@Eadwyn_G8keeper - I'm playing through with a Blade now (BGEE) and I plan on pouring on the cheese once I get to BG2EE, since I'll need all the help I can get
Blades are not weak. They just requiers more management than warrior classes. If you manage them well, however, they are much more powerful. Any melee able to cast Stoneskin and Improved Haste is a potential killer
It's hard to compare a Blade to warrior types since they're very different. They're only similar in the sense that you can give a Blade Kundane/Belm and have him go to town with Improved Haste.
The real strength of the Blade comes from his being a bard. He can use just about any item and most wands, so if you know the location of these items you can pretty much just breeze through most pre-ToB content. He can steal, so from the get-go you have a distinct advantage only rogue types enjoy. He gains levels fast, so in practice his THAC0 actually remains competitive for most of the game. Finally he has a relatively higher spellcasting level than other spellcasters, which means his spells are more powerful when he gains access to them. This means stronger nukes, longer lasting debuffs/buffs and access to Melf's Minute Meteors as early as BG:EE - how many classes do you know can hit 5 attacks per round at maximum damage per hit, using ranged attacks that hit as +5 weapons in BG:EE? I'd say the mini-whirlwind (MMM + Offensive Spin) is the Blade's signature ability, and it doesn't even rely on items.
As a bard, a Blade also has very high lore (especially if you like rolling stats over and over and max Int/Wis, 100+ is not particularly hard to get on a bard) even with the kit penalty. What this means is that you could argue that he is one of the few characters that can legitimately use metaknowledge- seriously, the guy know obscure facts about supposedly long lost items. He should also know (or at least, suspect) where these items might be.
We actually had a topic about this in the old Bioware forums, about the cheesiest class/kit. Bards were in the lead (because in BG2 metaknowledge > just about anything) along with the FMT (triple class = greater access to cheesy tactics) and some illusionist/x variant (cleric, IIRC, because there was a LOT of interesting things you could do with the mage + cleric spell list).
@Moonheart - Oh yes, I know Blade's aren't weak I was reading about all they can do which why I'm playing . Like I said, I look forward to enjoying some ripe cheese =P
@Nuin - Yes, I like you're summary and it is exactly why I want to play a blade. He should be fun in a party since as you pointed he will always have the highest spell caster level and I think getting to HLAs earlier.
@Aewyrven Negative Plane Protection grants him immunity to Level Drain, not getting his brains sucked out by an Illithid.
Ah well. Guess I take 2 brain noms to the standard 4. If I keep playing him. I want the bg to be so bad ass but it's really a ... lackluster kind of kit.
Hello friends. Personally I enjoy being extremely cheesy, both at the beginning when I need to to survive sometimes and later on when its just very funny. Chess fight? I don't think so pal, not with all these wands of fire.
No-one has as many friends as the man with many cheeses! Not in the mood for cheese? That excuse has more holes than this fine slice of Gorgombert! Be the big cheese on your block with a wheel of the good stuff!
Comments
If you manage them well, however, they are much more powerful. Any melee able to cast Stoneskin and Improved Haste is a potential killer
It's hard to compare a Blade to warrior types since they're very different. They're only similar in the sense that you can give a Blade Kundane/Belm and have him go to town with Improved Haste.
The real strength of the Blade comes from his being a bard. He can use just about any item and most wands, so if you know the location of these items you can pretty much just breeze through most pre-ToB content. He can steal, so from the get-go you have a distinct advantage only rogue types enjoy. He gains levels fast, so in practice his THAC0 actually remains competitive for most of the game. Finally he has a relatively higher spellcasting level than other spellcasters, which means his spells are more powerful when he gains access to them. This means stronger nukes, longer lasting debuffs/buffs and access to Melf's Minute Meteors as early as BG:EE - how many classes do you know can hit 5 attacks per round at maximum damage per hit, using ranged attacks that hit as +5 weapons in BG:EE? I'd say the mini-whirlwind (MMM + Offensive Spin) is the Blade's signature ability, and it doesn't even rely on items.
As a bard, a Blade also has very high lore (especially if you like rolling stats over and over and max Int/Wis, 100+ is not particularly hard to get on a bard) even with the kit penalty. What this means is that you could argue that he is one of the few characters that can legitimately use metaknowledge- seriously, the guy know obscure facts about supposedly long lost items. He should also know (or at least, suspect) where these items might be.
We actually had a topic about this in the old Bioware forums, about the cheesiest class/kit. Bards were in the lead (because in BG2 metaknowledge > just about anything) along with the FMT (triple class = greater access to cheesy tactics) and some illusionist/x variant (cleric, IIRC, because there was a LOT of interesting things you could do with the mage + cleric spell list).
@Nuin - Yes, I like you're summary and it is exactly why I want to play a blade. He should be fun in a party since as you pointed he will always have the highest spell caster level and I think getting to HLAs earlier.
No-one has as many friends as the man with many cheeses! Not in the mood for cheese? That excuse has more holes than this fine slice of Gorgombert! Be the big cheese on your block with a wheel of the good stuff!