Contemplating DualClass vs. Multiclass for Fighter/Cleric
Qayin
Member Posts: 29
Hey guys.
having played BG only once (And never playing BG2) i lack the knowledge and experience you have.
i read some about the above question and am not sure what to do - i want to get the best and strongest Fighter/cleric combo and use it for BG1+2 (and even 3 if it comes one day) so we're talking marathon, not sprint.
from what i understand if i go Dualclass i can:
get grand mastery. more weapon types, Be human (any upside to this?), pick class kits, and i don't understand why but people say that end-game (BG2 or even 3 one day) it will be stronger than Multiclass - but bad side is that u get a big patch of very hard time in the game after u dual (planing on level 13 fighter) untill ill get lvl 14 cleric
and if i go Multiclass its:
a dwarf or half orc (if they put it in), i cant put more than 2 stats in weapon specc and use only 3 weapon types, leveling is simpler and easier, since i get stronger all the time, unlike the drop when i duelclass, if im dwarf and lucky i can start with 19 con (but only 17 dex), and no class kits...
if u can, id like you to confirm the above and add any other info you can,
Thank You!
having played BG only once (And never playing BG2) i lack the knowledge and experience you have.
i read some about the above question and am not sure what to do - i want to get the best and strongest Fighter/cleric combo and use it for BG1+2 (and even 3 if it comes one day) so we're talking marathon, not sprint.
from what i understand if i go Dualclass i can:
get grand mastery. more weapon types, Be human (any upside to this?), pick class kits, and i don't understand why but people say that end-game (BG2 or even 3 one day) it will be stronger than Multiclass - but bad side is that u get a big patch of very hard time in the game after u dual (planing on level 13 fighter) untill ill get lvl 14 cleric
and if i go Multiclass its:
a dwarf or half orc (if they put it in), i cant put more than 2 stats in weapon specc and use only 3 weapon types, leveling is simpler and easier, since i get stronger all the time, unlike the drop when i duelclass, if im dwarf and lucky i can start with 19 con (but only 17 dex), and no class kits...
if u can, id like you to confirm the above and add any other info you can,
Thank You!
0
Comments
My issue with dual classing is that for 2/3 of any given game, your character Is a gimped version of the character you actually want to play. Serious endgame powergamers can have fun with it, but I never have. Personal preference.
The advantage of dualing into a caster is that you'll be able to access more high level spells by the end of ToB, where a multiclasser won't have as many options.
The issue of weapon profiencencies is mitigated by the fact that Mastery and Grand Mastery were nerfed in BG2 and not terribly better than Specialized, at least without using a mod to reverse Bioware's decision. If you do use a mod, it's something to consider, otherwise I think it's a wash.
There's no benefit to playing human outside dual classing and romance content.
As for dualclass, the most deciding factor is when you need the clerics spells. Good levels are...
3: This will give you cleric spells quite quickly, but should be avoided for the long run.
6: This is the highest level that allow you to regain your fighter skills in BG, (but maybe not BGEE).
7: Now you get 1/2 extra attack per round. This is when Anomen dualed.
8: This is for berserkers only.
9: You get full con-bonuses for all nine levels. Good level for the kensai.
12: Decent level for both kensai and berserker but 13 is better.
13: Another 1/2 extra attack. Based on your wishes, this is what I recommend.
I'd avoid higher levels than that.
In my opinion, the strongest fighter kit to start with if you plan to become a cleric is the berserker, but some will argue for kensai. In short, the longer you wait, the stronger your character will be in the long run.
If you don't mind using a bug, the humans (at least level 8, don't pick archer or stalker) and half-elves can also be ranger-clerics getting access to some sweet druid spells.
However.. you say you want 13 Fight and thus need 14 Cleric to regain those abilities. I wouldn't worry about that, In Bg2 you can reach lvl 14 Cleric in no time at all. However, as a tip, when dualclassing like this, you might want to avoid actually clicking the level up button until the cleric is lvl 14, or you'll have to place your Weapon pips all across the board, since you'll be restricted to one pip per weapon until 14.
If you don't wait, you'll end up with a pip in sling, mace, warhammer, flail, sword 'n shield style, etc etc.
If you wait you can end up with near grand mastery in both warhammer and flail.. and never look back.
As for race.. well, being dwarf or orc sure kills a lot of content in terms of romances. You'll miss out on all of it, unless you use a mod to remove racial restrictions. But can't half-elves multi as fighter/cleric? I've never tried this, now that i concider it..
But! All in all, Bg games aren't too difficult anyway and unless you purposely gimp your char you'll be fine.
IF orc/dwarf are the only ones who can multi fighter/cleric, I'd go Human just for the extra content.
Use Berserker as my fighter kit, get to lvl 4 or 8 (or whenver you get 2nd or 3rd use of Berserk /day)
And then jump to Cleric.
'Cos.. if you get 4 berserker, you'll get 2x uses of berserk/day which is enough and you'll only have to wait for time equivalent to lvl 5 cleric in xp, before you can lvl up and assign your weapon pips like that of a fighter.
1) There's a considerable wait to enjoy both class skills simultaneously. Especially when optimizing a character for the entire saga (eg, dualing a Fighter at level 13).
It is true that the character will be more powerful when you do get eventually both skills via dual-classing. But for me that trade-off just isn't worth the time spent in the game going without the original class skills and starting at level 1 of the new class.
If you're not averse to powergaming you can mitigate the wait time to a good degree by soloing and 'powerleveling' via munchkin-ish tactics (eg, in BG 1 go early to the bassilisk map and solo it). But that's not the kind of game that I enjoy.
2) I like to play the game in the way that it would most 'believably' occur (in the fantasy world, lol--an oxymoron, I know). I probably would not solo, which would be insanely dangerous. And I would definitely want the companionship of party members.
Nor would I likely achieve a considerably high level of skill in a chosen adventuring profession only to drop it entirely and embark on an entirely different set of skills. (And then suddenly at some point return to the original class and start using those skills again.) I can envision a character concept that does that legitimately, but it's still a stretch. And it's not something that I could ever see myself doing if I were really there in that world. So it's immersion-breaking for me, and then hard for me to enjoy in-game.
Call this 'role-playing' for lack of a better term.
The nice thing about multi-classing for me is that you're growing in both class skillsets simultaneously throughout the game. And you're leveling up in one or the other regularly. You will still be powerful as all-get-out, even if not perfectly maxed.
If looking a human is the concern, my solution is to choose half-elf and simply change the sprite to Human appearance via Shadowkeeper. (Hopefully SK or some similar editor or mod will be made compatible with BG:EE right away.) Half-elves can often 'pass' for human in Realmslore.
You also missed one of the perks of dualclassing. As a fighter you get full bonus for your constitution. As a multiclass anything above 16 will only give HP for your fighter levels and thus gets divided by 2 (or 3 for FCM/FTM).
One last thing. When you pick a race, consider what romance (if any) you want. Dwarfs gets no love and only Viconia will look twice at a half-orc. Maybe the new NPCs will be more tolerant.
after reading everything i can honestly say i am even more torn =(
it seems that "reason" wise and "immesion wise" Multiclass is the more comfortable one.
and end-game pwnzorz is the better one + content.
i think that im more drawn to Dualing atm (esp because of the storyline thing)
my thoughts are this, since i DO believe in immersion the way i see it is this;
*i will 100% remove the XP cap, since a cap it totally non-immerssive and unrealistic
*DC could make sense in my mind if u have a mentor that teaches you to abandon all you know about the arts of war in order to be a true warrior in the future, and after ur surpass urself u become really strong (i dont find this hard to believe and it might be the reason behind what the D&D rules
*i wouldnt mind farming for levels only to gain power, but i wouldn't know where to do that...
any ideas?
@Qayin Dual classing from a roleplaying standpoint -- especially going from a fighter to a cleric -- makes sense and could be a lot of fun.
You could play BG1 as a fighter and mercenary who uses the church to garner better reputation in the world for himself and his comrades.
In BG2, your increasing bloodlust and berserker rage causes Jaheira, the love of your life (haha), to spurn you. As a result, you decide to become a cleric and give up your blackhearted ways (conviently at the exact moment you ding level 13 *cough*).
Finally, after defeating Jon and forgiving Saeverok, you make peace with your past and regain your warrior skills.
(This would also offer a really legit use of Shadowkeeper -- to change, say, your alignment from Neutral Evil to Chaotic Good to reflect the changes in your character as they transition from one role to another.)
F/C multi : 85% damage reduction + Regeneration spell + Dwarf saving throws = Immortal
F/C dual : 45 % damage reduction + regeneration spell = hard-ish to kill
A F/C dual will run out of HLA abilties long before they hit max level. A F/C Multi will get all the cleric HLA AND a bunch of fighter ones.
7 F/C Dual, lots of downtime in BG1, ends up pretty crappy at the end game.
F/C Multi, no downtime, same max level as a F/C dual in BG1, ends up MUCH more powerful in the end game.
Dual-class isn't implemented properly due to engine limitations.
In pnp you retain ALL of your abilities at all times, but if you utilize them rather then relying on your current class, you gain no experience for the encounter, because you're relying on old knowledge rather then learning more about your new class. Once you've progressed further then your previous class, you're able to integrate it's knowledge and abilities into your new profession without hindering your growth in your new profession.