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Jester/Skald?

RewolfRewolf Member Posts: 102
in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
I am going to do a multiplayer session with a friend of mine using a 4-man party (2 Characters each). My friend decided to play with a Half Orc Barbarian and a Gnome Illu/Thief, while I am going to play with a Half-Elf Ranger/Cleric and a Half-Elf Bard.
For the Bard I am still trying to choose between the Jester or the Skald. His role is going to be a support character, casting the spells the Illu/Thief can't and casting the minor buff spells and such so the Illu can focuse on the big work. He is going to stay in the rear while picking off enemies with a crossbow.
As far as backgrounds go, I prefer the Skald, but doubt whether his song will be beneficial in such a small (melee) party. The Jester song seems also quite nice and usefull to me, but I don't know whether I can sing it and stay back or if you have to get up close and personal.
Any recommendations?

Comments

  • abacusabacus Member Posts: 1,307
    The Skald will obviously be a better fighter, and make the big Barb and the Ranger more potent.
    Jester really is more support based as he's crowd-control focussed. In either case they're probably going to be best off keeping their heads down to the back.

    I know you weren't asking this, but I cannot recommend Blade too highly!

    Also, with that party you are going to be short of high level spells (unless you bring some NPCs along). The Illu/Thief will level relatively slowly and probably not get level 9 spells (which are devastatingly powerful).
  • RewolfRewolf Member Posts: 102
    I thought about the Blade as well, but considering that we're going to start with BG I, I find it a shame that the Bard cannot wear armor and cast spells. The bard is going to be protagonist so I want him to survive and it seems to me, that a Blade has to get up close and thus move himself in a vulnerable position (as long as I don't have magic items or armor for the first few levels).
    About the mage, we're not really into the spellcasting and we like a challenge :D
  • WanderonWanderon Member Posts: 1,418
    I found the Jester fun to play but did find the confusion from his song less helpful than the "buffs" from the skalds song - for one thing he has to be relatively close to the enemies (30 feet I think) for it to work which is more dangerous than being within 30 feet of his comrades and the other thing is confusion doesn't necessarily take the enemy out of the fight - he may still attack any of your party members that are close to him.

    In either case I highly recommend the bard controlled script for any singing bard - it works extremely well for me.
  • SkaffenSkaffen Member Posts: 709
    @Rewolf You can use bracers and armor & shield spells last for a long time.

    Plus: you can use offensive spin with ranged weapons and still get the bonus attack. Just because you can dual-wield doesn't mean you have to! :)

    I think Jester and Skald are good but quite passive characters so not a natural choice as the protagonist.
  • WanderonWanderon Member Posts: 1,418
    edited February 2014
    Playing MP with 2 people using 4 characters I'd guess the idea is to each have one character that can mostly run on AI while they micromanage the other (since AFAIK pausing is either non-existent or problematic)

    In that case the bard on controlled script is an excellent option and as a more passive back of the line character perhaps less likely to die (as protagonist) - always a plus LOL!
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited February 2014
    Depends on what you are looking for I guess. Both songs start out pretty meh, but especially in BG2EE they get better. I'd probably lean towards the Skald unless you really want to be able to pickpocket.
    abacus said:



    Also, with that party you are going to be short of high level spells (unless you bring some NPCs along). The Illu/Thief will level relatively slowly and probably not get level 9 spells (which are devastatingly powerful).

    Since this is a 4 person party going through all of BGEE and BG2EE (and since experience earned even past the level cap in BGEE is carried over) the difference in levels between that and a 6 person party (with game NPC's) probably won't be all that significant. So you'd probably get level 9 spells around the same time.
    Post edited by elminster on
  • GoturalGotural Member Posts: 1,229
    I would advise you not playing a blade, it is some kind of terribly bad F/M/T. Skald or Jester actually bring something unique to the party.

    Since nearly all your fighting potential comes from the Ranger/Cleric and the Barbarian, i would suggest you to pick the Skald to help them in melee.
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