Elven Fighter/Mage for EE series (*spoilers!*)
FredSRichardson
Member Posts: 465
[EDIT: changed 2H path a bit]
Well, I had the hardest time with weapon proficiencies and I hate having regrets. This is my first time playing an Elven F/M.
I think I understand the constraints a bit better now for this type of character. You have 6 proficiency points to play with in BGEE and you get the last 2 of these by level 6/5 (65K exp, so not at all near the end but maybe around chapter 5). The 7th pip comes at 500K exp (lvls 9/10) which is the SoD cap - I'm guessing you would be a few chapters into BG2 before hitting this but I'm not sure. Then the 8th pip comes at 2M exp which could be late game BG2 (but maybe hitting Watchers Keep early changes that).
So, my point with all that is for the F/M to get the most out of the first few chapters of BG2, you want to make good use of those first 6 points. I'm sure there's a concise guide on this, but I didn't manage to find one. Note that by the time you finish ToB you have 12 proficiency pips. The problem is that the first ones are really spread out and then you get them every 4 levels into ToB.
From what I can tell, there rare two basic proficiency routes for this type of character:
Note#1: for both of these I'm skipping out on putting any points into longbows. It is a bit inconvenient for BG1 where you'll have to rely on other party members for missile weapons. You still get +1 for being an Elf which might help?
Note#2: I believe Elves get +1 thac0 for short and long swords as well as all bows.
Note#3: I'm writing all this down because I made a pretty sub-optimal choice at the start of bg1ee: I put 6 points into longswords, longbows and two-weapon style. This might be okay for bg1 only, but will drive me nuts into bg2.
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Path#1: two-hander:
two-handed weapon style: +
quarterstaff: ++
two-handed swords: ++
longbows: +
You definitely want to use the spell shield or use the shield amulet you can buy at the Nashkell Carnival. Recharging (a bit cheesy) is possible if you sell the amulet and buy it back again (I think it has to have at least 1 charge). It's expensive the second time around but has 50 charges.
Put two points on quarterstaff, one point in longbow and one point in two-handed weapon style at creation and look for that +3 staff in BG1 (which you can buy in Ulgoth's Beard). In BG2 there is the godly Staff of the Magi relatively late game. There are a few quarterstaffs that destroy golems or elemenals unless the make a saving roll (I wonder what their saves are for this and if the wielder level factors in at all). And you can get high level enchantments on a quarterstaff in the early game.
There are also a lot of great two-handed swords. In BG2 the Sword of Chaos is available before leaving the sewers in chapter 1. Lilacor is available relatively early on.
I'm not sure if you want to put a second pip into longbow or not. I guess it depends on how much you end up using it.
Later at the end of BG2 and into ToB you could put pips halberds - there are a few good ones. From what I have read, spears are not a very good option in general (without a mod).
The other option is to use your remaining 6 point on Path#2...
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Path#2: dual-wielder:
two-weapon style: ++
scimitars/etc: ++
flails: ++
The first 4 points into scimitars and flails since you'll likely use a shield for a while. Then add the last two points to two-weapon style and towards the end of bg1 it might make sense to switch to dual wielding (and use the shield spell or amulet from the merchant in the Nashkell Carnival).
This path benefits a lot from being evil and killing Drizzt because then you can get two powerful +3 scimitars in the early game. I've never done this, so I only ended up with the +2 scimitar you get in the Cloakwood Forest.
In BG2, the general consensus appears to be that you want your off-hand to wield a +APR weapon and there are two choices for this character: Belm (scimitar) and kundane (shortsword). They are both +2 weapons and eventually will not have a chance of hitting anything, but they allow you main hand weapon an extra attack without any penalties. I seriously debated going with shortswords, but there aren't a lot of good ones in the game (on the other hand, if you want Jahiera to wield belm then substitute shortswords for scimitars above).
A very good +3 flail (Flail of Ages) is available relatively early in BG2 (the Fighter stronghold quest from Nalia) which slows and does multiple types of damage. This weapon can be upgraded in ToB and from what I hear it is considered a very good end game weapon. Some people have recommended the flail Defender of Easthaven for damage reduction as an off-hand weapon, but this might be better on a cleric in the party along with Crom Faeyr (late BG2).
Arguably you don't need 2 pips in scimitars to wield them off hand. The extra pip is more helpful in BG1 (especially if you get Drizzt's scimitars). Watchers Keep adds two very good scimitars one of which can be upgraded in ToB. So it is a good main hand weapon as well.
There are two good katana's in BG2: Dakkon's Zerth Blade lets you memorize extra spells which you could swap out after buffing and Celestial Fury is +3 and can stun opponents. One could put a point in scimitar and a point in katana in order to use Celestial Fury more effectively, but the weapon does not scale that well later on (still it is available relatively early). You can upgrade Hindo's Doom in ToB to a +4 weapon, but it is not nearly as good as the Flail of Ages.
Longswords are not outstanding in BG2, but there is an upgradeable one (Angurvadal +4) from deep in Watchers Keep. There are some good axes you can get relatively early in BG2 including a vorpal one. One could put a point in either of these (especially since there is a +2 longsword available early on in BG1).
The other one-handed weapons are probably better left to other party members like maces (the Mace of Disruption), clubs and daggers. You probably don't want anyone to use the Club of Detonation (even though it can be upgraded to a +5 weapon in ToB - talk about a party killer...)
So one option is to start adding katana, longsword or axe proficiencies into ToB. Or for something different take path#1 with your last 6 points.
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Comparing path#1 and path#2 is tricky. There are benefits to both and it really depends on which weapons you want to go after (for example when do you do the first level of Watchers Keep). The first 6 points are kind of important because you're stuck with them for a lot of the game. I often lose interest in the game into ToB so delaying important character mechanics doesn't make much sense. However, ToB may be more fun if you start the path you didn't take with your last 6 points as opposed to adding more weapon type proficiencies.
Well, I had the hardest time with weapon proficiencies and I hate having regrets. This is my first time playing an Elven F/M.
I think I understand the constraints a bit better now for this type of character. You have 6 proficiency points to play with in BGEE and you get the last 2 of these by level 6/5 (65K exp, so not at all near the end but maybe around chapter 5). The 7th pip comes at 500K exp (lvls 9/10) which is the SoD cap - I'm guessing you would be a few chapters into BG2 before hitting this but I'm not sure. Then the 8th pip comes at 2M exp which could be late game BG2 (but maybe hitting Watchers Keep early changes that).
So, my point with all that is for the F/M to get the most out of the first few chapters of BG2, you want to make good use of those first 6 points. I'm sure there's a concise guide on this, but I didn't manage to find one. Note that by the time you finish ToB you have 12 proficiency pips. The problem is that the first ones are really spread out and then you get them every 4 levels into ToB.
From what I can tell, there rare two basic proficiency routes for this type of character:
Note#1: for both of these I'm skipping out on putting any points into longbows. It is a bit inconvenient for BG1 where you'll have to rely on other party members for missile weapons. You still get +1 for being an Elf which might help?
Note#2: I believe Elves get +1 thac0 for short and long swords as well as all bows.
Note#3: I'm writing all this down because I made a pretty sub-optimal choice at the start of bg1ee: I put 6 points into longswords, longbows and two-weapon style. This might be okay for bg1 only, but will drive me nuts into bg2.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Path#1: two-hander:
two-handed weapon style: +
quarterstaff: ++
two-handed swords: ++
longbows: +
You definitely want to use the spell shield or use the shield amulet you can buy at the Nashkell Carnival. Recharging (a bit cheesy) is possible if you sell the amulet and buy it back again (I think it has to have at least 1 charge). It's expensive the second time around but has 50 charges.
Put two points on quarterstaff, one point in longbow and one point in two-handed weapon style at creation and look for that +3 staff in BG1 (which you can buy in Ulgoth's Beard). In BG2 there is the godly Staff of the Magi relatively late game. There are a few quarterstaffs that destroy golems or elemenals unless the make a saving roll (I wonder what their saves are for this and if the wielder level factors in at all). And you can get high level enchantments on a quarterstaff in the early game.
There are also a lot of great two-handed swords. In BG2 the Sword of Chaos is available before leaving the sewers in chapter 1. Lilacor is available relatively early on.
I'm not sure if you want to put a second pip into longbow or not. I guess it depends on how much you end up using it.
Later at the end of BG2 and into ToB you could put pips halberds - there are a few good ones. From what I have read, spears are not a very good option in general (without a mod).
The other option is to use your remaining 6 point on Path#2...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Path#2: dual-wielder:
two-weapon style: ++
scimitars/etc: ++
flails: ++
The first 4 points into scimitars and flails since you'll likely use a shield for a while. Then add the last two points to two-weapon style and towards the end of bg1 it might make sense to switch to dual wielding (and use the shield spell or amulet from the merchant in the Nashkell Carnival).
This path benefits a lot from being evil and killing Drizzt because then you can get two powerful +3 scimitars in the early game. I've never done this, so I only ended up with the +2 scimitar you get in the Cloakwood Forest.
In BG2, the general consensus appears to be that you want your off-hand to wield a +APR weapon and there are two choices for this character: Belm (scimitar) and kundane (shortsword). They are both +2 weapons and eventually will not have a chance of hitting anything, but they allow you main hand weapon an extra attack without any penalties. I seriously debated going with shortswords, but there aren't a lot of good ones in the game (on the other hand, if you want Jahiera to wield belm then substitute shortswords for scimitars above).
A very good +3 flail (Flail of Ages) is available relatively early in BG2 (the Fighter stronghold quest from Nalia) which slows and does multiple types of damage. This weapon can be upgraded in ToB and from what I hear it is considered a very good end game weapon. Some people have recommended the flail Defender of Easthaven for damage reduction as an off-hand weapon, but this might be better on a cleric in the party along with Crom Faeyr (late BG2).
Arguably you don't need 2 pips in scimitars to wield them off hand. The extra pip is more helpful in BG1 (especially if you get Drizzt's scimitars). Watchers Keep adds two very good scimitars one of which can be upgraded in ToB. So it is a good main hand weapon as well.
There are two good katana's in BG2: Dakkon's Zerth Blade lets you memorize extra spells which you could swap out after buffing and Celestial Fury is +3 and can stun opponents. One could put a point in scimitar and a point in katana in order to use Celestial Fury more effectively, but the weapon does not scale that well later on (still it is available relatively early). You can upgrade Hindo's Doom in ToB to a +4 weapon, but it is not nearly as good as the Flail of Ages.
Longswords are not outstanding in BG2, but there is an upgradeable one (Angurvadal +4) from deep in Watchers Keep. There are some good axes you can get relatively early in BG2 including a vorpal one. One could put a point in either of these (especially since there is a +2 longsword available early on in BG1).
The other one-handed weapons are probably better left to other party members like maces (the Mace of Disruption), clubs and daggers. You probably don't want anyone to use the Club of Detonation (even though it can be upgraded to a +5 weapon in ToB - talk about a party killer...)
So one option is to start adding katana, longsword or axe proficiencies into ToB. Or for something different take path#1 with your last 6 points.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparing path#1 and path#2 is tricky. There are benefits to both and it really depends on which weapons you want to go after (for example when do you do the first level of Watchers Keep). The first 6 points are kind of important because you're stuck with them for a lot of the game. I often lose interest in the game into ToB so delaying important character mechanics doesn't make much sense. However, ToB may be more fun if you start the path you didn't take with your last 6 points as opposed to adding more weapon type proficiencies.
Post edited by FredSRichardson on
2
Comments
But I do want to point out that (according to the manual at least, I haven't really tested it) the +1 to hit for elves only applies to long and short swords, NOT to scimitars and twohanded swords like you say).
Personally I like the following:
two-handed: 2 in main weapon, 2 in a ranged. Get 2h style 1 at level 3.
Dual-wielding: 2 in main weapon, 2 in ranged. Start using shield instead of 2nd weapon until around LVL 6 by which you have 2 pts in dual wielding.
It is much harder for pure fighter as you need to decide when to get grandmaster as well.
@Ammar another good point, only one point is needed on 2H style.
You guys both suggest keeping the ranged weapon which maybe is important. I'll work on that.
Second reason to single-wield comes from me using the 'allow arcane spellcasting in armor' from the Gibberlings3 Tweaks Anthology (formerly BG2Tweaks). It allows arcane spellcasters to wear armour, but with a chance to miscast, 15% chance of miscasting for a medium shield, 50% for an arcane shield (http://www.gibberlings3.net/readmes/readme-cdtweaks.html). Thus I use single-weapon style to get an AC bonus instead of a shield.
So if you don't use an old version of the engine nor use this particular rule tweak, there's less reason than I have to opt for single-weapon style.
Sorry for not noting on my earlier post that it's these particular circumstances of my games that underlie my choice. I now realise it makes single weapon style a less universally sound choice, if a good shield is an option.
@Raduziel - thank you for the mod pointers. I'll have to check those out.
The true power gamer path for playing BG1-BG2 is the dual-wielding route. But I think BG1 is a bit rough without some longbow prof. So I wonder if it makes sense to put 1 point into longbow and 1 point into scimitar or if that makes both weapons too weak.
It's hard to fight the logic of putting points into longbow, longsword, dual wield and that eventual 7th point into short sword for Kuldane. It's just a shame that longswords are not so great in BG2...
In some ways I like the 2-handed path better, but I don't know how it plays out in BG1 (it's nice to have a shield). You can probably rely on ranged a bit more.
Found the Bladesinger one:
https://github.com/AbdelAdrian/Eldritch_Magic
There's also a War Wizard that can be interesting to you.
[EDIT: swapped out longswords]
I think I have a better recipe for the dual-wielding path:
level 1/1: 1 pip in two weapon style and flail, 2 pips in longbow
*** longbows are useful early on
level 2/3: 2 pips in flail
level 5/6: 2 pips in two weapon style
*** Dual wielding flails should be effective
BG2 levels:
level 10/9: 1 pip in short sword (for kundane)
*** so now you have the extra APR and Flail of Ages to mess with
level 12/12: 1 pip in two handed weapon style
level 15/14: 1 pip in quarterstaff
level 18/16: 1 pip in quarterstaff
*** So now late in ToB you can play around with the staff of the magi. Alternatively you could pick up hammers or scimitars for some very good end-of-game ones in ToB if you don't have those slotted for other characters.
For the 2-handed path:
level 1/1: 1 pip in two-handed sword, quarterstaff, longbow and two handed weapon style
level 2/3: 2 pips in two-handed sword
level 5/6: 2 pips in quarterstaff
*** Now your pretty effective with a blunt and sharp weapon, and okay with a ranged weapon
BG2 levels:
level 10/9: 1 pip in halberd
level 12/12: 2 pips in halberd
*** There are some nice halberds and now you can use them
After that you could flush out longbow and 2H style. Adding two-weapon style would probably develop too late to be much fun.
The 2-handed path looks like it might be more fun through bg1ee but end up slightly less powerful in bg2ee.
The Equalizer (great for lawful/chaotic evil/good guys)
Blackrazor (but you have to be evil)
Angurvadal (watchers keep)
But I think you could do okay in BG1EE without longswords, so maybe put 2 points in longbow instead which is really useful early on. Then at 12/12 put 1 pip into two-handed weapon style and build up quarterstaff from there to play around with the staff of the magi.
If your f/m is being played in the #1 slot primarily as a melee dynamo, seems to me that dual wielding is the best way to go. Spell protections more than compensate for missed shield AC and hey, more attacks better. Why you'd put a bow in this guy's hands is beyond me. You're rushing in to slice and dice or spending the first few moments in a fight to pop a mirror image or whatnot, then rushing in. If you don't have some sort of ranged support behind him then you're just building your party wrong.
The #2 slot, which I also consider to be primarily melee, can fit a f/m nicely if a little less efficiently. Here's the place to go for the two-handers regardless of class, I believe, if for no other reason than to mitigate the lousy pathfinding (and getting stuck on the guy in front of you) with the extra reach. That being said, I disagree on only one pip for the fighting style. Do one thing right and be the best you can at it. Weapon speed does make a difference. Think every damn mob that procs something nasty with a speedy claw attack. You're getting hit before hitting. And you don't want to make this attack faster? Madness. The real drawback to your f/m in this position is the waste of effort on your part. Ya go ahead and spend your effort on getting him buffed and shiny and what's this? The guy in the #1 slot is drawing all the attacks anyway.
#3 can be played as full melee, swingman or ranged. Now you go for that bow and ranged bomber spells. Full melee just makes him the third Stooge at the mercy of 90s algorithms. Full ranged is just boring - not why you want to play a f/m in the first place. Give him whatever melee combo you want. Nice for filling several party roles, but won't get nominated for best actor.
The 4th slot and beyond are simply better served by those chars with specific purpose, your casters, thieves and pure archers. You wanna build a nifty f/m and play him there, you be my guest.
Okay, so if you're not going to solo, then pick your style and stick to it. A f/m by it's nature carries plenty of utility value without spending weapon pips everywhere. My favorite combo? Dual wielding long swords, short swords and finally bastard swords. Contrary to opinion, I think long swords are the best throughout the course of the series. From the get go you're using magic long swords that drop all over the place and then Varscona as soon as you can be bothered to go down and pick it up. Later you lay claim to a +3 short sword and the Flametongue (which now appears in Irenecus' dungeon if you keep it with you all the way). SoD provides a nifty dispelling long and AND +3 dispelling short, then a +3 long to insure both weps can hit in the final fight. Every dam attack you've made through two games has carried the 2 pip spec plus the+1 elf bonus.
You leave Chateau Irenecus with the Flametongue and then pick up the cheap +3 Blade of Roses from Copper Coronet and then switch between them while wielding the Arbane short sword in offhand. Just love that little weapon with it's mini haste and freedom spells. Kick troll ass with Flametongue then use it to kill the lich and grab the new and improved Daystar which now hits as a +4 against all evil. When tired of singing as you slay undead, go get yourself a Dragonslayer, the weapon of choice for those who choose not to cheese their dragons. Pick up Kundane for extra APR. By lev 15 you've got that second pip in bastards so go collect Foebane if you want then Angurvadal if you want to go further. Both get upgraded in ToB and can be used together until the end. Tell me there's a better curve than that across three games.
For two-handers, go sword, staff then halberd. Better yet, play your f/m in the #1 slot and dual and then let some brute of a paladin or berserker take the two-handed duties.
Lastly, if you haven't killed enough monsters with Celestial Fury yet, then go at it. I have and just skip it on most playthroughs. Sorry for the novel here, but I just love them f/ms. Have fun.
You make a good point that there are good longswords along the way that you can take advantage of in bg2. I'm not sure two pips in shortswords is worth it. Having blunt and sharp would be nice, so maybe long swords and flails is the way to go. By the time you use Kundane you don't really need to hit anything with it so maybe you don't really need any proficiency in short swords...?
Edit: Sorry, I was thinking about pips in d/w rather than short swords.
Do I love me a ranged party? I do. Do I front this party with a f/m? No.
There is a fallacy at work here that more utility in a character is always better. I won't make a full case out of it, but in the BG series I would argue that utility is best considered at the party level, not that of individual chars. Focus will win out in a majority of cases. This also applies to blunt weapon damage. Not every char needs to be able to do it. It's sufficient if somebody in the party can do it in the small amount of cases where it is necessary. My pref is for the char in the #2 slot to use two-handed and always take quarterstaff. It's enough.
Now if you play the no pip offhand game, I don't have much to say to you. I don't use weapons that my chars aren't proficient in and my use of short swords is not a cheap extra magical talisman slot. Now you don't have to believe me when I talk about how good Arbane is (with 2 pips and elf bonus this WILL hit) - let me just point out that there really is a very small percentage of combats (much like blunt damage only) where a +3 is needed and in those cases another weapon may be switched in instead. Daystar and Flametongue when lich fighting, for example.
I'm not a power gamer, but I'm not going to run them down either. It's just not my style. I like feeing a little pride in well built characters and I don't get that by gaming the system.
@JGP made some great points and asked a very good question. I believe I want my CHARNAME in slot 1 using beefy weapons.
So I'm going to try Longswords and Flails, skip the Longbow:
level 1/1: 1 pip in Two Weapon Style and Flail, 2 pips in Longsword
*** Use a shield and Longsword early on, get Varscona +2 and Harrower
level 3/2: 2 pips in Flail
*** Get Thresher +2 flail in Baldur's Gate
level 6/5: 2 pips in Two Weapon Style
*** Dual wielding Flails or Longswords should be good. Get Flame Tongue from Durlag's Tower.
BG2 levels:
level 9/10: 1 pip in ?
level 12/12: 1 pip in ?
level 15/14: 1 pip in ?
level 18/16: 1 pip in ?
I think you end BGEE at level 7/7 with an APR 3 dual-wielding (2 MH/ 1 OH). You can increase this to 4 (3 MH/1 OH) with Haste I believe. In BG2, with Kundane/Belm (and without Haste) you also gain an extra MH attack (the same as Haste but permanent and without fatigue). The level 6 BG2EE spell Improved Haste doubles the APR. At level 13/13 you gain an extra 0.5 APR and together with the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization (deep in Watchers Keep) you would have another APR for a total of 5 (4 MH/1 OH) which is the max I believe.
I'm still no sure Shortswords are worth putting pips into, but there are some nice Scimitars (if you don't want to save those for Jaheira) and a few notable Bastard Swords. Katana's are another option for Celestial Fury. Would Kundane work just as well with 0 pips vs 1 pip? This I'm not sure off...
It's funny that I've never played this game with an F/M before. I had a blast playing a Cleric/Ranger - that char is definitely built for dual wielding blunt instruments and ends up really powerful with the flail. I guess I just really like the flail of ages (and Defender of Easthaven).
But you already pointed out the main thing here - I have a higher tolerance for cheese in this game
EDIT: come to think of it, I may put a least one point in Shortsword before using Kundane. I've never wielded weapons without some ability to use them and it doesn't feel quite right to me.
My affection for Arbane in the end is just idiosyncratic - I hate those cheap ass holds that some orc shaman will pull off a second before dying and love that mini haste. Are those benefits better than what you can achieve with other weapons in an offhand slot? Probably not, I just like 'em.
My last comments on the discussion: I always place a third pip in TWF at lev 3, so that second long sword attack in the early levels when you only get two attacks gains a +2, then with that second pip in shortswords, it's effectively only down one to hit over non-elf weapons. Lastly, Foebane has that Elven flavor for a f/m and is upgradable early on in ToB, making it a huge help in those giant killing slogs etc. that ToB unimaginatively throws at you constantly.
Have fun.
For those of us addicted to cheese, the other route is to make the game harder with SCS or some such thing. I imagine some items disappear (eh maybe the cloak or shield of cheese - not sure), others are less powerful and I'll bet the enemies are a lot harder. But this only makes sense if you are into cheesing out which I may be guilty of.
I tried starting off BGEE with the hardest mode (I can't remember what it is - you can't change it afterwards!). My character was killed off by the rats in the warehouse (you know the ones before you leave Candlekeep). So that's not something I'm ready for.
Either way, I think you mentioned one of the key things here and that is planning out the character carefully whatever your approach is to the game. I don't think anyone likes having regrets though Shadow Keeper is there in a pinch.
Are you sure you can put 3 pips in TWF for a F/M? I think the limit is 2, but I'm not sure.