>So for my first playthrough: Evil playthrough. Probably Dorn - Edwin - Montaron - Viconia - Xzar (Dual-classed to Cleric probably) PC Elven Fighter/Mage. This PC will specialize in bow ownage and supporting spells.
Fighter/Mage PC (female neutral evil elf) - dual-wield long sword and/or katanas (which are being added to BGEE - see recent FAQ post from @Tanthalas: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/4765/faq/p7 ), will also use long/composite bow w/o taking the proficiency (still get elf +1THAC0 bow bonus and +1THAC0 long/composite bow bonus anyway)
Dorn (Blackguard) - two-handed sword Kagain (Fighter) - axes, crossbow Monty (Figher/Thief) or Imoen (Thief) or Safana (Thief) - shortsword (dagger for Safana) and sling/shortbow/crossbow, respectively Viconia (Cleric) - mace, sling, then hammers Edwin (Conjurer) - staff, then darts
I usually play with two thieves, though, one focusing on stealth for scouting/backstabs, one focusing on find traps/locks, so this will be quite a challenge for me - initially may need to rely on Dorn's strength to bash locks, with back-up from the Knock spell for tough locks. If I take Imoen, I don't think I'll be dualing her either.
So you're not taking Kagain? I'm not 100% sure about him, might take two thieves instead (Monty and Imoen or Safana). Your party is quite spell-caster heavy with your F/M PC, Edwin, Viconia *and* Xzar, especially if using your F/M primarily from the back row. Also, do you reckon one multi-class thief is enough to do all scouting (no Ranger) *and* traps/locks duty, though? Or will your F/M be CG or CN and using your familiar to do scouting?
Fighter/Mage PC (female neutral evil elf) - dual-wield long sword and/or katanas (which are being added to BGEE - see recent FAQ post from @Tanthalas: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/4765/faq/p7 ), will also use long/composite bow w/o taking the proficiency (still get elf +1THAC0 bow bonus and +1THAC0 long/composite bow bonus anyway)
Dorn (Blackguard) - two-handed sword Kagain (Fighter) - axes, crossbow Monty (Figher/Thief) or Imoen (Thief) or Safana (Thief) - shortsword (dagger for Safana) and sling/shortbow/crossbow, respectively Viconia (Cleric) - mace, sling, then hammers Edwin (Conjurer) - staff, then darts
I usually play with two thieves, though, one focusing on stealth for scouting/backstabs, one focusing on find traps/locks, so this will be quite a challenge for me - initially may need to rely on Dorn's strength to bash locks, with back-up from the Knock spell for tough locks. If I take Imoen, I don't think I'll be dualing her either.
So you're not taking Kagain? I'm not 100% sure about him, might take two thieves instead (Monty and Imoen or Safana). Your party is quite spell-caster heavy with your F/M PC, Edwin, Viconia *and* Xzar, especially if using your F/M primarily from the back row. Also, do you reckon one multi-class thief is enough to do all scouting (no Ranger) *and* traps/locks duty, though? Or will your F/M be CG or CN and using your familiar to do scouting?
Haha, that is very similar, you don't also happen to be thinking about romancing Dorn are you? ;D
I dunno. Looking back that party layout of mine seems kind of weird. I'm thinking I'll either replace Viconia with Eldoth or not dual-class Xzar. Still like you said it's pretty damn Arcane heavy. ... Even more so if I drop Viconia for Eldoth. Yikes. Maybe I should drop Edwin; I like Edwin a lot, he's incredibly powerful and a fun personality besides, but Xzar is my favorite NPC so he's definitely not leaving.
I'm pretty damn sure though that I have enough fighting power. Dorn is gonna be badass with melee and my PC will be a stupidly good bowman of course, as she will have 19 Dexterity and Elven Bow bonus. Montaron is plenty kickass, I really made him a monster last time I ran him through the game. He can be a thief on his own, although yes I will admit the Lock Picking and Trap Finding can get a little tight some times. I made sure to have Potions of Perception in his inventory. Only ended up needing them in the Candlekeep Catacombs and Durlag's Tower. I am very confident in Monty's ability to fulfill all his duties. You just have to spend level up points very wisely. Although I'm sure BG:EE will separate Hide in Shadows and Move Silently, which for the last time makes zero sense to me, I don't understand, and it's fucking annoying. He may suck at hiding in my playthrough, we shall see.
And then another question pops up. Which of these options should I pick?:
Fighter: 16 THAC0 Dexterity bonus: 14 THAC0 Mastery: 11 THAC0 Pros: More spellcasting, better Constitution score as if that truly matters. Cons: Worse THAC0, dual-classing is a pain in the ass.
That's actually a really tough decision I've got to say. I'm thinking I'll have enough mage power so I should just go with the multi. I'm sure I'll have second thoughts tomorrow or some idiocy though ... hah.
So what am I looking at now:
Absolutely yes: Fighter/Mage PC (Rain of arrows. Spell protections and buffs) Dorn (Front-line fighter) Montaron (Thief for all Thief purposes, backstabber, will be slinging) Xzar (Either keep a Necromancer, or Necromancer 6->Cleric 8)
Errr...: Viconia - If I dual-class Xzar she's out. Edwin - If I keep Xzar a Necromancer, he's out. Eldoth - Could use another person with a bow, and a Bard to pick up any potential Arcane slack. If Edwin's in the party though, he's definitely out for that reason, three Arcane casters is more than enough. Kagain - Really doubt this. Two melee-ers in BG1 is retarded from my experience, I'll be honest. Only place it's useful is Durlag's Tower and other really high level shenanigans.
So right now I'm thinking: Fighter/Mage PC Dorn Montaron Xzar Viconia Eldoth
Though I usually really doubt Eldoth's ability to accomplish anything, in this playthrough he obviously could very easily be the #1 candidate for the Gauntlets of Dexterity, which means he could actually be useful.
Anyone else is game... Although I am going to be good, I am going to try and keep my rep around 16 (if I get a plus two rep increase, I wont lose anyone, cant remember getting more than two at a time...)
@toanwrath you look very similar... Are you a doppleganger? I already have a problem with someone else using my name... The Paladin @Anduine is the scourge of evil on these forums... Wont leave an honest thief alone...
If you are a doppleganger, are you a greater or lesser... I wanna know how much xp I will get in advance...
Please don't take me seriously... Not that anyone else on this forum does, not since the lost pants of Baldurran incident anyway...
@toanwrath you look very similar... Are you a doppleganger? I already have a problem with someone else using my name... The Paladin @Anduine is the scourge of evil on these forums... Wont leave an honest thief alone...
If you are a doppleganger, are you a greater or lesser... I wanna know how much xp I will get in advance...
Please don't take me seriously... Not that anyone else on this forum does, not since the lost pants of Baldurran incident anyway...
I actually noticed that our portraits were similar a few days ago, but didn't want to say anything to avoid seeming stalker-ey. Based on number of posts alone, clearly I am a lesser doppelganger. However, my contention is that I am a very cunning assassin who just happens to have a badass disguise and is pretending to be you in order to ruin your reputation.
So for my first playthrough: Evil playthrough. Probably Dorn - Edwin - Montaron - Viconia - Xzar (Dual-classed to Cleric probably) PC Elven Fighter/Mage. This PC will specialize in bow ownage and supporting spells.
For my multiplayer playthrough with my sister: She'll be a Blade, taking Dorn and Xan. I'll be an Avenger, taking Coran and Safana or something like that.
Glad I'm not the only person planning a solo evil playthrough, then playthrough(s) with a sibling
I am planning on playing fighter and then dualing into druid at level 6 or 7. Going druid rather than cleric for level 5 spells (Insect plague), and because I have played cleric that many times already.
For the rest of my party I am planning on having: Kivan Alora (or Coran) Yeslick Neera Rasaad
I will have to rush the main quest until chapter five so I get all the characters, I do not want to recruit Alora when she is level 6 and only has 20% find traps.
Fighter/Mage PC (female neutral evil elf) - dual-wield long sword and/or katanas (which are being added to BGEE - see recent FAQ post from @Tanthalas: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/4765/faq/p7 ), will also use long/composite bow w/o taking the proficiency (still get elf +1THAC0 bow bonus and +1THAC0 long/composite bow bonus anyway)
Dorn (Blackguard) - two-handed sword Kagain (Fighter) - axes, crossbow Monty (Figher/Thief) or Imoen (Thief) or Safana (Thief) - shortsword (dagger for Safana) and sling/shortbow/crossbow, respectively Viconia (Cleric) - mace, sling, then hammers Edwin (Conjurer) - staff, then darts
I usually play with two thieves, though, one focusing on stealth for scouting/backstabs, one focusing on find traps/locks, so this will be quite a challenge for me - initially may need to rely on Dorn's strength to bash locks, with back-up from the Knock spell for tough locks. If I take Imoen, I don't think I'll be dualing her either.
So you're not taking Kagain? I'm not 100% sure about him, might take two thieves instead (Monty and Imoen or Safana). Your party is quite spell-caster heavy with your F/M PC, Edwin, Viconia *and* Xzar, especially if using your F/M primarily from the back row. Also, do you reckon one multi-class thief is enough to do all scouting (no Ranger) *and* traps/locks duty, though? Or will your F/M be CG or CN and using your familiar to do scouting?
Haha, that is very similar, you don't also happen to be thinking about romancing Dorn are you? ;D
Definitely! Though i guess it's possible he might not date elves...
I dunno. Looking back that party layout of mine seems kind of weird. I'm thinking I'll either replace Viconia with Eldoth or not dual-class Xzar.
Eldoth isn't bad if you give him the Dex gloves, though that means no one else gets them. It's a pity the Bards in BG1 suck on the whole, though, they be great party-supporters, but I don't like the idea playing one as CHARNAME, as prefer to more *involved*.
Still like you said it's pretty damn Arcane heavy. ... Even more so if I drop Viconia for Eldoth. Yikes. Maybe I should drop Edwin; I like Edwin a lot, he's incredibly powerful and a fun personality besides, but Xzar is my favorite NPC so he's definitely not leaving.
I find his banters a bit too OTT, though he can be entertaining and does has good stats and I like necromancers. He doesn't have that nice amulet like Edwin does, though. BTW don't you need to give Xzar a wisdom tome to dual him?
I'm pretty damn sure though that I have enough fighting power. Dorn is gonna be badass with melee and my PC will be a stupidly good bowman of course, as she will have 19 Dexterity and Elven Bow bonus.
I'm taking a different, more melee-oriented approach (though she won't be my main tank, more of a damage-dealer), as we've discussed elsewhere, but the fighter/mage can be a versatile class and be played a number of different ways. I'm also interested to see what katanas and ninja-tos etc. BGEE adds to the game.
Montaron is plenty kickass, I really made him a monster last time I ran him through the game. He can be a thief on his own, although yes I will admit the Lock Picking and Trap Finding can get a little tight some times. I made sure to have Potions of Perception in his inventory. Only ended up needing them in the Candlekeep Catacombs and Durlag's Tower. I am very confident in Monty's ability to fulfill all his duties. You just have to spend level up points very wisely. Although I'm sure BG:EE will separate Hide in Shadows and Move Silently, which for the last time makes zero sense to me, I don't understand, and it's fucking annoying
I agree, it's not like they really do anything different in practise
. He may suck at hiding in my playthrough, we shall see.
I may take Imoen (or even Safana, who is closer to the party's evil-orientation) instead, though they're *much* less useful in combat and don't get the shorty save bonuses.
Fighter: 16 THAC0 Dexterity bonus: 14 THAC0 Mastery: 11 THAC0 Pros: More spellcasting, better Constitution score as if that truly matters. Cons: Worse THAC0, dual-classing is a pain in the ass.
That's actually a really tough decision I've got to say. I'm thinking I'll have enough mage power so I should just go with the multi. I'm sure I'll have second thoughts tomorrow or some idiocy though ... hah.
I'm *definitely* going the multi route, I think dual-classing is a total pain in the ass (unless starting in BG2 or dual-classing low, at level 3, say), and the final THAC0 (and saves) of the multi will be *much* better towards the end of BG2. I also like elves, don't forget if dual-wielding you'll get the +1 THAC0 with *both* swords, and the 90% charm/sleep resistance is nice. I'm not so bothered about the lower number of spells, she won't be the only arcane caster in my party.
Absolutely yes: Fighter/Mage PC (Rain of arrows. Spell protections and buffs) Dorn (Front-line fighter) Montaron (Thief for all Thief purposes, backstabber, will be slinging)
BTW what proficiencies/styles will you be giving monty at levels 3 and 6? Single weapon fighting can be good for thieves (double crit chance, great for backstabs! Though one of the advantages of a fighter/thief is the ability to use proper shields. Quarter Staff might be interesting, for the Staff of Striking.
Xzar (Either keep a Necromancer, or Necromancer 6->Cleric 8)
Errr...: Viconia - If I dual-class Xzar she's out.
Viconia's a definite keeper for me, one of the first NPCs I'll pick up after Xzar/Monty (though will probably ditch Xzar to the Basilisks to get Edwin at an appropriate point), I like her personality.
Edwin - If I keep Xzar a Necromancer, he's out. Eldoth - Could use another person with a bow, and a Bard to pick up any potential Arcane slack. If Edwin's in the party though, he's definitely out for that reason, three Arcane casters is more than enough.
Kagain - Really doubt this. Two melee-ers in BG1 is retarded from my experience, I'll be honest. Only place it's useful is Durlag's Tower and other really high level shenanigans.
Yes, I'm not sure about him either, though its nice to have an axe guy and he can put 4 pips into axes before the end of the game, which will be nice with the new BGEE proficiencies.
So right now I'm thinking: Fighter/Mage PC Dorn Montaron Xzar Viconia Eldoth
Though I usually really doubt Eldoth's ability to accomplish anything, in this playthrough he obviously could very easily be the #1 candidate for the Gauntlets of Dexterity, which means he could actually be useful.
Indeed! His personality is quite entertaining too, and his lore and pick pockets skills might be handy too. I hardly ever pick pockets, usually, though, especially if playing evil. Hmmm... might be interesting to take for something different, though I don't think you can pick him up until quite late.
BTW what evil alignment will your CHARNAME be? I was trying to decide between Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil (I don't see CHARNAME as Chaotic Evil), but Neutral Evil seems to get the better familiar (more HP, at least, before ToB) and I think is easier to RP correctly, so will probably go with that.
Screw it, I'm going to go for a fighter/mage/thief. I'd rather stick to something I know and like for the first run than risk myself wanting to restart midway through.
Eldoth isn't bad if you give him the Dex gloves, though that means no one else gets them. It's a pity the Bards in BG1 suck on the whole, though, they be great party-supporters, but I don't like the idea playing one as CHARNAME, as prefer to more *involved*.
I definitely see what you mean, although I've enjoyed my Bard playthroughs. You can either be a Blade so that you *can* be more involved like you say, or choose the remaining 3 kits to fit into whatever mold you wish. I like how Bards can pick up the slack in anything for a party. Missing some arcane firepower or buffing? Okay. Have a great weapon that no one's proficient with? Next Bard prof goes to that. Just stuff like that. They are passable archers and passable melees. So yeah. I'd say for your dilemna of "wanting to be more involved as the PC" (which is legit), try Blade.
I find his banters a bit too OTT, though he can be entertaining and does has good stats and I like necromancers. He doesn't have that nice amulet like Edwin does, though. BTW don't you need to give Xzar a wisdom tome to dual him?
His banters just about kill me. They are a good representation of an insane person, truly ... they sound logical and normal for a while and then all of a sudden BAM! What just happened? Yeah you gotta give him a tome. There's 3 tomes to be had though. Amusingly enough, he's tied for highest Wisdom (16) with Branwen, Yeslick, and Faldorn.
I'm taking a different, more melee-oriented approach (though she won't be my main tank, more of a damage-dealer), as we've discussed elsewhere, but the fighter/mage can be a versatile class and be played a number of different ways. I'm also interested to see what katanas and ninja-tos etc. BGEE adds to the game.
Ya I agree, that will be cool to see what they add.
I may take Imoen (or even Safana, who is closer to the party's evil-orientation) instead, though they're *much* less useful in combat and don't get the shorty save bonuses.
I'm *definitely* going the multi route, I think dual-classing is a total pain in the ass (unless starting in BG2 or dual-classing low, at level 3, say), and the final THAC0 (and saves) of the multi will be *much* better towards the end of BG2. I also like elves, don't forget if dual-wielding you'll get the +1 THAC0 with *both* swords, and the 90% charm/sleep resistance is nice. I'm not so bothered about the lower number of spells, she won't be the only arcane caster in my party.
BTW what proficiencies/styles will you be giving monty at levels 3 and 6? Single weapon fighting can be good for thieves (double crit chance, great for backstabs! Though one of the advantages of a fighter/thief is the ability to use proper shields. Quarter Staff might be interesting, for the Staff of Striking.
Well, I've been playing vanilla BG so I'm no help. I won't know what to do with his profs until I see what they changed them to in BG:EE. Short Swords ** obviously, but the second could be Slings **, Crossbows **, or even Darts **. I think the first two are far more likely of course. I actually really enjoy giving him shields ... especially Kiel's Buckler when you get it. So yeah, I'm not personally going to go the Single Weapon Fighting route but I can understand others doing as such. I'm willing to bet he will be Short Swords ** and Slings **, so honestly I have no idea what I will do. POSSIBLY Axes ** for Throwing Axes, he'll do more damage that way but his THAC0 won't be as good as it would be with a Sling.
Viconia's a definite keeper for me, one of the first NPCs I'll pick up after Xzar/Monty (though will probably ditch Xzar to the Basilisks to get Edwin at an appropriate point), I like her personality.
I like her a lot too, but single-class Clerics in BG1 always feel like a complete waste to me. You end up gaining one extra level, and a completely unimportant one at that. Pretty terrible.
Yes, I'm not sure about him either, though its nice to have an axe guy and he can put 4 pips into axes before the end of the game, which will be nice with the new BGEE proficiencies.
Funny the way you say that. "New." In vanilla BG the extra pips past two were awesome, the pathetic Grand Mastery was a BGII/TuTu fail.
Indeed! His personality is quite entertaining too, and his lore and pick pockets skills might be handy too. I hardly ever pick pockets, usually, though, especially if playing evil. Hmmm... might be interesting to take for something different, though I don't think you can pick him up until quite late.
BTW what evil alignment will your CHARNAME be? I was trying to decide between Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil (I don't see CHARNAME as Chaotic Evil), but Neutral Evil seems to get the better familiar (more HP, at least, before ToB) and I think is easier to RP correctly, so will probably go with that.
Eldoth isn't super late, but fairly late yeah. Chapter 4, Cloakwood.
Neutral Evil for sure. Like you say it's easiest to role-play. And on top of that, Neutral Evil is basically "smart evil." You aren't opposed to doing good things, it's just that if there's no benefit for you, you won't. Lawful Evil sticks to a creed which is cool, playing Chaotic Evil true to its definition is basically screwing yourself over for the sake of role-play. Which is cool and all, but ... tough.
Think I am going to start with a duet. Just me and little Sis Imoen. At some point I will dual her to a Mage. I will start as a fighter and have not decided yet when and what to dual to.
either some kind of fighter-mage dual/multi, or maybe fighter -> cleric dual, even ranger/cleric, though did that on my last playthrough, but you can never have enough healers on higher difficulties (and there aren't a lot of good clerics in BG). if dualling to a spec mage is allowed, chances are I'm gonna go with that (illusionist? transmuter?)... and if dualling from Kensai to a spec mage is possible, I'm gonna be extremely, *extremely* pleased, especially with the addition of stoneskin to the game.
I plan on making my first character a simple woodsman. Though I am planning on an offline multiplayer with a swashbuckler and a Skald. To be joined by Imoen, Minsc, Branwen(sp?) and either Jaheira, if I can still shove Khalid in a house and forget about him, or Dynaheir(sp?) if I can't. I can't play BG without Minsc. It's just not right.
Got bored and started to think forwards to a 2nd playthrough (or alternate between two), thinking a archer or pure ranger - need to do a "good alignment" playthrough as well as my "pure evil" one!
I keep changing my mind. The various options I've thought about so far are: Wild Mage: For double the chance of nuking party gold with Neera. Sorcerer: Probably my favourite 2e class because if I have to choose available spells I always manage pick the wrong ones. Also I like my PC to be the party leader which usually means decent Cha, which in turn generally means Sorc or Pala (or possibly Bard if I'm not thinking about 3e) unless I'm going to roll/edit my way to ridiculous stats. Specialist Mage: On the other hand sorcerers feel a bit cheaty and spells randomly going awry doesn't sound fun so the best caster option is a specialist mage of some variety Fighter/Mage/Thief: Never played a dual/multi-class before and this combo appeals more than others. Also having thief class is good if I ever import game to BG2 which lacks interesting thief companions for much of the game. Thief (or 1 of it's kits): Again mostly due to lack of them in BG2 and other roles generally having better NPC options throughout. On the other hand I'm not really a fan of the gameplay, especially backstab which seems likely a fiddly ability to use and then doesn't even work on a lot of the most difficult enemies in the game. I guess Swashbuckler might be an option. Undead Hunter: Because I hate level drain. Also I generally find the NPC paladins annoying and it's usually good to have 1 in the party due to the single inevitably great holy weapon that seems to appear in every IE game. Archer: Because it sounds ridiculously powerful. Then I remember magical ammo later on will probably be a pain. Bard (or 1 of it's kits): I've never played 1 or even had 1 in my party. On the other hand they look a bit rubbish.
And now I'm thinking Thief 6/Cleric X: Human with 18 dexterity can max open locks and find traps at level 6. Then go cleric for the rest of the game. Should still end up as high as single class cleric at end of BG1 and only lose 1 level ultimately at cap of 8m and that's only a couple of hit points and 1 HLA. Means I'll have all the necessary utility stuff on 1 character which makes choosing NPCs easier as balance isn't such a big issue. Only annoying thing is you really get railroaded into Talos, Helm or Lathander as a cleric in BG2.
I haven't quite decided. Originally I was thinking Gnome Fighter / Illusionist. I've almost always been a fighter of some sort, so this will keep it comfortable, but also give me something fresh.
Lately I've been thinking of being a Bard (blade). Completely different than anything I've ever done. I think I may have played through once as a Fighter / Thief, but I completely ignored the Thief side of things.
I just keep going back and forth, gnome fighter / illusionist or half-elf blade.
I wish I had more gaming time. Then I'd pick one, and play through, and then play the other. With the amount of gaming time I have though, it will be a looong time to finish the first play through.
Blackguard. I've been looking forward to this for years (I used to intentionally create a Fallen Paladin on some play throughs). Now they just need to expand upon the Cleric deity choices.
Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting those cats were moving as fast as lightening, in fact it was a little bit frightening but they fought with expert timing...
Comments
So I am going old school - half orc swashbuckler.
Fighter/Mage PC (female neutral evil elf) - dual-wield long sword and/or katanas (which are being added to BGEE - see recent FAQ post from @Tanthalas: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/4765/faq/p7 ), will also use long/composite bow w/o taking the proficiency (still get elf +1THAC0 bow bonus and +1THAC0 long/composite bow bonus anyway)
Dorn (Blackguard) - two-handed sword
Kagain (Fighter) - axes, crossbow
Monty (Figher/Thief) or Imoen (Thief) or Safana (Thief) - shortsword (dagger for Safana) and sling/shortbow/crossbow, respectively
Viconia (Cleric) - mace, sling, then hammers
Edwin (Conjurer) - staff, then darts
I usually play with two thieves, though, one focusing on stealth for scouting/backstabs, one focusing on find traps/locks, so this will be quite a challenge for me - initially may need to rely on Dorn's strength to bash locks, with back-up from the Knock spell for tough locks. If I take Imoen, I don't think I'll be dualing her either.
So you're not taking Kagain? I'm not 100% sure about him, might take two thieves instead (Monty and Imoen or Safana). Your party is quite spell-caster heavy with your F/M PC, Edwin, Viconia *and* Xzar, especially if using your F/M primarily from the back row. Also, do you reckon one multi-class thief is enough to do all scouting (no Ranger) *and* traps/locks duty, though? Or will your F/M be CG or CN and using your familiar to do scouting?
With friend will likely be some combination of mage/thief, but for my alone playthrough I'll probably try a Blackguard.
I dunno. Looking back that party layout of mine seems kind of weird. I'm thinking I'll either replace Viconia with Eldoth or not dual-class Xzar. Still like you said it's pretty damn Arcane heavy. ... Even more so if I drop Viconia for Eldoth. Yikes. Maybe I should drop Edwin; I like Edwin a lot, he's incredibly powerful and a fun personality besides, but Xzar is my favorite NPC so he's definitely not leaving.
I'm pretty damn sure though that I have enough fighting power. Dorn is gonna be badass with melee and my PC will be a stupidly good bowman of course, as she will have 19 Dexterity and Elven Bow bonus. Montaron is plenty kickass, I really made him a monster last time I ran him through the game. He can be a thief on his own, although yes I will admit the Lock Picking and Trap Finding can get a little tight some times. I made sure to have Potions of Perception in his inventory. Only ended up needing them in the Candlekeep Catacombs and Durlag's Tower. I am very confident in Monty's ability to fulfill all his duties. You just have to spend level up points very wisely. Although I'm sure BG:EE will separate Hide in Shadows and Move Silently, which for the last time makes zero sense to me, I don't understand, and it's fucking annoying. He may suck at hiding in my playthrough, we shall see.
And then another question pops up. Which of these options should I pick?:
Multi-Class Fighter 7/Mage 7
Elf - 19 Dex
Fighter: 14 THAC0
Dexterity bonus: 11 THAC0
Elven bonus: 10 THAC0
Specialized: 9 THAC0
Pros: Better THAC0.
Cons: Less spellcasting.
Dual-Class Fighter 5/Mage 9
Human - 18 Dex
Fighter: 16 THAC0
Dexterity bonus: 14 THAC0
Mastery: 11 THAC0
Pros: More spellcasting, better Constitution score as if that truly matters.
Cons: Worse THAC0, dual-classing is a pain in the ass.
That's actually a really tough decision I've got to say. I'm thinking I'll have enough mage power so I should just go with the multi. I'm sure I'll have second thoughts tomorrow or some idiocy though ... hah.
So what am I looking at now:
Absolutely yes:
Fighter/Mage PC (Rain of arrows. Spell protections and buffs)
Dorn (Front-line fighter)
Montaron (Thief for all Thief purposes, backstabber, will be slinging)
Xzar (Either keep a Necromancer, or Necromancer 6->Cleric 8)
Errr...:
Viconia - If I dual-class Xzar she's out.
Edwin - If I keep Xzar a Necromancer, he's out.
Eldoth - Could use another person with a bow, and a Bard to pick up any potential Arcane slack. If Edwin's in the party though, he's definitely out for that reason, three Arcane casters is more than enough.
Kagain - Really doubt this. Two melee-ers in BG1 is retarded from my experience, I'll be honest. Only place it's useful is Durlag's Tower and other really high level shenanigans.
So right now I'm thinking:
Fighter/Mage PC
Dorn
Montaron
Xzar
Viconia
Eldoth
Though I usually really doubt Eldoth's ability to accomplish anything, in this playthrough he obviously could very easily be the #1 candidate for the Gauntlets of Dexterity, which means he could actually be useful.
I will actually say my only definite is
PC
F / M / T - Elf, Chaotic Good for Fairy familiar and Globe of invisibility... Possibly edited slightly to wildmage...
Imoen for specialised thief skills (open locks, search traps, disarm traps.)
Anyone else is game... Although I am going to be good, I am going to try and keep my rep around 16 (if I get a plus two rep increase, I wont lose anyone, cant remember getting more than two at a time...)
If you are a doppleganger, are you a greater or lesser... I wanna know how much xp I will get in advance...
Please don't take me seriously... Not that anyone else on this forum does, not since the lost pants of Baldurran incident anyway...
For the rest of my party I am planning on having:
Kivan
Alora (or Coran)
Yeslick
Neera
Rasaad
I will have to rush the main quest until chapter five so I get all the characters, I do not want to recruit Alora when she is level 6 and only has 20% find traps.
BTW what evil alignment will your CHARNAME be? I was trying to decide between Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil (I don't see CHARNAME as Chaotic Evil), but Neutral Evil seems to get the better familiar (more HP, at least, before ToB) and I think is easier to RP correctly, so will probably go with that.
So yeah. I'd say for your dilemna of "wanting to be more involved as the PC" (which is legit), try Blade. His banters just about kill me. They are a good representation of an insane person, truly ... they sound logical and normal for a while and then all of a sudden BAM! What just happened?
Yeah you gotta give him a tome. There's 3 tomes to be had though. Amusingly enough, he's tied for highest Wisdom (16) with Branwen, Yeslick, and Faldorn. Ya I agree, that will be cool to see what they add.
I actually really enjoy giving him shields ... especially Kiel's Buckler when you get it. So yeah, I'm not personally going to go the Single Weapon Fighting route but I can understand others doing as such.
I'm willing to bet he will be Short Swords ** and Slings **, so honestly I have no idea what I will do. POSSIBLY Axes ** for Throwing Axes, he'll do more damage that way but his THAC0 won't be as good as it would be with a Sling. I like her a lot too, but single-class Clerics in BG1 always feel like a complete waste to me. You end up gaining one extra level, and a completely unimportant one at that. Pretty terrible. Funny the way you say that. "New." In vanilla BG the extra pips past two were awesome, the pathetic Grand Mastery was a BGII/TuTu fail. Eldoth isn't super late, but fairly late yeah. Chapter 4, Cloakwood.
Neutral Evil for sure. Like you say it's easiest to role-play. And on top of that, Neutral Evil is basically "smart evil." You aren't opposed to doing good things, it's just that if there's no benefit for you, you won't. Lawful Evil sticks to a creed which is cool, playing Chaotic Evil true to its definition is basically screwing yourself over for the sake of role-play. Which is cool and all, but ... tough.
Wild Mage: For double the chance of nuking party gold with Neera.
Sorcerer: Probably my favourite 2e class because if I have to choose available spells I always manage pick the wrong ones. Also I like my PC to be the party leader which usually means decent Cha, which in turn generally means Sorc or Pala (or possibly Bard if I'm not thinking about 3e) unless I'm going to roll/edit my way to ridiculous stats.
Specialist Mage: On the other hand sorcerers feel a bit cheaty and spells randomly going awry doesn't sound fun so the best caster option is a specialist mage of some variety
Fighter/Mage/Thief: Never played a dual/multi-class before and this combo appeals more than others. Also having thief class is good if I ever import game to BG2 which lacks interesting thief companions for much of the game.
Thief (or 1 of it's kits): Again mostly due to lack of them in BG2 and other roles generally having better NPC options throughout. On the other hand I'm not really a fan of the gameplay, especially backstab which seems likely a fiddly ability to use and then doesn't even work on a lot of the most difficult enemies in the game. I guess Swashbuckler might be an option.
Undead Hunter: Because I hate level drain. Also I generally find the NPC paladins annoying and it's usually good to have 1 in the party due to the single inevitably great holy weapon that seems to appear in every IE game.
Archer: Because it sounds ridiculously powerful. Then I remember magical ammo later on will probably be a pain.
Bard (or 1 of it's kits): I've never played 1 or even had 1 in my party. On the other hand they look a bit rubbish.
And now I'm thinking Thief 6/Cleric X: Human with 18 dexterity can max open locks and find traps at level 6. Then go cleric for the rest of the game. Should still end up as high as single class cleric at end of BG1 and only lose 1 level ultimately at cap of 8m and that's only a couple of hit points and 1 HLA. Means I'll have all the necessary utility stuff on 1 character which makes choosing NPCs easier as balance isn't such a big issue. Only annoying thing is you really get railroaded into Talos, Helm or Lathander as a cleric in BG2.
Lately I've been thinking of being a Bard (blade). Completely different than anything I've ever done. I think I may have played through once as a Fighter / Thief, but I completely ignored the Thief side of things.
I just keep going back and forth, gnome fighter / illusionist or half-elf blade.
I wish I had more gaming time. Then I'd pick one, and play through, and then play the other. With the amount of gaming time I have though, it will be a looong time to finish the first play through.
*Panther Style!!!