Single vs dual class mage

Szenhidrat

After beating IWD will pick up BG 2 and want to play a mage. Is there any point or benefit going single class mage because looking at the experience/progression tables and the suggested builds a Berserker/Kensai 9 dualed to mage would reach the same spell slot amounts as a single classed would at the end of the expansion and have more health points with a better Thac0?

Balrog99

The benefit would be playing a specialist mage (1 extra spell/level) or a wild-mage since you can't dual into a kit. Other than that, the only other benefit would be playing mage from start to finish instead of playing all of BGEE as a fighter. Incidentally, not so much a Kensai, but a Berserker dual doesn't 'have' to be at level 9. It's perfect for a level 2 or 3 dual since you still get one use of that nice berserk ability for emergencies and a nice hit-point boost as well...

jmerry

Being able to specialize or go wild, and gain extra spell slots that way. Being able to be something other than human, and getting various racial bonuses. (Specialties have racial restrictions; some of them are only available for humans)

ilduderino

I would rather have the extra spells given by being a specialist mage than the minor benefits from dual classing from fighter at anything less than level 7

KorbenDallas

Feeling like I should mention Edwin, in BG2 his family amulet gives him two extra spells per level and he is a conjurer as well. https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Edwin_Odesseiron#Gameplay_2
He's hard to beat when trying to build a Charname mage.

Balrog99

KorbenDallas wrote: »

Feeling like I should mention Edwin, in BG2 his family amulet gives him two extra spells per level and he is a conjurer as well. https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Edwin_Odesseiron#Gameplay_2
He's hard to beat when trying to build a Charname mage.

That's why you don't even try. Conjurer is a bit lackluster as far as power. If you created say, a Necromancer, Enchanter, or Invoker you may not have as many spells, but the saving throw penalties will make your spells more powerful.

iosfrustration

The specialist mage has a lot of raw power hidden in that “one extra spell per level” attribute.
For example when you hit L9 you get TWO L9 spell slots right out of the gate.
Two level 9 slots means two mage HLAs. Being able to drop two dragons breaths so early in the game is a lot of fun from a powergaming perspective.
The same is true at L7, going from zero to two spells, and at L8
So for me my mage is always going to be a glass cannon. They have one job; which is to blast out as many spells as possible. the single-class specialist mage is the fastest way to do that.

jsaving

I'd personally argue sorcerer > specialist mage > normal mage > wild mage when considering singleclass characters, especially at high levels where adding an HLA to a sorcerer spellbook means you have it memorized at all times. But specialist mages are plenty strong and if you value the versatility of changing out your spells then they are the way to go.

Belnick

in bg1 i would not even think of going dual, what is max level there? I remember my mage started with 4 hp :P but in bg2 dual class mage and cleric can be pretty nasty, using spell triggers, contingency etc with priests spells and mage spells, but I think that is the only dual class i like....also fun to use timestop and then hammer them with your maze :P

Woebegone

I've played a Berserker 9/Mage dual and it was nice to be able to rage in certain fights, specifically against Liches. But I preferred a fighter/mage multiclass. You could even Ekeeper the Berserker kit if you didn't mind playing outside the rules a bit. But either way, you'll have a powerful character.

As far as playing a single class or specialist mage, I think that might also depend on your companions. If I were gonna take Edwin, Neera, Imoen, or Nalia, I'd definately either dual or multi my mage. But that's simply my personal preference. You would do just fine with more than one full mage.

Mendicus

From my experience, if you want to be an op mage, be a sorcerer, and if you want to be an op fighter, be a Fighter/Mage multi. If it’s a choice between multi and dual class, multi if you want a fighter that can use magic and dual if you want to be a mage that can fight, if that makes sense.