Is Haer'Dalis a better blade than the player can make?
Chronicler
Member Posts: 1,391
Because of his innate tiefling bonuses.
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The tiefling bonuses are mostly situational (fire, cold, electricity) and a PC can achieve these by other obvious means. 15% physical damage resistance is nice - and not situational - but in actual performance it doesn't mean much. He is still very squishy if not protected by spells or using defensive spin. If played correctly, a blade should not be getting hit, so the %15 bonus shouldn't factor in unless everything goes absolutely south.
So, I guess the answer to the question depends on a PC bard's stats and hit point rolls. Given equal or lesser ability scores, H'D will be more powerful. But if you min/max, a PC can come out stronger. However, as is the case with just about every class in BG2, gear can change the balance of things. Give H'D a strength belt and the girdle of fortitude and things start to even up.
One other thing about his race: "tiefling" is treated internally as a variant of "elf". So he gets the strong charm/sleep resistance and an additional +1 to hit with certain weapons. With his specialization, Haer'Dalis gets +2 to hit and damage with short swords and long swords.
Also, when you're comparing recruitable NPCs to the PCs you build, remember that there are a number of protagonist-only perks. A familiar, Bhaalspawn abilities early on, the hell trials later...