What is your favorite "warrior with flavor" kit/class? No duals/multis

booinyoureyes

After much magic/barding/multi-ing I want to play a pure warrior class again. Yet without abilities they are quite boring for me (at lower levels before HLAs). So I seek wisdom on this forum.

I personally love Kits (vanilla classes are kinda boring after awhile)

I'd like to know what your guys favorites are.


Notes:
I excluded Wizard Slayers and Beast Masters... because, really?
I excluded Monks and their kits because I'm thinking more weapon oriented martial classes, and I've already started a monk game.

Arizael

I like Cavalier. He gets nice set of resistances/imunities but nothing too op. The inability to use ranged weapons quite fits the paladin theme.

booinyoureyes

That's actually my second choice. My first time through the game was as an Undead Hunter, and I often have Keldorn, so Cavalier is really the only Paladin I have not really used all the way through (other than Black Pits 1).

I've never done a fighter class so I'm considering it. I don't like Barbarian for roleplaying reasons, and Kensai seems very limited without dual classing. Berserker I might try, but having only one ability seems kind of limited, where Paladins also get cool spells, lay on hands, etc.

Dwarven Defender seems really cool too. I'd like to see if anyone played one and enjoyed it.

booinyoureyes

of course @CrevsDaak would choose Blackguard

Silverstar

Having a hard time choosing between Cavalier and Blackguard. This calls for the Hand of God!

...

Rolled a 3. Since 1-3 was Cavalier and 4-6 was Blackguard, that means Cavalier wins.

Kamigoroshi

Barbarian, 'nuff said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQv16Q0doRY

Arizael

I prefer Cavalier over inquisitor, simply because inquisitor can't use priset spell. And thats huge loss - DUHM, Armor of faith, Doom, Holy smite, Defensive Harmony - just to make few.

Nonnahswriter

I love me my bow.

booinyoureyes

@nonnahswriter wrong kind of bow!

CrevsDaak

Blackguard: most over powered kit ever, closely followed by the Kensai on a Human for dual-class.

CrevsDaak

@booinyoureyes Berkserkers are very powerful only because of their ability, it gives immunity to level drain aka best protection to fight vampires.

zur312

prob barbarian/inqusitor first is really tanky + self buff second is great vs all kind of casters

Arizael

@booinyoureyes Berseker rage is followed by short fatique, during which it cannot be reactivated. This can prove fatal if the battle gets prolonged. Barbarian wins that one over berserker.

Blackguard kit is simply put overpowered. The only direct downside is the lack of protection from Evil. Considering the sheer number of new abilities Blackguard gets, he should be prevented acces from priest spells the same way as Inquisitor.

There is an indirect downside howerer and that is the alingment restriction. Evil parties will want to run Dorn anyway which fills up the blackguard slot.

TwoWayFinesse

half orc barbarian dual wielding flails (you know the ones). up to 80% damage resist!
Alternatively, inquisitors are a one trick pony, but boy, is it a trick!

CrevsDaak

Double post after 20 minutes of the other post, this is treacherous....

abacus

I like Undead Hunters… not considered the best, but immunity to level drain is sweet. Plus it feels really characterful hacking Bodhi and her cronies to pieces with Daystar & Mace of Disruption.

Edit: Seems a good place to drop this:

"Many different names, one basic function. I prefer to avoid violence, myself."

Fredjo

Wizard Slayer =P, I've finished BGT twice with WS and now playing an archer WS using Kaeloreeee's unnerfing WS mod.

iAmGoatBoy

Cavalier... with Carsomyr + priest spells, they can effectively be your best tank and a great damage-dealer, plus their bonus against dragons and demons is a great boost when facing some of the toughest opponents in the game.

Silverstar

Beginning to think I'm the only person left who still plays classes for their flavour and conceptual coolness rather than theorycrafty powergamey mechanics.

Arizael said:

I prefer Cavalier over inquisitor, simply because inquisitor can't use priset spell.

I miss the spellcasting too, but I'm more bothered by the lack of Lay on Hands and to a lesser degree, and this will surprise a lot of people, Protection from Evil.

Tresset

If it were just between the paladins and rangers this would be an easy choice for me, but the addition of fighter kits makes it difficult to choose... I like monks a lot and would pick them if they were a choice... Hmm.

I like barbarians, berserkers, inquisitors, and blackguards...

Mitchfork

I don't tend to really care for kits that only add passive bonuses, like the Undead Hunter and Cavalier (with the exception of Remove Fear). I like kits that change the way that a class functions and "Paladin that is a bit better against Zombies" is kind of meh in my book.

I like Barbarians because I like the flavor of the class. I think Berserkers beat them in a lot of ways, but Barbarians definitely contend if you take the ability to dual-class out of the equations. I appreciate that you actually do give up some significant abilities (Grand Mastery, plate armor (which especially hurts in BG1)) to get the kit bonuses.

CrevsDaak

Nonnahswriter said:

I love me my bow.

Only the bow? I know that they give a bonus THAC0 to fists when you use them without arrows, butt...

golingarf

Vanilla is a flavor too! I vote for Fighter! With grandmastery in both a melee and a ranged weapon - a unique ability of this non-kit.

Illustair

THAC0

deltago

Archer - Machine gunnin one trick pony
Stalker - versatile but not my cup of tea
Barbarian - good hp, nice speed and dmg reduction.
Berserker - A good mage killer when berserking. Immunities come in handy
Kensai - Good for dualing, high restrictions without dualling though
Dwarven Defender - Gotta be a dwarf (haven't really played it yet :P)
Cavalier - Decent versus dragons and demons, and has good immunities but other pali kits better
Undead Hunter - Immune to hold and level drain are very nice in BG2. various lvls of undead throughout campaign makes this one my favourite.
Inquisitor - 2nd favourite. Mage killer, can be considered OPed though.
Blackguard - Best for an evil run.

Schneidend

Blackguard is my current favorite. Nothing shows those know-it-all-mages whatfor quite like a poisonous smite!

KidCarnival

Blackguard because I'm really attached to poison weapon, from playing so much as assassin. My perfect kit would be a stalker with that ability. Blackguards are borderline OP, so some armor and possibly weapon restrictions wouldn't hurt.

booinyoureyes

@CrevsDaak it is true about Berserkers and level drain being useful, but I kinda prefer Undead Hunters for that. It also makes more roleplaying sense, and they get cool abilities. Plus Berserkers get tired. Plus Korgan.

Silverstar said:

Beginning to think I'm the only person left who still plays classes for their flavour and conceptual coolness rather than theorycrafty powergamey mechanics.

@Silverstar I'm actually the same. I play kits BECAUSE of their conceptual coolness. Probably why I don't like Berserkers or really any fighter class (never played one).

Like Cavalier: just sounds awesome. Same with Undead Hunter, Bounty Hunter, Swashbuckler, Archer and even Beastmaster. Everyone keeps saying that the Wizard Slayer kit should be powered up, but I'd actually prefer the Beastmaster kit to be beefed a bit.

CrevsDaak

@booinyoureyes roleplaying a CE berkserker seems very easy . But paladins are cool anyway!
The strangest thing I've ever did was dual-classing a Berkserker into a Cleric :P he had natural 18 WIS and he was a berkserker...

booinyoureyes

The worst imho is Berserker-->Thief

I. AM. VERY. SNEAKY!!!!!!!!!!!! GRAAAAAHH

Silverstar

booinyoureyes said:

The worst imho is Berserker-->Thief

I. AM. VERY. SNEAKY!!!!!!!!!!!! GRAAAAAHH

My brother had a game in ToEE where everyone in the party was a Barbarian. He was a Barbarian/Thief, there was a Barbarian/Cleric, Barbarian/Sorcerer and 3 more Barbarians of some kind, not sure what. It really was hilarious when he snuck up on the Moathouse boss and did a raged two-handed axe backstabslash that killed him, followed by cleaving into and killing the next guy as well.