Paladin (Cavalier) vs Priest of Lathander vs Fighter/Cleric
So i just buyed BG:EE for my tablet, and since its 2.0 i want to play it all again.I also plan to continue with my character to BG2:EE.
1.I want to be a capable fighter who doesnt hide behind, and also healer/buffer.Can Paladin stand on its own?Or does he miss the armor/weapon proficiency of a warrior?
2. Is penalty for Cavalier that severe?Even when i plan to use NPC with ranged?
3.Would Priest of Lanthander be as squishy as i fear?
4.Should i dualclass from fighter to cleric at 4th or 7th level?
5.As a paladin, should i aim only for two handed sword?Since he has already bonus for saving throws?
6.If i spend 7 levels as fighter, will i miss the xp on end game as Cleric?Even if i sweep all enemies and quests?
1.I want to be a capable fighter who doesnt hide behind, and also healer/buffer.Can Paladin stand on its own?Or does he miss the armor/weapon proficiency of a warrior?
2. Is penalty for Cavalier that severe?Even when i plan to use NPC with ranged?
3.Would Priest of Lanthander be as squishy as i fear?
4.Should i dualclass from fighter to cleric at 4th or 7th level?
5.As a paladin, should i aim only for two handed sword?Since he has already bonus for saving throws?
6.If i spend 7 levels as fighter, will i miss the xp on end game as Cleric?Even if i sweep all enemies and quests?
3
Comments
Answer to Q3.
I am currently using a Dwarven Priest of Lathander, 19 CON, 17 DEX, 20 STR (due to belt).
He is having no problem whatsoever.
Good enough tank, strong damage dealer, and with his specific Cleric spells he buffs well before any larger combat, and has the ability to heal both himself and the rest of the group.
/A.
But that's not to say a PoL is squishy, with buffs they can rival any fighter and even without buffs their armour and HP are decent. You could even play as cleric for BG1 til level 9-14 then Dual to fighter and have decent casting ability with a pure fighter progression.
Paladin is more a niche class you sacrifice some combat prowess and majority of casting ability for specific advantages, and because, paladins are cool.
I realy like the idea of dualclassed cleric at level 8, keep 7 levels of fighter.I just forget how many spells you could have as a cleric in BG.Do you pick each level some, right?
Maybe i could be happy with some 1-4 priest spells as paladin.Maybe pick some that scales with level?
In SoD yes, the cap is 500000, but in my personal opinion i prefer to use the cap remover since BG because i reach 161000 fair too early
If you dual at 9 you'll get level 5 spells, level 11 gets you level 6 spells and 14 gets you level 7 spells. 14 is a pain to regain levels though. I had a Cleric of Lathander that I dualed at 12 and that was slow enough.
I gues i should max out str dex and con, right?And wisdom of 17 to dualclass to priest if i remember.
You can play a F/C, Paladin, or a regular Cleric of any type as a front-line tank in any BG game.
With Paladin, you're basically a fighter who has some special abilities that regular fighters won't - depending on kit/type. About the time you get spells, you'll start to fall behind fighters in straight up combat - but this is amended by items in BG2 - of which the Paladin gets some of the best. A paladin PC can contribute in a minimal way to healing the party and casting various buff spells after level 9 (unless you're an inquisitor - then you get oodles of dispel instead). So, you can't make the paladin your primary divine caster by any stretch of the imagination - unless you intend to do without. The other upside to the Paladin is they get a saves bonus, and in BG when your main char dies, the game ends, so it's nice to have the cards a little stacked in your favor as far as not losing control of your main char (or insta-death) lol. You also get access to "protection from evil" in great quantities, and since most of the enemies you fight in the game are evil, you get a free +2 to AC for most fights that don't start right on top of you.
A plain cleric fighting in the front is viable because ultimately what determines if you can survive that is your AC and saves - which the Cleric can wear all the same gear as a fighter generally, so your AC is going to be just as low as an equivalent fighter most of the time. For big fights you also have access to a lot of buff spells that can set you over the top of a fighter for a relatively short duration + provide other available divine casting duties (dispell, CC spells, emergency healing, post-fight healing, pre-fight buffs etc). You won't have access to the raw DPS of the fighter as often as a fighter does, but you can periodically go higher or at least as high, as the fighter in bursts + do other stuff.
The F/C is basically a front-line cleric who trades their cleric spell progression for more unassisted DPS than the regular Cleric could manage. So if you like running with 6 characters, it may be a good idea to have an additional divine caster around, since a lot of your spell book will be set out on self-buffs that you use.
Fight-Cleric dual class fills the same niche as a Fighter/Cleric they just go about it differently and end up being surpassed in unassisted DPS capability later in the game but will get high level divine spells sooner.
I think a fighter/cleric multiclass (I propose a dwarf) is exactly what you need - it doesn't hide behind, it's a healer and a buffer. Also, you don't need to wait till your levels are back and can use all your fighter and cleric abilities every second in the game.
Now i cant choose between Cavalier and Inquisitor.
Cavalier seems just boring and op, is inquisitor viable options?
Also, paladin can use 3 points in two weapons style.Why, and is it worth it?Or should i just go for Carsomyr?
I rolled 18/41str
11 dex
18 con
13 int
13 wis
18 cha
Should i reroll?
inquisitor is strong as pc but you can get an npc for this class. If you go with party i recommonded to try either cavalier or undead hunter. cavalier is a great for bg1 and against early game enemies, undead hunter makes easier early soa with her immunities. In late game both paladin kit is strong, with carsomyr, purifier, answerer, mace of desruption, flail of ages, ravager, etc is easymod. if you want to be dps go dual wield, if some rp thing i like both sword and shield or two handed style, both is great in soa and after whirlwind both style is good.
If you want a powerhouse character, which it sounds like, you should go for 18:91 STR, 18 DEX and 18 CON, 11 INT and whatever else is left in WIS and CHA. Personally, I'm not fixated on CON since HP isn't needed as much if you are rarely hit, so if I had to lower one of the prime stats, I would choose CON. I'd rather give DEX gloves and STR belt/gloves to my NPCs.
So you've got the points required to boost your dex to 16 - which will become 17 by the end of BG1 and will be just ducky really. Unless you'd prefer to play a somewhat flawed character (which is fine too).
* Shorty Saves makes fighting mages easier (a must)
* Con19
* Str doesn't matter (draw upon holy might makes it min 19...)
* Dual wield maces in BG1 (the stupefier is ridiculously OP)
* Dual wield flails in BG2 (defender of easthaven offhand and flail of ages main hand)
You heal, buff, tank and do great damage. Against mages you have great saves, against Meele you have great damage resistance. And best of all? You've got a godly beard.