What weapon proficiencies to give Dorn?
Oxford_Guy
Member Posts: 3,729
Dorn has just reached level 3 in my game, I was wondering what weapon proficiency to give him next, he has 2 pips in 2H swords and 2HW style currently, perhaps bows (for composite bow) or crossbow even (for the good heavy crossbow), or are there any decent halberds or other two-handed weapons in the game (apart from staves, as others in my party use staves)?
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I can see a lot of people handing Dorn Ravager in ToB.
I have Eldoth in my party as well, who can use standard longbows, but cannot use composite longbows. So, Dorn has the magical composite longbow and Eldoth has the Dead Shot +2, which I've found works out well.
I figure his starting 2-H sword is plenty good and has enough reach that he can stand behind someone else and attack if the front line is crowded. And then eventually there's that 2H sword +3 in Durlag's Tower.
I personally gave him longbow prof. I figure that in the late game ranged attacks aren't as great as they are versus lots of low-level enemies and the 1 attack per round with a crossbow with 1 pip vs. the 2 attacks per round with a longbow with 1 pip sealed the deal. Having the longbow prof. he's firing twice as much as the crossbow would be until I get yet another weapon proficiency pip and by that time I have found I'm using him as straight up melee and forgoing the ranged attacks. Early on everyone had a ranged weapon but now it's not needed. Definitely go for longbow.
CHARNAME (elf fighter/mage) - is not taking a ranged weapon proficiency (dual wields londswords, then will go scimitars or katanas to prepare for BG2EE), but using long bow of marksmanship - still hits often with elf +1 bow bonus and the +1 from +3 the longbow
Dorn - no current ranged weapon (2H swords/2H weapon style)
Montaron - short sword, sling, quarter staff
Viconia - mace, hammers, sling
Imoen - short sword, short bow, cross bow (then dagger, for dagger of venon)
Xzar - daggers, then probably darts (or might swap for Edwin - staff, then darts)
So, as CHARNAME is using the long bow of accuracy, and Imoen the light cross bow of speed (or later the eagle bow, depending on ammunition the situation needs), there are only the +1 long/composite bows and +5 THAC0 (but *not* +5 damage) heavy crossbow of accuracy (though you get that quite late) left as magic launchers, given that slings are already well-covered, There is also the +2 throwing axe, but you can't that until very late, and it doesn't get the strength bonus anymore, I think.
Am also possibly considering darts for Dorn, as with his poison ability that would give a base 3 poisioned attacks/round (up to 3.5 attacks per round at level 6 and 4 at level 7), and there are now Darts of Acid/Fire/Ice available in High hedge, as well as the +1 darts and darts of stunning and wounding, or is that just not worth it, as can only use poison once day?
Am still thinking about crossbows, though, as the +5 THAC0 one would have a high chance of scoring a nice poisoned hit in the few ranged attacks Dorn would get before entering melee.
And why darts for Xzar? Like daggers, they have a shorter range. That means when you start pelting away at the enemy, Xzar will be the closest to them. That doesn't seem like a good idea.
Ideal missile combination for a party is
- 1 crossbow (who can use the Army Scythe, all the other crossbows are too slow)
- slings for those that can't use a bow (mages and clerics)
- longbows for the rest (1 shortbow for the Eagle Bow is also good)
So for Dorn: defintely longbow.
BTW it sounds like you change the proficiencies the NPCs start with using an editor, I don't want to do that, I want to play with the limitations the game gives me, half the fun is trying to make the best of these I've gone with crossbows :-)
I like the idea of Dorn getting in one or two poisoned shots with the +5 THACO heavy crossbow before he enters melee...
No, I didn't change the proficiencies. I was relying on my memory of what I used to do with these NPC in the original game. Of course, a lot of things have changed. Montaron having to use slings, that makes him less useful than I remember him.
So, my advice was based on faulty knowledge.
I don't know if I will use Shadowkeeper to change the proficiencies. Some of them are OK, but others are so counter-intuitive, like those of Shar-Teel or Kivan, that I might yet.