I'm building up quite a queue of characters who have completed BG1ee and are waiting to run through SoD before finally proceeding into BG2ee. (I'm not playing any BG2ee now, all on hold waiting for SoD.)
I haven't taken a firm decision about which character to take into SoD first, but ... it may make sense to keep it simple the first time, when I don't yet know how the new game works, so maybe I'll take my Cavalier first.
I'd been planning on running my good old dependable Fighter/Mage through SoD for the first time, just to get the feel of it but....... I've been spending a lot of time in ToB recently (for the first time in literally years) and I'm struggling. Given that I want to do a complete run-through of the saga I'm wondering if anyone knows how (or if at all) SoD will affect class levels at the beginning of ToB (I may have missed this info even though I've been trying to keep up with developments).
Right now I'm thinking of starting BG1 with a Blackguard just to be on the safe side!
@dunbar Your class levels at the beginning of ToB (if you continue from SoA) depend on the amount of XP taken during SoA. If you start in ToB without importing from SoA, you get 2,5 mln of XP.
So, SoD shouldn't affect the ToB XP because the XP from SoD is just added to SoA but when you play SoA, there're many ways of getting XP there already.
@bengoshi, thanks, but what I was getting at was, playing with the XP cap removed, will SoD add enough XP to enable a multiclass character get to a higher level for ToB (I'm thinking of the ability to summon Planetars etc.)?
The thing is in my games, with completing every quest in the game, I get HLAs with a 6-man party in the Underdark, so in this sense SoD won't change much.
But of course it will add XP, so getting HLAs in SoA will be faster. We know that in SoD we'll get level 12th thieves, thus getting at least 440000-161000 = 279 k additional XP ((if comapared with BGEE) for your character.
@bengoshi, thanks, but what I was getting at was, playing with the XP cap removed, will SoD add enough XP to enable a multiclass character get to a higher level for ToB (I'm thinking of the ability to summon Planetars etc.)?
The devs haven't yet given exact figures, but they've narrowed it down enough to imply that the SoD XP cap will allow for an extra 300K to 400K per character, and they've also implied that it won't be too easy to reach this cap, so probably there's not much more than that amount available even with the cap removed ... unless you're soloing, in which case the effect may be huge. (Although we don't yet have any clues about how much of the SoD XP will be per-character quest XP, and how much will be per-party ordinary shared XP, and that obviously makes a great difference for solo play.)
This amount of extra XP (assuming party play and/or keeping the XP cap) will have significant effects on the early stages of BG2:SoA, but the impact on later stages of SoA and on ToB will be attenuated by the much greater amounts of XP you gather as you proceed through BG2, since it's no more than the difference which can be made by some in-game choices of action. (For example, the level at which you reach ToB will be more affected by your decision about when to tackle WK than by any effect of SoD.)
I'd guess that the "average effect" across all players and protagonists might be that a protagonist will usually hit ToB one level higher ... but for some multi-class characters, it might not quite make enough difference to level them up, although some others (e.g. single-classed Rogues) might just about make it to two levels higher.
@bengoshi, thanks, but what I was getting at was, playing with the XP cap removed, will SoD add enough XP to enable a multiclass character get to a higher level for ToB (I'm thinking of the ability to summon Planetars etc.)?
The devs haven't yet given exact figures, but they've narrowed it down enough to imply that the SoD XP cap will allow for an extra 300K to 400K per character, and they've also implied that it won't be too easy to reach this cap, so probably there's not much more than that amount available even with the cap removed ... unless you're soloing, in which case the effect may be huge. (Although we don't yet have any clues about how much of the SoD XP will be per-character quest XP, and how much will be per-party ordinary shared XP, and that obviously makes a great difference for solo play.)
This amount of extra XP (assuming party play and/or keeping the XP cap) will have significant effects on the early stages of BG2:SoA, but the impact on later stages of SoA and on ToB will be attenuated by the much greater amounts of XP you gather as you proceed through BG2, since it's no more than the difference which can be made by some in-game choices of action. (For example, the level at which you reach ToB will be more affected by your decision about when to tackle WK than by any effect of SoD.)
I'd guess that the "average effect" across all players and protagonists might be that a protagonist will usually hit ToB one level higher ... but for some multi-class characters, it might not quite make enough difference to level them up, although some others (e.g. single-classed Rogues) might just about make it to two levels higher.
good arguments that alleviate worries about xp bloat but i'd still like xp in SoA and ToB to be reduced as a consequence of this increase
All of them. I will make it a point to take all the characters I completed BGEE with into SoD and then continue in BG2EE. (The looming SoD game keeps me from running any new BG2EE game, because the old characters need to get throught SoD first )
All of them. I will make it a point to take all the characters I completed BGEE with into SoD and then continue in BG2EE.
I'm not planning to do that with characters which have already been through BG2ee, but yes, I intend to take all the ones currently queued up at the end of BG1ee through SoD before carrying on into BG2ee.
Now I'm thinking of making a cleric. How does dwarven priest of Talos sound?
I'd recommend a fighter/cleric It takes full advantage of the 19con That...and because you can eventually stack armor of faith with the defender of easthaven to make him extra tanky. Also, having your dwarf kick arse in close combat will just feel right, I guarantee it.
I am going with and evil gnome illusionist/thief. Kind of like and evil Jan Jansen twin, but oh so much more powerfull. I also consider a dual class, SoD seems like the perfect time in the storyline to dual class
I think I've rather overcooked mine a little: When I rolled my neutral evil human Blackguard that I intend to take all the way through the new, improved saga my current party was getting it's backside kicked in ToB, so I very much had that endgame in mind when I built him. Therefore I re-rolled like never before (ending up with 18/99, 18, 18, 10, 10, 14), removed the XP cap and soloed the first three chapters. That character, who has just finished BG, now has straight 19s in the first three stats and has comfortably reached level 9 - a bit OTT maybe?
This thread started the worst case of rerolleritis...
YUP! Though in my original post I said Cleric it turns out I'll now be rolling a Bard. My current NWN2 and BG:EE runs have shown me the Bard is my favorite D&D class, especially when I can add a bit of Necromantic flair to them.
I'm confused now. My first thought was to try and go through with a cleric kit, wich I thought could be a dwarf. But nos I've been recomended a fighter/dwarf.
Would you go cleric or fighter/cleric? I don't care about power-gaming or creating the perfect NPC. I'm more into roll playing and creating an interesting and fun character.
Would you go cleric or fighter/cleric? I don't care about power-gaming or creating the perfect NPC. I'm more into roll playing and creating an interesting and fun character.
F/C is better for power-gaming, but since you're more interested in role-playing, I reckon you should stick to your original plan of a single-class Cleric.
If you like to RP @winterisle, you can take a kit which match your intended alignment the best. Both the lathander and the helm kits have buffs that make you more effecient in battle, the boon and the seeking swords respectively. I prefer Lathander myself.
Edit: just realized you wrote about playing a priest of talos above, so you can prolly ignore what I wrote here and just play that.
Priest of Talos Is probably the best of the cleric kits in terms of bonus abilities. However, neutral or good priest have an edge as some priest attack spells are based on alignment and most enemies are evil. And a pure class cleric will not compete with a F/C. RP wise there is no reason a powerful berserker warrior might not later turn to the worship of Talos.
I'll be whipping out the old powercombo of Zerker, Inquis, Ran/Cler, Thi/Illus, Sorc and playing the game straight up on Path of Bhaal or whatever that hardcore mode was called. Been waiting for some kind of infinity engine challenge for soooo long now, gonna be amazing.
And no, I wasn't impressed with the characters in normal EE, maybe on another playthrough, but not the main one.
Oh... I usually have a nasty party, with Edwin in it, but I'll have to go with Minsc in this one. It seems Jim Cummings is the big star in Siege of Dragonspear
My plans have now changed yet again. The Blackguard I built turned out to be way too powerful for me to appreciate all the subtleties of a new game, so I decided to try something completely different (for me anyway). I set out to build a non-squishy mage that would have more magical clout than an m/c fighter/mage. So, I dual-classed an 18/70 Str, 18 Wis Fighter to Mage at level 3, which I'm sure isn't 'optimal' but I just wanted to get some HP under my belt. I also gave him three pips in crossbows so he's now a level 4 mage wandering around in Ankheg armour and wielding the Army Scythe.
My monk, Ank, and his party of good-doers will embark on this new adventure. Imoen, Garrick (yes, that guy you never take with you), Yeslick, Kivan and Neera will be my allways helpfull companions in my quest to bring goodness to the Sword Coast.
Comments
Initially? Probably a Fighter/Illusionist.
I haven't taken a firm decision about which character to take into SoD first, but ... it may make sense to keep it simple the first time, when I don't yet know how the new game works, so maybe I'll take my Cavalier first.
Right now I'm thinking of starting BG1 with a Blackguard just to be on the safe side!
So, SoD shouldn't affect the ToB XP because the XP from SoD is just added to SoA but when you play SoA, there're many ways of getting XP there already.
But of course it will add XP, so getting HLAs in SoA will be faster. We know that in SoD we'll get level 12th thieves, thus getting at least 440000-161000 = 279 k additional XP ((if comapared with BGEE) for your character.
This amount of extra XP (assuming party play and/or keeping the XP cap) will have significant effects on the early stages of BG2:SoA, but the impact on later stages of SoA and on ToB will be attenuated by the much greater amounts of XP you gather as you proceed through BG2, since it's no more than the difference which can be made by some in-game choices of action. (For example, the level at which you reach ToB will be more affected by your decision about when to tackle WK than by any effect of SoD.)
I'd guess that the "average effect" across all players and protagonists might be that a protagonist will usually hit ToB one level higher ... but for some multi-class characters, it might not quite make enough difference to level them up, although some others (e.g. single-classed Rogues) might just about make it to two levels higher.
Plus, I think that the Shining Lady is a dominated metallic dragon.
I think a human Cavalier would be best suited. After all...
but i'd still like xp in SoA and ToB to be reduced as a consequence of this increase
(The looming SoD game keeps me from running any new BG2EE game, because the old characters need to get throught SoD first
It takes full advantage of the 19con
That...and because you can eventually stack armor of faith with the defender of easthaven to make him extra tanky. Also, having your dwarf kick arse in close combat will just feel right, I guarantee it.
When I rolled my neutral evil human Blackguard that I intend to take all the way through the new, improved saga my current party was getting it's backside kicked in ToB, so I very much had that endgame in mind when I built him. Therefore I re-rolled like never before (ending up with 18/99, 18, 18, 10, 10, 14), removed the XP cap and soloed the first three chapters. That character, who has just finished BG, now has straight 19s in the first three stats and has comfortably reached level 9 - a bit OTT maybe?
Bards rock. Dwarves rock. A dwarf bard? It's almost to much pwnage to imagine!
Would you go cleric or fighter/cleric? I don't care about power-gaming or creating the perfect NPC. I'm more into roll playing and creating an interesting and fun character.
Edit: just realized you wrote about playing a priest of talos above, so you can prolly ignore what I wrote here and just play that.
And no, I wasn't impressed with the characters in normal EE, maybe on another playthrough, but not the main one.
I set out to build a non-squishy mage that would have more magical clout than an m/c fighter/mage. So, I dual-classed an 18/70 Str, 18 Wis Fighter to Mage at level 3, which I'm sure isn't 'optimal' but I just wanted to get some HP under my belt. I also gave him three pips in crossbows so he's now a level 4 mage wandering around in Ankheg armour and wielding the Army Scythe.
Imoen, Garrick (yes, that guy you never take with you), Yeslick, Kivan and Neera will be my allways helpfull companions in my quest to bring goodness to the Sword Coast.