Flail or mace?

Sketchy

If you were playing a cleric which would you prefer to be proficient in, a flail or a mace?

ajwz

Morning star. It's the spork of the bashing implements spectrum

Sketchy

Ah never thought about morning stars...

Permidion_Stark

I always choose mace because it is the weapon I most associate with clerics (and I generally take mace proficiency for my paladin as a back-up, blunt weapon). But I think in BG1 proficiency in warhammer is actually the better option. And for BG2 I would definitely go with flail.

Cheesebelly

Well, in Baldur's Gate 1, the most damaging blunt weapons are as follows :

Staff of Striking
Kiel's Morning Star
Staff Mace +2
Quarterstaff +3
Mace +2
Morningstar +1
Warhammer +2


So yeah, in BG1, I'd go with Blunt weapons, which includes of course the maces, with a cleric.

In BG2, I always use flails with Clerics though. With the exception of Multiclasses and dual classes of course.

Talvrae

That freacking awesome flail we get in BG2... with mutiple heads.... yeah that's the way to go

ekster

I like hammers! The crunching sound is just so much more satisfying with a hammer. And really, what self respecting cleric wouldn't enjoy to crunch the skull of the enemy?

giosanti

Blunt weapons is a better choice than Spiked weapons for clerics in BG1. They'll both be maxed out during the game though.

For Tutu and BG:EE, the War Hammer +2 is probably what you want to base your proficiencies around. So, hammers. The Staffmace +2 is slightly better, but you get it late, and I don't know whether it takes a Staff or Mace proficiency. The Quarterstaff +3 is also better but it's 2-handed.

But to answer the question, they're about the same for most of the game, but I'd take Mace because there's a Mace+2 later on.

mch202

Flail is such a wicked weapon!! Love them!

Jaxsbudgie

Maces. Because if you have a vivid imagination like myself, maces in real life look super rude, way more frightful than a warhammer of flail.

Is it ever explained why Lord de'Arnise is in possession of the flail?

kamuizin

@Jaxsbudgie i believe it's explained in the own weapn background after you join the 3 flail parts that are fouind in the own keep.

If you intent to export your character (or if the devs make a fucking link between BG-BGII) i say to you go to Flail (flail of the ages +5 as final weapon) or warhammer (Crom Faeyr as final weapon).

If you keep yourself only in BG terms, be free to choose, but there are few flails in the game (but by another side there is the umbrella's priest quest that can be done early in the game, that provides a flail +1).

reedmilfam

Aren't flails both piercing and bludgeoning, or is that only a NWN thing? I would go that direction, just because it mitigates resistances and the like. Besides, the Nazgul dude uses one when Eowyn faces him down. Doesn't that add 10 cool points to the weapon?

Jaxsbudgie

@reedmilfan most impractical weapon ever. By the time you've gone to swing it you already have a sword sticking out of your gut.

Cheesebelly

I can't really see how a human being of any kind might be able to swing that at all. At most, use it as a pendulum XD

scriver

Nope, it gets -50 for being to big and -10 000 for giving away his penis size complex.

Ayuruk

Warhammers

kamuizin

the nazgul flails aren't exactly common flails, so that's not what people used as flails on the past.

DJKajuru

I bet Viconia would use a flail and look like that

http://www.prettyindayton.com/2010/04/maya-luz-makes-ball-and-chain-super.html

Anduin

Flail... If you wanna be the Peoples champion as it is a militarised version of the farming implement that threshes the wheat from the chaff.

Mace... If you wanna go for the Nobles champion as it is based on the rod and orb, both onaments of power and prestige (The queen has a mace, and it is taken to thwack the doors to open parliment in London every now and again!)

Morning Star... If you wanna go for the punk rocker with a stud in the lips champion.

sandmanCCL

Jaxsbudgie said:

Is it ever explained why Lord de'Arnise is in possession of the flail?

I believe they simply chalk it up to an artifact of power he amassed during his adventuring days. Good enough explanation for me! *womp womp trolls*

If your guy is a straight cleric, it's kind of a moot point because you'll eventually have a pip in every weapon type they can use. It's fighter/clerics that have to be a little more picky.

Personally, I like Maces. There's a lot of really good ones throughout the saga and the ubermace in Throne of Bhaal I personally like more than Flail of Ages or Crom Fayer. Chain lightning on hit is slick. Clerics don't really need Crom because if you have 18 in all your prime stats, a level 21 Draw Upon Holy Might roids out all your physical stats to 25.

Flail of Ages is pretty awesome obviously. Minimum 17 damage on hit resistances withstanding is fantastic.

Kortok

Fighter/Cleric multi taken through TOB the correct answer is flails. FOA is superior to Crom Fayer (it's easy to get 25 str as a F/C). Offhand I like Defender of Easthaven, also a flail. That said, I think you can have hammers, flails and dual wielding maxed by level 13 fighter? So you can do warhammers in BG1 and switch to flails in BG2.

Kamigoroshi

P&P AD&D had one fine weapon for clerics: the Staff Sling.
To some it may sound silly. But I assure you, it is extremely powerful and as destructive as an catapult in the right hands.

A real shame it was never included in any AD&D PC game. Worst of all, it vanished from D&D as a whole without a trace.

Awong124

Sylvus_Moonbow said:

Jaxsbudgie said:

@reedmilfan most impractical weapon ever. By the time you've gone to swing it you already have a sword sticking out of your gut.

Do not come between the Nazgul and his prey!

You fool. No man can kill me. Die now.

I am no man.

Moomintroll

I hate that bit, if there is cheese in LotR then it's that! what an exploit.

mister_ennui

@Kamigoroshi
I'm pretty sure the staff sling was available as a weapon in the old Gold Box AD&D computer games.

Sketchy

Thanks for all the info guys, I was planning on creating a fighter/cleric so you've given me some stuff to think about! cheers.

Gun19

I love a good flailing.

elminster

Sketchy said:

If you were playing a cleric which would you prefer to be proficient in, a flail or a mace?

Me like club.

kamuizin

elminster said:

Sketchy said:

If you were playing a cleric which would you prefer to be proficient in, a flail or a mace?

Me like club.

Only like the crazy club that's found in Wacher's keep, beside that one no other club is good enough (or crazy enough).

elminster

kamuizin said:

elminster said:

Sketchy said:

If you were playing a cleric which would you prefer to be proficient in, a flail or a mace?

Me like club.

Only like the crazy club that's found in Wacher's keep, beside that one no other club is good enough (or crazy enough).

Don't go telling my half-orc with 1 intelligence that, you'll ruin the surprise for him.

Dragonspear

@Elminster

Me will crush you, crush you to goo!?

Oh wait those were hobgoblins. And they were smart enough to at least use bastard swords.

Aside: So happy my current F/M party managed to avoid the broken weapon blues this playthrough. At least one bonus to bee-lining to the Nashkel mines.