Half-elven Fighter-Mage
Lemernis
Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
In a BG:EE game how would you play this race/class in the following aspects?:
weapons profs
equipment
spellbook
There are a number of approaches. One choice is whether to melee vs. use the bow. If meleeing, do you melee without armor in order to spellcast? Do you then dual-wield? Which weapons do you specialize in? Which spells do you memorize? How do you integrate spells and martial combat? Which enchanted items do you equip the character with?
I know a lot of players will prefer to build a human dual-classed Kensai-Mage. But I'm not a fan of dual-classing. (Too long to wait to get the original class skills back for my taste, and I don't particularly like to power-level, etc.)
I have my own idea of where I'm probably headed, but I would love to hear how others would approach playing this race/multi-class. Thanks!
weapons profs
equipment
spellbook
There are a number of approaches. One choice is whether to melee vs. use the bow. If meleeing, do you melee without armor in order to spellcast? Do you then dual-wield? Which weapons do you specialize in? Which spells do you memorize? How do you integrate spells and martial combat? Which enchanted items do you equip the character with?
I know a lot of players will prefer to build a human dual-classed Kensai-Mage. But I'm not a fan of dual-classing. (Too long to wait to get the original class skills back for my taste, and I don't particularly like to power-level, etc.)
I have my own idea of where I'm probably headed, but I would love to hear how others would approach playing this race/multi-class. Thanks!
Post edited by Lemernis on
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Comments
That said, I usually go for longswords. They are just really versatile. Scimitars are good, too, if you go good-aligned and murder Drizzt.
If it was just BG2, I'd say katanas all day long because Dak'kon's Zarth Blade and the Celestial Fury are just silly overpowered in the hands of a fighter/mage. We'll have to wait and see what kind of Katanas we get for BG:EE still.
The level 1 spell "Armor" is your friend. It's basically like wearing regular chain mail for 9 hours. Ranged, melee. Doesn't matter. Use it. You only ever need one preparation of it per day. Chances are if you fight something that can dispel it, you'll be resting right after the fight anyway.
I would memorise a lot of defensive and combat oriented spells and immunities, preferably ones with good durations, but in combat itself if would mainly be melee fighting, just using buffs and so on before hand.
The only excepetion would be vs mages I would take to time to cast breach or w/e to get through thier protections.
Also, it's important to take into account whether you are soloing. This build above is specified for that. If not the you can pretty much choose what you want to do and it will work out fine.
To answer your question: at first I'd put profs in long sword or scimitars but still use Magic Missiles and bow (without proficencies), staying at distance. You know...kiting in BG1 is THE tactic.
Later on pick long swords/scimitars and dual-wield.
As for armors, always keep one with you. To avoid risks don't go in melee until you get Mirror Image. Later on, when you also get Stone Skin, you can definitely say bb to your bow tactic.
At that point you can also cast PfE, Blur, Mirror Image, Haste, Stone Skin and THEN put an armor on.
You can basicly start using the fighter aspect of this multi, wearing armor and using the first grade only to identify and throwing in an occasional sleep/blind spell.
When reaching the second spell grade, make sure you get good bracers of AC fast. As you've got quite a decent THAC0, you can make use of ghoul grip. Other than that, always keep a nice plate armor in your backpack, so that you can swap in the real armor for fights you don't need spellcasting for (like 99% of fights in BG1 lowlevel content).
Basicly, until reaching the 4th spell grade, you will play your fighter/mage like a fighter, just unequipping the armor for certain fights where you can use your spells for more benefit.
This multi makes sense playing it melee when reaching the 4th spellgrade and stoneskin becomes available. From this point on, play with bracers of AC only and use your touch and cc spells to take out your enemies and beat them to death in melee.
I gotta say this style of play makes no that much sense in BG1, as you simply won't reach the required levels early enough to have a real use from this class.
It totally shines in BG2, though, where all the melee enhancement spells and protection spells kick in.
For the ranged build, simply select profiencies in bows and archer the shit out of every enemy you see, occasionally throwing in some spells where you need them (magic missile is awesome for canceling enemy spellcasters; other than that, cc and dispel spells are probably the way to go).
I personally think a dualclassing (as a human) this makes more sense than actual multiclassing as you gain the most benefits of your fighter on the first 7 levels (additional attacks, weapon profiency, weapon types that can be used, hitpoints) - after that, you pretty much only gain more THAC0 - especially when the 10th level is reached and you don't gain any hit dies anymore (just the plain constitution bonus).
It's the very first PC build I used to complete BG1 a dozen years ago. I didn't use the character very well in that run-through. I would like to go back to it and 'get it right' for nostalgia's sake what with the re-release of the game.
When I created the character I didn't realize that a Fighter-Mage can't cast in armor. So I ended up either meleeing and barely using magic, or using the bow a lot.
I'm a bit of a RP fanatic. So although the game mechanics allow the donning of armor in the midst of combat I don't think I can bring myself to do it, lol.
Maybe they put one soft elven armor in this enhanced edition, but that's not a big problem anyway.
As @Zwiebelchen, I'd go for a human fighter dualed mage. But unlike him I'll dual at lvl13, to have 2 base attacks and 8 prof points (5 in the weapon and 3 in dual-wield).
Although I usually had it equipped on Viconia or some other low strength NPC
Ah, right. It's been a long time.
Mithril Chain: base AC 1, +2bonus vs slashing, -2 penality vs crushing
Ankheg's Plate: base AC 1, +3bonus vs slashing, +1 bonus vs piercing, +1 bonus vs missile
This is solo btw, so it'll prob be fine with other party members
In BG2 with elven chain and increased level cap its more practical, you have lots of defensive spells like mirror image, stoneskin, etc which greatly helps the fighter aspect of things, crowd control like glitterdust, sleep, hold person, charm, etc, which is useful (which you should be able to cast while under the effects of mirror image, stoneskin, etc + the AC from fighter). furthermore, stuff like magic missile and at (much later levels) comet etc (fast casting spells) lets you interrupt other spell casters and also if needed quickly clear an area. contingencies help lots. Also, haste improved haste will make you a god, dont forget you'll get access to whirlwind too. You dont really need that much STR, for me, 12 was good enough (to get the 90 weight capacity). The rest was int and con/wis, charisma 10, dex 9.
I used quarterstaff n sling, cause i could put 2 prof from mage, and the rest from fighter (be slightly more point conservative). Plus, staffs were pretty good in BG2 IIRC, and so were slings (if you got bonus merchants) + with haste you can run around and sling people to death without getting hurt, took a while though, slow spell helped heaps.
Will say though, i was resting heaps solo, if it was real life, my char would be sleeping for about 18 hours in a day.
Fighter/Mass Multi-class:
-3 profs in Two-Weapon fighting, specialization in scimitars (then whatever else strikes my fancy)
-The best in the game, of course. My character deserves the finest Baldur's Gate has to offer, don't you know?
-I generally don't worry about this, since I typically keep potions of Mind focusing/Genius on hand in case I find spell scrolls my character's 18-level intelligence can't learn natively.
My typical plan is to acquire the Amulet of Power and Ring of Protection +2 ASAP. I also go for the Robe of Vecna (cheese ftw), Usuno's Blade in Watcher's Keep Level 1 (not as hard as you think) and any of the items available in Trademeet since a lot of awesome stuff can be found there (such as a cloak that gives you blue and boosted saves (I forget the name) and the Belt of Inertial Barrier). Furthermore you can get spells such as Protection from Magical Energy, Improved Haste (x2 attacks) and Protection from Magical Weapons. (!!!)
Spellwise, you're better off starting with spells such as Mirror Image, Ghost Armor and Haste. Hold is also a valuable spell, as the enemies in the beginning of the game succumb to it easily. I also recommend Melf's Acid Arrow, Lightning Bolt, Find Familiar (those extra HP are a godsend) and Skull Trap (it's less of a party-killer than fireball and it has no damage cap).
Katanas (Celestial fury alone makes this worth investing in), long swords, bastard swords, flails (Flail of Ages!) and Two-Handed Swords are also good weapon slots to invest in. Personally I pick one way of fighting (Two Handed, Two Weapon, etc) and focus on placing slots in those styles - if you develop a specific area you can fight extremely effectively with your spells protecting you as you fight. Just my personal opinion - I fight with two weapons so I always put 3 slots in Two Weapon Style every time.
Just a few pointers.
The first character I beat SoA with was an Elven Fighter/Mage.
In BG1, a Fighter/Mage/Thief has the advantage though, since you're comparing pure 7 fighter, 7 mage, or 8 thief vs multi 6f/6m vs 5f/5m/6t. It's really in BG2 where a huge gap occurs, since the exp for levels turns into a static 250k for fighter, 375k for mage, and 220k for thief. It's like F/M at 500k XP. He's effectively pure F-1 and pure M-1.
With thief levels, you don't have to worry about stray arrows, and can get the drop on enemies. Being able to stealth is such a huge advantage, not to mention you can reach a triple backstab even with a f/m/t in BG1, and x5 in SoA.
The Fighter/Mage is tricky because if you want to cast any spells, you can't wear even leather, which I found very annoying. Also, with thief, spell selection is easier, since you can utilize those invisibility spells for major advantages. That being said, when you finally get Improved Haste, you will slaughter.
For F/M, I dual wielded longswords (you'll eventually reach 8 to 10 attacks with Improved Haste, and can attack during Timestop). With a F/M/T I would go longswords (or shortswords), and longbows, because while there is a +2 longsword and +3 shortsword and I like to focus on one huge hit, I also like the utility of the bow (arrows of dispelling, biting, slaying, detonation) when combined with stealth scouting.
That being said, F/M/T will never reach level 9 spells even at 8 million xp (ToB cap), whereas a F/M will, so it's tricky. Personally, I find the few extra spells from a higher mage level doesn't justify skipping thief altogether.
I must say though, F/M and F/M/T are both iconic elven class combinations, and both are epic. Also, in 2nd ed rules, all standard elves (high elves and wood elves, basically) have natural stealth in forest areas, effectively making even the common elf fighter a F/T while in the woods (75% stealth or something like that). This extends to the F/M, meaning that F/M/T really only has the advantage of being able to stealth in other environs, as well as having an aptitude for thievery. But you're a half elf, so none of this applies to you.
As for spellbook, I'd imagine anything that augments your fighter abilities is usually best, since in that respect, you can surpass a pure fighter. That's what I did anyways, since with mage you have access to so many protections and combat enhancements.
As for the race options for a multi class, half-elf is certainly the weakest, mechanically. Still, no reason not to go for it if you want to, it's not crippling or anything. Gnome is by far the best because of their automatic specialisation in illusion which means another spell per day memorized. A big help, especially in the very beginning when you're really low on spells. Elf is good mainly for their resistances and the to hit boni with swords and bows. Their -1 CON doesn't hurt much and their +1 DEX helps a bit if you go archer.
Personally I'd never wear armor as a Fighter/Mage (at least before Alysferund Elven Chain comes along and probably not even then because Robe of Vecna is too useful). The possibility to throw out another spell in combat nearly always beats a few points of AC for me and, really, your spells offer possibilities for protecting yourself that no armor can match. Your only worry should be if you've got enough spells to last you through a day and if you've got the right protection up at the right moment. You'll have precious few spells in the beginning but luckily there's the ring that you can easily pick up right after Candlekeep on your way to the Friendly Arm that doubles your 1st level spells. That should be your first priority for equipment.
For weapons, well that depends if I plan to carry this character all the way to ToB or not. I generally like melee better than archery but archery has some great synergies, especially if you play an elf. If I'd go for archery I'd put my points into short bows for the eagle bow in BG1 and whatsitsname in BG2. For melee weapons I'd probably dual wield. The extra attack per round is great in the beginning of BG1 when everybody has just one attack and later there are some great passive effects on some weapons that really only make sense as off hand weapons (Da'kkon's Zerth Blade comes to mind or Belm and that short sword that gives you an extra attack, forgot the name). Apart from that it's a bit tricky. Scimitars are of course the best weapons you can find in BG1 but you have to kill Drizzt for them and I never can bring myself to do it. Also in SoA and ToB there aren't any really good scimitars anymore. Long swords are second best in BG1, I think, but it's a pretty bad choice in SoA and ToB. Katanas are of course great in SoA, so I often went with long swords in BG1 and respecced to katanas in BG2 but in ToB they become very underwhelming. Axes and hammers are weapons that have some decent options all the way through the saga.
As for spells, well, mage armor will serve you well in the beginning. It gives you AC 6, by no means great but better than studded leather (and not much worse than what your pure warriors will have in the beginning) and lasts for nine hours. Enough to get you through a whole day. It's always the first thing to cast after resting. This spell also means that you can completely ignore Bracers of Armor in BG1 because the best also give only AC 6. You're always better off using Bracers of DEX/Ogre Power/Archery or whatever depending on your stats or setup. Shield is also a good spell to have to cast before tougher fights and especially fights with archers (sets your AC v missiles on par with plate mail). It lasts long enough to get you even through drawn out battles. When you get higher level spells mirror image, protection from missiles, ghost armor and of course stoneskin will help you stay alive far better than even the best armor.
As for other equipment, Robes of the Archmagi are the best protective item in BG1 for mages, iirc. They give you AC5. Still not great but by the time you can afford them AC is a secondary concern anyway. It frees up one 1st level spell slot in any case since you won't have any use for mage armor anymore.
For general tactics and spell selection, I think a Fighter/Mage can easily forgo any direct damage spells. Use your weapons to deal damage, you can do much more interesting things with your spells. I think protecting yourself, buffing yourself and disabling/debuffing your enemies should be priorities and probably in this order, too. Which means, with the general lack of buffing spells for mages in BG1 (strength and haste is about all there is but at least haste is really good; strength depends), memorize the best protective spells for every level first and fill up the rest with stuff like sleep, grease, web, slow, hold whatever, confusion and such.
But aren't they adding in Elven chain mail into the game? That could be your armour.
No, reportedly the mithril chainmail allows thieves to stealth but does not allow not mages to spellcast. That matches my memory, FWIW. That's a detail I had forgotten having been away from the game for four years, but SandmanCCL seems well versed in all this.
But Drizzt's Mithril Chain +4 still bars arcane spells. Just his doesn't count.
Hmm, in the lore of the Forgotten Realms is there any known elven chainmail that allows mages to cast spells?
Thanks for this excellent and well thought-out overview!
Not sure yet if I'll take this PC on to BG2:EE, so I'm most interested in your feedback about BG1.
I will most likely dual-wield Varscona and Scimitar +1 (eventually +2). But I also wonder how it would work out to split profs between quarterstaff and bow... There are some pretty darned powerful staffs in the game, with high THACO bonuses and damage. Might be kind of fun to see if I can bob and weave using both the bow and quarterstaff, eg, fall back momentarily and fire the bow, spellcast, close in and use staff, etc. Might get a bit dizzying though.
I'll definitely pick up both Rings of Wizardry (IIRC, there's two in the game, right?). For other equipment:
Robe of the Archmagi
Amulet of Metaspell Influence
Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise
Golden Girdle
Boots of Avoidance
And beyond armor buffing spells, spell-wise I always use Sleep and Horror a lot--although I'll have Neera to cast those too. I use mostly disabling spells such as Hold and Charm (or variations thereof). Absolutely love Ghoul Touch. Emotion: Hoplessness, Slow, Blind, Chaos. That sort of thing.
a) dual-wielding swords (safest)
b) quarterstaff and bow (unorthodox, I know--I actually have no idea how that would work out)
c) some other weapons profs
which would you pick?
Proper weapon sets are being developed and were set to be included in a patch after the release, I'm hoping now that the game is being pushed back, that weapons sets will come with the launch date.
What I mean by proper weapon sets - for example take Imoen, you can have her equipped with a shortbow one moment, then instantly swap out to sword and buckler the next, all without inventory arranging.
But switching out from bow to a one-handed weapon plus shield would be rather tough in the blink of an eye. I know the game mechanics and GUI allow it. But I don't think I would use that feature if it would be almost physically impossible to 'actually' do in that world.
Hope that makes sense. That's just me being an anal RPer though.