I always find it hard not to include a Bard and a Sorcerer. I admit that I like cheesing the Sith song, but I also enjoy the extra miniquests and play style of the class. Sorcerer, well, that's just a cool class. Since I usually play Insane SCS, at least two dedicated "tanks" in the front with sword and board or dualwielding defender class weapons (single class fighter, barbarian or a paladin). Either a Cleric or Druid, I never have both in the same party and the game can be finished with either classes. Multi classed too, no need for a single class priest as they get plenty of utility even with the split levels. Thief is usually multi to either mage or fighter, but I did try a cleric/thief half orc once and it was fun.
What do you think about:
Mage/thief
Berserker 7 to cleric
Fighter/druid multiclass
Archer
Undead Hunter
Dwarven Defender
And which proficiencies would you give to each of them?
Axes for your dwarf and focus on sword and board style (actually useful in this game). Axes are plentiful and most of them are sure drops. You also get access to throwing axes and two handed axes in the same proficiency. As a backup I would go with spiked, flails and morning stars are among the best weapons in the game (shame some are random).
For the paladin long swords and maces. Put him on crossbows as a ranged weapon. Also go sword and board with him.
For your cleric, hammers, spiked and slings. Hammers and morning stars have some weapons that provided bonus priest spells (some are random).
For your druid I would go scimitars and spears. Some good spears mid game and once you get iron skins you can tank plenty. Scimitars are okay and you can go sword and board if you want to be a backup tank. I would put a point in single weapon style. Your animal/elemental forms make use of it.
For your mage/thief katanas and single weapon style if you are going to be backstabing. Crossbows if you plan on being a secondary archer.
Leave the bows and arrows to your main archer. There aren't that many special/magical ammo in the game and no ammo cases, so you will have to ration there use. To be honest, slings and throwing axes make better ranged weapons in the game. There is a returning throwing axe and you can buy virtually unlimited +2 bullets.
mage/thief
- dart or light crossbow for range
- dagger for melee
berserker-> cleric
- for melee, i would definitely go with morning star, and if you get lucky ( or "fish" for it ) you can get the defender +4 morning star in chapter 6, which is probably the best defensive weapon in the game
- range your only choice is sling
fighter/druid
- for melee i would actually start off with dagger, because good scimitars dont start coming in till around chapter 5 or so, and with the daggers, the phasing/poison daggers you are going to find along the way are going to more effective just for that reason, so i would do daggers first, then perhaps scimitar, clubs is a gamble because all of them are random treasures and you are not guaranteed a good one until HoW so that might take a while
- for range, you have some options like sling, darts, or "dagger" and by dagger i mean at the end of HoW there is a throwing dagger +4 so you might want to choose something sooner for range
archer
- for range, i would go with bow, only because there are for more interesting arrows than there are bolts, despite the fact that crossbows are better because of their higher to hit/ damage, but for an archer at the end of the day it hardly matters for to hit, and plus if you already gave crossbow to the mage/thief might as well go with longbow for the archer
- for melee i would go with two handed weapons, they aren't going to be using a shield anyway, so they might as well use a two hander if they get into melee, halberds then axes are always a great choice, and there is the odd decent two handed sword as well
undead hunter
- for melee i would with long swords, there is lots of them in IWD, and lots of good ones, then for a crushing weapon, i would go with morningstar/flails just because there are also lots of those
- for range, i would go with the throwing axe +2, it has infinite ammo and you can continue to use your shield as need be
dwarven defender
- for melee this is a no brainer, axes and hammers, although i would max out axe first, good hammers are very far few and between ( the defender warhammer is pretty slick if you luck out and get it ) but besides that, there are also A LOT of axes in IWD, so plenty for your melee needs
- for range, i would also do the same as undead hunter, throwing axe +2, whether they both share it, or if you get the second one in HoW ( can be purchased from tiernon or whatever his name is in the remorahz ice cave place ) again, great ranged weapon just like it was for the undead hunter
Comments
Mage/thief Crossbow Dagger (female,Nastasja) Elf
Berserker 7 to cleric Flail Sling Mace Dual wield (Male, Anomen) Human
Fighter/druid multiclass Scimitar Sling Club Dual wield (female, Jaheira) Halfelf
Archer Longbow Halberd racial enemy: trolls (Female, Scope) Elf
Undead Hunter Longsword Longbow Axe Dual wield (Male, Keldorn) Human
Dwarven Defender Axe dual wield Hammer ( male, Amborosch) Dwarf
And which proficiencies would you give to each of them?
Axes for your dwarf and focus on sword and board style (actually useful in this game). Axes are plentiful and most of them are sure drops. You also get access to throwing axes and two handed axes in the same proficiency. As a backup I would go with spiked, flails and morning stars are among the best weapons in the game (shame some are random).
For the paladin long swords and maces. Put him on crossbows as a ranged weapon. Also go sword and board with him.
For your cleric, hammers, spiked and slings. Hammers and morning stars have some weapons that provided bonus priest spells (some are random).
For your druid I would go scimitars and spears. Some good spears mid game and once you get iron skins you can tank plenty. Scimitars are okay and you can go sword and board if you want to be a backup tank. I would put a point in single weapon style. Your animal/elemental forms make use of it.
For your mage/thief katanas and single weapon style if you are going to be backstabing. Crossbows if you plan on being a secondary archer.
Leave the bows and arrows to your main archer. There aren't that many special/magical ammo in the game and no ammo cases, so you will have to ration there use. To be honest, slings and throwing axes make better ranged weapons in the game. There is a returning throwing axe and you can buy virtually unlimited +2 bullets.
- dart or light crossbow for range
- dagger for melee
berserker-> cleric
- for melee, i would definitely go with morning star, and if you get lucky ( or "fish" for it ) you can get the defender +4 morning star in chapter 6, which is probably the best defensive weapon in the game
- range your only choice is sling
fighter/druid
- for melee i would actually start off with dagger, because good scimitars dont start coming in till around chapter 5 or so, and with the daggers, the phasing/poison daggers you are going to find along the way are going to more effective just for that reason, so i would do daggers first, then perhaps scimitar, clubs is a gamble because all of them are random treasures and you are not guaranteed a good one until HoW so that might take a while
- for range, you have some options like sling, darts, or "dagger" and by dagger i mean at the end of HoW there is a throwing dagger +4 so you might want to choose something sooner for range
archer
- for range, i would go with bow, only because there are for more interesting arrows than there are bolts, despite the fact that crossbows are better because of their higher to hit/ damage, but for an archer at the end of the day it hardly matters for to hit, and plus if you already gave crossbow to the mage/thief might as well go with longbow for the archer
- for melee i would go with two handed weapons, they aren't going to be using a shield anyway, so they might as well use a two hander if they get into melee, halberds then axes are always a great choice, and there is the odd decent two handed sword as well
undead hunter
- for melee i would with long swords, there is lots of them in IWD, and lots of good ones, then for a crushing weapon, i would go with morningstar/flails just because there are also lots of those
- for range, i would go with the throwing axe +2, it has infinite ammo and you can continue to use your shield as need be
dwarven defender
- for melee this is a no brainer, axes and hammers, although i would max out axe first, good hammers are very far few and between ( the defender warhammer is pretty slick if you luck out and get it ) but besides that, there are also A LOT of axes in IWD, so plenty for your melee needs
- for range, i would also do the same as undead hunter, throwing axe +2, whether they both share it, or if you get the second one in HoW ( can be purchased from tiernon or whatever his name is in the remorahz ice cave place ) again, great ranged weapon just like it was for the undead hunter