Sweet many thanks. Never tried this particular combo and looking to spice things up a bit on my new playthrough. I was thinking stalker -> cleric as i love hiding and backstabs
Im thinking stalker 9 -> cleric for the 3rd backstab and club in my main hand and either mace or warhammer off hand. Never tried a cleric before let alone one who stealths and backstabs
You should also put your proficiency points as a Stalker into weapons that a cleric can use. If you take proficiencies in e.g. swords or daggers, you will just lose them when you dual.
If you wait until Stalker 12 to dual, you also get access to a few 3rd level mage spells. Haste and minor spell deflection can both be useful. And if you play to the XP cap, you can still reach cleric 38. Or you could go for Stalker 13 for the extra half attack/round and still be able to get to cleric 36. It will take significantly longer to get your stalker abilities back after you dual than going from Stalker 9, but it might be worth it.
With only six weapons to spec in, even if the Dual Classing proficiency bug is still around, you don't need the eight extra pips from dualling. Meanwhile, the R/C outstrips their THAC0 by the end of BGII. In ToB, it gets more attacks, better HLAs, more HLAs, earlier access to HLAs, and only loses a level 6 and two level 7 spells and a few negligible Hitpoints in exchange.
Stalker -> Ranger is the only one I'd consider to be potentially worthwhile, but it's got to be because you enjoy the playstyle, because backstabbing and stealth aren't adding that much to a class which gets Sanctuary, which is probably the best form of stealth anyway, and you're giving up Full Plate for it, which isn't optimal for what is arguably the best tanking class in the game.
sanctuary is good but only lasts one turn - it is however a level 1 spell so multiple castings are possible but could be issues when one expires before another is cast?
That said I also agree that multi is a better choice for this class combo IMO - slows the leveling a bit but adds fighter HLAs too?
Very true, a turn is awkward, but Sanctuary isn't lost if you activate or loot things, so compared to invisibility you can actually get more mileage out of it, whilst for routine scouting you could even just strip off your plate (soundproof backpack) to use stealth.
Comments
Ranger/Cleric:
BG:EE Cap: 7/7 14 THAC0, 1.5 Attacks, 6 proficiency pips +2 2xTWF, ~63 max-HP, Saves: 7/11/10/12/12, 4th level spells.
BGII Cap: 12/14 9 THAC0, +2 pips, +~20 HP, 5/9/8/8/10, 7th Level Spells
ToB Cap: 21/25 0 THAC0, +0.5 Attacks, +3 pips, +~24 HP 2/5/4/4/6, 7th Level Spells, 20 HLAs.
Ranger -> Cleric
BG:EE Cap: Ranger 8. 13 THAC0, 1.5 Attacks, 6 Pips + 2x TWF, 80 max-HP, Saves: 10/12/11/12/13, No Spells.
BGII Cap: Ranger 9/Cleric 19: 10 THAC0, 7 Pips, +~22 HP, 4/8/7/10/9, 7th Level Spells.
ToB Cap: 9/39: 6 THAC0, 6 Pips, +~40 HP, 2/6/5/8/7, 7th Level Spells, 18 HLAs.
With only six weapons to spec in, even if the Dual Classing proficiency bug is still around, you don't need the eight extra pips from dualling. Meanwhile, the R/C outstrips their THAC0 by the end of BGII. In ToB, it gets more attacks, better HLAs, more HLAs, earlier access to HLAs, and only loses a level 6 and two level 7 spells and a few negligible Hitpoints in exchange.
Stalker -> Ranger is the only one I'd consider to be potentially worthwhile, but it's got to be because you enjoy the playstyle, because backstabbing and stealth aren't adding that much to a class which gets Sanctuary, which is probably the best form of stealth anyway, and you're giving up Full Plate for it, which isn't optimal for what is arguably the best tanking class in the game.
That said I also agree that multi is a better choice for this class combo IMO - slows the leveling a bit but adds fighter HLAs too?
Very true, a turn is awkward, but Sanctuary isn't lost if you activate or loot things, so compared to invisibility you can actually get more mileage out of it, whilst for routine scouting you could even just strip off your plate (soundproof backpack) to use stealth.