@the_spyder if I recall you could have a paladin multiclass with a sorcerer...indeed it would be a beast!
@lunar thank you! What is the best place to get the mods you are saying?
IIRC, the Paladin of Mystara could multi class to wizard without losing the ability to advance as a paladin, but not sorcerer. I think there was a mod to allow multiclassing to sorcerer, but I can't remember which one.
You can do a Paladin + Sorcerer multi, the problem is you cannot continue to advance as a Paladin once you do, unless you install MindChild's mod. I've heard of people doing a Paladin 1/Sorcerer X multi for the save bonuses, weapon proficiencies, etc. of the paladin class. If you do it, make your PC a Human or Aasimar so you don't get multi-classing penalties.
As for your PC's class, you can do any kind of character you like to play. @Domi wrote 10 amazing characters for this mod, representing a wide array of classes. So, you can pick a party to complement your PC.
* Diriel, a Neutral Evil Elven Druid Male (A Romantic Option for the Elven Female PC) * Hildury, a Chaotic Good Half-Orc Barbarian Female * Jaemal, a Neutral Good Aasimar Sorcerer Male (A Romantic Option for a Male or Female PC) * Nikosh Bracegirdle, a True Neutral Halfling Rogue Male * (Sir) Wind Nord, a Lawful Good Human Paladin of Helm Male * Peony, a Chaotic Neutral Gnome Wizard-Illusionist Female (A Romantic Option for a Male PC) * Prachi, a Lawful Neutral Human Monk of the Old Order Female * Rizdaer, a Lawful Evil Drow Fighter Male (A Romantic Option for a Female PC) * Salomeya, a Chaotic Evil Half-Elven Bard Female (A Romantic Option for a Male PC) * Valeero, a Neutral Good Human Priestess of Lathander FemaleL
They are fine characters in battle, if that's what you mean. AFAIK, Domi didn't give them custom AIs, so they need as much management as any player-controlled character.
Then you should get the iwd2 npcs mod, the npcs are lively and have banters/interactions with each other and romances too. Some select components from ease of use mod would be your cup of tea, as well. Skip the difficulty mods.
Starting in HoF mode is not recommended with a lvl 1 party, though. Monsters in IWD2 get even more vicious than iwd1's HoF mode.
HoF in IWD2 is pretty beefy in my experience, very much meant for a replay of your already established adventurers. I did not find it too easy when I imported characters, even with access to some pretty epic gear. Heck, the devs designed HoF versions of lots of gear, making it even more reasonable to replay. Many of the same strategies work in both though, and if you have a couple Clerics able to cast Animate Dead, iirc Boneguards could kill the HoF Goblins without much help, so you did not strictly need to do an ENTIRE IWD2 playthough before trying HoF... but it would be a harsh run to try until you really get your levels up. Some ambushes get INCREDIBLY hard in HoF, unless you use some kind of trick to hit the level cap.
Bane Monk is MUCH better than a Paladin Sorcerer though. Especially if you do finish and import your Bane Monk, very good caster to control the battlefield with. Nothing more absurd though than seeing enemies making a save vs a DC that is high enough to be reliable for epic level play, but it keeps the game challenging I suppose. The big buff sorcerers have is that in your first play through, you do not need to worry about scrolls, which IWD2 is VERY stingy with. I would not run 2 wizards in that game without some serious planning.
Thinking of going Paladin of Mystra or something like that!
LOL. Is there such a beast in the game? I remember someone saying that according to the rule books, Mystra doesn't have paladins. But then, it's a video game. So long as the "DM" allows it, sky is the limit, right?
Actually, I remember reading on the 3e Forgotten realms book that Mystra was the only Chaotic Good goddess that allowed paladins.
@DreadKhan always read that pally/sorc was a powerhouse and that melee is a pain in the ass to use in IWD 2! So doesn't a monk rely heavely on melee?! Normally I never play with monks! Not because I don't like it but because there is few gear for them!
Thinking of going Paladin of Mystra or something like that!
LOL. Is there such a beast in the game? I remember someone saying that according to the rule books, Mystra doesn't have paladins. But then, it's a video game. So long as the "DM" allows it, sky is the limit, right?
Actually, I remember reading on the 3e Forgotten realms book that Mystra was the only Chaotic Good goddess that allowed paladins.
I'm not denying that the 3e rules do say that. I just remember a forum discussion (or was it NWN2???) where someone quoted that Mystra couldn't have Paladins. They may have been wrong. I never looked it up because I never cared that much. I'll take your word that it is legit. In either case, it seems like a powerful combination.
Bane Monks take only one or 2 levels of monk, and the rest Cleric of Bane. Bane is hands down the best Cleric kit, though I think you only can have one being uber. They can get a wisdom score VERY high, meaning the DCs of their spells are actually viable in HoF (Though you still will get enemies saving sometimes). Animate Dead is an overpowered summon too, the whole game long, though zombies are SSSLLLOOOWWW. The saves of a Bane Monk are often competetive with a Paladin Sorcerer, and can end up being much better vs fortitude especially. 2 levels of monk nets +3 to each save remember, and clerics get 2 good saves. Its absurdly good, and they get some special storyline-related stuff, like a Paladin-Sorcerer.
I usually had mine use ranged combat for easier fights, since I had a very, very solid tank, a Barbarian Fighter. Trust me, melee DOES work well, but you might need to throw buffs on your beast to make him the best he can be.
In HoF mode, I regularly lost 2 or 3 characters per big fight, but only used the 1 cleric. Almost never died unless everyone else was already toast.
In HoF, your best bets are probably abusing Animate Dead as much as possible, use 1 good ranged character (trust me, there is TONS of great ammo in IWD2, so you can freely have a rapid shooting archer from the start to finish. Best lvl 1 character, but still useful later. I had him dual wield in melee, but he almost always just ran support, helping lock down annoying casters), 1 or 2 strong melee (one might be a dedicated tank, with an AC around 70ish iirc, the other a high strength barbarian fighter dual. Probably stop fighter after hitting lvl 4 for Specialization, as you will run out of decent feats very fast), 1 or 2 strong clerics (ideally a Banemonk, but a 2nd cleric is handy), and fill out the rest with casters. A wizard will do well on HoF if you are doing an import run, and a sorcerer is probably better on the first run. Your thievery can be covered by nearly anyone, but consider running a Fighter Thief. The High Level feats for Rogues are pretty nice in IWD2, though other than Improved Evasion they are rarely used.
Despite the huge HP pools of enemies, high level damage spells are the best way to open up a fight vs a big angry mob, unless your Banemonk is casting Mass Dominate for that fight. Really high level damage spells put out some insane totals for damage, but they are less useful I would say once the fight gets closer together.
I did HoF with a Barbaian Fighter, a Ranger Fighter archer, a drow Enchanter, a Banemonk, a Paladin Sorcerer (who ended up being way less useful than the Enchanter, as the Enchanter could take more feats to improve his casting, and he had a nice selection of spells) and a Bard. The Bard was limited as I did not know that War Chant did not heal outside battle, so he mostly cast spells during big battles, none of which do damage for a Bard. IMHO, Bard is a nice spokesperson, easily the best, but he really is a bit weak for HoF mode, even in a very solid party. The Fighter Rogue btw was my AC tank, not as tanky as some builds, but it was good enough. Improved Evasion and sneaking proved very useful to have.
Guides tend to hate on spell damage, ranged damage and even melee damage in HoF, but they really do work if you go big enough. My Fighter Barbarian first used Greatswords, then Halberds. He was evil though, and Evil gets a really, really big Halberd that deals insane damage. Overall, Halberds are the best melee damage option, but a DWing Paladin Fighter (Helm IIRC lets you dual to fighter and go back to Paladin) can be pretty fierce if you import.
HoF in IWD2 is crazy hard though, with enemies hitting reliably unless you have astronomical defense, and saves that require a seriously maxed out character to be an effective caster, hence the love for Bane Monks.
@DreadKhan thank you for the extensive "guide"! From what I read about HoF melee was less important in IWD 2 than in IWD EE, that's why I was thinking of a more heavy spell party (with a mod for NPCs)! Normally I play parties of good/neutral alignment! I find very difficult to play an evil party! Goes against my conscience! And I know is just a game...but still!
I am thinking of a PCs being Clerics or Sorcerer (Pally because of the sword)! And from waht I know Clerics in this game are really strong!
I appreciate any tips for character you can give me!
Well, if you like Good, a Fighter Paladin is a very reliable melee with longswords, especially in HoF on import. However, Paladins have the option of a HoF fight so tough it makes most difficulty mods look quaint. Spoilers are less problematic IMHO for IWD2, as some really good story points are actually easy to miss. And you can miss the Holy Avenger actually, it is a bit off the beaten path.
If you want, look up Cera Suma, thats the name of the IWD2 Holy Avenger, and it is a beast in HoF. According to 3rd ed rules, a LN cleric of bane should be allowed, not 100% certain it is allowed in game, but I think so. The Evil halberd though is nice, but not mandatory, there are other good Halberds available lateish. Greatswords are really good early though, and a Fighter Barbarian is not short of feats after awhile.
Thinking of going Paladin of Mystra or something like that!
LOL. Is there such a beast in the game? I remember someone saying that according to the rule books, Mystra doesn't have paladins. But then, it's a video game. So long as the "DM" allows it, sky is the limit, right?
Actually, I remember reading on the 3e Forgotten realms book that Mystra was the only Chaotic Good goddess that allowed paladins.
I'm not denying that the 3e rules do say that. I just remember a forum discussion (or was it NWN2???) where someone quoted that Mystra couldn't have Paladins. They may have been wrong. I never looked it up because I never cared that much. I'll take your word that it is legit. In either case, it seems like a powerful combination.
3rd ed Mystra was NG, so she could have Paladins, and I thought she did, but I doubt that many. Regardless of patron though, all Paladins follow the same code, so they get 0 leeway of any kind by the rules.
well no problem! I was expecting something like BG NPCs but still it's better than no NPCs!
They are quite like BG NPCs. The have banters with each other, comments/interjections on events, "friendship dialogues" with Player 1, and romantic dialogues with Player 1 (not all have romantic dialogues). There are even some subplots added for the NPCs, but no new areas or anything like that.
There's a couple of limitations due to differences between the BG2 engine and the IWD2 engine: * Your PC must remain in the first slot (there are marching orders with Player 1 not at the head of the marching order, so you don't have to play a "front-line" character). You can move your PC back in the marching order temporarily (e.g., during a battle), but in order to get dialogues between the NPCs and your PC, he/she must be in the first slot. If you keep your PC out of the first slot, the NPCs will banter with each other, but they won't talk to your PC. * Only create 1 PC. If you make 2 (and take 4 if the NPCs), the NPC dialogs with your PC won't work. * You add and remove NPCs via the Import/Export function. They aren't found standing around in the game like BG NPCs.
If you want the party members to recognize a character as the main character, like Charname in BG2, and banter with him/her, you will need to:
* Create him or her first. * Keep him or her in the first, leader's slot. * Have him or her as the only custom-created (ie not supplied by the mod) character.
These three limitations are the direct effect of the difference between BG2 and IWD2 engine. If you don't do this, the IWD2 NPCs will banter between one another and comment on the events in the game, but will not talk to the leader.
Comments
EDIT: Found it. Search for MindChild on this page. http://www.sorcerers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=46611
Still which class do you think is better for this game?! Since I think of having NPCs
As for your PC's class, you can do any kind of character you like to play. @Domi wrote 10 amazing characters for this mod, representing a wide array of classes. So, you can pick a party to complement your PC.
I will definitely see this mod!
Bane Monk is MUCH better than a Paladin Sorcerer though. Especially if you do finish and import your Bane Monk, very good caster to control the battlefield with. Nothing more absurd though than seeing enemies making a save vs a DC that is high enough to be reliable for epic level play, but it keeps the game challenging I suppose. The big buff sorcerers have is that in your first play through, you do not need to worry about scrolls, which IWD2 is VERY stingy with. I would not run 2 wizards in that game without some serious planning.
I usually had mine use ranged combat for easier fights, since I had a very, very solid tank, a Barbarian Fighter. Trust me, melee DOES work well, but you might need to throw buffs on your beast to make him the best he can be.
In HoF mode, I regularly lost 2 or 3 characters per big fight, but only used the 1 cleric. Almost never died unless everyone else was already toast.
In HoF, your best bets are probably abusing Animate Dead as much as possible, use 1 good ranged character (trust me, there is TONS of great ammo in IWD2, so you can freely have a rapid shooting archer from the start to finish. Best lvl 1 character, but still useful later. I had him dual wield in melee, but he almost always just ran support, helping lock down annoying casters), 1 or 2 strong melee (one might be a dedicated tank, with an AC around 70ish iirc, the other a high strength barbarian fighter dual. Probably stop fighter after hitting lvl 4 for Specialization, as you will run out of decent feats very fast), 1 or 2 strong clerics (ideally a Banemonk, but a 2nd cleric is handy), and fill out the rest with casters. A wizard will do well on HoF if you are doing an import run, and a sorcerer is probably better on the first run. Your thievery can be covered by nearly anyone, but consider running a Fighter Thief. The High Level feats for Rogues are pretty nice in IWD2, though other than Improved Evasion they are rarely used.
Despite the huge HP pools of enemies, high level damage spells are the best way to open up a fight vs a big angry mob, unless your Banemonk is casting Mass Dominate for that fight. Really high level damage spells put out some insane totals for damage, but they are less useful I would say once the fight gets closer together.
I did HoF with a Barbaian Fighter, a Ranger Fighter archer, a drow Enchanter, a Banemonk, a Paladin Sorcerer (who ended up being way less useful than the Enchanter, as the Enchanter could take more feats to improve his casting, and he had a nice selection of spells) and a Bard. The Bard was limited as I did not know that War Chant did not heal outside battle, so he mostly cast spells during big battles, none of which do damage for a Bard. IMHO, Bard is a nice spokesperson, easily the best, but he really is a bit weak for HoF mode, even in a very solid party. The Fighter Rogue btw was my AC tank, not as tanky as some builds, but it was good enough. Improved Evasion and sneaking proved very useful to have.
Guides tend to hate on spell damage, ranged damage and even melee damage in HoF, but they really do work if you go big enough. My Fighter Barbarian first used Greatswords, then Halberds. He was evil though, and Evil gets a really, really big Halberd that deals insane damage. Overall, Halberds are the best melee damage option, but a DWing Paladin Fighter (Helm IIRC lets you dual to fighter and go back to Paladin) can be pretty fierce if you import.
HoF in IWD2 is crazy hard though, with enemies hitting reliably unless you have astronomical defense, and saves that require a seriously maxed out character to be an effective caster, hence the love for Bane Monks.
I am thinking of a PCs being Clerics or Sorcerer (Pally because of the sword)! And from waht I know Clerics in this game are really strong!
I appreciate any tips for character you can give me!
If you want, look up Cera Suma, thats the name of the IWD2 Holy Avenger, and it is a beast in HoF. According to 3rd ed rules, a LN cleric of bane should be allowed, not 100% certain it is allowed in game, but I think so. The Evil halberd though is nice, but not mandatory, there are other good Halberds available lateish. Greatswords are really good early though, and a Fighter Barbarian is not short of feats after awhile.
There's a couple of limitations due to differences between the BG2 engine and the IWD2 engine:
* Your PC must remain in the first slot (there are marching orders with Player 1 not at the head of the marching order, so you don't have to play a "front-line" character). You can move your PC back in the marching order temporarily (e.g., during a battle), but in order to get dialogues between the NPCs and your PC, he/she must be in the first slot. If you keep your PC out of the first slot, the NPCs will banter with each other, but they won't talk to your PC.
* Only create 1 PC. If you make 2 (and take 4 if the NPCs), the NPC dialogs with your PC won't work.
* You add and remove NPCs via the Import/Export function. They aren't found standing around in the game like BG NPCs.
Are any more mods you recommend?!