whats is the best iwd themed party ?

Danacm

I just ask, what is the most iconic in the nord theme ?
Barbarian, druid, archer, skald, cleric of tempus and what other classes ? which type of thief can be thematic here ? Or bard is fill more in the northern region ? What about mages and sorcerers ?

saox

I am anxiously waiting for them to add the Shaman. Other than that I think Beast Master makes a great addition! There is a black man playing drums-portrait that I think goes really well with a northern bard.

Use your fantasy. You can have a 'foreigner' in your party in the north, a wizard of Thay, a character from BG1 that ventured that way for adventure, perhaps the Planes spit out someone we know from Planescape ?

Redrake

If you consider the fact that this is a game which originally was based on 2E and in the original game there were no kits, I'd say, the best thematic party would consist of at least 3 characters, a ranger, a bard and a dwarf (whatever class).

And use a non-kit bard, not a skald.

Southpaw

5 Barbarians and a Bard

Ravandel

In my runs I most often used:
2x warrior, 1x ranger, thief, cleric, mage

Redrake

Ravandel said:

In my runs I most often used:
2x warrior, 1x ranger, thief, cleric, mage

No bard to record their tale?

Reminds me of my first party in IWD, 3 fighters, a paladin, a bard and a conjurer.

abacus

I had fun with a holy expedition.

Priest of Lathander sent by his church to investigate disturbing rumours.

His sworn swords:
Undead Hunter
Cavalier
Inquisitor

Stalker as scout

Bard as local liaison/ recorder of their deeds

Dev6

saox said:

I am anxiously waiting for them to add the Shaman.

Ain't that the truth.
Hurry up beamdog!

Elendar

Gnomes only. Best Party Ever. Especially if they are all from the Jansen clan.

wsnavigator

Based on what I remember from Salvatore's trilogy about Icewind Dale, there should be one or more barbarian, fighter, ranger, or cleric. Up there in the cold it seems there is no much place for druids, mages, and sorcerers - if they come, it is only just visiting. Thiefs are probably not tolerated much in these places. No idea about bards or monks, there might be some.

When it comes to races, I suppose most of the local people are humans, dwarfs, gnomes, and half-orcs (for lack of options to play as orc).

Based on this, a lot of good parties can be created. While they might be somewaht lacking in the magic department, they surely compensate with their might.

Redrake

wsnavigator said:

Based on what I remember from Salvatore's trilogy about Icewind Dale, there should be one or more barbarian, fighter, ranger, or cleric. Up there in the cold it seems there is no much place for druids, mages, and sorcerers - if they come, it is only just visiting. Thiefs are probably not tolerated much in these places. No idea about bards or monks, there might be some.

What? You do realize that IWD1 has nothing to do, except for the setting with Salvatore's books?

And druids? Come on, Kuldahar is a village built upon an ancient druid shrine. And this is IWD1 based on 2E. Barbarians should be in fact a fighter kit.

And mages are common everywhere. Especially near ancient places of power, like let's say an ancient mythal.

Elendar

Elendar said:

Gnomes only. Best Party Ever. Especially if they are all from the Jansen clan.

Southpaw

Elendar said:

Elendar said:

Gnomes only. Best Party Ever. Especially if they are all from the Jansen clan.

Telling each other stories about turnips and griffons... good times.

Grum

Dwarven Defender (axe, shield)
Dwarven Defender (hammer, shield)
Dwarven Berserker (longswords 2x)
Dwarven Fighter/Cleric (flails 2x)
Dwarven Fighter/Thief (slings then returning throwing axe)
Gnome Fighter/Illusionist (longbows)

wsnavigator

Redrake said:

What? You do realize that IWD1 has nothing to do, except for the setting with Salvatore's books?

And druids? Come on, Kuldahar is a village built upon an ancient druid shrine. And this is IWD1 based on 2E. Barbarians should be in fact a fighter kit.

And mages are common everywhere. Especially near ancient places of power, like let's say an ancient mythal.

Yes, the setting is what this thread is about. This fictional setting is defined in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, which is first published in the same year with Salvatore's trilogy - 1988. I've managed to check the Campaign Setting book, and it states exactly the same races that are described in the first book of the trilogy. Humans, dwarfs, gnomes, and half-orcs as playable characters, mainly barbarians, fighters, and rangers.

It is up to the authors of a fictional Icewind Dale story (like IWD1/2) to decide what races and classes would be included in their story. There is nothing wrong in making a story only with mages roaming the cold north. It would just not be typical for this part of the setting.

ineth

@wsnavigator
But aren't the player characters meant to be outsiders?
I.e. a party of adventures from the Sword Coast who've traveled north, and thus wouldn't likely be very representative of the inhabitants of the North.

In IWD2, at least, the intro explicitly tells of the party taking a boat from Luskan to the Ten-Towns. I don't remember right now if the IWD1 story officially specifies something like that as well, but at least in my headcanon it's like that...

wsnavigator

In IWD1, it is just said they are travelers. So it is up to the player to decide that those travelers are from the north - for example from other settlements in the Ten Towns, or rangers hunting in the summer, or dwarves mining underground, and so on. Well, it is also OK to decide that the travelers are coming from a region somewhere on the south.

Danacm

Hmm, i got an idea from these answers, to create an evil party. Escaped prisoners from some place, and try to survive and flee from the jurisdiction. Or like dirty dozen

Redrake

Playing evil in IWD1 unfortunately is not as satisfactory like say, BG1&2 or IWD2.

In IWD2 I am running currently an evil party led by a Dreadmaster of Bane. And having a duergar, a drow, a necromancer, a fighter and a bard along.

Ravandel

Redrake said:

Playing evil in IWD1 unfortunately is not as satisfactory like say, BG1&2 or IWD2.

In IWD2 I am running currently an evil party led by a Dreadmaster of Bane. And having a duergar, a drow, a necromancer, a fighter and a bard along.

Let your priest of Bane talk to other enemy priest of Bane in Kuldahar, there are new special dialogues for them. But I think you know that already :P

Redrake

Ravandel said:

Redrake said:

Playing evil in IWD1 unfortunately is not as satisfactory like say, BG1&2 or IWD2.

In IWD2 I am running currently an evil party led by a Dreadmaster of Bane. And having a duergar, a drow, a necromancer, a fighter and a bard along.

Let your priest of Bane talk to other enemy priest of Bane in Kuldahar, there are new special dialogues for them. But I think you know that already :P

Yes, I do. And I also have a restored evil content in it, near Shanegarne River. Played over the years I think at least 10 evil parties. I once had a party of duergars. Another time, one of drow. And truly, in HoF a Dreadmaster casting Symbol of Hopelessness is the epitome of madness.

Although, as far as evil clerics go in IWD2, I enjoy a Demarch more. Mostly because of their better spells, like Executioner Eyes.

Grum

Grum said:

Dwarven Defender (axe, shield)
Dwarven Defender (hammer, shield)
Dwarven Berserker (longswords 2x)
Dwarven Fighter/Cleric (flails 2x)
Dwarven Fighter/Thief (slings then returning throwing axe)
Gnome Fighter/Illusionist (longbows)

By the way, a good plot hook for this party? They are looking for the shield stoutward. They have heard that it is in the area and have come to recover it. Once they have gotten it, they find themselves stuck because of the snow and are just trying to fight their way out. They are then further sucked into the story, as they uncover the mystery of what happened to Dorn's Deep. You even get vengeance for it when you kill the damned drow who caused it all! And you get to put dwarven spirits to rest. It's very satisfying.

Mechanically, the shield is perfect for the dwarven fighter/thief (Str19 returning throwing axe) all throughout the game and the expansion.

When I RPd this party, I also made a point of completely looting Dorn's Deep and putting everything in the bag of holding. The bag of holding vanishes when you do HoW, and I figured that was them returning the artifacts to their clan.

Then comes HoW. Your band of dwarves has dropped off the gear with their clan, when they receive word that a group of dwarves have been ambushed and murdered by barbarians. They come to investigate. You also get the satisfaction of freeing dwarven souls from Young Rage.

IWD1 is great for a dwarven clan, as there is so much which just feels satisfying for them while playing. Hell, you even get to make an elven archmage apologize!

Raduziel

Now I'm playing a full "I hate undead" party using my mod.

Next I'm planning an Ilmaterite party (cleric, monk and paladin) with a sorcerer, a bard and a fighter-thief for the remaining slots.