 2: fill this with Draw Upon Holy Might and Barkskin at high levels, and one or two Silence at low levels (when opposing mages might be weak enough to fail their saves, and not have perma-vocalize). Barkskin is useful because it scales with your level, eventually granting base AC significantly lower than with bracers or your robe (which is Vecna as soon as you can buy it). As a pure cleric/mage you won't use the extra strength from Holy Might much, but the Dex is helpful and this spell acts as a minor healing spell by allowing you to retain the HP you gained as a result of the Con boost once it wears off.
Level 3: Animate Dead, Dispel Magic, and Holy Smite. Animate Dead is a mediocre spell until Level 15, when you can begin spawning Skeleton Warriors. Haste them and watch them tear apart almost any opponent except the most elite fighters and mages. This is the best low-level summons spell.
Dispel Magic cannot be underrated, even at high levels. I believe that the way that this spell operates is to compare the caster's level to the level of those within the area of effect of the spell, and dispel magic on those targets if the caster's level is higher than theirs (subject to some calculus). (If anyone knows what the precise mechanic is, I'd love to know.) Based on the guides I have read I would assume that Breach, Ruby Ray, etc. are the only options for debuffing opposing mages--but in my experience running cleric/mages, Dispel Magic can be more effective. (1) It's AoE; (2) it removes many more buffs than, e.g., a Ruby Ray; and (3) crucially, it can be cast on an area instead of an individual character, and so will work on invisibility-, mislead-, or shadow door-affected spellcasters. And it's level 3! It may be true that this spell is so powerful as a cleric/mage because the calculus for determining whether an opponent's buffs are dispelled includes mage levels as well (does anyone know?). In any event, stock these and use them on groups of buffed enemies and invisible enemy mages to great effect.
Holy Smite is the best damage spell here, because it scales with levels and casts quickly. A poor man's Skull Trap, if you will. The lightning glyph is tempting but that spell takes far too long to cast. Also, Holy Smite can be used in public without blowing up civilians, which is helpful. Sometimes I encounter a fight I don't remember from previous playthroughs and throw this out as an aggressive detect alignment.
Level 4: This is a weak level. Stock a couple of Death Wards and cast them when you wake up, for all-day protection (just in case). Farsight can come in handy depending on how cheesy you get with summons and Project Images, and Protection from Evil 10'' Radius is a good buff for your summons (if that's your style). I prefer to stock mostly Poison here, even though it's a save-and-nothing-happens spell. The damage output from this one is too insane at high levels to pass up, and at a casting time of 4 it is instant-cast with Vecna and Amulet of Power. Useful for brawny mobs who aren't sophisticated enough to have high saves, but would take forever to bash down or wipe out with level 1-2 mage spells, and don't warrant wasting a 'serious' damage spell (and there's always Malison and Doom for the rest--but that's getting pretty complicated for just setting up a level 4 spell). Poison will operate like a Finger of Death at high levels because the damage is so high (and the save-or-nothing nature of the spell).Defensive Harmony is also worth considering in small quantities if you like to buff summons.
Level 5: There are several great buffs here. Even though Flame Strike's damage is sexy, you don't need it as a cleric/mage because you will have great damage spells coming from your arcane magic side. Plus, the casting time is too long to spend on one target, and fire resistance abounds at high levels. Instead, take a Chaotic Commands (cast it right after your Death Ward when you wake up), a couple Magic Resistance (especially at high levels, will do you better than the best items for a cleric/mage will), and then load up on True Sight. This is a perfect example of how the Cleric functions as extra spell slots for a mage. True Sight is an indispensable spell in large quantities in SC2 (3-4 per rest, even) because of how many enemy spellcasters rely on invis to prevent their buffs from being dispelled by the standard debuffing arsenal, which require an individual target.
True Sight is a level 6 mage spell, and at level 6 arcane magic becomes powerful enough that you will be glad to free up slots for it.
If you like going into "fighter mode" occasionally, Righteous Magic is a fantastic spell that should occupy about half of your level 5 slots (displacing True Sights and maybe your one or two Flame Strike). Pair it with a Tenser's Transformation (I am not a fan because it wipes out spellcasting, but it's fun to use) and a Draw Upon Holy Might. I'm not sure how many "turn a spellcaster into a fighter" spells scale with level, but it can't be many. Righteous Magic's duration, plus to HP, and plus to STR all scale with level, making it a legitimate threat to transform your spellcaster into a decent hack-and-slash fighter at high levels. For fighter/mage/clerics, this spell is essential.
Level 6: Another weak level for Cleric magic, at least for a solo cleric/mage (for party players, Heal is obviously important). The spells here aren't make or break and can be fooled around with. It's kind of disappointing for such a high level to have so many spells devoted to slaying undead, since by the time you are a level-6-spell-capable Cleric your Turn Undead should be decent enough to rely on instead of using up spell slots. As a solo cleric/mage here I include a few Aerial Servants (really decent summons), one Heal for the rare situation in which a powerful BG2 healing potion is insufficient, and a bunch of Blade Barriers. Blade Barrier is the most powerful spell at this level, simply because it is a passive effect (cast and go about your business) that does legitimate damage (8d8) and can affect multiple targets. High-level baddies will save vs. Blade Barrier for 10 rounds straight, but it can be used effectively as crowd control against masses of lower-level mobs. Of course, beware of wearing this one around civilians, if you care about your rep.
Level 7: Here there are gobs of spells that pair well with your mage half. I'll cover the ones worth considering in order of utility (most useful up top).
--Implosion: this is as good as single-target damage spells get in BG2. Whopping damage and the save only halves it. Casting time of 5 means that this can be thrown out easily with Vecna and Amulet of Power. But perhaps most importantly (and cheesily), there are powerful synergies with high-level mage spells. Implosion is one of the few damage spells in BG2 that will take effect during a Time Stop (and certainly the most powerful). Time Stop, Improved Alacrity, and fire 10 of these in a casting time of 10. Your enemies will die before time resumes.
--Energy Blades: another instance where you can save a spell slot in your precious book of arcane magic. If you are a fighter/cleric/mage, at high levels you will almost always be better off using your fighter class's weapon of choice rather than this spell. If not, you _must_ stock this as it's almost the only way for your character to be effective against high-level enemies in between casting (i.e. whenever not under the effects of an Improved Alacrity spell). The number of attacks per round, thac0 boost, and addition of lightning damage (hits through stoneskins) make Energy Blades powerful even though your character has no idea how to use a regular weapon. Energy Blades also give you a realistic chance at hacking down enemies during the duration of a Time Stop.
--Shield of the Archons: save some spell-absorbing slots on your arcane side and use this instead. The fact that it scales with level in two regards (duration and number of spells absorbed) make it a worthy choice especially at very high levels. I always stock one or two of these.
--Storm of Vengeance: this spell is a damage spell, but its primary utility is in disrupting enemy spellcasters. Because saves only half damage, the Storm tries a wide variety of damage types (acid, lightning, etc.), and it repeats itself for three rounds, I have found this spell highly effective at dispatching groups of enemy mages (by interrupting their casting) like those pesky Cowled Wizards who will try to tell you you can't cast Mirror Image in the street. The spell is also one of those handful of area of effect damage spells that won't slay friendlies or neutrals, which is another small reason to choose it.
--Summon Deva: the Deva is maybe the second-most powerful summons in the game--so why rank this spell so low? Because as a mage you have access to the Planetar, which is the best summons in the game (and so much better that it's worth using a precious 9th level mage slot for it, even though you have the Deva as an option). This spell should be used extensively only when you are in that range of levels when you have access to it but not yet the Planetar spell.
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B. MAGE SPELLS
Level 1: at very low levels it's worth considering Protection from Evil, and Friends and Identify to save yourself some cash that you can spend on recharging wands (i.e. the only way to survive as a solo mage at low levels). At high levels, I stock majority Burning Hands and a handful of Magic Missile. Each has its advantages, notwithstanding the love affair that commentators (and even the game manual?) has with Magic Missile. Burning Hands does more damage more reliably (1d3+20 at max vs. 5d4+1 maxed MM) and, unlike Magic Missile, will inflict that damage during a Time Stop. The downsides are that Burning Hands holds you in place for a fraction of a round (preventing you from unleashing Energy Blades or escaping melee attackers) and is much less effective against highly magic-resistant creatures since it's a one-off attack.
The bottom line is that at high levels your level 1 arcane spells are fairly crap, so don't be tempted for a second to wear that Ring of Wizardry from BG1. If you're at a level where you can have 24 MM with the ring, you are also at a level where you can slay any beast that doesn't have protections against MM (magic res, globe of invulnerability, etc.) with your dagger in the same amount of time, and you have access to far more powerful rings.
Level 2: Mirror Image is obvious, but what else? Is there anything at this level worth choosing over an extra set of mirrors?
Yes! The #1 other spell to stock is Blur, which grants you an AC bonus on top of whatever other buffs you have, and has a duration that scales with level (the +1 to saves is a nice perk too). This spell remains helpful at high levels because its duration scales. After Blur, the only other spells I choose here are Knock (for loot-chests that cannot be bashed open with 25 STR while under the effect of Draw Upon Holy Might) and Agannazar's Scorcher (at lower levels). Melf's Acid Arrow seems to be the most popular second-level damage-dealing arcane spell, but I find Agannazar's more useful. Against enemies that can be downed with either of these low-level spells, AoE is more important than single-target damage. And Agannazar's is a very good AoE damage spell when combined with Boots of Speed and a jog back and forth in front of enemies that are caught in a Scorcher tethered to a unit at their rear.
At low levels I also used Glitterdust here, for crowd control in big groups of mobs.
Level 3: here's where things begin to get fun for the arcane spellcaster. Stock a Haste if you enjoy using your cleric slots on summons (Skellie Warriors especially). Your Cleric spellslots free you from the need/temptation to choose Dispel Magic. So, you can load this level with Skull Trap, which may be the most powerful AoE damage spell in the game for a solo character. (1) Low casting time makes these insta-cast with Vecna alone (no need for Amulet of Power, though you're wearing that anyway), unlike, say, Abi-Dalzim's and other level 8 and 9 AoE spells; (2) damage scales with level and _there is no cap_; (3) not many enemies are immune to magical damage, as opposed, to fire, e.g.; (3) save only protects against half of the damage; and (5) perhaps most usefully, there is a spell at a different and not so stacked level (Protection from Magical Energy, at 6) that will make you immune to this AoE's effect all day at high levels.
Level 4: Stoneskin is a classic, but at high level its duration, your AC, and the availability of tons of mirror images will make stocking many of it a waste. What's the next best?
--Wizard Eye is a necessity if you like playing with summons and Project Images or Simulacrums.
--Greater Malison to throw at large groups of enemies as the first spell cast after an Improved Alacrity, so that the bulb that carries the debuff will hit them before your damage spells. This spell is discussed quite a bit as a helpful debuff but in my experience the enemies that are high-level enough to be worth casting this on have saves so astronomical that a single Greater Malison will have little effect (vs. just blasting them with save-vs-half spells like Skull Trap).
--Minor Globe of Invulnerability retains utility throughout the game. It's instant cast with Vecna and Amulet of Power, its duration is scalable and it will prevent your powerful spell absorption buffs (Shield of the Archon) from being worn down by low-level spells. Also (and I'm not positive how this works), but at high levels against sophisticated spellcasters I believe that the Globe may protect one of your more important anti-magic protections by being the buff dispelled by a Pierce Magic or Ruby Ray (anyone know?). If anything, stock one to help yourself remember what a god this spell made you in BG1 and ToTSC, and how when you first faced Davaeorn you couldn't figure out why your Melf's were not doing anything.
--Fireshield (Red) is not essential but given the lack of other clear winners is worth a couple of slots. Instant cast with Vecna and Amulet of Power means you lose nothing by throwing it up when your Improved Alacrity pops.
--Spirit Armor may be helpful to you for a couple of extra AC points if you dualed from Cleric at a low level and so your Barkskin is not effective enough to render Spirit Armor worthless.
Level 5: remember when you thought Cloudkill was the best Level 5 spell out? Times change in BG2, huh. The choices for buffs and debuffs here are so good that spending slots on any damage spells is a tough call (and that's a rarity for arcane magic). Level 5 spells, in order of their importance:
--Breach: (disclaimer: I have yet to experiment enough with Dispel Magic at very high mage/cleric levels to determine whether it obviates this spell.) Breach, of course, remains your most powerful bread-and-butter debuffing spell throughout the game. Combine it with True Sight, and the only baddies who can avoid its power are those with Spell Immunity: Abjuration (use a Ruby Ray--these enemies are rare, in any event, even in modded BG2 versions). Low casting time relative to other debuff spells mean that you can fire off a bunch of these on a group of enemies while under Improved Alacrity. Be aware that this pairs best with damage spells that have travel time (like Abi-Dalzim's) and will hit after the Breach. Stock a few of these to make mincemeat of the average enemy mage.
--Lower Resistance: simply essential for a magic-wielder at very high levels. Does anyone know if this effect stacks? Stock one or two at all times.
--Spell Immunity: dear forumgoers, I actually need some help in understanding this spell. Is it true that if I am improved invisible (whether through the spell of the same name, Shadow Door, or otherwise) and cast Spell Immunity, selecting the school for True Sight, I will be able to avoid being targeted by any spells that could bring down my Immunity and expose me to a dispelling of my invisibility? I have tried this combo before, but only against high-level casters, and I can't tell whether it is not working or they have some "see all invis" variable operating to prevent tricks like this.
[Notes on Spell Immunity to be edited once I understand it better. It's definitely one of the cheesiest and most powerful spells in the game, though.]
--Sunfire: this is the only other spell worth choosing at level 5, and it's hard to pick given that other mage and cleric levels can supply damage without sacrificing such important buffs and debuffs (the above three spells). Breach is worth choosing even though it caps at 15d6 because (1) it's only a casting time of 3, meaning instant with Vecna; (2) it is one of the few AoE spells that you can cast with yourself in the blast radius without risking damage even if you have no buffs up; (3) saves only prevent half of the damage; and (3) most importantly, by way of what I believe must be an error in the game engine, it will ignore magic resistance.
Level 6: as mentioned above, stock some Protection from Magical Energy for long-lasting invulnerability to your own Skull Traps and enemies' Abi-Dalzims and Magic Missiles. At least one Death Fog is also essential here, for the purpose of dealing with summons alone. Especially as a solo mage/cleric, you can be overwhelmed by Mordenkainen's and the like. One Death Fog fixes your problem, and makes enemies looking silly for spending 3 rounds on their summons. The other spells to consider here* are Mislead (the potential for cheese is massive, but even sans tricks that play on computer NPC AI I like this spell because it functions as an improved Shadow Door without needing to use up an all-important level 5 slot) and Chain Lightning, which is another type of the only damage spells worth considering (with very rare exception): scales unlimitedly with level; saves are only half; affects multiple targets; casting time (of 5) low enough to distribute freely with Vecna and Amulet of Power. Improved Haste is a good choice for any fighter/cleric/mage.
* I've excluded from this guide the contingency spell, which is obviously powerful and offers immense opportunities for the cleric/mage because it can store both mage and cleric spells. I find the contingency and spell trigger spells too tedious to play with versus Improved Alacrity with Vecna and Amulet of Power, which has the same quick-release effect but is more versatile, and more fun, than spending hours stocking and releasing contingencies. Moreover, the utility of the contingency spell is diminished at high levels where enemies are all elite, because there is no help in using any of the "defenseless", "% HP", or other "I'm in trouble" triggers. Nothing that can be stocked in a contingency will save you against a high-level opponent when you reach one of these states as a cleric/mage.
Level 7: this is a relatively weak level, and so I use it to stock spells that can free up slots at other levels. Ruby Ray and the Whip (more useful) obviate the need for Pierce Shield and Spellstrike, so pack a couple. Spell Turning does not repel a number of spells that scales with your level, but duration does. This is a helpful buff to have for that 'big battle' when you want to maximize your defenses, since it will layer on top of your Shield of the Archons and Spell Trap. Mordenkainen's Sword is one of the most powerful summons in the game because of its magic immunity and decent attacking (and that most versions of enemy spellcaster AI are too stupid not to waste spells on it), so if summons are your style pack a couple of this spell. The time-delayed fireball is tempting, as the only AoE damage spell at this level, but that spell sucks. 15d6 cap on damage (not scalable) with save for half by the time you reach level 7 spellcasting as a mage (even single class mage) means that you can realistically hope to deal at most 7.5d6 damage per target upon casting this, which is a scratch on the back for any foe that does not have anti-fire protections up at late stages in BG2. On top of all that, the casting time is 7, so even with Vecna and Amulet you will waste significant time eating enemy fire to cast one of these. If your plan is to lay down a bunch before meeting enemies and then POW!, Gorion will snigger at you from the grave because there are far more creative and fun ways to kill off-screen enemies with this kit (for starters, try an Improved Alacrity before running into battle, or summon 5 Skeleton Warriors/Aerial Servants/elementals and hit them with every buff in the cleric's arsenal before battle).
Finally, no discussion of level 7 mage spells could be complete without Project Image, the spell that makes your cleric/mage (and any other high-level arcane caster) capable of soloing entire dungeons while asleep at the entrance. You are probably familiar with the well-known cheese: cast PI, cast a Wizard Eye, and then run your image around with the Eye (for vision) as though you are playing through the map normally. When your PI dies or the spell runs out, you are left with one less PI spell no matter how many buffs your Image gave you, summons it conjured, or damage spells it distributed. The lack of ability to make physical attacks with the Image is a non-issue for the cleric/mage, who by virtue of her cleric slots has enough spell slots to wipe out entire levels with damage spells alone. I prefer not to play with PI because (1) I generally have no trouble finding sleep to restore spells; and, more importantly, (2) I have a really fucking hard time killing my own image after it is all buffed up, so that I can return to my body if I've run out of wizard eyes (and can't see) or need to click the wagon wheel and gather my party to venture forth. Dispel magic and some skull traps are fairly effective, but I don't fancy spending 2 rounds of spellcasting just to wipe out my clone and exit cheese mode. Does anyone know of a super-convenient way to cancel or eliminate an Image and conveniently revert to original state?
I should comment here on some of the "powerful" protection against weapons spells that begin popping up in later mage levels. In my view they are a complete waste of casting time and a spell slot. Because stoneskin and mirror image scale (and are instant cast) and there are many low-level abilities available to the mage and priest to drop his AC to absurd lows, immunities from weapons are not necessary for protection from physical damage-dealers. At the rate you deal damage as a high-level cleric/mage, fights are so quick that enemies will not be able to hack through your images and stone skins--especially not the sorts of enemies that will try to waste you with physical attacks (including magic weapons): fighters, high-HP oafs like fire giants, summons, etc. These baddies will generally not have the spell protections and other buffs necessary to protect themselves against your arsenal of damage-dealing spells. The only other way those low-level protections (blur, stoneskin, barkskin, mirror image, protection against evil, draw upon holy might) may not see you through a fight is if you are hit with a debuff from an enemy spellcaster, in which case you are screwed for many, many more reasons than that there are enemies with magical weapons nearby.
Note also that protection spells that confer 75% immunity, like protection from the elements, are not worth their slots or casting time because your goal in every battle is to take zero damage at all. Low HP and the need to cast spells uninterruptedly makes that 25% (or 10, or 5, or whatever it may be) damage that remains after the partial resistance you worked so hard at fatal in many cases.
Level 8: the power of Simulacrum is obvious--versus a Project Image spell, this one does not require you to relinquish control of your main character. On the other hand, there will be a "sour spot" in your level progression where losing 60% deprives your Simulacrum clone of crucial spells that your Image would possess. If playing for pure power, stock at least several Simulacrum.
The protection buffs at this level are not worthwhile for the reasons listed above, and if you make good use of level 5 and 7 there is no need for pierce magic.
The damage-dealing spells here are good enough to merit a few slots even if obsessed with Simulacrum. Here there may be a legitimate debate to be had (weigh in?) on the merits of incendiary cloud versus Abi-Dalzim's. Both spells are save for half damage and scale unlimitedly with level--the key attributes of a damage spell at high levels. The reasons I use Dalzim's are (1) can be used in areas with friendlies; (2) significantly higher up-front damage seems to compensate fairly for benefits of potentially disrupting enemy casters by raining down continuous damage; (3) resistances to magic damage less common than fire; and, most importantly, (4) I don't know of a good way to achieve immunity to this spell for any substantial duration without sacrificing in spell or item choice. Here it's important to note that 100% fire resistance** is insufficient to cast Incendiary Cloud, because even with resistance to the damage type your character will still be hit by the falling lava rocks (taking 0 damage), which will interrupt your casting. This is unacceptable. There are other damage spells advocated here (Skull Trap) that will have the same effect when cast while under the corresponding protection spell (Protection from Magical Energy), but those are one-offs that can't eat all of your mirror images, and cannot interfere with future spellcasting because all damage is incurred immediately.
I usually stock one or two Bigby's Clenched Fist because damage spells like Abi-Dalzim's are easy to come by at other levels, and the 1-round stun with no save is a helpful situational tool. Power Word Blind is also useful, _if_you happen to encounter that rare enemy that is powerful enough to warrant a no-save debuff and will actually be affected by the lack of vision, as opposed to merely the roll penalties. I haven't experimented with this spell much, and so it may easily be more powerful than I think.
** 100% fire resistance seems in itself hard enough to get to--any tips? Most of the fire resistance spells seem not to stack; maybe the 3rd level Protection from Fire and a Fireshield(Red) would; or, perhaps Armor of Faith could be used.
Level 9: there are only a few spells worth considering here. I always disregard the damage-dealers at this level. The alternatives are too good. Damage is damage is damage. You can produce it from your lower levels.
--Energy Blades is taken care of because of your helpful Cleric half.
--Summon Planetar would be a no-brainer if it were not for Summon Deva, which you also have access to and is Summon Planetar's weaker brother (unfortunately, BG2 treats a Deva and a Planetar as the same creature, so you can't summon both at once). Opting for the weaker summon (still very strong) for an extra ninth-level slot in arcane magic makes sense. I prefer the Planetar mainly because it moves faster and can cast True Sight to get me out of a pinch with an enemy mage, and I find the top-level cleric spells useful enough (Shield of the Archons, Implosion, Storm) that sacrificing one for a Deva is a significant price to pay. Planetars and Devas can both see invisible creatures and are highly magic immune, which makes them absurdly good at occupying enemy mages.
--Wish: the synergies with being a Cleric (high WIS anyway) are obvious, but I have not found this spell terribly useful. The most powerful combat options are 'double-length time stop and improved alacrity' and 'rememorize all spells', but these options appear so infrequently that it is usually necessary to cast multiple Wishes to get them. Casting such a long spell in battle with no assurance of success is too risky for my taste--I would rather deal with maintaining my stock of memorized spells by using Project Image, and rely on generic Time Stop and Improved Alacrity when I need those effects. With Vecna, Amulet of Power, and plenty of Implosion and Skull Trap in your pocket, there is no enemy that cannot be wasted (if at all) in a single-length Improved Alacrity (auto-pause on cast MUST be on!). This is still a mad fun spell.
--Spell Trap: your all-purpose protection against enemy mages, on top of invisibility spells and Absolute Immunity. Stock at least one (I believe this stacks with Shield of the Archons) if without Staff of the Magi. If with Staff of the Magi, I prefer to use the item's Spell Trap and save a ninth-level slot for something else. Since this spell does not scale at all with level (rare for a buff), there is no disadvantage to casting it from an item. Does anyone know if the rememorization function always awards the mage protected by Spell Trap a re-memorized spell of a level that is equal to the level of the spell trapped? That would make the spell significantly more powerful than if (as the description in-game hints) a random spell of equal or lower level is re-memorized.
Finally, Time Stop and Improved Alacrity. The bread and butter of any spellcaster, but especially the cleric/mage with her complete reliance on magic and relatively massive arsenal of spells. Time Stop is _that_ spell that seems to make enemy spellcasters omnipotent and change the game, and for a long, long time I always stocked it in numbers equal to my Improved Alacrity count. With Vecna and Amulet of Power, that is a mistake. With this setup and the cleric/mage's arsenal of powerful low-level fast-casting spells, only one or two Time Stops should be stocked, for the most dire of situations where the only thing that will save you is to guarantee that you can shut down your enemies for the second that follows your having casted the spell. If in the usual combat situation, Time Stop is not necessary because immediately upon casting Improved Alacrity, by using auto-pause on cast and your Vecna and Amulet -4 to cast time, you can unload all of the spells you need to before your enemies can react in any meaningful way--even though time is not stopped. Even in a situation where you have been debuffed and are vulnerable, attempting to cast Improved Alacrity (remember to reactivate Staff of Magi, down an invis potion, or cast Sanctuary first, so you can't be targeted) obviates the need for Time Stop because your key buffs (Mirror Image, Stoneskin, even Globe of Invulnerability) can be restored with 0 cast time.
That's all I have for now. Cheers!
Dual or Multi? If dual, at which level?
Which kit would you recommend for priest? Which for mage?
As @decado already asked, which race would you recommend? Which race would recommend if there were no restrictions? (I run with mod removing race/class restrictions)
Guidelines for starting stats?
At any rate, the race choice is pretty obvious in my opinion: Gnome is the way to go. Higher int, extra saving throws and more Mage spells makes it an easy choice.
@decado I know that one of the cons against the gnome illusionist is the lack of necromancy spells so no Abi-Dalzam's or Skull Trap both of which are pretty nice spells. I'm not sure if +1 spell per level outweighs that or not.
Couple of questions/comments:
- Didn't they cap Skull Trap at 12d6? I know I read that somewhere but it could be one of the mods I'm using.
- 5th Level Mage Spell "Lower Resistance" does stack with itself so it can be doubled up to lower MR even more.
a) 14 cleric can gain up to 27 mage level.
This will give you up to 4 6th level cleric spell (if you gain 24 wisdom) and 1 7th level cleric spell. And will grant up to 4 8th level mage spells and 4 9th level mage spells.
b) multiclass can gain 25th cleric level and 20th mage level.
This will give you up to 9 6th level cleric spell (if you gain 24 wisdom) and 3 7th level cleric spell. And will grant up to 3 8th level mage spells and 2 9th level mage spells.
The gnome multiclass cleric/illusionist can gain 1 bonus magic spell per level, but cannot memorize useful spells as Skull Trap, Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting and Animate Dead (and has a -1 wisdom)
The other thing I noticed from the OP is Sunfire - it no longer ignores MR.
While they do have a good deal of mid-late TOB power I always find multi Claric/Mages lag significantly behind single or duals at SOA and early TOB levels. In my current early TOB run Imoen has several 100k XP less than Aerie in total, but while Aerie is still stuck on level 7 mage spells Imoen has level 8 and 9 slots.
I guess this is different if you're soloing, but with a full party they're a great utility character but not game-breaking. They're the swiss army knife of characters compared to the invincible machete of fighter/mage combos.
@Pibaro was talking about the extra bonus spells you would get from a 24 wisdom. How is it possible to get your wisdom that high?
If you are starting with 18 at character creation then add in the 3 tomes from BGEE and the machine from BG2EE that brings you to 22..... Am I missing other ways to increase your wisdom permanently?
Yes, you are missing:
1) The wrath tear in the Nine Hells (good path)
2) The deck of many thing (if you are a cleric as main class)
However, I really don't see it as being better than a fighter/Mage... Here's the biggest problem I have with them, they won't be able to choose the Mage hlas that matter until 6 million exp. by then they probably had to waste picks on a lot of cleric and Mage hlas that are pretty useless. The fighter Mage however can stock up on 3-4x critical strikes, hardiness and a few greater whirlwinds by then and then just focus on Mage picks. Also, it does much more damage while still having the same survivability.
It does sound like a fun solo.
Yet, mage/cleric is very strong but VERY far from a sorceror in my opinion.
The cleric spell list brings very little
Level 1 : remove fear is OK to save lvl 2 mage spells slot. Not a big deal.
Level 2 : useless
Level 3 : dispel magic is ok too. Animate dead, but sorcs can cast it also at level 5.
Level 4 : useless
Level 5 : chaotic command is THE cleric spell that i miss playing as a sorceror
Level 6 : useless
Level 7 : level 7 HLA can be nice even though they are far from being as powerful as the lvl 9.
So basically you get chaotic command (very nice) and level 7 HLA (semi useful).
In exchange for that, the sorceror gets much more high level spells to be cast without needing to memorize. This enables a crazy number of absurdly powerful combos.
For example :
a sorceror can pull time stop/improved alactrity 3 times before resting (more like 10-15 times if using project image). A mage/cleric can do than once (maybe 2-3 with project image depending on spell memorization), IF he choses not to use any other level 9 spell.
Overall if you don't mind resting often, the cleric/mage can compete. If not, the sorceror has a clear win.
As for leveling difficulty (assuming multi. Dual is much harder)
- BG1 is very easy with a sorceror (invisibility, web, MMM trivialize the game). Also very easy with cleric/mage (sanctuary, web,...).
- For early BG2 (before 1.5-2M xp), the cleric mage is probably stronger
- From level 14-15 (project image, skeleton warrior) the sorceror catches up
- From 3 to 6 Million xp, the sorceror has a very clear advantage (having access to level 9 arcane spells is much stronger than anything the cleric mage can have)
While I agree Sorcerers have much more power, I think you're missing a few tricks with the cleric spells.
1. Doom - Nice little spell to combine with Malison and others in Sequencers.
2. Yeah pretty crap for a C/M, Hold is decent early on, DUHM is great if part warrior.
3. Holy Smite - awesome damaging spell, I *think* it caps at 15d4 but the best part is it's probably going to be party friendly. Can also throw three of those in a sequencer.
4. Death Ward - 'nuff said.
5. True Seeing - I'd much rather use a level 5 cleric slot than a level 6 mage slot and sacrifice an Improved Haste, PfMW, etc.
6. Pretty crappy, I usually fill this with Wonderous Recall to get more level 5 castings. Late game however, Harm+Timestop makes a great combo for killing off large foes.
7. Firestorm is good since it ignores magic resistance, Implosion does large damage to a single target. I'm not saying this spell level compares in anyway to mage level 9/10, but it's still fairly powerful.
Some spells are really powerful at low level, but become useless later (e.g. in SOA). I put here some of them. These tips mainly assumes that you have installed Sword coast stratagems (SCS) addon. It changes the usefulness of the spells dramatically (especially in BG1!).
Cleric:
1.
-Command: In BGEE1 use it against: wolves, bears, gibberlings, hobgoblins etc. Especially in solo games. Cast this, throw a rock with a sling (automatic hit) and repeat.
-Magic stone: A nice spell against the skeletons in High hedge. Use it and your sling repeatedly.
2.
-Draw upon holy might (DUHM): One of the best spells in this level. If I play a gnome cleric/illusionist, I always have STR18. With this spell at level 3, your STR is 19, and the difference is huge. Your damage bonus is +7, which means that your sling (or Ashideena/Stupefier) hits very hard.
-Hold person: This is a nice spell in BG1 and in SOA (before Underdark). It will sometimes hit even 3 targets and the probability that some of them fail in their saves is quite high. Very good in Nashkel mines, against hobgoblins and low level humanoids.
-Find traps: An essential spell in solo games.
3.
-Invisibility purge: Very good spell in BGEE1 if you have installed SCS. You don't have True sight, so you need to use this spell or some other low level spell to remove invisibilities (good against thieves, mages (very good against those annoying minor sequencers with invisibility and mirror image spells)).
-Glyph of warding: A useful trap spell in Bandit Camp fight in BG1 with SCS. Use it with skull trap (or without it in case of cleric/illusionist).
-Zone of sweet air: Very good spell to remove cloudkills and stinking clouds (in SCS you see these spells often).
-Animate dead: The best summon spell in BG1. Combine it with protection from evil 10' radius.
-Protection from Fire: This is a good spell combined with Agannazar Scorcher, fireball or sunfire (to your pary members).
4.
-Holy power: Very good spell in BGEE1. Combine it with DUHM and you can get low THAC0, which means you hit almost always (and like a truck). Use this with hit & cast strategy.
-Protection from Evil 10' Radius: Very good spell in BGEE1 to cast to your skeletons (and yourself).
5.
-Greater Command: If you know, which enemies are not immune against this, this spell becomes quite powerful.
6.
-Bolt of glory: A good spell against liches, high level vampires, other undeads and demons
-False dawn: A good spell against liches and other high level undeads (turn undead is not enough).
-Harm: Very good with Time stop. Or if you buff yourself to be quite sure that you hit (Holy power, DUHM) => in every fights.
Mage:
1.
-Magic missile: This is not so good spell with SCS (and in BG1). Very many mages have a shield spell => they are immune against this spell.
- Shield: The best armor spell. Your AC is 4 (against missiles 2). Protects against magic missiles (you see them often with SCS).
-Blindness: A nice spell against bears and similar creatures.
2.
-Agannazar's Scorcher: A very good spell in solo games (or with fire resistance spell). Much better than Melf's acid arrow. Especially with a haste or speed boots.
-Glitterdust: Mass blind, useful against large parties.
-Luck: A good spell to cast to your thieves to rise the probability to detect traps, open locks or set traps (I think that the best thief skills are set traps and detect illusions (free true sight). The latter is very good with SCS installed in BGEE1.
-Strength: A good spell for Imoen before backstabs. Useless for C/M.
3.
-Detect illusion: The best spell in BG1 with SCS to remove mirror images.
-Ghost Armor: The armor spell for cleric/illusionists.
-Melf's Minute Meteors: A very good spell. They are fast (5 attack per round) +5 arrows!
-Minor Spell Deflection: The best spell in BG1 with SCS before you get the minor globe of invulnerability. And even with it, because it frees your 4th level to cast something else (e.g. stone skins or spider spawns).
-Slow: A good spell, because the save is difficult.
-Spell thrust: This spell is really needed in SCS. It have uses even in higher levels. Cast it to remove a spell shield (and do not waste a higher level spell). A great spell to remove minor globe of invulnerability (you see this spell often in SCS).
4.
-Improved Invisibility: Combine with spell immunity: divination and the enemies cannot cast a direct spells to you.
-Minor Globe of Invulnerability: The protection spell in BG1 (and even in SOA). Use this and you can cast skull traps, fireballs, web and stinking clouds easily.
-Minor Sequencer: Some interesting combinations:
1. Two magic missiles
2. Doom + hold person
3. Mirror image + blur
4. 2 webs
-Spider spawn: Combine with web spells (spiders are immune against the spells)
Just finished a BGEE + ToSC run with my beloved Half-Orc Fighter/Assassin. But everytime I take a peek at this forum I wish to start with something new.
Except for Paladins and Rangers. They always sucks.
I think Flame Strike is really good. It does as much damage as Horrid Wilting, and unlike Horrid Wilting it can be put on a Spell Trigger.
As far as Contingency goes i just wack Sanctuary in 'Hopeless' just incase. Its rare though because Chaotic Commands....