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Imoen's conversion to mage to BG2

This is my first playthrough, but plan to go through TOB with my small company of 3. I'm currently finishing chapter 5. That party consists of myself (a paladin), Neera, and Imoen. I just learned that Imoen automatically switches class to thief/mage in BG2. This is bothersome. She is at 10th level now, and I already have a mage. And I will need a thief, especially for archery since neither I nor Neera can use a bow. So, please help me clarify some things. Starting BG2, will she still have her abilities? Can she still use bows starting BG2 (very critical ranged element in this game)? Does she keep her THAC0, or does her martial experience revert to level one? I never liked how dual class worked in AD&D because you lose all previous skills. And it'll take forever to get a mage to 10th or 11th level to recover them. Does anyone have advice for this 40 year tabletop player (literally, I started playing in 1985)? Thanks.
Best,
Gary K.

Comments

  • dzyngisdzyngis Member Posts: 26
    In BG2, Imoen has completed dual classing, so can use bow. Thac0 is lower 'cos dont have 10 lvls of thief, but few less.
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,860
    I’d also add BG2 Imoen is completely adequate as a trap finder/remover and lock picker. She can fulfill all the minimum thief functions you need. Plus use the bow. And it’s never bad to have two mages in BG2!
  • WisteriasWisterias Member Posts: 215
    But... Who cares? Imoen will be not available again until the last part of Shadows of Amn. I simply ignore she exist tbh.
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,860
    That’s a choice. I always rescue her fast and she’s with me most of the game.
  • garyknowz1garyknowz1 Member Posts: 4
    Thank you so much, folks. That significantly eases my mind. I worried that I missed a major window to dual class her earilier, and would have picked up another archer like Rivan. I have also read that she leaves in SOD, so I just started training Safana to take her place during that campaign.

    Another question: Should I start dual classing Imoen now, then,? So she'll be a little farther along with her training? I'm already short on missle attackers (slings and darts are okay, but lack the punch arrows have). I wish I would have known some of this earlier. My strategy would have been a little different. But, c'est la vie.
    Thanks again. Cheers!
    Best,
    Gary
  • dzyngisdzyngis Member Posts: 26
    garyknowz1 wrote: »

    Another question: Should I start dual classing Imoen now, then,? y

    Those are 3 different Imoen, starting from Imoen from BG, then Imoen Bg SoD, and third one from Bg2 ee.
    Whatever you will do Imoen in version 3 is what you will get as sth totally new, (means without yours character's development).
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,860
    Safana will be available at a usable level whether you've given her any experience or not, you don't need to worrry about it.

    Unforrtunately, or maybe its a mixed blessing (?), but what you do with Imoen won't actually affect the version of her you meet in BG2. Remember this game has almost a 30 year old basic architecture. All that transfers is *your* character. When you first meet Imoen in BG2 it assumes she dualed at 7th level, and is now above that in mage.
    The good news on that is, you can use Imoen in BG1 exactly how YOU want her for BG1. No worries about her later build. If you need another mage, dual her. If you need her as your rogue (I usually do) then don't dual her.
  • garyknowz1garyknowz1 Member Posts: 4
    Wow! Is that true of the rest of the party (Neera, and now Safana) and Gorian's Ward, too? Or is this specific to Imoen? I intentionally chose my companions because they will be in all 4 campaigns, so I could hone the party into a small, strong, and cohesive unit. I know Neera won't be there to start the BG2 campaign, but soon after. Will they at least keep their experience, spells, and items?

    This is quite the opposite of my AD&D tabletop gaming. We'd get together at school, bring our character sheets, and the DM scales the campaign to our character's abilities. So, if I'm reading you correctly, it doesn't matter what I do, because the game will scale Imoen, et al., up, down, or sideways depending on the campaign requirements. Is that correct? I mean, rather than making the campaign fit the characters (scaling up or down the enemies and quests), the game adjusts the characters to fit the campaign.
    And again, I greatly appreciate you guys for leading this old dinosaur to the watering hole.
  • dzyngisdzyngis Member Posts: 26
    edited February 9
    Imoen is treated differently than others(team members), 'cos she is playing vital role for main quest. Other Npc's are simplier to advance in class and levels to keep integrity with main story line.
    garyknowz1 wrote: »
    I mean, rather than making the campaign fit the characters (scaling up or down the enemies and quests), the game adjusts the characters to fit the campaign.! .
    Crpg must be much diffferent in this aspect due to few simple facts. In non-computers gaming you have real goals of real people. In crpg you will always have yourself with your goal only while being little limited by technology. Getting to point -we have "game adjust the character to fit the campaign". Unless you play in multiplyer(i've never tested). But eitherway multi is much easier than not multi.


    Post edited by dzyngis on
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,860
    edited February 9
    Yes @garyknowz1 , the only character that carries through BG1 and BG2 is Gorion’s Ward. Actually not quite true, if you create more characters in the party (I pretty much always create two characters, see my latest run Gabby and Bull) then all of *your* characters can be transferred.

    But this does have some game-play effects, like when you find books in BG1 that raise scores, you want to *only* give them to your character(s) who will continue into BG2. Also an eccentricity, some of the BG1 NPCs were redesigned between the games (Minsc and Jaheira always affect me, they are not exactly the same) so their BG2 versions have slightly altered scores.

    I also tend to find the level scaling of NPCs annoying. I would prefer they all show up at some defined level (low, like 1st - 3rd) and be 100% consistent on what level they are whenever you recruit them in the game. I think this because (1) I prefer to build the characters my own way and (2) it feels more real to me if the character has a concrete reality up to the time you recruit them. I’d also mention, as you doubtless know, that the way AD&D levels graduate, as you gain levels and face tougher challenges, the ability of lower level characters to catch up quickly improves.

    Like you, I’m an old PnP player. It very much shapes how I see the game and setting. It means I care WAY more about the story, characters and world than many players do. But apart from a few quirks of mechanics (like transferring between games!), Baldur’s Gate creates an excellent sort of atmosphere for this sort of gameplay.
    Post edited by atcDave on
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