Elves
Lelo
Member Posts: 60
I'm starting a new game of BG because the new expansion is coming next week and I have a few questions. What classes can an elf play? What is better multi class or dual class and why? What level would be best to change from one class to another? When should I go back to previous class to level it up more? Do I go back to secondary class to level it up more or what? How do I switch between classes? Any other information would be greatly appreciated!
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The best level to switch depends heavily on what classes are involved, for fighters either 7, 9 are 13 are favoured because of the improvements to Attacks Per Round (at 7 & 13) and the extra Hit Points (which max out at level 9). For other classes, the optimum point will vary depending on when they gain various abilities.
For multi-classes, all xp is spilt evenly between the classes so they level up parallel to each other (and slower than a single class due to the division of xp).
Fighter/Thief
Fighter/Mage
Mage/Thief
Fighter/Mage/Thief
Even in BG2 where longswords drop off, you'll be alright. You get enough proficiency points to learn a new weapon of choice, such as katanas.
One class I'd consider playing as an Elf though would be the Archer kit. Elves get a Dexterity bonus which improves their use with ranged weapons, they get a thaco bonus with bows, and the Archer's bonuses to ranged weapon abilities stack on top of the Elf race bonuses plus being able to have grandmastery in bows. Definitely can't go wrong with the Archer kit as an Elf, they destroy a lot of things in BG1 before your party members lay a finger on them sometimes. Called Shot is a neat little ability on top of that giving you a decent debuff later on, and with how often you hit your target you're great at dealing with spellcasters and disrupting spellcasting.
Dragon Disciple kit is very good. Casting Web and then hitting them with your breath weapon is a great way to get rid of rabble
Multiclasses can't use kits.
edit:
With the exception of gnomes, which are forced to be illusionists as Tad points out below.
Technically the Fighter/Illusionist, but only Gnomes can do that.
But I doubt anyone will say anything different from "Kensai".
Multiclasses can only incorporate pure-classes: Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Thief, Ranger, Druid. The only exception is Gnomes, who always take Illusionist if Mage is a part of their multi.
If dual-classing as a human, you can pick a kit for the first class... So a Kensai can d/c to Mage, for example.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/663933-baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/faqs
Thanks! Any other sites anyone can think of would be great!
Unless you use EEKeeper to edit your exported character or save file, you won't be able to have a specialist Mage with that multiclass. Only Fighter/Mage, just in case you weren't sure.
Also remember every specialist Mage has an opposition school of spells they won't be able to learn, in exchange for the extra spells per spell level they get, so keep that in mind if you're set on playing a specialist Mage. As a Fighter/Mage, you'll be more set on using defensive spells and buffing abilities to strengthen your fighting abilities, so it's something to keep in mind with whatever spells you may lose out on as a specialist Mage.
Here are a few pointers.
As a fighter/mage multi you can:
-specialise in any weapon. That means putting two weapon points. It gives you +1 to hit and +2 damage plus half an extra attack a round for that weapon. Specialising on bows are very useful in bg1.
-you can wear any armor but you can not cast mage spells while wearing armor. You can wear robes or elven chainmail when and if you can find them, and still cast spells. Magical bracers are also good to get protection, also there are various armor spells. So in the early game at very low levels, you may carry a spare armor, like splint mail in your pack, when you cast your few spells put it on act like a pure fighter till you rest.
-you can wear helmets (and you should! They protect vs critical hits!) and shields without any penalty to your mage abilities.
-any xp you gain will be divided by 2 to add to your seperate classes, you will level up slowly and generally be one level lower than pure classes in bg1, as xp requirements double up each level. For example, a pure mage can be lvl 5 while you can be fighter4 plus mage4 with the same xp. The thing is, pure mage at lvl 5 can cast third circle spells like a powerful fireball. While you will be much more efficient at fighting with unlimited weapon selection.
-you can use any wand and scroll usable by mages. If you can find them, wands are powerful in bg1. You can don full plate mail and do all your castings from wands. Like I said before you can not cast your spells while in armor BUT you can use wands.
-to learn a spell as a mage, you need to find or buy the scroll for the spell. You can either use the scroll to cast the spell, put it on quick slot and use from there:you will cast the spell once, but the scroll will be gone. Or you can right click and choose write magic, your character will attempt to copy the spell to your spellbook so you can memorise and cast it as normal in the future. The success rate depends on your intelligence, and whether you succeed or fail the scroll will be used up. If you fail you can not learn the spell unless you find another scroll.
-half elf is inferiour to elf when it comes to fighter/mage. Elves get +1 to hit with bows and longswords, and %90 resistance to sleep and charm, while half elves only have %30. Half-elves are viable when you choose to play a bard or druid or cleric/mage multi as elves can not be those. Both can be fighter/mage, however, and elves do it better.
-pick sleep and find familiar spell at the start. Sleep knocks off most trash enemies that are not undead, and find familiar gives you bonus hp. Both are very very useful at the very start. Do not use your familiar in battle if it dies you PERMANENTLY lose constitution. Talk to the familiar and put it to your backpack.
-lower is better in terms of ac. A leather armor you can find everywhere has crappy ac, 8, while full plate mail has excellent ac 1 but it is very rare and expensive. Your dexterity and shield also add up to your ac to make it lower, so you are harder to hit and injure. Remember you can not cast spells while wearing armor except robes or elven chain.
Edit: Hmm, the site seems to be down at present, but its worth checking back on.
Thanks for all the information. Elf Fighter/Mage sounds good. Any idea where elven chain could be found?
Sites still down. I'll keep checking back.
Despite the fact that the wiki's administrators (@EriktheMad) are complete retards and will ban you for adding things about the new expansion to the site, such as information on shamans.
Elven chain is found at the end of Dorn's quest. Robes of the Archmagi are going to be better for you though
Are wands fairly easy to find?
This becomes an important factor later in the BG series because your chances of getting a life-saving benefit from Wish spells are much better.
Note also that the Half-Elf with 18 Constitution can look forward to the automatic hit point recovery of a 19 Constitution once the appropriate Tome is collected.