Minimum investment for an effective Scout? Fighter/Thief

windspin

Hi Guys,

For BG:EE, I am using a Dwarven Fighter/Thief main and distributing my points into Lockpicking/Detect Traps. I am very much interested in also Scouting ahead to prepare for the next battle - rather than face-pulling and trying to CC last second.

I am not very experienced with thieves, and this is my first "full playthrough." My question is what sort of minimums am I looking at to be a relatively useful Scout? How many points minimum can I get away with for HIde in Shadows, Move Silently? Currently I am at 91 Lockpicking and like 44 Detect Traps I think.

I am not interested in recruiting another thief.


For right now I have installed every component of SCS, and am going to try to finish my first playthrough with 5/6 party members. After which, I am very excited to perhaps try my hand at some no-reload games. I know I am going to fail miserably, not a clue where traps are located, but it doesn't even matter! It's still more exciting than thinking about a reload!

Best twenty bucks I ever spent.

JuliusBorisov

One thief is enough:)

If you're going to export your char into BG2, you should consifer that there're rings in BG2 available not far into the game that give +25% to Find/Disarm Traps and +25% to Open Locks. So, don't waste points and don't put more than 75 into both these skills. Before you acquire these rings, you can use potions of master thievery to open locks and potions of power to disarm traps. There're many of these potions in the game.

If you're going to play only BG1, 75 into both Find/Disarm Traps and Open Locks would be enough - you can gulp a potion when needed.

I see you have 91 Lockpicking, so that's enough, while I would increase 44 Detect Traps up to 75.

If I were you, I would put points into Set Traps. Even not the most powerful version of traps are useful. You need only 80 points in this skill because there's a ring giving +20% to Set Traps in BG2. If you're going to play only BG1, 80 points in Set Traps are still good, with this figure I rarely fail to set a trap (of course, 100 points guarantee success every time, but these 20 points are better spent in other area).

I would put 100 into Detect Illusion (it's a very useful skill, helps a lot against mages), 80 into Set Traps, 75 into Find/Disarm Traps, 75 into Open Locks. The rest you can put into HiS/MS - it doesn't matter which skill from these two, as @FinaLfront‌ has found out: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/500058/#Comment_500058

Don't bother putting points into Pick Pockets - you can gulp several potions of master thievery, they stack and you'll easily have many points in this skill to steal from the person you need.

You'll have many items that give bonuses to HiS/MS, you'll have a mage in the party so invisibility spells won't be a problem.

windspin

I see! And for the BG2 input, that definitely changes my view of the situation. I will try that invisibility spell for scouting, and cap off at 75 for Detect Traps. Then begin working on Set Traps.

Thanks!