Anybody solo'd the whole thing with a single classed thief?
Sorvan76
Member Posts: 76
All the way through the entire saga, i.e. BGEE + BG2EE?
I have never played a thief in the game at all (although, have employed their skills in the form of companions). I think this would make for a really challenging game.
I have never played a thief in the game at all (although, have employed their skills in the form of companions). I think this would make for a really challenging game.
3
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Thief HLAs are really powerful, especially UAI, but those trapa which you will have TONS of will be devastating.
Edit: my dual from thieves in BG1 were really tedius without my thief skills. Fighter is not a fun solo imho.
Its certainly doable. Though without access to traps the shadowdancer is probably going to have the hardest time of any of them. Especially in BG2EE.
Any pointers would be appreciated - especially how to build the character as he levels up!
Like the_spyder I'd love to read about your progress once you start.
One thing I would suggest as a problem is that a lot of monsters in ToB are backstab resistant. Need to plan for that, although by that point you should have UAI so maybe it won't be that bad.
Iirc the Assassin's poison gets slightly nerfed. The Swashbuckler gains Thac0 progression as if he were a Fighter (which will help in the beginning of the game but becomes less important later on); they lose their damage bonuses though. The Bounty Hunter's traps too, get nerfed. Their special traps are replaced by alchemical traps against which a saving throw vs breath is allowed.
All in all the mod wouldn't make the game much easier I think. A component that allows Thieves to get 3* in dual wielding could be worthwhile though.
The Bounty Hunter was PROFOUNDLY fun, as the special traps are ranged!
Swashie really is a powerhouse in melee by later SoA. Might not take down a pure kensai easily, but he could dw speed weapons, so might kill the kensai anyways. Very good in ToB.
With some scouting ahead and traps, everybody will be licking your shoes. You just have to be smart about it.
Swashbuckler was the easiest. Assassin and Bounty Hunter close second, each one with their own flavour (more venom/more traps).
(but seriously fights really can't handle your invisibility in BGEE so the difficulty is really getting to the point where you have high stealth skills). I played as an elf so the extra dexterity point helped.
Assassin - Ranged Thief+occasional melee for backstab. Thievery points are low, so either focus on stealth+backstab or (better in BG1) shortbow/darts + venoms and traps. You'll need to drag along another Thief just for the locks and traps.
Bounty Hunter - Ranged Thief. Focus on traps + shortbow. occasionally backstab, but you will have enough points to invest into lockpicking and traps disarming (around 85% is usually enough)
ShadowDancer - Melee Thief. hide in plain sight(stealth), backstab, lather, rinse, repeat. Needs a lot of micromanagement. No traps though and sucks as a Thief until you get the stealth skills high enough to actually do something in the battle.
Swashbuckler - Melee Thief. Use as secondary melee fighter + utility thief or as scout. Traps help.
...vanilla - Ranged Thief. Use for utility + shortbow/darts. No melee, except occasional backstab+run...seriously, get a kit.
Any recommendations for weapon proficiencies would be appreciated!
BGEE
- Dagger of Venom is hands down the best weapon for a Thief in BGEE, especially as it lets you to also use throwing daggers with little proficiency points investment.
- Short Sword +3 is the best +Thac0 Sword that you can get in BGEE, except for killing Drizzt. (And we need +Thac0)
in BG2EE:
- Daggers are easy to get and a great magical throwing dagger +2 is attainable shortly after leaving Irenicus' dungeon. Plus there is a +3 throwing dagger on the way, +4 Dagger in the Underdark and a nice Thief-style dagger that ends with the +5 enchantment in ToB
- Short Swords are similar. Easier to get better +X enchantments and fitting for a Thief.
My own reasons against quarter-staves: they do big damage, so they are best utilized when trying to min/maxing and creating a one-hit-kill Thief. ShadowDancer has a lower backstab multiplier, so it won't help as much and you will do more backstabs in a row, having higher chance to apply venom/special effects. Also, Thieves' Thac0 sucks when compared with a Fighters, so we need the highest +X enchantment we can get. Plus, try sneaking around with a 2m/6ft pole...
Anyways, I'm thinking about taking 3 levels of illusionist and then going vanilla thief.
Daggers are an excellent choice as well but as southpaw suggests take them or short swords. I would not take them and short swords since that is redundant. At least not until bg2ee. They both do piercing damage after all.
Quarterstaffs are great because you can get a +3 in bgee and because crushing attacks are the most likely to hit and least likely to be resisted. It matters more when you are fighting heavily armoured opponents, jellies, and skeletons.
@Gotural - the same with Single weapon fighting proficiency. And you get -1AC on top of it.
Here he is!
I opted for shortbow and shortsword. Hope those were good choices, I like to have a ranged option just in case. I might pick up staff proficiency next.
BTW - you will get only 4 proficiency pips till level 10. Use them well.
Make sure you do all the quests around beregost, or as many as possible. You are an unusually low level given that you are soloing (and especially given that you are soloing as a single class thief).