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Party help - New to IWD

CactusCactus Member Posts: 152
in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
Hi all

Please feedback this party. We are two friends playing together, both new to IWD, and controlling 3 each. Both have two characters already chosen, but needs to fill in one more. It does not have to be powergaming crazy, just interesting gameplay. Also weapon choice, I do not have a very good idea what is good og useless weapons ind IWD?

Player 1:

Cavalier - long sword + sword and shield style

Berserker dwarf - dualwielding axes and warhammer

? Fighter/cleric multi dwarf or maybe something else ?

Player 2:

Halfling fighter/thief - short bow (or longbow?) + staff (not sure, maybe dagger or shortsword)

Elven Sorcerer - darts?

? mage/cleric or dual fighter(3)->mage or something else??


Any suggestions?

Comments

  • ShikaoShikao Member Posts: 376
    If you play IwD for the first time then I would strongly suggest having Bard and/or Druid. In contrast to BGs, those two classes are really nice in IwD.
    I would go with vanilla Bard, cause he has couple songs to choose from or Skald who has only one song, but a powerful one.
    For Druid I would once again go with vanilla, because they later get nice Shapeshift forms. Could be also F->D or even eventually F/D. If you would like to test new Druid spells without taking actual Druid, then Ranger/Cleric could be an option as well.
  • CactusCactus Member Posts: 152
    So druid in stead of cleric, and then bard instead of a mage?
  • moody_magemoody_mage Member Posts: 2,054
    Mages are useful - but not essential in IWD. Many of their best spells Bards can replicate.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    IWD has huge mobs of undead in certain parts. Turn Undead is more useful and powerful than in any other D&D game I've ever seen. I wouldn't sacrifice my cleric for another class.
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    Have your Cavalier dual wield for great power! =-)
    Sword and Board is suboptimal.

    Darts are shorter range than slings which make them better suited for more durable classes, not so much sorcerors.


    I'd probably replace the Dwarf Berzerker with the Bard. The Fighter/Cleric would be an excellent backup tank and the Fighter/Thief and Mage/Cleric should be able to take care of themselves okay in a fight.
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    BelgarathMTH said:

    IWD has huge mobs of undead in certain parts. Turn Undead is more useful and powerful than in any other D&D game I've ever seen. I wouldn't sacrifice my cleric for another class.

    The cavalier covers turning.

    Multiclass ftr/druid and avenger are both good (better IMO) than a vanilla druid. They both get full spell and shapeshifting, plus other stuff.
  • BelanosBelanos Member Posts: 968
    Fardragon said:



    Multiclass ftr/druid and avenger are both good (better IMO) than a vanilla druid. They both get full spell and shapeshifting, plus other stuff.

    But aren't they restricted by the kind of armor they can wear? Dual- class Druids can't wear anything more than Studded Leather, but a multi-class can wear Plate. I was going to go with a Fighter/Druid dual-class but after reading up on it, I came to that conclusion and decided to go multi.
    CaptRory said:


    Darts are shorter range than slings which make them better suited for more durable classes, not so much sorcerors.

    Not to mention that they're weapons, with a small stack size, and can't be stored in your Ammo slots. So you're going to end up having your inventory cluttered with all kinds of them in order to keep a Mage supplied. A front line character will at least be engaging in melee most of the time and won't need as many.

  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    I gave my monk the ammo belt loaded with darts.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,754
    You can drop one of the tanks (either a cavalier, or a berserker, or a fighter/cleric) for the Player 1. I would suggest dropping a berserker because your cavalier can cover dualwielding axes and your fighter/cleric can use a warhammer. Take a bard instead - he'll enhance both your tanks (and other party members) hugely.

    For the Player 2 I would take a totemic druid as the third character. You'll miss heavily if you don't watch a druid in IWDEE. An elven Sorcerer will rule, a fighter/thief is a wonderful character for an IWDEE party - take a longbow and a dagger: there're lots and lots of wonderful daggers and longbows in this game, ideal for a fighter/thief.
  • CactusCactus Member Posts: 152
    edited November 2014
    Ok, thank you so far. Now it looks like this:

    Player One:
    * Cavalier: ** Long Sword, ** Dual Wield (+ Axes, + Flails)
    * Dwarven Fighter/Cleric: ** Warhammer, ** Dual Wield (+ Mace, +Sling)
    * Half-Elf Bard: * Crossbow, * Longbow (+ Two-handed Weapon, + Twohanded Sword)

    Player Two:
    * Halfling Fighter/Thief: ** Short Bow ** Staff ( +Longbow, +dagger, +Two-handed Weapon)
    * Totemic Druid: * Sling, * Scimitar (+ dart + Dual Wield)
    * Elven Sorcerer: * Sling (+ Dagger)

    Question about shapeshift: Does the melee weapon equippet still count? Just in case I would choose a Berserker (3)->Druid over the Totemic Druid :)
    Post edited by Cactus on
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    edited November 2014
    Belanos said:

    Fardragon said:



    Multiclass ftr/druid and avenger are both good (better IMO) than a vanilla druid. They both get full spell and shapeshifting, plus other stuff.

    But aren't they restricted by the kind of armor they can wear? Dual- class Druids can't wear anything more than Studded Leather, but a multi-class can wear Plate. I was going to go with a Fighter/Druid dual-class but after reading up on it, I came to that conclusion and decided to go multi.
    CaptRory said:


    Darts are shorter range than slings which make them better suited for more durable classes, not so much sorcerors.

    Not to mention that they're weapons, with a small stack size, and can't be stored in your Ammo slots. So you're going to end up having your inventory cluttered with all kinds of them in order to keep a Mage supplied. A front line character will at least be engaging in melee most of the time and won't need as many.

    Fighter/druids can wear any armour (and use any shield). This means they can stand in the front row. Avengers are quite restricted, but as back row casters (when not shapeshifted) it doesn't matter. Vanilla druids fall down the crack in the middle.

    Darts are good when you can use poison or get a flat rate damage bonus. E.g. Assassin.

    Melee weapon doesn't directly affect when shapshifted, but weapon styles do. A beserker druid can activate thier berserk ability then shapeshift, retaining the bonus, however I would strongly advise against fighter druid dual class unless you are very experienced. The stat requirements are a killer. There is also some stuff at the beginning that you will miss out on.

    I didn't think druids could use maces? Totemic druids can only put one pip into duel weilding, which means they will always get horrendous to hit penalties. Give 'em a sling and let the summons do the fighting.

    Also, contrary to the stereotype, halfings don't make good fighter/thieves. Choose a race that can benefit from % strength or make your halfling a cleric/thief.

    Bard: forget about weapons altogether, they will never us any.
    Post edited by Fardragon on
  • BelanosBelanos Member Posts: 968
    CaptRory said:

    I gave my monk the ammo belt loaded with darts.

    Oh right, I never thought of that. Still, with the small stack size they're better off being used by a front line character who isn't going to burn through them as quickly.
    Fardragon said:


    Fighter/druids can wear any armour (and use any shield). This means they can stand in the front row.

    Oh crap! I had a Fighter all set up to dual to Druid but I changed him to a multi half-elf because I got the impression that a dual class was restricted to the Druid armor. That's what it mentioned on this site I came across. I had a hell of a time rolling it up, that's a tough dual to come up with. At least for a decent one.
    Fardragon said:

    I didn't think druids could use maces?

    No they can't. The only blunt weapons they can use are Clubs and Quarterstaffs.
    Fardragon said:


    Bard: forget about weapons altogether, they will never us any.

    You don't have to play them that way. There's a bit of a lag where the song will keep affecting the party while the Bard does something else. Although they also have spells to cast, so they aren't going to be using weapons all that much.

  • CactusCactus Member Posts: 152
    @Fardragon My mistake, Druids don't use maces, edited that out :)
    I happen to like my Halfling fighter/Thief, so she stays (Ekstra DEX + Shorty saves).

    Druid:

    So Basically you recommend I stick with the Totemic Druid. How about a berserker 15/18/14/9/17/17 (90) dual into Druid at lvl 3. As far as I can figure out, Druids anyway prefer to shapeshift before going to the front row, and shapesifting will affect STR/DEX/CON? In which case I prefer DEX to be maxed, in order to use a sling when not casting spells or shapeshiftet.

    Just to sum up on the Druid or Fighter/Druids, still in play:

    Fighter/Druid:
    Pro: Can use any armor and shield (does this AC still count when shapeshiftet?) Two ** into proficiencies.
    Con: Slow lvl progression, not as high max lvl.

    Berserker (3) ->Druid
    Pro: Weapon mastering, berserk + shapeshift. Can use any armor?
    Con: Miss some stuff (?) early in game. Killer stat requirement.

    Totemic Druid:
    Pro: Great summons. Quickest lvl proression (no splitting XP, no wait for dual class)
    Con: Not much of a fighter, Only one*. Can't shapeshift
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    I'm told Con is no longer affected by shapeshifting. Multiclass Fighter/druids often don't bother with shapeshifting. I have a beserker/druid in my party at the moment, and I am finding them a liability. With 15 str and 16 con, they where a pretty lousy fighter, and with 17 wis and 3 int they are a lousy druid.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,754
    Totemic Druid. The faster you get high-level druid spells, the better. And as a single-class druid, you will get tons of useful spells of the 3rd and the 4th level.

    But the thing that changes it all are spirit summons. Starting at the 10th level (and with a a single-class druid) it's very fast - usually in the Severed Hand on the Core difficulty with a party of 6 members these beasts are immune to nearly everything. A level later, and you'll get your third spirit. You won't need any fighter parts when 3 spirit lions reap everything into pieces in mere seconds.
  • ZyzzogetonZyzzogeton Member Posts: 526
    All 17 WIS locks you out of is a single bonus 4th level slot. While 3 INT just means no wands or scrolls which is an insignificant inconvenience in the game. If they suck at 3 INT 17 WIS, they'll suck at 18 in both stats
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    Zyzzogeton said:

    All 17 WIS locks you out of is a single bonus 4th level slot. While 3 INT just means no wands or scrolls which is an insignificant inconvenience in the game. If they suck at 3 INT 17 WIS, they'll suck at 18 in both stats

    Sure, it's not huge, but combined with the levels of being a rubbish fighter, it's really not worth it in my experience.
  • ZyzzogetonZyzzogeton Member Posts: 526
    edited November 2014
    1 more 4th level spell won't make a Fighter/Druid that much better.

    What exactly is it going to do with that 4th level slot and scroll/wand usage that's going to significantly change how it plays?
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    Zyzzogeton said:

    1 more 4th level spell won't make a Fighter/Druid that much better.

    What exactly is it going to do with that 4th level slot and scroll/wand usage that's going to significantly change how it plays?

    Zyzzogeton said:

    1 more 4th level spell won't make a Fighter/Druid that much better.

    What exactly is it going to do with that 4th level slot and scroll/wand usage that's going to significantly change how it plays?

    Zyzzogeton said:

    1 more 4th level spell won't make a Fighter/Druid that much better.

    What exactly is it going to do with that 4th level slot and scroll/wand usage that's going to significantly change how it plays?

    You are missing the point. It was the misery of supporting a weak berserker, then catching up Druid levels, that made this build so unfun. Those other things where just a little added misery.

    In the end the berserk ability isn't worth the pain, when the Druid is so much better casting spells anyway.
  • ZyzzogetonZyzzogeton Member Posts: 526
    Then that really has nothing to do with 17 WIS and 3 INT making that character a, as you put it, lousy Druid
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