Jaheira Weapon Proficiency
elminster
Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
So I'm writing up an NPC guide on Steam. I'm doing it alphabetically and I've gotten to Jaheira at this point. Anyways I got to thinking and realize I really don't use Jaheira much when I play BGEE (its just a personal thing I guess).
So I figured I'd get some crowd sourcing involved here and get some help with Jaheira weapon proficiency strategies.
Keep in mind I'm trying to avoid giving strategies surrounding specific difficult to find/acquire items (like getting Drizzt's scimitar's) and its more an NPC guide for people who are having trouble with certain characters (because of the characters stats being low, proficiencies, spell selection, or class).
Anyways between level 1/ 1 and her max levels Jaheira gains 2 proficiency points. How would you distribute them?
These are her stats in BGEE.
Str : 15
Dex : 14
Con : 17
Int : 10
Wis : 14
Cha : 15
Weapon Proficiencies (levels 1/1): ** Club * Quarterstaff * Sling
Other possible weapon proficiencies she can acquire: Scimitars, Daggers, Spears, and Darts
Possible weapon styles she can acquire: All (only 2* to two-weapon style though)
So I figured I'd get some crowd sourcing involved here and get some help with Jaheira weapon proficiency strategies.
Keep in mind I'm trying to avoid giving strategies surrounding specific difficult to find/acquire items (like getting Drizzt's scimitar's) and its more an NPC guide for people who are having trouble with certain characters (because of the characters stats being low, proficiencies, spell selection, or class).
Anyways between level 1/ 1 and her max levels Jaheira gains 2 proficiency points. How would you distribute them?
These are her stats in BGEE.
Str : 15
Dex : 14
Con : 17
Int : 10
Wis : 14
Cha : 15
Weapon Proficiencies (levels 1/1): ** Club * Quarterstaff * Sling
Other possible weapon proficiencies she can acquire: Scimitars, Daggers, Spears, and Darts
Possible weapon styles she can acquire: All (only 2* to two-weapon style though)
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Comments
2.) There is a Scimitar +2 at the top of Durlag's tower which you can get very early and if you got something for the basilisks gaze it's very easy to get aswell. Drizzt also drops his scimitars if you're into killing him.
3.) Sling is amazing because you can use a shield with it. You can get a +1 sling very cheap in beregost and for free in Gullykin. There is a +3 sling in the game. It should be her main ranged weapon.
4.) Quarterstaffs are nice and you can get a +3 early in the game, but Jaheira really needs her shield. And you'll end up swapping very much if you're going to use a staff.
5.) Spears are pretty much useless in BGEE
6.) Darts of stunning and wounding are amazing and you'll only want to put 1 into it. It's easier to let someone else take darts instead, as Jaheira already got problems getting all the * she wants.
I don't remember what she starts with in BG1/BGEE but the best possible setup for her would be.
** Sling
** Scimitar
You can still run well with.
* Sling
** Scimitar
* Random
For an unconventional option, you could toss both pips into daggers and have her use the Dagger of Venom. Aside from giving her one of the better weapons in the game, this also gives you someone specialized in daggers for using Werebane on Werewolf Island
I would rate it like this.
1.) Thief / Stalker.
The thief has the best use of this weapon as if they land a backstab on a caster it's over from there. You only need to land the backstab and the poison will do the rest, and the mage will be able to put protections up if you got Jaheira running up to them.
Backstab + Dagger of Venom - Win
2.) Fighter / Paladin / Ranger with high STR.
If you're not giving this weapon to someone that can backstab, you want to give it to someone with a high STR for better Thac0. The moment you hit someone with the dagger, you can move on to your next target and the one you leave behind will be so crippled by the poison that people with ranged attacks in your party can shoot him down.
Jaheira can ofcourse use the dagger, it's just a shame to give a powerful weapon like that to someone multi classed with 15 STR.
Clubs are a viable weapon now that there are +1 and +2 varieties available fairly early in the game. They're a solid damage type, and she starts with the specialisation. Even if you gained no further points she'd be fine.
Scimitars are a good option, of course. There are 2 +2 scimitars available fairly early on, and those will last all game. However, you'd need to put both proficiency points here for maximum effectiveness and would miss out on additional points in slings or two-weapon style.
You could spend a point in staves to get to specialised and use the staff mace from the Werewolf island - one of the most damaging weapons in the game.
It arguably depends on the rest of your party makeup and the role you need her to fill. While her weapon choices are unlikely to conflict with other party members, if you've already got 3 frontliners then giving her missile weapons is a good idea.
+4 AC
+2 Ranged Thac0
So not only will it turn her into a beast of a tank, but it will also improve her Thac0 with slings by 2.
If you're not going to use Ajantis or Yeslick, you might want to hand the Gauntlets of Dexterity over to Jaheira.
I always give her the second point in slings the first chance I get.
One other nice side effect for Jaheria and clubs in the early game is actually having an excuse to use the Shillelagh spell.
That poor spell too. It was dying for its one chance at being useful hehe.
I've given Jaheira gauntlets of Ogre Power and have put her 2 pips into two-weapon FS. She wields the Mighty Oak club+2 and a magical club+1, has a good THACO due to 18/00 STR and frequently chunks enemies. The crusing damage is good, she has 2pips in clubs from the start, I can't make her such a good tank as Yeslick - that's from what I've decided to make a start.
Even with SCS a geneal fight looks like: a tank (a person with very good AC, HP and saving throws) goes to the enemy (enemies) first, they begin fighting, a damage-dealer comes second and finish this enemy.
Using this scheme, in general, means all the enemy attacks are taken by a tank, so that a damage-dealer can think more about the damage he gives, not AC. In this case Jaheira's AC is not a problem even with 14 DEX.
It's been a success in my SCS-run. I think a tank and a damage-dealer have different tasks and the emphasis of their equipment should be different too.
I always used to run her in BG2 with staves until I fell in love with the Black Blood +3 and Bone Splinter +2 clubs. If BG2EE is going to have a BGTesque complete transition from one game to the next (please do this, Overhaul), I would definitely spec her in clubs and possibly dual-wielding early in BGEE so she's ready come BG2EE.
either **club * 1 weapon style for crit
or ** quarterstaff *2handed weapon style for crit quarterstaff's are even +3 so not bad for BG:EE