Multi class fighter/thief vs thief
SirCumference
Member Posts: 35
Is there much of a downside to being a fighter/theif compared to a straight thief? Seems like you get plenty of theif points without needing to be a straight Thief and you'll get a bit more combat ability. I always felt that there should be only 1 way to combine dual classes and they should have either gone with dual class or multi class not have both options but that's kind of off topic so to be clear I'm looking for feedback on multi vs single not dual vs single.
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The second downside, although minor, is that of not being able to level up just as fast, but on the other hand, the upsides are awesome - you get to fight as well as a fighter and you have the abilities of a thief. Being able to use weapons like a fighter and stabbing like a thief is good (although that is not true as single class fighters can go over weapon specialization (++) while multiclasses are stuck with just two pips into any weapon)
Relatively speaking, a thief is a very dual-class-like class, similar to pure fighter, even when we're talking about kitted thieves (Swashbuckler>Mage is pure awesome. Assassin>Cleric is the strongest backstabber in the game). There are many exceptions to the case as many people like going straight with a thief from start till end, true, yet I feel that a thief's full potential comes either from Multiclasses and especially Dual Classes.
So, in personal experience, a multiclass thief is better than a single class one
I really don't like that backstab becomes pretty useless later on when things become immune to it (couldn't they just take reduced dmg?)
I hate level drain, this is one of the most annoying things ever. Why oh why must there be such a plethora of level draining mobs later on. I could understand for some special boss or something but man..... seriously.
Permanent immunity to weapons below a certain magical power. This one is also extremely annoying. Especially if you are playing something like a monk....
The bounty hunter kit is cool and viable but the trap advantage diminishes when the HLA traps become available to all rogues and the combat is heavily, heavily skewed to the multiclass. The point reduction for the bounty hunter isn't as significant as for the assassin so I wouldn't factor that in very much. Swashbuckler is even less competitive. It is a good kit for dual classing, but not very good on it's own compared to a multi or dual classed thief.
Now, single classed thieves are plenty good enough to play even if they aren't the peak of power and can even solo the entire series if used correctly. Moreover, from a role playing/immersion perspective there are good reasons to go that route so there is no 'need' to multi or dual class to have a useful or interesting character. But if you are asking which is "stronger" then it is the multi or dual classed thief over the single classed version for sure.
For early BG1, the real downside to multi-classing is hit points.
At 2,800 XP, for example, the single class thief can have 24 (18 for class + 6 for Con) HP while the F/T can have only 14 or 15 (5 for F class; 6 for T class; + Con) . Just a bit more fragile when that arrow criticals you.
You are making a good point that this is a viable melee version of a thief, and I agree with your statement that they aren't "useless." For my personal preference, however, I am going to go a different direction if I want a character that is primarily going to melee. Just my own $.02, but I found the swashbuckler kit more boring than other types of thieves because it was like playing a weak fighter that could pick locks and find traps. I generally go for a F/T or F/M/T or dual class fighter to thief if I want a melee thief build.
Anyway, we think pretty similar, I just don't care that much about backstabbing and that's why I like swashbuckler the most out of rogue kits, but I think fighter thief and swashie are pretty even when all is said and done and I really could play either depending on my mood on the day that I create the character :P
If you basicly wanted to play a fighter with some thief skills, would there be any benefit to starting as a swashbuckler then dual classing to a normal fighter? It seems like the swashbuckler would get a good jump on a lot of fighter things.
I once played a Swashbuckler till level 40, it was a powerhouse really. A shame the game was modless and the HLAs weren't as the original game intended (Whirlwind instead of Assassination), but dual wielding Scarlet Ninja-to and Belm made it most of the times (auxiliary weapons were those two Wakizashis... forgot their names
I do sort of like the Assassin and Bounty Hunter, particularly with Rogue Rebalancing and Refinements HLAs installed (RR actually nerfs all the kits, which is pretty funny, but they're more interesting to play). However, a x7 multiplier+poison or more traps just does not compare to mage spells, cleric spells, or a massive combat boost from a fighter class. Particularly not when they enhance the Thief's own special abilities so much.
But as it was said before, it's a matter pf taste.