What fighter-mage combination do you like best?
borntodie
Member Posts: 199
I wonder what kind of fighter/mage class combinations are the most popular. I hear a lot about kensai/mages, but personally I found Berserker/Mage the most potent (if cheesy) dual option. Berserker rage is like a spell immunity:everything that can't be dispelled. 
And if you really need super high Thac0 for a particular fight, you can activate Tenser's Transformation (love that spell - 250+ HP is such a sight).
But enough about me, what is your opinion?
And if you really need super high Thac0 for a particular fight, you can activate Tenser's Transformation (love that spell - 250+ HP is such a sight).
But enough about me, what is your opinion?
- What fighter-mage combination do you like best?82 votes
- Kensai > Mage dual12.20%
- Berserker > Mage dual13.41%
- Fighter / Mage multi32.93%
- Fighter / Mage / Thief multi19.51%
- none, too cheesy for me9.76%
- something else12.20%
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Comments
But personally I use all of above with exception of Berserker>Mage dual.
I typically use
- Kensai 13 -> Mage (lower dual doesn't make sense honestly)
- Fighter/Illusionist -> best FM multi
- FMT -> Great all around since you need thief anyway, powerfull assassination late gate, 100% detect illusion for SCS
- FMC -> as above
Overall Wizard Slayer 9 -> Mage is pretty cool too (maybe bit weird role play wise) but if I go WS dual I usually prefer go Druid for sick anti-caster character in SCS.If you intend to use a speed weapon as off-hand, berserker->mage might have your preference, for a dual at lvl9. You won't miss out much the damage and THAC0 of the Kensai, instead of which you'll have an extremely useful rage ability, and you can dual sooner, making the process a lot easier.
That's for dual.
Now I have just finished a playthrough with a Kensai (13) -> Thief. And while he was insanely powerful (probably one of my most OP character so far), I believe I would have done better in multi. The main reason why is HLA. I ended up with many more traps than I would ever require, many great evasions etc. Instead I could have taken some damage resist, GWW (although you obviously won't need that one), and other F goodies. This will be even more important for a F/M as there is only a very limited amount of mage HLAs.
A multi gnome I/F will give you a mage spec (you'll miss out skull trap and abi-dalzim, but you'll have +1 spell per day per level; considering as a F/M you should not need these necro spells, more buffs for you is definitely awesome) and both HLAs. You will still pick all mages HLAs, plus fighter goodies. Also, shorty saves and a +1 intel will come extra handy. Considering the buffs you will have access to, the loss of grandmastery should not impact much. Especially since your natural THAC0 will exceed the one of a dual (even a 13 Kensai) pretty quickly. Also, no down time to catch up with your first class (trust me it counts...), and you'll kick ass as soon as lvl1.
In any case, as a fighter you will be an absolute monster no matter what you pick.
I usually pick elf because they get a natural chance to detect secret doors that is way, way higher than the other races, something which can be annoying as a solo non-thief.
good times
However the best CLASS in the whole game has to be Gnome Fighter/Illusionist. Sure you lvl up a bit slower and lose the masteries but +1 spell/lvl and fighter HLAS are just too good.
F/M/T is insane but you have to be playing solo or with 1 companion to actually make sense. The thief HLAs are OP.
That said Berserker/Mage is definitely the way to go if you want a dual, and the only bad point it has is its THAC0 stops at 7 base when you dual it at 13. it craps all over K/M because people seem to forget B/Ms can still wear gear the Kensai can't that makes them exceed both the AC and Hit/Dmg boni when under Berserk. Berserk is overall more useful than Kai when you don't have HLAs anyway.
The main benefit to dual-classing is that you actually receive 9th level spells early enough to use them for a significant chunk of the game. However, I'm not sure the choice of berserker or kensai is necessarily all that clear-cut for those who want to go this route. While it's true that kensai/mages suffer more than you might expect from the kensai item restrictions, the ability to cast spell immunity makes the berserker's rage ability less useful than it would be for, say, a kensai/thief.
Dualling at 13 is suboptimal in my opinion, you are severely handicapping yourself for a significant part of the game in order to gain a minor bonus for the rest of the game that will not make any real difference.
What really makes a difference for any f/m combo is how early you get your high level spells, because that is what makes you invincibly strong. A level 9 dual gets them almost as early as a pure mage, while gaining full fighter HP and plenty of pips, apr and Thac0.
In short, I feel that many people only look at the power that a class gains in the final 10% of the game, when any character becomes OP because of HLA's, so it is the part of the game where you are in the least need of additional power.
I mean, once you are in ToB you can clone yourself, summon a planetar, have your clone summon another planetar, cast black blade of disaster, cast time stop, trigger your chain contingency and obliterate god himself. At that point things like 1/2 apr or a fighter HLA are utterly irrelevant.
So I much prefer a character that is strong from start to finish.
But then the only two options for a real mage in SOA are Edwin or a Sorcerer
I dont max that potential via fighter/illusionist though.
I just go with elven fighter mage combo. Elve for the higher dexterity. And i like using two swords. Gets so strong later and is very sturdy in all stages of the game. Its so versatile and you have so many tools availalbe with all the spell combos.
It's an automatic win, in my opinion.
I don’t know, is there a bad combo at all? I have done a level 11 vanilla mage dualed to fighter that had no problem with the game.
I play clerics more than anything else, even in PnP though I have made new groups unhappy many times because I play clerics more aggressively and less healy than they were expecting. I would chose f/m/c, there is nothing it cannot handle but that could be said of any combination right? F/m/c was not an option though and thief is my second favorite class so I chose that. Dual I would chose beserker>mage because wow! From a no reload standpoint it is just amazing.
Plenty of people are angry. Berserkers have learned a mental discipline. They can whip themselves into a frenzy on command, but they are ultimately in control.
In that sense I think the berserker has more overlap with the mage than people give them credit for. It's just learning to use your mind in different ways.
No lie, she has gone through an average of six phones and 2 laptops per year in the last four years and her laptops are just incredibly durable. Just a thought as she is Mensa smart and phenomenally volatile.
That said, the rules allow it and it can still be fun to play with.
A true saying I met in an anti-stigma campaign: "if you've met an autistic, you have met one autistic".
Kensai mage is over hyped in my book. They are weak in BG1 and then you have to dual so they are weak in BG2 and when all is said and done they have the same THAC0 and APR as the other options leaving only Kai and about 7 extra damage to standout while the FM multi is pushing Critical strike with the same APR, THAC0 and without the hassle of dual classing and being weak the entire game.
The FMT can use UAI to actually hit with a +3 off hand speed weapon so he has a full functioning 10APR with improved haste and the benefit of X5 backstabs, 7X timestop traps, spike traps, assassination and all fighter HLA's like Critical strike and hardiness while gaining all of the magical protections and extra casting spells from the mage class. No level 9 spells is a draw back but as a melee basher the FMT is way more powerful especially if you use mislead so that you can X5 backstab without hiding 8X times a round with 2x critical strike damage on top. Just plain crazy OP. UAI also allows for special weapons and items that will give the FMT superior armor class to that of a pure class fighter even and then has the added magical protections on top.
When I played at lower difficulty levels I felt that the FT's superior fighting ability was enough to plow through anything without the need for more powerful armor or magical protection. Now that LOB mode is part of the official game rules and I regularly use SCS for further challenge, I now agree with those that think the FMT is the ultimate warrior.
But seriously, advancement in a 6 member party for FMT is too slow, and the others reek of old cheese
In TOB the FMT reaches level 18 fighter class which has a base THAC0 of 3 combined with CF and he has -12 main hand and -11 off hand with 10APR and massive strength bonus damage. Since his APR is natural 10 you can enable critical strike for 10APR double damage and cast mislead for 10APR X5 BackstabX2 critical strike. Massive damage that truly helps in LOB mode. You can set up to 7X timestop traps and the enemy is helpless while you just destroy the entire battle field. For major backstabs I will switch from CF to Spectral Brand and drink a potion that pushes strength to 24.
On my last run my FMT had a -15 Armor class that could not be dispelled because it was achieved with items thanks to UAI. It could be pushed to -18 with the blur spell. With Greater evasion he could hit -24 Armor Class levels and with Improved invisibility it gave him a -28 Armor Class. Throw on stoneskins and mirror images on top with spell immunities and mislead plus the ability to cast protection from magical weapons and hardiness HLA 40% damage resistance.... Totally unstoppable.
I used the FMT in a six person party with zero cheating my last run of the game on the hardest settings available and it worked out surprisingly good. It does progress slower than a normal multi but the pay off is so worth it on LOB mode during TOB.