Challenge: the all-of-a-class party

_Connacht_

Simple rules:
- full party creation with members of the same class (i.e. only bards, only thieves, only druids, only rangers etc.);
- NPCs can join the party if they comply with the rule above;
- no dual classing, unless ALL party members have the same dual class;
- no multi classing, unless ALL party members have the same multi class;
- kits are allowed in any number you want, but if you use the same kit for all party members it's better (i.e. 6 assassins, 6 berserkers, 6 shapeshifters etc.).

Post your opinions about which party would give the most fun, or which party GAVE or IS GIVING you the most enjoyable experience with these rules.
So let's see which experience gives the most satisfaction. Is there anybody who tried or would try 6 F/M/T characters despite the geologically slow level progress?

GreenWarlock

Also, which parts of the game surprised you in interesting ways? As mentioned before, I had a ridiculously hard time leaving werewolf island in the first BG with a party of 6 clerics - and that was a shut-in with no turning back, and no purchasable raises till complete. Perhaps less of an issue at BG2 levels though?

FinneousPJ

@GreenWarlock This is on BG2 forum, so...

Francois

6 wild mages. With so many wild surges, what could go wrong?

6 FMT would probably be very powerfull and fun in BG2. You would really make the most of all the cool equipment availbale in BG2.

Gallenger

I took a full party of 6 single classed mages through bg1 and bg2 a *long* time ago - they weren't all the same specialty - even had 1 general mage in there. It was like Captain Planet lol. It was very interesting to say the least - and a lot of situations proved to be fairly challenging - particularly tight spaces, anti-magic stuff, and anything that dealt AoE damage lol.

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Grond0

I've played a number of different parties like this, e.g bards, archers, fighters. The one I've spent most time on though is an all monk party - I've had 55 runs with that so far, many of them trying to complete all content in SCS BG1 without any of the party getting killed. That's a good challenge, which needs a high degree of concentration over a long period (which so far has proved beyond me).

profanitywarning

I like this. And I might try a run (BG2 only) with six FMT's. Possibly uniformed, meaning they only get stuff that all six of them can get. Thats gear, not spells, coz that would just be too far over the top. Not right now though, but I'm keeping it in mind for when I get better at playing this game. Or if. Yes, just in case I might one day get better at playing this game.

Vbibbi

subtledoctor said:

I lose interest at "no multiclassing." I want a *little* tactical variety!

I've been slowly taking a party of 6 clerics through IWDEE, but they have lots of multiclasses in them (2 pure clerics plus F/C, F/C, C/T, and C/M). This party is ridiculously powerful, the only real limitation is in weapon distribution.

I also have a couple parties with less multiclassing:

5 bards and a cleric/thief is very fun and quite capable. This group could take on just about any challenge in any of the games (only TOB or BP2 might be a little rough).

4 thieves, a cleric/thief and a mage/thief is proving to be an extremely fragile party. Even with a mod that slightly enhances their offensive capabilities, they are all glass cannons (except the cleric/thief, which makes an amazing tank).

Finally, 4 mages plus a cleric/mage and a mage/thief is also very fragile. Even with a mod that gives them at-will cantrips, they run out of offensive power fast, and at low levels they have almost no defensive capabilities - especially in a scroll-light environment like IWD. I haven't gotten up the courage to send them into the Vale of Shadows... I expect these guys will just huddle in the waning warmth of the Tree of Kuldahar until they eventually freeze...

The most interesting group is the party of 5 pure druids and 1 druid/thief. This group has substantial limitations as far as weapons, and no arcane magic; but lots of spell power (enhanced by my sphere system mod) and lots of summons, and lots of healing, and survives melee encounters (so far, at level 7) thanks to shapechanging. This group is very capable in IWD and would do just fine in BG1. The lack of arcane casting would severely hamper them in BG2, however. (But future versions of the sphere system mod will give some divine casters access to mid-level metamagic spells like Breach and Secret Word, so they might be able to get by.)

I agree that while I like the idea behind OP's post, the constraints are a little limiting for my taste. I would prefer to have a set class as the focus, but then allow dual or multi classes around that class. It shows the versatility in leveraging a class' skills in various ways.

mf2112

Moving to the Challenges and Playthroughs forum. I like the idea of the party sharing a common class but I have to agree no multiclassing would make me lose interest before finishing.

Tenrecc

Hmm. That sounds pretty funny.

I'd probably go with 6 Cleric/Mages for ALL the spells. Between Project Images, Simulacrums, Contingencies and Alacrities, I wonder how many Dooms you could land on a target. Like, imagine 18 chain contingencied Finger of Deaths flying towards a monster with a saving throw penalty of 100 or so. That would be the ultimate "Well I'm dead" moment.

Darn, now I actually want to do that.

OlvynChuru

I do these playthroughs all the time. My favorite is a team of six clerics in the original non-enhanced Baldur's Gate. In that game, any cleric who can cast level 3 spells can summon lots of skeletons with Animate Dead (with no summoning limit), so when you have six level 8 clerics and each of them has 25 Wisdom and two Rings of Holiness, the team can summon a total of 336 skeletons per day!

_Connacht_

Thing is, if you have some characters with a multiclass, you are not truly uniforming your party, i.e. you will still have a thief (only with a slower level progression).
Unless you make ALL of your characters the same multiclass, so that you still have a little variety but for all the party members + the additional difficulty of slow level up