Revisiting the Shar-Teel F/T Build
grlndbrggs
Member Posts: 15
F/T Shar-Teel's on the verge of hitting lvl8 (dual-ed @ 3). Currently have her w:
- LS ***
- 2WS **
- Daggers *
- Crossbow *
- SWS *
Figuring out thac0, dmg, speed etc. remains a WIP so...
Would really appreciate some insight into what's advisable re allocation of the last available *
1. Am I correct in thinking (assuming?) that ** in the OH is suboptimal/not worth the typical Prof --> Spec boost? (** might matter if I have to MH vs werewolves)...
2. Guessing 3 *s in 2WS is out...
3. Was the "exploit" that made GM obtainable an option I overlooked or has this been excised?
4. Have read that HM is rather... underwhelming... so a 4th * in LS isn't necessarily a no-brainer...?
5. Tend to have her engage w the crossbow semi-frequently... given the advantages of that 2nd *... would this perhaps be the most versatile way to use her last available *?
- LS ***
- 2WS **
- Daggers *
- Crossbow *
- SWS *
Figuring out thac0, dmg, speed etc. remains a WIP so...
Would really appreciate some insight into what's advisable re allocation of the last available *
1. Am I correct in thinking (assuming?) that ** in the OH is suboptimal/not worth the typical Prof --> Spec boost? (** might matter if I have to MH vs werewolves)...
2. Guessing 3 *s in 2WS is out...
3. Was the "exploit" that made GM obtainable an option I overlooked or has this been excised?
4. Have read that HM is rather... underwhelming... so a 4th * in LS isn't necessarily a no-brainer...?
5. Tend to have her engage w the crossbow semi-frequently... given the advantages of that 2nd *... would this perhaps be the most versatile way to use her last available *?
Post edited by grlndbrggs on
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Comments
With Shar, I often re-spec her profs to make her more useful, but my favourite was a f to t archer based version. Iirc I went Longswords and longbows, might have used sws for stabbing, but she mostly plinked away with a good bow. Very effective, and not very item dependent, like a kagain archer, or even khalid. Hard to ssy she does her job better than Coran when archering, but she's better in melee.
Don't bother w/3 ranks in tws, or 4 in LS I'd say. Crossbows might be solid, or daggers if nobody is using the DoV, for your last pip.
I would avoid 2 pips in sws, since you should be using it only to backstab. If you're worried about WWs, try 2 pips in dagger, that one will BS very hard iirc.
You could also let her dual at level 6 instead. The level 7 has (too) much downtime.
I let her take pips in daggers when I can. There are some cool daggers in BG1, and the throwing dagger lets use her her solid str, whilst keeping her out of harms way - with her somewhat low HP.
If you want to reach GM in daggers, you should dual at level 6 or 7, level up to level 3 as a thief, and then wait with the last 5 levels to when you can reach level 7 or 8 and unlock the fighter levels.
As a F7/T8 she had a fine backstapping record with GM in daggers and 18/xx str, using the dagger of weapon and wearing the legacy of the master bracers... Good times
This is obviously my first deep-dive. Trying to sort of circle the square re power and aesthetics (often semi-sheepishly landing on the latter)
Realizing I was roughing up most randos w just the Shar/Coran tandem became something of an inflection pt for moving on from Core settings actually. Having put the time/resources into both, they've become mainstays (granted, one's MMV re manhater/deadbeatdad tropes...).
Glad to see that there're some fairly clear pip choices (ww the inutility of some of those others). I think HM won't even improve the chance to hit. Ought to consider dual-ing her at 6 next time around. Would be nice to max the venomous perks too. Appreciate the advice.
Have Shar-Teel OH-ing DoV at the moment in fact (w no other would-be wielders). Looks like I'll have to weigh the +/- of crossbow (somewhat big dmg upgrade with that 2nd pip) and dagger advancement.
Does the OH dmg and thac0 (16-->15) improvement of the latter matter much? As I understand it the per-round remains fixed/limited... so am I banking on the chance to poison more often and take werewolf names more adeptly (when I opt to SW BS)?
Many thanks for the input.
And (as you've pt'd out) there's potentially something to be said for tactical flexibility/versatility... particularly when the build does seem to lend itself to an (at least) decent aesthetic blend of styles while still packing a reasonable punch (IMO).
For Shar-Teel to reach GM in long swords (or daggers), follow these steps:
1. Level up to 6 as a fighter, putting both proficiency points into long swords.
2. Dual to thief. Your initial two thief proficiency points can go anywhere.
3. After reaching level 3 as a thief, stop there. Don't hit the level-up button when you reach 5K thief experience, or beyond.
4. Once you have reached 110K experience as a thief (142K total), level up all the way to level 9 as a thief, all at once. Your level 4 and level 8 thief proficiencies are assigned as a level 9 character with a completed fighter dual, so you can put them both into longswords.
So, if you really want to play for over 100K worth of companion experience as a level 3 thief with extra HP, you can have the reward of grand mastery at the end.
Of course, in your case, by dual-classing at level 3, you've locked this option out.
Dual at 6 is more powergamey, and you need a thief early for utility... maybe arrange things so Shar Teel is becoming viable as a thief roughly when you dual immy? Still, I should try the level 7 dual sometime, she needs the HP. I'd likely have her for stealth and backstabs then, very fitting for such a vicious woman. Its nice she has good enough str/dex, and doesn't need gear to be effective.
The 2nd pip in dagger does seem to cover more bases. The +1 to hit that Specialization'd supply the DoV with can't hurt. Might also prefer to "honestly" damage WWs vs attempt to bury them under the gluttonous weight of my inventory.