Best character for soloing bg+bg2+tob?

helmo1977

As the title says. I am thinking about doing it all alone. What do you think it is the best character class (multi, dual or single) as well as race to mKe it? I was thinking about a multi thief/wizard or multi cleric/wizard. Not sure about the race. I guess the main challenge of all is going to be the ravager, in tob. Thoughts?

Frosty

Half-Orc Thief/cleric

meagloth

Sorcerer is hands down the most powerful class in the game, past lvl 4-6, if you know what spells to pick. Fighter Mage and thief/Mage is also very OP. The game will be much easier with a bit of thief in you, what with traps and locks.

Blackraven

@Frosty and @Kamigoroshi, Are you guys serious? If so, could you explain your opinions? I've played a Cleric/Thief and really like them. They are diverse and more powerful than people seem to think. The priest spells really help turn your character into a ruthless killer. Nevertheless I wouldn't consider it the best solo class. Don't you think Arcane Magic rules supreme in BG2 (and to a lesser extent) ToB? You could of course cast from scrolls once you get UAI, but then you might as well pick a one of the wizard types @meagloth mentioned.

simples

i'm solo'ing with bob the thief/wild mage atm. good fun!

Aurorus

I soloed the game twice long ago without reloading. I tried it a few other times but failed. I succeeded first with an Elf Magic-User/Thief, then with a F/M/T. I found the MT to be superior. Depending on your preferences, I think an Elf or gnome MT is the best possible class. Yes a Kensai-Mage or Fighter-Mage does more direct damage, but an MT has very large toolkit of abilities and solutions to nearly every problem in the game.

Gnome gets a short-save bonus with high constitution, which is very helpful. Gnomes also get illusion specialization by default, which is very helpful for most situations, but hurts more late-game than one may realize. A gnome cannot cast Abu Dhazzim´s Horrid Wilting, for example, because it is necromancy, which is your best AoE damage spell in the late-game.

Elves get a THAC0 bonus with bows and swords, which helps a little offset the bad THAC0 of the MT. They can also start with a 19 dex and reach a 20 dex, so they are the equal, if not superior, thief (because of dex bonuses to thieving abilities).

If you want to lean more on magic, I would say go gnome. If you want a better rogue, I would go with elf. Either way, I think MT is the best class: most versatile and, for me anyway, the most interesting.

simples

i think m/t makes alot of sense from a rp perspective too- there are so many wizard spells that would be very useful to a thief (invisibility, shadow door, dimension door, etc etc etc)

elminster

Thief/Mage. Thief traps are great, you get access to Time Stop (unlike a F/M/T) and between your ability to read scrolls and unlock locks/traps you shouldn't take too long to max out xp wise. The HLA traps (spike trap for instance) especially will make the more difficult encounters a bit of a joke. I'd probably go with the elf to gain access to horrid wilting, the death spell and animate dead, but the gnome has the advantage of better saving throws (for most of the series anyways).

jackjack

Soloing isn't that difficult - for most of the game, you are horrendously overpowered. I say M/T or F/M//T, but really, you could get away with just about anything.

simples

i've been playing since bg1 came out and have never once used the trap skill. i don't really see how it works in this environment.. most of your encounters are more or less unpredicted and not on "home turf", so i don't really get how charname would choose a location for the trap, much less lead an enemy into one without setting it off himself first

meagloth

What @jackjack‌ said. People go into soloing as a challenge, but it's usually easier than a full party, depending on the class. Obviously bg1 monk, or Druid, very hard. Sorcerer, Mage/thief, very easy.
@simples‌ traps can be very nice, but it's super cheesy, so if you're not into even a little meta gaming than I can understand, but I feel they have their place. I killed the ToB boss with spike traps. I felt bad afterward though, so I think it's ok.

simples

@meagloth‌ the last time i played all the way til the end i did it with improved alactrity, breach, lower resistance and skull trap.. felt just as guilty, believe me

Aurorus

meagloth said:

What @jackjack‌ said. People go into soloing as a challenge, but it's usually easier than a full party, depending on the class. Obviously bg1 monk, or Druid, very hard. Sorcerer, Mage/thief, very easy.
@simples‌ traps can be very nice, but it's super cheesy, so if you're not into even a little meta gaming than I can understand, but I feel they have their place. I killed the ToB boss with spike traps. I felt bad afterward though, so I think it's ok.

I agree... oftentimes soloing is easier, because you are often much higher level than the devs anticipated for a given situation. Also it is much easier to make 1 character immune to all sorts of things than spread protections and good gear around. I cannot count how many times my charname has died trying to prevent an NPC from dying.

Actually totemic druids are a pretty easy class to solo in BGI. Their summons are very good after level 5 or so and OP by level 9. They can wear the ankherg plate, so they can get nearly as good an AC as anyone. Call Woodland being also gives any druid 2 or 3 extra casters for any battle. It is the best spell in BGI, imo.

Wanderon

Best character is likely to be the one that you won't get bored with over that long haul - I like an Illusionist /Thief myself but I could see an Assassin/mage too - I pretty much refuse to play without some sort of thief tho.

simples

@helmo1977‌ the ravager was honestly also my main concern, but it only took me about three tries

Gotural

It depends of the mods you're using. Assuming no mod and normal reload I think a gnome Illusionist/Fighter would be the winner with pure raw power.

bbear

The Ravager can be taken down just by running in circles (to avoid those swords). All you need is the Reflection Shield and the reflect throwing dagger will kill the Ravager.

I like FMT. Although FMT doesnt get access to level 9 spells, the combination is pretty strong in low to mid levels. Time Trap makes up mostly for Timestop, and you get access to many Timestop scrolls throughout the game.

simples

haha really? i used a planetar to distract him, pierce magic (reckless dweomers), power word blind, skull traps, impr haste and tensers.. only just made it, about 10 hp to spare.

Blackraven

jackjack said:

Soloing isn't that difficult - for most of the game, you are horrendously overpowered. I say M/T or F/M//T, but really, you could get away with just about anything.

I think it would be most difficult for single class fighters, who has no stealth/non-detection, no spells, and will be hughly dependent on items and potions to prevent themselves from being held/confused/charmd etc

thesoloer

Blackraven said:

I think it would be most difficult for single class fighters, who has no stealth/non-detection, no spells, and will be hughly dependent on items and potions to prevent themselves from being held/confused/charmd etc

I am soloing as a single class fighter right now. It's a blast.

SapphireIce101

Hmm. Well, I think F/M/T, or F/M/C would be good choices for a solo run.

Blackraven

thesoloer said:

Blackraven said:

I think it would be most difficult for single class fighters, who has no stealth/non-detection, no spells, and will be hughly dependent on items and potions to prevent themselves from being held/confused/charmd etc

I am soloing as a single class fighter right now. It's a blast.

Cool, me too: a solo Wizard Slayer (though I recently had Imoen join me to cover my thieving needs). But you have to plan very carefully no? When to go where, what items to get in what order, etc. Unless you're a Berserker!

Twani

I think a non-modded Wizard Slayer in SCS environment would be near impossible. I shudder to think about it.

I've soloed the game easily as a sorcerer, and with a bit more difficulty as a fighter dueled to druid. Neither were that tough, though. After you start a rhythm- and survive the first few levels of BG where everything is really up to luck (or your farming skills)- solo actually seems easier then group. No need to worry about a handful of fools, only one.

Blackraven

Twani said:

I think a non-modded Wizard Slayer in SCS environment would be near impossible. I shudder to think about it.

I've soloed the game easily as a sorcerer, and with a bit more difficulty as a fighter dueled to druid. Neither were that tough, though. After you start a rhythm- and survive the first few levels of BG where everything is really up to luck (or your farming skills)- solo actually seems easier then group. No need to worry about a handful of fools, only one.

Re: the Wizard Slayer, I agree. My run has been a solo no-reload SCS run so far (though I might switch to minimal reload). But as you might have read, or not, I'm playing with an unnerfed version of the WS. A modded WS whose disrupt ability increases in power with levelling up, whose MR increases at a faster rate than in vanilla and who has an innate dispel ability that can be activated. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten her where she is right now, in BG city, with the vanilla version of the kit.
I do like the concept a lot though. A while ago people discussed the viability and enjoyability of a Mage dualled to a FIghter at a low level (between 1 and 4). I'd like to try that out and then kit the Fighter as a WS. The character would be more effective at their job as a WS thanks to their ability to cast spells from scrolls and to use wands. Otherwise the same item restrictions and underwhelming kit advantages of the vanilla WS would apply.

I've never played a Sorcerer, but Baeloth, Dynaheir (edited) and Tashia (mod) have shown me how great they can be. Still I prefer my charname to be (part) Thief (or kitted Thief) when I solo. Did you do the entire trilogy with your solos? I agree that initially solo can actually be a benefit, but once you reach the XP cap at the end of the BG1 and in TOB a party becomes more pwerful.

Twani

Blackraven said:

Re: the Wizard Slayer, I agree. My run has been a solo no-reload SCS run so far (though I might switch to minimal reload). But as you might have read, or not, I'm playing with an unnerfed version of the WS. A modded WS whose disrupt ability increases in power with levelling up, whose MR increases at a faster rate than in vanilla and who has an innate dispel ability that can be activated. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten her where she is right now, in BG city, with the vanilla version of the kit.
I do like the concept a lot though. A while ago people discussed the viability and enjoyability of a Mage dualled to a FIghter at a low level (between 1 and 4). I'd like to try that out and then kit the Fighter as a WS. The character would be more effective at their job as a WS thanks to their ability to cast spells from scrolls and to use wands. Otherwise the same item restrictions and underwhelming kit advantages of the vanilla WS would apply.

I've never played a Sorcerer, but Baeloth, Dynaheir (edited) and Tashia (mod) have shown me how great they can be. Still I prefer my charname to be (part) Thief (or kitted Thief) when I solo. Did you do the entire trilogy with your solos? I agree that initially solo can actually be a benefit, but once you reach the XP cap at the end of the BG1 and in TOB a party becomes more pwerful.

Yeah, I've read your thread. I think the modded WS is reasonable (the kit, like the shapeshifter, is very bad vanilla), but I'd still like to see someone try the vanilla WS through the SCS trilogy (even if they did allow themselves reloads). Honestly, I know I couldn't do it. The MR, dispel, and some allowed items are a great advantage over the original 'nothing, you lose' kit.

I only completed the trilogy with the sorc and the f/druid, yeah. I managed a cleric/ranger (pretty overpowered) halfway through ToB, but Demogorgon hated me and I decided I hated him in return and quit the character. In truth, I'm all about mods and their banter, so I don't really like solo playthroughs as much as I like playing with a group.

Honestly, with a sorcerer, you can basically solo the game without blinking, but... I sort of found it tedious, in the end. Every 'big' fight, the same protection spells, the same damage strategy (you basically cast the exact same spells for each fight)... it bored me. I find in a group, I can do more strategies then I can while solo, and I get added story to go with it, so I prefer it.

Er, not to discourage you, OP. Solo is a great and fun challenge, and if it interests you at all, I think you should definitely attempt it.

Blackraven

@Twani:

@bengoshi started an SCS solo vanilla WS run a week or two ago. He might show us some insights.

Twani said:

I sort of found it tedious, in the end. Every 'big' fight, the same protection spells, the same damage strategy (you basically cast the exact same spells for each fight)... it bored me.

This makes me wonder something.... But instead of posting here, I'm going to start a new thread and ask for peoples' views (including yours).

mumumomo

Solo sorc is the most powerful and the easiest IF you know what you are doing and a good metaknowledge of the game.

Apart from that the usual OP stuff :
- fighter/mage is very OP. Suffers from traps though
- Mage/thief. Also very OP.
- fighter/mage/thief. Probably the easiest of all with little knowledge of the game. But a little bit less OP for the end game than the other three (having no access to mage HLA and level 9 spells hurt a bit).

helmo1977

I have taken the t/m multi class, as an elf, due o the dex bonus. S far i am level 3/2, struggling to kill sirines and level up quickly

helmo1977

Now 9/9 level and getting a lot of fun. I encourage everybody that thinks the vanilla game is too easy to try it solo. It is a whole new experience (and you get rid of a lot of micromanagement, which is a big plus)

mumumomo

Actually a lot of people think that playing solo is actually significantly easier than in a party (especially if you use a multi/dual class character) :

- character management is much easier ( i cannot bear to play with a clumsy party anymore)

- all resources are used by 1 character who ends up being significantly better equipped. This is especially important with limited charge items (potions, scrolls).
For example give a prot from undead scroll to your solo char and he can kill safely all liches, semi-liches, vampires,.... Or give 2 potions of MR and watch your magically immune character slaughter mages. Doing the same with a group is not possible

- experience leads to much faster leveling. In BG2, it is especially important since character power raises exponentially at higher level (you can reach 3M xp in chapter 2 if you play solo).

The only cases where a group is stronger that a solo character are IMO :
- early BG. However, this one is very easy if you know which quest to start with.
- TOB (when everybody has anyway access to HLA). It is anyway quite easy for most classes
- some classes are also more difficult to solo than others

Overall i agree with you that it's a completely different experience. Be aware however than going back to group-play (mostly because of the micromanagement thing) can be very difficult for some (i know i cannot play a group anymore)

demented

A fighter dualed to a thief in BG2 is an absolute powerhouse. You've got flexibility, great thief skills and the ability to KO almost every enemy with backstabbing. It does get a bit tedious with TOB, but then again that's the same with most solo classes

The waiting period is a bitch though.