I think you're overstating quite a bit. I just tested it and Archers can specialize in sling, just like regular Rangers. So if you were to dual at 13 you would have the usual 5/2 attacks, +5 to hit and +6 to damage, plus your enormous cleric strength and dexterity bonuses to hit and damage if you buff, and you would have called shot. Grand mastery would have given you an extra +2 damage and 1/2 attack - not that that isn't significant, but you still have more damage output on average than a straight Archer. Your main obstacle would probably be enemies in ToB that you didn't have the appropriate ammunition for, but then, you're also an epic level cleric.
I recently have set myself the task of playing with some severe handicaps, one of them being to roll all my charname's and NPC's stats randomly. For my first roll I got 14, 14, 13, 13, 10, 10, which happens to be the very worst set of stats for a Ranger. (Well, the 10's are allowed to be lower, but who cares?) So I think I may start that over (since I frankly failed the first time around), make a Human Archer with sling specialty, use three tomes of wisdom on him and dual him to cleric in BG2. I'll call him David.
Talking to me? If so, I know, I just think it would have been a cool class for flavor reasons mainly. I already tried out an archer with slings and worked great.
I like your David idea anyway and honestly I think it could work fine regardless of stats. As an archer you'll have great THAC0 anyway and your strength is easily boosted. I actually think the difference between an archer with bad starting stats and one with great ones is negligible in the long term, and besides if you dual to cleric you have DUHM.
I actually think the difference between an archer with bad starting stats and one with great ones is negligible in the long term, and besides if you dual to cleric you have DUHM.
yep, that's my thinking exactly. The only problem is to figure out when I can get my strength to 15. I don't remember exactly where Lum's machine is.... I think it can be done though. I'm looking forward to seeing him own some fire giants.
@bob_veng: Yeah APR is a bit tough. You'd probably have to dual at 13 and you still don't have great APR.
I'm toying with the idea of going solo and dualling at 21.
Edit: Yeah, I'm beginning to see why this might not be as fantastic an idea as I initially thought - although Archer 13/Cleric is still much better than straight Archer.
I don't remember exactly how this works - if you cast a spell, are you still going to get all your attacks in that round? Or does each attack take at least 1/9 of a round, so that e.g. if you cast a spell with casting time 4, the most you can get is five attacks? If that's the case, then the dual at 13 makes sense. I think that is the case, actually - you can't cast a spell and still throw all your energy blades in 6 seconds, right? I'm not sure though.
Archers should totally be allowed to Dual-Class to a Cleric; that way, when they get their levels back and realize they can't GM in slings, they can go "well gee, that was a massive mistake, wasn't it?"
It's like people who would dual class a Kensai to a Cleric... Why. Would. You. *EVER*. DO THAT!?
I've done a kensai/cleric and it was a great character... "Oh... you would not part an old man from his walking stick?"
As I said, viable, but pointless. Everything a Kensai/Cleric can do, a Fighter/Cleric can do better. You're basically trading bonus damage/hit rolls for more efficient armor, bracers, and helmets. That neat kensai bonus? Guantlets of extraordinary specialization can handle about half of it all by itself if you dual around level 9.
Kensai is a great class, one of my favorite, but Cleric has nothing to gain other than some purely basic fighter bonuses if you dual class it to Cleric.
@GameFreak Everyone's not 100 % about powergaming. I did for flavor, not to make an uber character build. It's not like the game's so hard you need to go all out to beat it.
@GameFreak Everyone's not 100 % about powergaming. I did for flavor, not to make an uber character build. It's not like the game's so hard you need to go all out to beat it.
I'm fully aware; I just question why people outside of challenges would take a dual class that does nothing for you. A Kensai/Druid I can understand; a Kensai/Cleric? It's beyond odd and silly. It could benefit at low-level duals because you can get Kai sooner than Holy Power in that regard. As for the other comparisons, I've already said my piece. It's up to the individual gamer to decide whether something's worth doing or not.
@GamingFreak Like I said, the point wasn't to gain a mechanical benefit. The point was to recreate the character concept I had imagined, which was a zealous monk-type character in service to his god, trained to be the best with a quarterstaff.
Comments
I recently have set myself the task of playing with some severe handicaps, one of them being to roll all my charname's and NPC's stats randomly. For my first roll I got 14, 14, 13, 13, 10, 10, which happens to be the very worst set of stats for a Ranger. (Well, the 10's are allowed to be lower, but who cares?) So I think I may start that over (since I frankly failed the first time around), make a Human Archer with sling specialty, use three tomes of wisdom on him and dual him to cleric in BG2. I'll call him David.
I like your David idea anyway and honestly I think it could work fine regardless of stats. As an archer you'll have great THAC0 anyway and your strength is easily boosted. I actually think the difference between an archer with bad starting stats and one with great ones is negligible in the long term, and besides if you dual to cleric you have DUHM.
oh they can specialize in slings?
that's much better then
i'm not against archer/cleric anymore now
tho it's still the ugliest class
edit: @kaffekoppen what's he going to do about the number of attacks? wait til' whirlwind or gww to go dual?
@bob_veng: Yeah APR is a bit tough. You'd probably have to dual at 13 and you still don't have great APR.
Maybe, though.
Edit: Yeah, I'm beginning to see why this might not be as fantastic an idea as I initially thought - although Archer 13/Cleric is still much better than straight Archer.
I don't remember exactly how this works - if you cast a spell, are you still going to get all your attacks in that round? Or does each attack take at least 1/9 of a round, so that e.g. if you cast a spell with casting time 4, the most you can get is five attacks? If that's the case, then the dual at 13 makes sense. I think that is the case, actually - you can't cast a spell and still throw all your energy blades in 6 seconds, right? I'm not sure though.
Kensai is a great class, one of my favorite, but Cleric has nothing to gain other than some purely basic fighter bonuses if you dual class it to Cleric.