closest thing to an efficient shapeshifter

mumumomo

hi everyone

I am afraid that my pure transmuter (see http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/31279/if-you-had-to-choose-only-1-magic-school/p2) will become painfully boring to play due to his very poor offensive capacities (no direct damage, shapeshifting damage is poor, especially with low thaco).

But i would like to push further the shapeshifter (NWN style) idea. I don't think the druid class allow that since the shapeshifter kit is limited to one form (boring...) and the avenger kit forms become weak at higher levels.

Therefore i was thinking of something like a kensai dualled to mage with the following restrictions :
- no armor (obvious from kensai)
- no weapon once he gets access to polymorph self (to prevent him from being a normal fighter)
- can only cast transmutation (and maybe abjuration. Still unsure) and sequencer spells (to prevent from being a "normal mage")

Does someone know which of the following work while shifted :
- kensai AC bonus?
- kensai THACO/damage bonus?
- single weapon, 2H weapon PIPs?
- extra APR from warrior levels?

I have read somewhere that if you dual wield before shifting, you get an extra APR. Is that correct? does it use dual wielding PIPS? can you use belm for extra cheese?

Any other ideas on ways to replicate the shapeshifter class for NWN?

Thanks in advance

mumumomo

For those that would be interested (info based on the character sheet, not on actual fight testing)
Kensai ac bonus stacks
Kensai thaco and damage bonus stack
Single weapon / 2h weapon pip do not stack
Extra apr from warrior stacks with the shapechange forms but not the polymorph self forms.

Therefore it seems that kensai is indeed a very good choice to get a shapeshifter with good fighting abilities.

Dual wielding grants an extra attack but with the normal damage of the left hand, not with the form actual damage.
It does not impact thaco negatively, even with no points in dual wielding,

Wolk

Interesting idea. but what happens when you dual wield with a speed weapon? Do you also get the extra attack? And what about also having a speed weapon in your mainhand? or swords with immunitys?

Blackraven

Wolk said:

Interesting idea. but what happens when you dual wield with a speed weapon? Do you also get the extra attack? And what about also having a speed weapon in your mainhand? or swords with immunitys?

The use of speed weapons is cumulative with the extra APR from dualwielding, weapon specialization/mastery, and the extra 1/2 APR warriors gain at levels 7 and 13.
E.g. my Swashmage multi would dualwield two speed weapons to get 4 APR.

Note that the extra APR always apply to the main hand. With your offhand weapon you'll only have one APR (even if it's a speed weapon).

Wolk

@Blackraven‌
I know, I have used them a lot to get more APR, I was trying to know if they also stacked with the shapeshifted form APR.

Blackraven

@Wolk oops sorry, I mistook the meaning of your question. I understand now what you meant and I'm actually curious to know as well. @mumumomo did you test this?

booinyoureyes

I'd also like to know the answers to these questions, as well as if this also applies to a Fighter dualed to Shapeshifter or a kensai-->druid

Blackraven

booinyoureyes said:

I'd also like to know the answers to these questions, as well as if this also applies to a Fighter dualed to Shapeshifter or a kensai-->druid

Yes Kensai-Druid, have always wanted to try one. No one plays them

CrevsDaak

Blackraven said:

booinyoureyes said:

I'd also like to know the answers to these questions, as well as if this also applies to a Fighter dualed to Shapeshifter or a kensai-->druid

Yes Kensai-Druid, have always wanted to try one. No one plays them

@Heindrich‌ played a Kensai/Druid in a BP1 game play, with a bunch of ability I've modded for him.
It's a very good combo, but I think that there are better.
It gets really cool with the Multikit mod and Avenger or Shapeshifter as Druid kit of course.

Blackraven

@CrevsDaak cool, didn't know that!
Of course multikit would be amazing here!