Your Signature Character Class
semiticgoddess
Member Posts: 14,903
Everyone has a unique playstyle, both in terms of the classes they play and the items and spells they rely on to survive. What class best represents the way you play the game?
For me, it's a highly defensive gnomish cleric/illusionist who always memorizes rescue options like Teleport Field and Invisibility 10' Radius, and always buffs with Chaotic Commands and Death Ward to block Chaos spells or instant death effects that could otherwise bring an end to a no-reload run.
For me, it's a highly defensive gnomish cleric/illusionist who always memorizes rescue options like Teleport Field and Invisibility 10' Radius, and always buffs with Chaotic Commands and Death Ward to block Chaos spells or instant death effects that could otherwise bring an end to a no-reload run.
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I always play the complete game, BGT in old days, EET now. For consistency I always make Imoen a mage by either mod or Near Infinity right from the beginning. I find thief useful in early game but also in many other situation and it gives me most flexibility for my ever-changing company. I rely very much on my NPCs contributing to success, thus my protagonist is rarely the strongest, best equipped, most important character in the party. My (most of the time female) thief fills out the gaps in my party, she's the girl for everything the others can't do. And at the ToB levels later, thief is as good to win the game as any other class.
In addition, for roleplay it gives me the freedom to act up to my own rules. I can steal and lie a bit without being outright evil, I do good deeds when it suits me, I follow no deity. I'm the Robin Hood type of thief.
I tried various bard kits for change but mostly come back to thief.
Incidentally, if you do decide to use me as a character, I have a portrait and a custom sound set made with my real voice (English) I could send you - PM me for details.
- an elf archer
- a gnome illusionist/thief
- a half-elf avenger
- a human shadowdancer
- an elf bounty-hunter
- an elf fighter/thief (the character I finished BG:EE with in a no-reload no rest run)
- an elf mage/thief
- an elf assassin
- a human wild mage
- a human sorcerer
- an elf sorcerer
- a half-elf totemic druid (yes, that one)
- a half-elf fighter/mage/thief
- a dwarf wizard slayer
- a half-elf cleric/mage
- a half-elf jester
- a gnome cleric/illusionist
- a dwarf figher/thief
- a half-orc assassin
- a gnome cleric/illusionist
- an elf fighter/thief
- a gnome cleric/thief (also the character I finished SoD for the first time)
- a dwarf fighter/cleric
- an elf figher/mage/thief (the character I finished BG:EE with in a no-reload run)
All of the above were male characters.
- a female dark moon monk (the character I finished BG:EE with in a no-reload run as a duo with Rasaad)
- a half-elf fighter/mage/cleric
- a dwarf kensai
- a human jester (called Phillip)
- a gnome dragon disciple
- an elf sorcerer
- a human wizard slayer
- a dwarf bounty-hunter
- a female human undead hunter (in the party of paladins and rangers only)
- a gnome illusionist/thief
- a human skald
- a half-orc shadowdancer
- a half-elc cleric/mage
- a half-elf sorcerer (the current character for a party LoB no-reload run with SCS)
I think this list might seem relatively small (no joke, I'm sure the folks here have a lot of characters). There were also BG2-only characters (although I usually play with only those characters who start in the Candlekeep), one of them is a female avenger druid with whom I finished BG2:EE for the first time (romancing Hexxat).
I also have to include a half-elf avenger (who died in the MP no-reload run with other forumites), a dwarf fighter/cleric (who also died in another MP no-reload run), an elf fighter/mage/thief (who died on the Werewolf iceland during the MP no-reload run but he wasn't a protagonist, thankfully) and a female halfling barbarian (who is currently in SoD in the MP no-reload run).
There are many partly thief characters in this list, most of them are backstabbers in the first place. But of course the biggest impressions are from the runs that in one way or another became important: a totemic druid who couldn't defeat the final ToB boss, an avenger druid who died in the first attempt of a MP no-reload run, a figher/cleric who followed the avenger's fate, a figher/mage/thief who turned to be the most powerful of characters I've ever tried, a cleric/thief with whom I finished SoD for the first time).
I also often use arcane casters, as all those sorcerers and illusionists show.
So, to answer the question about a signature character... even while I adore backstabbing thieves I would still choose a druid because of those memories both from the no-reload solo run and no-reload failed MP attempt. They had different kits, however (totemic druid vs avenger). For the good memories about our MP run, I would go with an avenger druid.
So, I'll go with one character that I enjoyed quite a lot in the past, maybe the one I enjoyed the most yet : a chaotic neutral Priest of Helm dualled into a thief at level 10. You got yourself a thief :
- that can cast level 5 divine spells, thus can buff himself into oblivion with defensive and offensive spells ;
- that can cast Seeking Sword twice at a nice 4 APR while dual-wielding at a decent thac0 ;
- that can use a weapon that can kill pretty much everything in the game ;
- that got 3 free True Sight spells that will trivialize mages in BG1 and will be useful all the way through ToB ;
- that gives you all the utility you need AND some good melee power ;
- that will transform into a C/M/T once you get into HLA territory, because UAI.
A few things of note, though. I usually play with loosed restriction for cleric weapons and add a longsword proficiency to the Seeking Sword spell, just to have a pip in longsword to be able to take advantage of the whole thac0 bonus offered by the SS. Otherwise, you don't get the full bonus, which is kinda lame in my opinion.
It's probably not the best powergaming option, because PoL-->thief is stronger, but this dual with PoH is more fun in my opinion. The free True Sights are not something to scoff at either. And, at level 10, the SS is not a problem, because it doesn't last neither too long to become a liability, nor too short to be unuseful.
Edit : Oh, and, for a picture, anything that looks mean. And bald...
I have also played a stalker and a blade in recent times, but in the end I missed the thief game interactions (e.g. locks, traps) and general sneakiness/scouting the field of battle in advance (perhaps some control issues?!?!).
I am not a big solo'er and prefer small parties of 3-4, with charname as the main cut-purse of course.
I used to be a regular paladin/cleric player in NWN, but those classes have never really appealed to me in the BG series, not sure why.
I'm not one to keep records or preserve savegames from all the playthroughs I've done ever since the original game was released.
I may have tried most of them and many more kits and variations.
Over time, I have come back to ignore all that and reduce it to basics. Very often I abandoned PC's that looked promising and special bacause I found after a few chapters that I felt like playing someone else's game. I tried to figure out what that class or kit was supposed to mean and do and so on. After a while this got boring though and distracted me from the actual plot that interested me.
Such are the different types of players - some can spend hours to design and equip their PC while others like me just hastily click through character creation and just jump into it. Later in game pick up a few items/weapons/armour and concentrate on the adventures.
Some people do quests and journeys in a specific order to gain items and weapons they think they need, while others just take it as it comes their way and try to do with what they find. I'm that second type.
But most likely this comes with playing the game more often and finding that it's more fun to do it differently each time around. The good thing still is that there is no *right way* to win the game but a chance for almost any character with any choice of companions to make it into ToB's final battle.
In the past I used to play virtually 100% male, but nowadays it's about 50/50 male and female even though I am perfectly happy being 100% male in RL.
I particularly enjoyed playing a pacifist charactar in BG1 where I never got any blood on my hands due to using charm on my enemies. I tried not to kill anyone including Sarevok, but only managed to do that once. I think that he was killed either by a trap which was triggered by my character or by an arrow of explosions fired by his own allies. He was out of sight at the time.
I was an archer, which seemed like a good choice then. I still wouldn't object to that now, but I'm really not sure I have a signature class any more - I've played every possible class (in the unmodded game) just in multi-player never mind single player
Mine is a Human/Half-elf Skald, though I've also run Fighter -> Cleric multiple times, to no great success on the latter.
Besides, the playstyle is entirely what I like to do in many RPGs (hiding behind a wall of summons), and I love many of the druid spells. I'd wager I've summoned more fire elementals in my life than I have cast magic missle spells. My specific playstyle with the class would involve very much that: More summons than you'll ever need. One of my "finest" moments was outsummoning Sendai - making her cast her entire spellbook on my summons until she had nothing notable left (and she has a LOT of spells), with me even using Conjure Animals and the Animal Summoning I-III spells. In BG2, my druids never leave home without death ward and chaotic commands, and as soon as they can summon a deva, remove fear. I equip very defensive items and often keep my druid quite a few feet behind the remaining party if I feel unsafe (especially in BG1). Typical weapons include various darts and clubs, but I love the staff of the woodlands (because it allows me to summon an entirely new kind of creature!). If I need to do actual damage myself in the lategame, I like to go for energy blades, preferably in combination with the Helm of Vhailor.
I don't often play extremely unique builds - the only thing that comes to mind would be my attempt at playing with a party of completely randomized characters, which l tried for many years until I finally managed to complete a run.
@Grond0 One of the Avatar runs actually made it to the Hall of Heroes
My signature D&D class though, has turn out to be bard. I love bards, I love playing bards. Bards are awesome. I should totally mod the BG series and make something like a dwarf bard. 'Cause reasons.
I dont do single class mages or sorcerors. There have to be a melee edge to it (not just Grond0’s melee sorceror part 2).
I would say that a level 7 fighter -> cleric is the closest to RL me (started out in the army, and then turned to the law). Well basicly like Anomen.
I am also pretty much like Anomen in RL. Off course not as likeable and amiable like Anomen - he is afterall the most loved and venerated NPC in the BG series.. But I aspire to be so.
So take his picture, voiceset and his charming character along for the ride.
Ps. Fell free to put two pips in spears - or just something usefull. Maces and slings
Also, whenever I take one of those 'What class are you?' thingies I always (and I mean always) end up being classed as an alchemist - so a mage is as close as I can get as part of my character build.
My signature character though has to be a dual-wielding assassin, dual-classed to mage (great fun to solo with).
Should really be fighter/sorc, or even barb/sorc, but 2E is dumb
1) Disorganised. May only use items from quickslots in combat.
2) Dopey. Should always be vulnerable to the confusion spell. Or just have a 1% chance per round of becoming confused!
3) Focused. If you like the character can gain mastery in one weapon/ but only proficiency in others or become a specialist in one spell school.
Picture: The bearded bald strong guy is a fair match
Human Enchanter
Human Thief -> Wizard Slayer
Half-Orc Thug (from Might and Guile)
Not necessarily gnomes, race is pretty much irrelevant tbh. I tend to favor the multiclass over the various duals but I do like them too.
Generally in video games I have a strong dislike for fighter classes or characters, regardless of their actual power or lack thereof. Meleeheads are just insanely boring to me and in BG the Mage/Thief just combines what I like best.