Fighter/Druid Advice

Kastion

So I plan to start the game all over again. I lost my almost finished save file for my fighter/mage which was a blast to play through. However, instead of just copying that, I generally enjoy druids in games most. However, I also understand that straight druid in this game is a bit "meh" so I was thinking fighter/druid.

However I also understand that limited weapon selection can heart a bit. So I'm just curious what I should be looking into specializing in if I went Fighter/Druid. What are the best weapons to trait for. Dual wield or not? Best spells to grab?

Also, do I suffer for keeping Jaheira in my party (not enough loot to go around)?

DreadKhan

If you run a kitless druid, yes, its terrible. I find playing a low level F/D really unpleasant, since druids want to get to lvl 3 spells asap, due to suckiness issues. However, any of the kits is an enjoyable experience, with perhaps avenger being weakest at lvl 1, but strongest at lvl 3 till the end of ToB.

If you want to test your patience a little bit, F/D is pretty decent from mid soa to the end. In BG1, go daggers or darts for ranged. Daggers work for melee, as do quarterstaffs and scimitars. Clubs arent terrible, but 2 pips in dagger will fill your minimum needs cor melee and ranged, so you can still take club or quarterstaff for bludgeoning.

Kastion

DreadKhan said:

If you run a kitless druid, yes, its terrible. I find playing a low level F/D really unpleasant, since druids want to get to lvl 3 spells asap, due to suckiness issues. However, any of the kits is an enjoyable experience, with perhaps avenger being weakest at lvl 1, but strongest at lvl 3 till the end of ToB.

If you want to test your patience a little bit, F/D is pretty decent from mid soa to the end. In BG1, go daggers or darts for ranged. Daggers work for melee, as do quarterstaffs and scimitars. Clubs arent terrible, but 2 pips in dagger will fill your minimum needs cor melee and ranged, so you can still take club or quarterstaff for bludgeoning.

So if I went F/D, don't worry about scimitars? Or duel wielding?

And as far as the Avenger goes, how do you feel it stacks up to F/D through the game? I have to go searching for that kit now to see what it does.

elminster

Dual wielding is a good way to go. I would probably put ** into scimitars, ** into clubs, and ** into dual wielding.

The avenger is much more of a spellcasting druid (you basically will likely be much more focused on casting spells). This is because they have a better choice when it comes to what spells they can cast, especially at the lower spell levels where druid spell selection sucks. They also get some additional shapeshifting forms compared to what the f/d gets.

A fighter/druid is more of a melee or ranged combat character. It will have better Thac0, better armor, access to potions that raise their strength (that other druids can't use) but worse spellcasting. The differences in terms of spellcasting will be more obvious in BG2 because your druid half will advance in level extremely slowly. Basically if you want to get much, much, much quicker access to level 7 spells with a druid (which tend to be their best spells) you'll want to go with the avenger. But if you are more interested in going for a character that is a lot better with their weapons than the fighter/druid is the better route to take.

DreadKhan

Avengers are very good throughout the series... they either the best or one of he best spells wizards get at a few levels. Web, Chaos, Chain Lightning and even Chromatic Orb are all great spells. You wont get Chain Lightning until bg2, but you will get Chaos, which can win pretty well every battle in bgee, or make it MUCH easier.

The bonus forms are pretty useful too, especially the sword spider. You can cast web once or twice, shapeshift, and melee anyhing to death.

For a F/D, if you want you can dual scimitars, there are 3 good ones in BG1, and a couple good ones in BG2. But, I would still recomend something ranged for EE, and daggers are decent to good ranged, while you can buy a truly awesome Dagger of Venom early on. There are a few additional good daggers, so you can use throwing daggers and a shield early, and dw daggers pretty early still. You can start with two pips in daggers and two weapon fighting, but your to hit wont be spectacular, so you'll miss with your offhand early, so I would use shields until yoi're higher level. You will have TONS of pips by the end of ToB, so take the 3rd pip in twf if you like twf.

In bg1, a +2 dagger averages 4.5 damage, while a +2 scimitar averages 6.5, so it isnt a huge difference, and the dagger of venom is the most powerful weapon you can use as a druid in bg1. You can get 2 +2 daggers sooner than you can get similar scimitars, so again, there are good reasons to go daggers.

ronaldo

@Kastion I am currently in TOB with my dualed Berzerker/Druid. She is a beast! I went to level9 as a Berzerker then dualed to vanilla Druid.
I went with Grandmastery in quarterstaffs and 2 pips in Two-Handed weapon.

There are a ton of great quartestaffs in BG2. You can get a +4 one right out of the starting dungeon if you can afford it.

One thing I would very much recommend if you are going to play a Druid is to install the Iwidication mod by @CamDawg It adds all the spells from IWD into the game and they really boost the lackluster spell selection the Druid gets in BG2EE.

Have fun!

Kastion

@‌ronaldo I'll look into the mod and see if I like what spells it brings to the table. I thought about quarterstaffs as I've heard good things and I don't hate it visually for a druid.

@DreadKhan‌ I also don't hate the idea of dual wielding daggers but I haven't decided if I'm starting BG 1 or just going straight to BG2 which is what I'm leading towards.

From the sounds of the Avenger, it doesn't sound what I'd be interested in too much. I like the thought of melee with some aid from magic over just magic. I'd change my mind if the shapeshifting's strongest forms were like dire animals or elementals and not just a gross spider that makes my skin crawl and a wyvern ...

CaloNord

I had great fun with a dual Barbarian/Druid. Was a little sucky at first as others have stated but they will pick up later on. This was designed as a melee character with spells so he dual wielded club and scimitar and used the rage ability to bump him up in melee.

Kastion

@CaloNord‌ I don't really want to be a human so that kind of puts a kink in the dual wielding wagon, even if that does sound pretty nice.

jesterdesu

Dual wield scimitars/ clubs or go quarterstaff.

Spells wise the insect ones, iron skins, heal and natures beauty are all fairly amazing, many others are just cheap knock offs on mage spells tho... However druids do get better elemental summons than mages.

DreadKhan

Multiclass f/d will probably run out of things you want proficiency with before you finish soa, so getting twf to 3 pips shouldnt be hard.

There are probably only 2 scimitars that are decent in bg2, and the beastlier one isnt available until reasonably late. He other is a superb offhand weapon. You dont even need to be proficient to make it worth using, and there is a SWEET club available early in bg2. The best strategy for you is to go to trademeet early, you get the scimitar and club and you're set for quite awhile. Dont know how much spoilage you want,,so trying to give vague advice that can guide, and still leave some 'discovery'.

In BG1, daggers are a good choice imo, in bg2 clubs and scimitars are good for dualwielding, quarterstaff is good for the whole series. Daggers arent terrible in bg2, but they lack the luster of some of the standout weapons.

Demonoid_Limewire

A pretty effective, all round druid kit, is avenger. Don't underestimate it, it is a real powerhouse. You don't need warrior thrown in your class, because it has interesting transformations. That melee pretty well.

If you want a fighter druid, then you are best to start a human berserker, and dual to druid. Berserker to Divine Caster is the best combination ever, hands down.

if you are not convinced, go for multi. But this way, you loose grandmastery, great hp pool, and fighter kit initial bonuses.

For weapons, i either go dual wield scimitars/club, or 2h weapons and quarterstaff/spear. The latter is best, i believe, because you can combine with a missile weapon (like sling). And ToB has a great staff and a very good endgame spear. Plus the vendor exclusive staff for druids... in SoA.

Still, you can always ranger/cleric. This way you get all divine spells, in one character, is an able fighter too, nothing to go wrong. But if you insist on druid, then go:

1) Either Avenger
2) Or Berserker Human 13 to druid.

Spungi

I usually use jaheira, and make her scimitar and use the one from Watchers keep, but using staff and switching between the staff from Watchers keep (yeah, I have horrible memory of item names) and the one you get in suldanesselar depending on whether you're taking a beating, or beating someone up, I've started to like that combo.