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Mage/Clerics: the deities of inverse proportionality

AerichAerich Member Posts: 272
in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
A mage/cleric (multi or dual) is useful in any party. But in a full party, especially on Core, they can feel underwhelming, and they probably are. Min-maxed warriors and warrior/spellcasters bring consistent damage output to the table, which the mage/cleric cannot match, especially at lower levels.

In situations where the mage/cleric gets more experience and scope, the mage/cleric’s power intensifies. This holds true for every major spellcasting class, but x2 for the mage/cleric due to having two major spellcasting classes, and another multiplier for the increased utility of Turn Undead.

My favourite tactics include Heal in a contingency, projected image buffed summons and symbols, and arcane spell cheese with a bit of clerical assistance (DUHM and Righteous Magic). Clerical spells give protection, stat buffs, and the ability to hit anything, arcane spells give firepower and the ability to avoid damage. The toolbox for this character is the biggest around.

Comments

  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,387
    With a whole team, not every character *needs* to be powerful. Often the whole point is just support, someone who can heal/cure the party’s various hurts. And provide a little buff before combat.

    Although if you want to build for power, cleric/mage and cleric/fighter, either multi or dual, can become a fearsome combatant. But in a full party of six, a single class cleric as a healer is always useful.
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 805
    In IWD, FMC of level 30/30/30, easily obtainable in HoF mode, is even more powergaming! 😸
  • WisteriasWisterias Member Posts: 108
    Yigor wrote: »
    In IWD, FMC of level 30/30/30, easily obtainable in HoF mode, is even more powergaming! 😸

    Mmm... not that easy without some high level XP farming, maybe going solo or in a small group it is easy, but in a full group I found that my only multiclass in the party (mage/thief) was not max level yet in the battle against Belifhet, compared to my sorcerers, all level 30 already. This in HOF with HoW+ToTLM completed, with all quests done... and he was like 22Mage/30Thief, so I guess a F/M/C would be like 19/15/17 or something like this.
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 805
    Wisterias wrote: »
    Yigor wrote: »
    In IWD, FMC of level 30/30/30, easily obtainable in HoF mode, is even more powergaming! 😸

    Mmm... not that easy without some high level XP farming, maybe going solo or in a small group it is easy, but in a full group I found that my only multiclass in the party (mage/thief) was not max level yet in the battle against Belifhet, compared to my sorcerers, all level 30 already. This in HOF with HoW+ToTLM completed, with all quests done... and he was like 22Mage/30Thief, so I guess a F/M/C would be like 19/15/17 or something like this.

    Yeah, I have a bit exaggerated, but U can do the following trick:

    1) Create a new F/M/C.
    2) Go from Kuldahar to HoW at level 10.
    3) Quickly taking 500,000 – 1,000,000 XP in Lonelywood + Barbarian Camp (possibly without any fights).
    4) Make some XP farming on the Burial Isle (17,000+ XP per undead).
    5) Export/Import and repeat. 😉
  • WisteriasWisterias Member Posts: 108
    Yigor wrote: »
    Wisterias wrote: »
    Yigor wrote: »
    In IWD, FMC of level 30/30/30, easily obtainable in HoF mode, is even more powergaming! 😸

    Mmm... not that easy without some high level XP farming, maybe going solo or in a small group it is easy, but in a full group I found that my only multiclass in the party (mage/thief) was not max level yet in the battle against Belifhet, compared to my sorcerers, all level 30 already. This in HOF with HoW+ToTLM completed, with all quests done... and he was like 22Mage/30Thief, so I guess a F/M/C would be like 19/15/17 or something like this.

    Yeah, I have a bit exaggerated, but U can do the following trick:

    1) Create a new F/M/C.
    2) Go from Kuldahar to HoW at level 10.
    3) Quickly taking 500,000 – 1,000,000 XP in Lonelywood + Barbarian Camp (possibly without any fights).
    4) Make some XP farming on the Burial Isle (17,000+ XP per undead).
    5) Export/Import and repeat. 😉

    Yes, I mean a normal run, without or almost without XP farming... I did some farming at the beginning (orc caves, then Yetis) just to reach level 8-10 or so and play more freely in the beginnings; but from then on, no more XP farming until the end.

    Then after beating the game, I farmed some experience to get the "max level" of my m/t (just because... yeah), and it still took me a while to get this m/t to 30/ 30. I played HOW-HOF content and killed many remorazs and ice golems; maybe burial island is actually better. But I got a second Kossuth's Blood and something else :p

    It was done for no reason because I wasn't going to play with this character again anyway xD. But I like to save a file with the 'maximum level characters' and export them.

    Just to meantion something... I never was able to complete the magic book of this character. This is one of the reasons I prefer Sorcerers over Mages (or any mage multi) in IWD:EE. Not a big deal, but...

    In originals you only had mages and it was a nightmare to have spell slots but no spells to fill them...
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 272
    Well, that thread went elsewhere. 😀

    I love a F/M/Cl for solo and small HoF parties. Otherwise it takes too long to level. It has all the downsides of the M/Cl but more melee/missile capability. Unless I was short of those capabilities (hence small parties or solo), I’d just go M/Cl.

    I don’t mean to denigrate a sc Cleric, which is always useful, but a multiclass mage/cleric gives 90% or more of the sc cleric’s capabilities, plus mage spells. And F/Cl is the same; way more utility for a slightly lower Cl level.
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 272
    One of the best parts about playing a M/C character is that it’s reduced fighting capability requires reactions other than “smash it”. Sometimes it’s “disable then smash”, admittedly. The Cl/Ill is still going strong. Lower Dorn’s was defeated in about a day of righteous slaughter, with no reloads and no dispelling, other than the once I cast it myself (vs the priest-mages). The toughest fight was Shikata, because I buffed inadequately and assumed the mind flayer form would kill salamanders faster. One tactical retreat with Heal and buffs later, and all was well.

    TotL is next, and soon I will be testing the bosses.
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