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Favourite two member party?

WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
edited December 2014 in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
So it's a bit different to think of two member party is as it's more common to play with almost any other number (I think). However, multiplayer is a different kettle and one character each seems to be ideal with two players being the easiest to manage logistics wise.

Currently my duo multiplayer run is:
Avenger Druid 8 (my friend)
Swashbuckler 5/Mage 6 (myself)

We're playing on insane for the bonus xp and I can say that we are having a heap of fun. Our new strategy is to cast protection from lightning on my character and then let her round up all the undead in Kress' tomb while the Avenger spams lightning bolts.

I'm looking forward to a future of spamming AoE nukes on our heavily buffed characters.

What two member parties have you tried or thought of that have nice complimentary abilities? How have you filled in the necessary party roles with only two characters?

PS I notice sometimes that Static Charge targets a party member, is that intended behaviour?

Comments

  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    bengoshi said:

    My preference (both two favourite characters): Totemic Druid and Vanilla Bard

    From the power point of view: FMC + FMT

    I thought about the FMC+FMT combo but the outcome is each individual class being the level of what a party of 6 would be. In other words, 2 vanilla fighters, 2 vanilla mages, a vanilla cleric and a vanilla thief. With 1/3 of the HP and 1/3 of the attacks per round.

    I don't see it as a power option compared to either my duo or your duo. It's just so satisfying and effective to have spell options that are vastly over level for the content. The question of course will be if we can stay in front of the curve ...

    You wouldn't mind the lack of a thief? You'd promote the Totemic Druid in IWD even though shapechanging is so powerful and summons are already decent? In a two member party wouldn't a blade be more enjoyable than a vanilla bard or is the songs intended for the summons?

  • ShikaoShikao Member Posts: 376
    Replying to PS, I would say yes as spell descriptions does not state anything about not targeting party members. Call Lightning is the one that hits enemies only. Since both are electric druid spells, I guess confusion can happen =]
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Shikao said:

    Replying to PS, I would say yes as spell descriptions does not state anything about not targeting party members. Call Lightning is the one that hits enemies only. Since both are electric druid spells, I guess confusion can happen =]

    I've only noticed this happen a few times in multiplayer and not so much in single player despite having played extensively with the spell active.

    Also this thread suggests that it shouldn't hurt party members (http://www.sorcerers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11009).

    While it doesn't explicitly say that it doesn't hurt party members it would seem to be an oversight to advertise a spell that's like Call Lightning except for the glaring imperfect that it can easily kill any of your party members ...

    I'm feeling this might be a multiplayer bug actually ...
  • WanderonWanderon Member Posts: 1,418
    Off the top of my head I'd say R/C and T/I altho I have yet to experience the R/C since it was "fixed".

    Another option that comes to mind is a HO C/T and an elf FM or a Gnome C/I or F/I.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Wanderon said:

    Off the top of my head I'd say R/C and T/I altho I have yet to experience the R/C since it was "fixed".

    Another option that comes to mind is a HO C/T and an elf FM or a Gnome C/I or F/I.

    In IWD it's a pretty good combo as there is a decent amount of fast weapons available so a melee character isn't automatically gimped without warrior levels. For this reason I quite like the swashbuckler dual with dual longswords of action +4.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Wanderon said:

    Off the top of my head I'd say R/C and T/I altho I have yet to experience the R/C since it was "fixed".

    Another option that comes to mind is a HO C/T and an elf FM or a Gnome C/I or F/I.

    In IWD it's a pretty good combo as there is a decent amount of fast weapons available so a melee character isn't automatically gimped without warrior levels. For this reason I quite like the swashbuckler dual with dual longswords of action +4 packing tensers.

    An illusionist/cleric with fast flail offhand, tensers and reckless ring would also be very good and have more spells, better saves and higher levels than the FMC alternative.
  • by_the_swordby_the_sword Member Posts: 42
    I would love to create versions of Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser for a two person party, but there would be a debilitating lack of magic.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    by_the_sword said:

    I would love to create versions of Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser for a two person party, but there would be a debilitating lack of magic.

    I haven't read the books though they sound great from what Wikipedia says.

    Fafhrd is a barbarian, nice and simple. In 3rd edition games you could even give him a few levels of Bard but not possible in IWD unfortunately.

    Mouser is more flexible. You could start him as a Swashbuckler and then decide that he wanted to go back to magic and dual class to mage after level 5,6,7 or 10. This would fix your lack of magic though you'd still be quite dependent on healing potions without a cleric.

    Or you could include their "sorcerer advisors" in the party but then it wouldn't be a two person party. There's even a seven eyes spell for Ningauble!
  • by_the_swordby_the_sword Member Posts: 42
    edited December 2014
    Oh! Ningauble and Sheelba! Now that would be interesting indeed.

    Better still, to have Elric of Melniboné (F/M/C) to tag along and help them.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    bengoshi said:

    My preference (both two favourite characters): Totemic Druid and Vanilla Bard

    From the power point of view: FMC + FMT

    Okay so I'm revisiting the idea of this "power duo" for a HoF run. My question is if there are better alternatives. Obviously there are strong incentives for the 2 triple classes but in the context of HoF what about the alternatives for each member?
    2*FMC -> do we really need a thief compared to 2 buffed behemoths?
    FMC+swash 7/mage -> does a FMT really offer enough compared to what a Swash/mage can while getting high level mage spells so much faster?
    MC+swash/mage -> a MC can hit 5 APR via fast flail, Tensers and reckless ring but is only splitting xp between 2 classes instead of 3, worth it?

    So what do you think, what are the best duos for a HoF run?
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,754
    I would still go for FMC + FMT.

    We have a "behemoth" as you say on the one hand (buffed to the max due to arcane and divine buffs) and unstoppable mislead backstabs with fighter damage and to hit bonuses on the other hand. The fighter part will beat swash bonuses.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    bengoshi said:

    I would still go for FMC + FMT.

    We have a "behemoth" as you say on the one hand (buffed to the max due to arcane and divine buffs) and unstoppable mislead backstabs with fighter damage and to hit bonuses on the other hand. The fighter part will beat swash bonuses.

    Mislead backstab trumps triple the xp to contribute to your wizard levels hence getting improved haste, project image and wish in a significantly quicker time?
  • by_the_swordby_the_sword Member Posts: 42
    edited December 2014
    What about a Dragon Descie paired with an Archer? Granted you are lacking in melee skills and trap detection/removal, but with summons and scouting, you could handle the fights, no?

    Ah but there's no healing either.
  • ZyzzogetonZyzzogeton Member Posts: 526
    edited December 2014
    If you're going to do HoW stuff ASAP then FMT if not then F>M dual or Sorc
    Ah but there's no healing either.
    Archers get Druid spells
  • ifupaulineifupauline Member Posts: 405
    thief/mage with all those nice daggers and shortbow probably a must play.
    ranger/cleric for obvious reasons...

    Might be a bit too powerful imo.

    Or else you could play a fighter/druid + archer :)

  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    bengoshi said:

    My preference (both two favourite characters): Totemic Druid and Vanilla Bard

    From the power point of view: FMC + FMT

    So we've begun our multiplayer HoF run with a FMC and FMT. Experiences so far are good. Of course it was incredibly tedious initially but Hold Person was enough to struggle through until I got Animate Dead. With Animate Dead the first Ogre fight was trivial.

    Kuldahar Pass got a bit scary with all the goblin spawns managing to converge into a mega mob so we bolted to Kuldahar and returned with web and fom and worked through the rest of the map.

    We've almost hit level 7 Mage on our triple classes. I'm looking forward to seeing what 6 skeletons or zombies buffed with haste and strength of one can do when we visit the Vale of Shadows.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    So, finally an update. What a force these two! It's so much more pleasurable to micromanage one or two characters instead of two and this manages to mostly offset the added tedium of not having 5 or 6 damage dealers to wade through HoF.

    I've gone through the lower levels of Dragons eye dreading the eventual confrontation with Yxonomei that just surely require in depth strategy and much head scratching.

    So the battle went like this:
    1. Summon 6 undead, long term buffs including prot evil, badge of bravery, shield and mirror image.
    2. FMT opens the door an initiates conversation
    3. Retreat into hall and gang up on the spellcasters that spawn
    4. Mobs from room incl Yxonomei join us
    5. Rain of debuffs including Curse, Recitation, Grease, Slow, Confusion and Yxonomei's own cloud kill
    6. Attack Yxonomei with +2 arrows and Melfs Minute Meteors while she's harried between her minions and mine
    7. Yxon dies. Clean up crew for the rest of the trash.

    That was on my first go. It was almost disappointing how easy it was. Amazingly strategic battle really. No damage for either character.
  • harperfan7harperfan7 Member Posts: 30
    CG half-elf cleric/ranger
    CG elf fighter/mage/thief, longswords, longbows

    I dunno about the specifics, but definitely this. Bard would be the next character if there were 3.
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