BG1 only mage build

Appaloosa

I'm thinking that for my next play through I'd like to play as a mage, but I'm wondering if it's worth starting as a fighter, or cleric to be able to wear helmets and use shields and instantly duel-class into mage when I start, or just stay as a pure caster.

I have a few questions which I'll list, but feel free to offer any advice in addition to my points. It is also of note that I have no plans for going beyond BG1 at this point as I'll be playing on android this time and have no current plans to get BG2 or Siege there as of now, so I'll only consider stuff in regards to BG1 only.

1: what are the benefits to picking cleric then mage over fighter/mage?
2: if I get the ring of evermemory will it affect level one cleric spells also as a duel class or only mage?
3: what are the benefits to picking fighter then mage over cleric/mage?
4: is the a reason to go beyond level 1 of fighter or cleric before duel classing? And if so what is the best level to switch at and what are the added benefits?
5: what are the benefits of going pure mage?
6: if I go pure mage what is the best specialisation, or should it be just a general mage?
7: if going pure mage what is the best race to pick?
8: if going fighter then mage, what is the best fighter kit to choose?

atcDave

For starters, either way makes a perfectly viable character. Although note, you cannot dual class at 1st level, you need to be 2nd or above. Personally, I often dual at 3rd level.
Either way, you do get a few new items you can use, and a boost of extra hit points. The fighter dual can specialize in a bow, very useful for the caster to be more effective when not casting. The cleric gets a number of handy low level spells (Cure Light Wounds, Armor of Faith, Draw Upon Holy Might, Command, etc).
Evermemory will not boost Cleric spells.
Unless you’ve modded the game you can only dual into general mage.
Only humans can dual at all, so there’s no discussion on race.
For a fighter, dualing both Kensai and Berserker are good choices. Although honestly I usually go with no kit. (Largely for role playing reasons, a Berserker mage sort of offends me).

Again, either works fine. Cleric mage is a more unusual choice, but no issues either way.

jmerry

For a pure mage, I'd recommend a specialist. Probably Invoker or Enchanter, because those are the best schools for offensive magic that you want enemies to fail saves against. (And the lack of level 6+ enchantment spells doesn't matter, because those spell levels effectively don't exist.)

It's just a bit unfortunate that they each ban the other school. Fortunately, you can still use wands to cover some of the gaps.

Humanoid_Taifun

Considerations:

• What kind of playstyle are you aiming for?
• Do you want to use darts or throwing knives? (That’s not possible if you’re part cleric.)
• Are there any cleric or fighter kits that give you special perks you’d enjoy?

If you’re just after the best numbers, you can raise a fighter to level 6 before dual-classing and still hit the maximum mage level under the TotSC XP cap.
If you hold off on taking mage level 6 until you’ve earned enough XP to jump straight to level 7, you’ll even be able to reach grandmastery with one weapon.
It’s a bit of a grind, and your “mage” will end up feeling more like a warrior who happens to cast spells than the other way around—but from a pure power standpoint, it beats a level-2 dual-class.
(Clerics can also dual at level 6 without losing out on mage levels)
So the real question is: is that the kind of run you’d actually enjoy? Because what I just described doesn’t just set up your early game—it defines a big chunk of your overall experience.

Oh, and one more thing: Kensai can’t wear helmets. If that’s your main reason for dual-classing, picking the Kensai kit kind of defeats the point.

DinoDin

Fighter->Mage is probably one of the strongest builds in the game, even in BG1 where its power isn't totally unlocked. As Taifun says, level 6 is a fine point. But if you want to switch really early level 3 is perfectly good, for the extra pip, not to mention getting a good HP pool, which you get to keep even before unlocking the dual, a major benefit actually!

Berserker is probably the best kit to take. You will only get one usage of the special ability, or two if you dual past level 5. But it's an absurdly strong ability. You can get around the kit's one downside by picking daggers or axes as one of your weapon proficiencies. Axes probably better in the late game, though a throwing dagger zerker is absolutely insane in the early BG1 levels. Combines well with your desire to use a shield.

I don't really think cleric will be a strong choice. I don't think dual or multi cleric/mages do very well, because you can only cast one spell at a time. You can however combine attacks and spellcasts into a single round, provided the casting time is low. That being said, plenty of outstanding low level cleric spells for BG1 like command, hold person and silence.

jmerry

Humanoid_Taifun wrote: »

If you hold off on taking mage level 6 until you’ve earned enough XP to jump straight to level 7, you’ll even be able to reach grandmastery with one weapon.

No. You won't be. I don't know if it was the case in original BG1, but in the EE there's a secondary cap on proficiencies: you can't take a fourth dot if your current class level is below 6 or a fifth dot if your current class level is below 9.
So, this absurd build has to hold off leveling from mage level 5 all the way to the experience cap (32K + 125K = 157K needed, cap at 161K). You spend the first part of the game as a fighter, the middle part of the game as an underleveled mage with extra HP, and only the last little bit as a full-powered fighter/mage.
[Correction. It's 135K for mage level 9, so that's 167K total. Doesn't work at all.]

The only builds that can reach grand mastery in pre-SoD BGEE under the standard rules are Fighter X -> Thief 9, Fighter Y -> Druid 9+, and Fighter 6 -> Mage 9 (3 ≤ X ≤ 6 if Thief, 3 ≤ Y ≤ 7 if Druid). All of them require you to hold off some level-ups, including delaying a proficiency level in your second class until you can jump to 9.

Humanoid_Taifun

@jmerry I am even more wrong. I somehow had gotten it into my head that the XP cap was 169,000 XP, when, as you said, it's only 161,000 XP. And mage level 9 requires 135,000 XP.
Which means that Fighter(6)/Mage(9) is impossible within the given framework.

Shame on me for theorizing without testing.

(clears throat) In any case, my main point was that the best build depends on desired play-style. What's a great benefit to some may be a useless quirk to others.