Need help! 1st time Icewind Dale player. Healer questions...

Frogman

Hello all - very excited to play this game through for the first time! I've played baldurs gate 1 & 2, and Icewind Dale 2, but never played the original! That said, need help from you Infinity Engine veterans. I've read up on the game and have a question about party composition. I'm looking to make a 5-man party (Don't like having to manage a full 6 characters) and here's what i have so far:

Human Inquisitor (1h sword / shield)
Half Orc Barbarian (2h sword)
???????
Human Bard (Longbow)
Gnome Thief Illusionist (Shortbow)

I'm looking to fill my middle spot with a healer, either a Fighter/Druid, Fighter/Cleric, or a pure class Druid Kit like Totemic or Avenger. I'd love a recommendation!

My main question: if I take a druid over a cleric, will i suffer any large disadvantages? I remember that in BG2 playing without a cleric is very tough due to level drain, no resurrection, etc. What do you think?

Thanks Icewind Dale veterans!

Ramza

There is no level drain in IWD. That being said, druids will level faster than a cleric up to level 13, then take ridiculous amounts of experience to get to 14 and 15, during which a cleric will pass them in spells.

Druids have a lot of very useful spells in IWD over BG. A pureclass druid might be your best way to go.

The_New_Romance

I found pureclass Druid more difficult to properly use than pureclass Cleric, but maybe I'm just not the most strategic candle in the chandelier. I'd say both will work.

JuliusBorisov

I would say druid, either a totemic or a vanilla. Druids in this game are gonna be cool.

Spike Growth/Stones, Alicorn Lance, Sunscorch, Smashing Wave, Whirlwind. You MUST see these spells in action!

moody_mage

Cleric/Mage. More arcane is always useful and cleric is handy in any capacity. You will need healing.

Spungi

I just did a play through, and with 2 clerics(1 pure, 1 fighter/cleric) and a fighter/Druid... I used their healing spells plenty... Then again I love divine casters

elminster

The_New_Romance said:

I found pureclass Druid more difficult to properly use than pureclass Cleric, but maybe I'm just not the most strategic candle in the chandelier. I'd say both will work.

I'm not going to pretend like this is the most creative strategy (and yes it is probably considered to be cheesy).

1) Scout out ahead to determine where enemies are

2) Cast entangle on that area as many times as you like (In IWD it doesn't have the save vs spell at +3 penalty that it has in BG2/BGEE/BG2EE). If you are an Avenger you can also use web.

3) Use ranged characters to kill enemies or (if you have access to at least level 3 spells then cast spiked growth/spike stones.

3) Rinse and repeat.

BelgarathMTH

IWD is extremely undead heavy. Parties without access to turn undead are going to struggle.

Jarrakul

I'm a big fan of druids, and will definitely run a totem druid in IWDEE. Druids are a lot better at low levels than in BG, and are at least as awesome at high levels. Which isn't to say cleric would be a bad choice either. Either way you'll be fine.

the_spyder

BelgarathMTH said:

IWD is extremely undead heavy. Parties without access to turn undead are going to struggle.

This is a perfectly valid point.

However, there are a lot more outside environments in IWD than in BG2. That being said, Druids will pull their weight in ways that maybe they aren't in BG series.

RAM021

Ranger/Cleric - the best of both worlds.

JuliusBorisov

Well, the Devs have confirmed the ranger/cleric will be nerfed in IWD:EE, being able to use only those Druidic spells he should according to the rules of the game i.e. low-level Druidic spells.

Yes, Belgarath rightly thinks the Turn Undead ability is useful in IWD. There're many undead enemies in this game. But I still vote for a Druid. In this particular game one should try him just to be able to compare with BG and to find out how powerful and useful a druid can be. There're many ways of dealing with undead without clerics, though. If @derrick4372 is really scared of undead, a change of the Paladin class can be made, for e.g. to an undead hunter.

Frogman

Nice suggestion! I was just considering wisdom of swapping out the pally for a fighter/ cleric dual, freeing me up to include cleric and druid in my 5man party. You all have really sold me on the value in each of them !

moody_mage

bengoshi said:

Well, the Devs have confirmed the ranger/cleric will be nerfed in IWD:EE, being able to use only those Druidic spells he should according to the rules of the game i.e. low-level Druidic spells.

Yes, Belgarath rightly thinks the Turn Undead ability is useful in IWD. There're many undead enemies in this game. But I still vote for a Druid. In this particular game one should try him just to be able to compare with BG and to find out how powerful and useful a druid can be. There're many ways of dealing with undead without clerics, though. If @derrick4372 is really scared of undead, a change of the Paladin class can be made, for e.g. to an undead hunter.

That's an excellent point, I think an Undead Hunter Paladin will be the star here, more-so than the Inquisitor in BG2.

elminster

bengoshi said:

Well, the Devs have confirmed the ranger/cleric will be nerfed in IWD:EE, being able to use only those Druidic spells he should according to the rules of the game i.e. low-level Druidic spells.

Nerfed is definitely the wrong word to use in this case considering that is how it worked in IWD.

Fardragon

I think "fixed" is the word!

elminster

Lets not go down that road since its entirely off topic. Plus being the guy who made a poll specifically about the issue I know all too well where that road leads

The_New_Romance

elminster said:

Lets not go down that road since its entirely off topic. Plus being the guy who made a poll specifically about the issue I know all too well where that road leads

People don't like it when you take away their cheese. Of course, you just ruined their supper, and it just goes so well with that wine

Mathsorcerer

bengoshi said:

Well, the Devs have confirmed the ranger/cleric will be nerfed in IWD:EE, being able to use only those Druidic spells he should according to the rules of the game i.e. low-level Druidic spells.

Not a problem--I'll just edit the .2da and restore cleric/ranger (my wife's favorite multiclass combination) to how it *should* be, according to my own preferences. Simple.

Thels

Mathsorcerer said:

Not a problem--I'll just edit the .2da and restore cleric/ranger (my wife's favorite multiclass combination) to how it *should* be, according to my own preferences. Simple.

Does that mean that the reverse could be done for BG2EE, and have a Cleric that doesn't have high level Druid spells just for having a level in Ranger?

Mathsorcerer

Yes. The .2da files for priest and ranger spells could be edited but this would change the spell progression tables for everyone. To fix your character's spells then rely on trusty EEKeeper.

RAM021

bengoshi said:

Well, the Devs have confirmed the ranger/cleric will be nerfed in IWD:EE, being able to use only those Druidic spells he should according to the rules of the game i.e. low-level Druidic spells.

Not low-level in IWD...

SharGuidesMyHand

bengoshi said:

Well, the Devs have confirmed the ranger/cleric will be nerfed in IWD:EE, being able to use only those Druidic spells he should according to the rules of the game i.e. low-level Druidic spells.

But IIRC, rangers in IWD/HoW receive druid spells at an earlier level than in BG.

Does anyone know if that principle also applies to ranger/clerics in IWD:EE?

elminster

Rangers in HoW start recieving spells at level 6. Potentially they can know as high as level 6 druid spells (though only as a really high level ranger).

A ranger/cleric dual class (or a cleric/ranger multi-class) would only get the druid spells that their ranger level allows for. In other words you'll still have a spell book but specific druid spells (like sunscorch) will be missing from it unless your ranger level is high enough to have that.