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2 man party covering f/c/m/t, 160 total attribute points

mjsmjs Member Posts: 742
Which combination would you make to take through from bg:ee to bg2:ee, the added challenge being you have 160 attribute points between the 2 characters (how would you distribute them?). No dual-classing, only multis, you can replace mage for illusionist, in the case you're picking a gnome. And you can only have 1 of each class to make up the multis combos, so f/m/t & f/c won't fly!

Elaborate with your builds and starts below
  1. 2 man party covering f/c/m/t, 160 total attribute points100 votes
    1. fighter/mage and cleric/thief
      20.00%
    2. fighter/thief and cleric/mage
      29.00%
    3. fighter/cleric and mage/thief
      48.00%
    4. fighter/mage/thief and cleric
        0.00%
    5. fighter/cleric/mage and thief
        3.00%
Post edited by mjs on
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Comments

  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    Had to think about this one, but in the end, these are my two favorite multiclass setups.
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    edited November 2013
    F/C and M/T are both classic combinations. You get one rock solid tank and one support caster/ranged character in a nice tidy package. Both class combinations synergise well - F/Cs were meant to be on the frontline and get a shedload of buffs to enhance them. M/Ts are great from range, with a greater variety of ranged weapons and tricks like detect illusions for when they're not casting. The Mage/thief also has a decent number of dump stats for your attribute point total. They only really need 18 Dex and Int, 16 Con to operate at maximum efficiency anyway, and can get away with less.

    Going F/M and C/T gives you one very strong character in the F/M, but I've never really understood C/Ts. They don't have the frontline staying power of a cleric and can't use bows/crossbows to provide more effective ranged support.

    *Edit* I know you said no dual classing, but a dualled thief->mage isn't too bad in BG:EE and while you miss out on ridiculous HLAs you do get high level spells far faster. A level 6 dual is usually enough to max find traps and open locks.
    Post edited by Corvino on
  • mjsmjs Member Posts: 742
    edited November 2013
    Not only does it cover 2 multi classes i've never played before, but clerics with their melee buffs really enhances an f/c to make a great tank. then m/t is full of great synergy (i.e blatant cheese) opportunities.

    I'd go

    Dwarf f/c

    18/17/19/9/18/3

    Gnome t/i

    18/18/16/18/3/3
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    In an unmodded game, I'd probably go with F/T + C/M; not because it's a particularly good combination, but because it's the least awful out of the choices. F/M is usually one of the strongest (if not the strongest) multiclasses, but that would leave you with C/T, which is quite lackluster in both offense and defense. C/M is a very spell-heavy combination, but it's also highly resilient and can use some of the more "cheesier" spell combinations to instantly finish fights (like TS + Harm).

    In essence, you end up with two specialized characters, one melee and one caster, which given the circumstances I find more effective than two watered-down hybrids. You'll also level very fast, meaning that your spells will reach critical mass quickly (i.e. the point where nothing can kill you anymore).

    Outside of the given options, but still within the "requirements" of the challenge would be F/M/T + F/C. You could potentially go with F/C/M instead of F/C, too, but that might stretch the available XP a bit too much and end up counter-productive. In an unmodded game XP distribution is likely more important than flexibility in terms of raw effective power.
  • mjsmjs Member Posts: 742



    Outside of the given options, but still within the "requirements" of the challenge would be F/M/T + F/C. You could potentially go with F/C/M instead of F/C, too, but that might stretch the available XP a bit too much and end up counter-productive. In an unmodded game XP distribution is likely more important than flexibility in terms of raw effective power.

    Someone's always bending the rules! ;) I did intend it to be that you only have one of each in the mix, but didn't word it that way, editing now
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    edited November 2013
    Fighter/Cleric is the tank that an buff him or herself
    Mage/Thief is the robber that can both cast spells and be a sharpshooter.
  • Fighter/Cleric because my main character was and Mage/Thief because Imoen was :P
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    Fighter/Mage is simply the best multiclass. However, the F/M/T + F/C sounds pretty nice too, even if it'll lag in mage levels a bit.
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    edited November 2013
    @FinneousPJ
    I never really liked Fighter/Mage since it takes away a good chunk of your tanking potential, but Kensai Dualed to Mage on the other hand? Priceless.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    edited November 2013
    @GemHound The OP didn't want dual classes, unfortunately :< The F/M is still the best MULTIclass.
  • ghostowlghostowl Member Posts: 171
    Backstab is enhanced by Fighter hits, and Cleric spells can be used in spell triggers, contingencies

    One character is really good at fighting and the other character is really good at magic. That way, we can have one character stay in the back in safety while the other one engages and is buffed by the mage/cleric
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    edited November 2013
    @FinneousPJ
    Look at it like this. You have 2 characters to choose from, Fighter/Mage wrecks the tanking until late into BG2.
    Thief/Cleric misses out on most missile weapons and is also not a frontliner. On the other hand, you can remedy this by having the two classes swapped.

    Fighter/Cleric - A tanking Caster that is packing Steel
    Thief/Mage - A ranged caster that can hide before fights, and has the ability to use arrows, which have far more magical types than any other ammunition type.

    @ghostowl
    That is another good one since you could fire off Cleric spells instantly with a particular mage spell that many people use.
  • RastignacRastignac Member Posts: 5
    F/M is itself powerful enough to solo the entire game with all quests included, so I would go F/C and T/M equipped with Carsomyr ^^
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    @GemHound I disagree. F/M can tank just fine from level 1/1. From Mage 3 on it's superior to the F/C. The only thing the F/C has over it is slightly better HP.
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    The main problem with a F/M & C/T party in multiplayer is that while one of you gets an arsekicking machine, the other person gets stuck with a pure support character.

    M/Ts are more active and synergise better than C/Ts and become very powerful in their own right while C/Ts are gimped clerics who can backstab.
  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811
    I like Cleric/Thieves. The only reason why I voted this way. Top three are all playable with slightly different tactics.
  • I like Fighter/Thief because I like the synergies that combination offers to the thief. Fighter damage bonuses assist backstabbing, and UAI means the Fighter/Thief can use the Scarlet Ninja-to, which is a +3 weapon and thus relevant for longer than Belm or Kundane.

    C/I offers a boatload of spells, the ability to slot Cleric spells into sequencers, triggers, etc., and the ability to apply the Robe of Vecna's casting time reduction to Cleric spells.

    As for the ability distribution:
    Gnomish Cleric/Illusionist:

    Str 10
    Dex 18
    Con 18
    Int 18
    Wis 17
    Cha 11

    =92

    Halfling Fighter/Thief:

    Str 14
    Dex 19
    Con 18
    Int 11
    Wis 3
    Cha 3

    =68

    Shorty power! I love me some great saving throws, especially in a two man party where losing control of one character to a failed save is a big disadvantage. Gnome leads for the familiar, takes the mental ability score tomes, and uses Algernon's Cloak and the Friends spell for the best discounts/reaction rolls. Halfling takes the physical tomes, though Strength doesn't make much of a difference, given that a two man party means he gets his pick of the strength boosting items.

    This, incidentally, is one of the reasons why I like the F/T and C/M split: Fighter/Clerics and Fighter/Mages both have significant ability score requirements, while a F/T can safely dump everything except the physical stats (and enough INT to not be slaughtered by mind flayers). C/M also means I can concentrate Int and Wis on the same character to be able to abuse Wish without having to chug Potions of Insight.
  • TsyrithTsyrith Member Posts: 180
    Yeah, I appreciate the fiction of the Bhaalspawn being a fighter/thief, and both of these combinations are technical and extraordinarily deadly at full-stride.
  • Awong124Awong124 Member Posts: 2,643
    F/C and M/T because you're not as limited in terms of armor.
  • lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
    I think F/C and M/T would be easier with the F/C acting as a tank and the M/T acting as damage. However, I think a C/T and F/M would be more fun and challenging.
  • SliceofhellSliceofhell Member Posts: 85
    F/C dual wielding certain flail/warhammer combination is quite a deadly machine.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    Does the fighter have to be a fighter? I might be swayed in the direction of

    R/C + M/T

    if that's allowed.
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    edited November 2013
    This one sounds the most fun.

    I've done a F/C + M/T playthrough, it was an interesting challenge, but honestly not that entertaining.
    Awong124 said:

    F/C and M/T because you're not as limited in terms of armor.

    Yup, that's exactly why I did it. You smarty, you!
  • mjsmjs Member Posts: 742
    considering people's views regarding the power of fighter/mages, i'm surprised they ended up last out of the f/m + c/t only has 20% of the vote. maybe that says more on people's views on c/ts
  • zurathanzurathan Member Posts: 53
    loved the TS+harm idea @Lord_Tansheron , thanks for that.

    so what happened to ranger/cleric, that one has some benefits like druidic spells and **two-weapon-style with just some slower xp progress...? is it entirely illegal? it would make me change my vote.
  • KloroxKlorox Member Posts: 894
    edited September 2014
    I know I'm late to the party on this one, but a Cleric/Ranger and F/M/T would cover all the spells, and both characters would be able to tank.

    Of the options presented above, I'm voting F/C and T/M, because of their synergies. The F/C is the tank, an the T/M can snipe with a bow when not spellchucking. Fighters and Clerics are supposed to wear heavy armor. No armor for Mages.
  • meaglothmeagloth Member Posts: 3,806
    Each of the two classes are complimentary. Cleric accentuates fighter, and Mage accentuates thief. They work well.

    F/C
    18str
    14con
    17dex
    7 int
    17wis
    6cha

    T/M
    14str
    9con
    18dex
    18int
    7wis
    15cha

    I think that adds up. Close to it, anyway. I might consider taking one more point out of con for the. T/M and putting it in cha, but I guess there a ring for that, and cha is pretty easy to boost with spells and items.
  • RAM021RAM021 Member Posts: 403
    HOrc Cleric/Thief is my second favourite combo, so it gets my vote:
    19
    18
    16/19*
    01
    18
    03


    with Gnome F/I
    18/00
    18
    18
    19
    02
    03

    *Leaving 7 points to distribute (16 CON) or 4 if you want to max the HOrc's CON. Regardless, I would place the remainder in the HOrc's INT.


    That said, F/C & M/T are probably more synergistic companions; especially if you can go Ranger/Cleric!
  • KloroxKlorox Member Posts: 894
    edited September 2014
    Nicely done, RAM021! Getting a non fighter a STR above 19 makes him very effective in melee.

    BTW, multi classing any class with Fighter makes 'em better. ;)
  • RAM021RAM021 Member Posts: 403
    Thanks! Agreed - I never understood why the C/T gets such bad reviews. A 19STR HOrc backstabbing with a Quarterstaff is devastating!


    RAM
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