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Advice about new game: Best Rogue/Mage & Suitable Party

Hello everyone.
I am an old D&D player and the only games i have ever played are Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 back at the time, great experience! One friend gave me Baldurs Gate 1 EE and told me to play it again after so many years, mentioning we had missed so many things and parts of the adventure back then... (Also have to mention i love the fact this game is so popular until now and people are passionate about it and have played it so many times!)

So, a quick background update. I have only played each game once and i dont remember a lot after all this time. Also i have never played any expansions for either game. Should i play all and what is the right order?
My two favorite classes on D&D are rogue and wizard.
On Baldurs Gate 1 i played with a solo rogue main character, and that was fun!
On Baldurs Gate 2 i played with a solo wizard main character, and that was also fun!

1) So, first question: Since i have never tried dual class or multi class characters, would you suggest a straight up wizard character or a rogue/wizard combo? And if the second, which one and how to create my main character?
I tried reading many posts and some people mention swashbuckler as an option. Any other ideas? And when should i dual class to wizard? What about stats etc?

2) Second question: First time i played the game i used the canon party. Loved Imoen, Minsc, Jaheira, but i remember i never really liked Khalid. I read there is a way to split the couples and i am not opposed to do that myself without killing someone on purpose. Still want to play a good/neutral party.

So...
Whatever my main charecter is, should i keep Imoen as a thief till the end, right?

I used Minsc up front in close battle, but is he really better as an archer? What is the best way to play him?
The same about Khalid, what is he better at? When should i leave him somehere?
And who the best tough guy for up front battle? Ajantis? Yeslick?
Who is the best healer? I used Jaheira back then.

Also how good are Kivan and Coran? What are they better at?

I know thats a lot... Hope i made myself somewhat clear.
I like the game for the quests, the people, the conversations, the exploring etc... but i tend to be hold back by details, always thinking what would be best... So i want some help to decide and get started to get lost in that world again!

My thought is to have a main character that i would like to play (wizard, or wizard/rogue combo), 2 people that are good in battle up close (Minsc? and who else?), Jaheira, Imoen as an archer (right?), and Dynaheir as a second caster.
But nothing is set in stone! Just Imoen for sure. All the rest are up for grabs...

Lastly, i just remember i read over and over again that people do things only with their main character or with Imoen, to level up before getting any more party members. I always got them straight away. Should i do it for a bit in the beginning and if so until when?

Thank you all in advance!
Dimitris



JuliusBorisov

Comments

  • outofdaboxoutofdabox Member Posts: 18
    Hi Dimitri,

    1) Since you have already finished the game or at least it is not your first time, I think trying dual or multiclass characters is a good idea, actually a lot of the replayability this game has comes from trying different classes alignments etc. so i think a thief/mage combo would be fun. Personally I would suggest multiclassing because you play both classes straight away, while dual classing you have to level one class up to the level you want before changing to the other class which means that depending if you are going to make a full run with the same character, you will probably are going to complete BG1 with only one class.
    The only problem is that to mutliclass you must be an elf or half-elf or gnome (gnome are the only ones that can have the thief/illusionist specialization in magic). I personly have made a human multiclass chatacter by using EEKeeper :wink: so you can do whatever you want if you don't mind using a bit of EEKeeper.

    About dual classing or combinations and leveling this forum has a lot of threads discussing this subject which can help you like 1 2 3

    Stats you will need 18 intelligence for all the spells and as high as possible dex str and con
    dex for ac and bows and str for melee attacks and damage and constitution for your hp so I would suggest 18 in all of them.

    2) You can split characters without killing them just put Khalid inside a house you do not plan visiting and kick him out of the party. But if you don't want to do that just replace them with 2 other characters 1 tank and 1 healer. Since you want a good/neutral party Yeslick can pefectly replace Jaheira since he is a fighter/cleric and for Khalid Ajantis is good option.

    Whatever my main charecter is, should i keep Imoen as a thief till the end, right?
    You can keep Imoen if you like her, she is useful for thieving abilities and for bow, I always keep her.

    I used Minsc up front in close battle, but is he really better as an archer? What is the best way to play him?
    As an archer due to his (relatively) low dex 15 he will not hit as often, but he will do more damage due to his high str.
    I think is better at melee. I use two-handed for his primary weapon and bows an occasions
    The same about Khalid, what is he better at? When should i leave him somehere?
    He is equally good on melee or ranged depeding on your needs, due to he somewhat high constitution (17)he could be used as a tank with a shield. Gameplay-wise if you don't want him leave him asap, I see no reason to keep him, except if you want to rp his departure somehow based on some events in the game, e.g. he had something to do after you completed the mines or whatever.
    And who the best tough guy for up front battle? Ajantis? Yeslick?
    From these two Ajantis, due to his pure class he will have higher thaco and will hit harder to to his higher str. Minsc hits better than both but has lower hp. The best melee fighters are evil Kagain due his really high con and Dorn with his high str. Also don't forget about the 18 dex gloves tht can really improve your tank's ac.

    Who is the best healer? I used Jaheira back then.
    Well the best healer is either Branwen or Viconia(but she is evil) since they are both pure clerics so they have more slots than Jaheira to put healing spells, both have the same wisdom so they memorize the same amount of spells. Faldorn is a pure druid so you can have her as a healer but again she is evil.Having Jaheira or Yeslick for secondary healer is useful. But is perfectly doable to have Jaheira as your main healer if you don't want to take the others.

    Also how good are Kivan and Coran? What are they better at?
    They are the best bow users in the game, Coran has the most Dex, so he hits more often, Kivan hits more hard and is better at melee so he gives more versatility. Depending what you need you can take either of them, or both.

    So for your party, based on your what you prefer,
    Charaname thief/mage multiclass
    Imoen
    Jaheira
    Minsc
    Dynaheir
    As for the second Tank
    Depending what you need better fighter Ajantis or extra healer Yeslick

    It is also doable to try Kivan, Coran, Branwen or some of the new ones e.g. Neera for a few quests or untill you reach the one you want (e.g you meet Yeslick mid game) and then drop them, you can see if you like them just by playing them for a while.

    About the leveling thing, the only thing you will achieve is that you will be a few levels higher than you would be normally making some battles easier, but you can reach the xp cap very easy with a full person party so I wouldn't bother because i prefer playing a full party.

    If you want to try leveling Imoen and yourself a bit that a common practice and fast way to level up, is to do a few easy quests gather some gold go to nashkell carnival and buy 1 protection from petrification scroll (i think around 1000gp) and go to the bassilisks area and complete it (keep Imoen away from them though if you don't plan to buy 2 scrolls). This tactic will get you I think around lvl4 pretty fast when soloing so with Imoen I am not sure what your level will be, but after that I think you can go start gathering the rest of your party.
    MirandelJuliusBorisov
  • GallengerGallenger Member Posts: 400
    1. It depends on what you want the character to do.

    You could....

    Dual thief VERY early to Wizard --) the benefit in this is that if you only intend to use the thief part of you for trap/lock duties you can dual exceedingly early in BG1 (level 3-4) - and if you only intend to ever use a thief in that capacity you can pack your party with some non-thief character to shoot, wack, or cast things to death. It will also net you a few extra HPs and some better saves (for a short period of time).

    Dual thief to wizard much later and play around your ability to cast invisibility and other buffs and back stab things fairly well. The drawback here is that your spell progression will be pretty far behind, and you'll spend a lot more time waiting on your thief abilities to come back.

    Multi- Thief/Mage. I've played these before - but you want it to be geared towards backstabbing. Being the traps/locks guy as a multi-class is a big waste of all the XP you're putting into your thief class. So you're better off focusing on back-stabbery and uses of your rogue abilities in combat (which won't be as effective later in BG2 and its expansion ToB in particular, but by then you'll have so many wizard levels that you likely won't care much). You can also play as a gnome and get an extra spell slot per level (illusionist) over any other potential multi-classes which is handy-dandy if you're into gnomes.

    --------------------------

    Party:

    First you need to decide whether or not you're going to be the one that deals with traps/locks or if it will be somebody else's job. There are 4 rogues that could fit your party quite well within the Neutral/Good side of things. All of them would do fine at whatever role you want them to play - but if you don't like using thieves for stabbing things in the back, you could just dispense with all rogues altogether and leave that purely to yourself.

    Minsc and Khalid both can do OK at archery - Khalid is actually really good at it if you keep putting pips in it for him.

    Jaheira as the only healer is a little light on the healing for my tastes - I tend to use her as a tank.


    But ultimately I wouldn't get too hung up on party mechanics - you can play with virtually any party so long as you've got somebody with reasonable AC to block monsters from your squishies (and even then if the squishies kill things fast enough it's no big deal).

    If you've not experienced the NPCs before I'd encourage you to at least give them a try :D

    http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=183524786#

    Is one of our local forumites' guide to NPCs which is really solid and should give you a good feel for how all the NPCs (including the 4 new ones!) work.






    JuliusBorisov
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    edited May 2017
    Do you like to be the main character that runs around and does lots of stuff yourself?
    Or do you like to delegate?

    If it's the first, rogue, and I'd highly recommend Swashbuckler.
    If it's the second, mage, because you can't really play from the front until you really know what you're doing with buffs ect.

    Dexterity, I never understood for years that it helps armour class. Call me stupid but it didn't seem obvious to me. So as high as possible.

    The cannon party is the boring party, go to the dark side. Mixed alignment parties are much more fun, more interaction. And swap NPC in and out for periods of time to see what each one is like. There's a hell of a lot of stuff to do, you've got plenty of game to try all sorts of combinations.

    If you don't like both of the pairs, kill the one you don't like. Nobody is watching and the remaining NPC get over it very quickly. Strip them of defences/weapons and send them into the fight, role play it as you got disturbed in the night and "npc" bravely sacrificed themselves.

    Up front, Kagain.
    Yeslick you can't get until quite late.
    Ajantis is just a bit boring

    Healer, well Viconia and Branwen. Viconia is iconic and she is in BG2 as well so you can take her right the way through.

    Both archers, Kivan and Coran are superb. So purely depends on which character you prefer.

    And take Edwin, you won't regret it.
    JuliusBorisov
  • SomeSortSomeSort Member Posts: 859
    Given your experiences and your preferences, you seem like the perfect candidate to do a Trilogy Run with the super-popular Swashbuckler>Mage dual-class.

    In Baldur's Gate 1, you play the entire game as a Swashbuckler. You said you already played as a single-class thief and enjoyed it, so this will be like that again, except the Swashbuckler trades his ability to backstab for some AC/THACO/Damage bonuses. By the end of the game, you should have enough points to max out Open Locks, Find Traps, and Detect Illusions.

    The second you gain control of your character in BG2, you dual-class him or her over to a mage. This lets you play the entire second game as a single-class mage, which you said you already did and enjoyed, so you know you'll enjoy this, too. *BUT*, it lets you play as a mage who can also handle all of the lock-opening and trap-disarming and illusion-dispelling duties, and who can equip slightly better gear and have about 20 more HP than a "pure" mage would.

    A Trilogy Run means BG1 > BG2. Yes, there's only two games in the trilogy run, which is confusing. Baldur's Gate was originally designed as a trilogy, with the third chapter as a standalone game, but instead they released it as the Throne of Bhaal expansion for BG2. So that's how you get a trilogy with two games.

    Recently, Beamdog released a prequel to BG2 called "Siege of Dragonspear". I haven't played it yet, (it's not out on iPad, which I play on), but if you want to you can easily slot that in between BG1 and BG2. You'll still dual-class the second you start the game, but because of the experience cap, you won't be able to unlock your thief skills during Siege of Dragonspear, so you'll literally just be a pure-class mage for the entire game. (This isn't really a problem, and it does have the advantage of letting you unlock your dual-class almost instantly after porting over to BG2.)

    Regarding your party: I hate having to drag along certain members of the "paired" companions, too. Luckily, there's a super-easy way to "solve" that dead weight problem without killing them. Find a house that you're never, ever, ever going to go into ever again. (Some random person's home in Beregost works great for this.) Send your "dead weight" NPC into the house. Then remove them from the party.

    Since they're in a different area from you when you kick them out, they'll never talk to you about leaving. And since they never talk to you about leaving, they never tell their buddy to come with them. So you can boot Khalid and keep Jahiera, provided you never go into that house again. (If you do, he'll initiate the conversation and you either have to take him back or Jahiera will leave.)

    If you do the Swashbuckler>Mage dual-class, I'd dual-class Imoen to a Mage in BG1, since there's really no need for a second pure-class thief.

    Minsc can be either an Archer or a Tank. Archery is more powerful in BG1, but you need a tank somewhere to occupy enemies while your archers whittle them down. Another option is to give Minsc a two-handed sword instead of a shield and make him a bit of a hybrid- not quite as tough as a tank, not quite as damaging as an archer, but somewhere in between.

    For front-line tanks (if you're not using Minsc), Yeslick and Ajantis are both fantastic, provided you give them the Gauntlets of Dexterity to "fix" their AC. Jahiera can also tank very well, again provided you give her the Gauntlets of Dexterity.

    Hell, Minsc wants them, too, if you're using him as a full-time front-of-the-party tank. Realistically, anyone in BG1 with a lot of HP and the ability to wear heavy armors is going to have terrible dexterity, (terrible = 15 or less), so you're going to want to pick one to be your front-liner and give them the Gauntlets of Dexterity for +3 or +4 armor class. (This is a *huge* boost, basically the difference between Chainmail and Full Plate.)

    If you're not married to exclusively good-aligned characters, Kagain makes the best tank in the game. With 20 constitution, he naturally regenerates his health. It's very slow, but it keeps him topped off when you're traveling and lets your healers save their spells. His dexterity is garbage, though, so he's... you guessed it... going to want the Gauntlets of Dexterity. (Don't bring evil characters along with Ajantis, by the way, as he has a nasty habit of trying to murder them.)

    Kivan and Coran are the best archers in BG1 by a good margin. Archery is the most powerful thing in BG1. Therefore, Kivan and Coran are probably the most powerful NPCs in BG1. (Edwin could make an argument, too.) If you want to make the game easier, grab one and bring him along. If you want to make the game a *LOT* easier, grab both.

    (One note: Kivan has a personal quest with a time limit, so you'll have to hurry through the plot until you hit the Bandit Camp or he'll leave. And Coran won't be recruitable until right after the Bandit Camp, so he won't be able to help you through the early quests. Yeslick won't become available until even after Coran.)

    Regarding adventuring just with Imoen to level up some first: this is a common tactic among people who are doing their 50th playthrough because it dramatically speeds up the early game, which they've already played through a ton of times, and lets them get to the late game, which they haven't played as much.

    Since you're still relatively brand new, you don't need to do this. Recruit your party and adventure with the full crew. It'll take longer to hit max level, but there's plenty of XP to still do it, and the whole point of the game is enjoying the journey.

    If you're taking party recommendations and you want a powerful group that adheres relatively close to the "Canon" experience, I might say:
    You -- Swashbuckler (I'd give him a short bow, because archery = awesome in BG1)
    Imoen -- Thief dualed to Mage, (your choice when to dual her, but since you're a pureclass thief, I'd lean towards "very early")
    Jahiera -- Healer / Tank (Give her the Gauntlets of Dexterity and your heaviest armor and shield)
    Minsc -- Secondary damage, either with a Long Bow or with heavy armor and a two-handed sword.

    For your final two spots, you can recruit a second mage (Dynaheir makes Minsc happy), grab an Archer or two (Kivan and Coran, but pay attention to Kivan's quest timer), bring along a second healer in Yeslick or Branwen, (Yeslick can even replace Jahiera as the party tank), or if you're interested in mixing it up a bit, grab Kagain, (who is "evil", but in practice seems much more neutral. He's basically just greedy. Though he *will* leave if your alignment gets too high).
    AerakarLoldrupJuliusBorisov
  • SloaneRangerSloaneRanger Member Posts: 17
    Darkk said:

    Hello everyone.

    1) So, first question: Since i have never tried dual class or multi class characters, would you suggest a straight up wizard character or a rogue/wizard combo? And if the second, which one and how to create my main character?

    I used Minsc up front in close battle, but is he really better as an archer?

    An elf wizard/thief with one point in short bow is better than any pure wizard limited to a sling. It takes a long time for any wizard to get enough useful spells and being a good archer helps a lot in the beginning. But it also takes even longer for the character to shine as a wizard. Not an easy or simple choice.

    Minsc does not have the dex to be a good archer until you get the brawling bracers. He does have the str to be a good melee fighter. He is also the best carrier of heavy loot such as magic armor. You do not want to use up his inventory slots with arrows so he can carry all the good loot.

  • ZilberZilber Member Posts: 253


    Quite a few questions, so I'll answer them one by one
    Darkk said:


    Should i play all and what is the right order?
    My two favorite classes on D&D are rogue and wizard.
    On Baldurs Gate 1 i played with a solo rogue main character, and that was fun!
    On Baldurs Gate 2 i played with a solo wizard main character, and that was also fun!

    You should, of course, play all. The right order is starting out in Candle keep, and ending up in Throne of Bhaal. In BG1 it is best to leave the ToTC content to a bit later in the game, as it is quite challenging.
    Darkk said:


    1) So, first question: Since i have never tried dual class or multi class characters, would you suggest a straight up wizard character or a rogue/wizard combo? And if the second, which one and how to create my main character?

    Rogue wizards do have options, but they can be found in BG and BG2 quite easily, a Shadowdancer as a main, or a Sorcerer (maybe even Dragon Desciple) might be just as interesting. SoD is light in thieves though, and has a limited amount of good wizards.
    Darkk said:


    I tried reading many posts and some people mention swashbuckler as an option. Any other ideas?

    Swashbuckler is a bit of fighter rolled into the rogue. Works well when dualled at 5th or 10th level. You can'tbackstab though.
    Why not a Bard? A Bard gives you good lore (no endless amount of Identify needed, is a mediocre fighter, and a mediocre wizard, but one that can always bring substantial bonus to the party, and helps you to poor NPC's items. Also, BG1's NPC bard options suck. The Skald is not regarded as good, the Blade is. The Jester is a bit of an odd one.
    Darkk said:


    And when should i dual class to wizard? What about stats etc?

    Get Open Locks and Find Traps to 100%, and then decide whether you want to backstab, if you do, get to 9 and get move silently and hide as high as you can get it.
    Darkk said:


    2) Second question: First time i played the game i used the canon party. Loved Imoen, Minsc, Jaheira, but i remember i never really liked Khalid. I read there is a way to split the couples and i am not opposed to do that myself without killing someone on purpose. Still want to play a good/neutral party.

    I don't think you can get rid of Khalid without his demise
    Darkk said:


    So...
    Whatever my main charecter is, should i keep Imoen as a thief till the end, right?

    If you're the thief, you could dual her quite quickly, I did so in my playthroughs, she's a good enough mage.
    Darkk said:


    I used Minsc up front in close battle, but is he really better as an archer?

    I have no idea why Minsc would be better as an archer. Up front seems like a lot better place for him, especially considering his lowish dex.
    Darkk said:


    What is the best way to play him?
    The same about Khalid, what is he better at? When should i leave him somehere?

    Khalid has very low morale. I never successfully played with him. Archer would work, but barely.
    Darkk said:


    And who the best tough guy for up front battle? Ajantis? Yeslick?

    Kagain, but that's not your style. Yeslick works, I have little love for Ajantis, so would not know him.
    Darkk said:


    Who is the best healer? I used Jaheira back then.

    I used Branwen more often, supplanted by Yeslick when I got him, but Jaheira is not too bad.
    Darkk said:


    Also how good are Kivan and Coran? What are they better at?

    Coran is an excellent archer, they had to cheat to make him that good at it. Kivan is also a fine archer, but is very limited by his choice for halberds, which are very weak in BG1
    Darkk said:


    My thought is to have a main character that i would like to play (wizard, or wizard/rogue combo), 2 people that are good in battle up close (Minsc? and who else?), Jaheira, Imoen as an archer (right?), and Dynaheir as a second caster.
    But nothing is set in stone! Just Imoen for sure. All the rest are up for grabs...

    Wizard/rogue (or bard), with druid/fighter, Minsc, rogue archer and second caster would really like Yeslick as a second divine caster and a bit more oomph. Pick up Branwen and leave her for Yeslick and I think you are solid, if a bit micromanagement-y. Once you get to SoD (and BG2), you won't have the same options though, so do keep this in mind.
    Darkk said:


    Lastly, i just remember i read over and over again that people do things only with their main character or with Imoen, to level up before getting any more party members. I always got them straight away. Should i do it for a bit in the beginning and if so until when?

    Just grab them early, you'll have more of the interaction together then.
    Darkk said:


    Thank you all in advance!
    Dimitris

  • SloaneRangerSloaneRanger Member Posts: 17
    Darkk said:


    On Baldurs Gate 1 i played with a solo rogue main character, and that was fun!
    On Baldurs Gate 2 i played with a solo wizard main character, and that was also fun!

    1) So, first question: Since i have never tried dual class or multi class characters, would you suggest a straight up wizard character or a rogue/wizard combo? And if the second, which one and how to create my main character?

    In BG you have an excellent rogue in Imoen and in BG2 she is an excellent wizard. Why not reverse her role. Be a wizard in BG and dual to a rogue for BG2? Recruit Jan in BG2 and between the two of you the final battle in ToB can be very easy.

    I do not care much for multiclass characters due to the time it takes to level up. It does no good to have all those abilities when you are not high enough a level to actually have them when you need them. However an elf mage/thief can be very deadly with a bow while waiting for the mage side to level up to useful levels. Elves have racial bonuses that are very useful for such a combination.

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited May 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    OrlonKronsteen
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    Darkk said:

    1) So, first question: Since i have never tried dual class or multi class characters, would you suggest a straight up wizard character or a rogue/wizard combo? And if the second, which one and how to create my main character?
    I tried reading many posts and some people mention swashbuckler as an option. Any other ideas? And when should i dual class to wizard? What about stats etc?

    Dual-classing is complicated and requires a lot of optimization and micromanaging. If that doesn't sound bad, go for it. Otherwise I wouldn't. Put it this way: You can accomplish many of the same things multi-classing instead of dual-classing -- dual-classing allows you to be a little more specialized and a little more overpowered overall, but it can take a long time to get there. So it's a lot of work for a little reward.
    Darkk said:

    2) Second question: First time i played the game i used the canon party. Loved Imoen, Minsc, Jaheira, but i remember i never really liked Khalid. I read there is a way to split the couples and i am not opposed to do that myself without killing someone on purpose. Still want to play a good/neutral party.

    Well ... it's not perfect but there are a couple of exploits:
    1. Let's say you want to keep Jaheira and lose Khalid: You would have Jaheira die, then give Khalid the boot. After this, raise Jaheira at a Temple. You now have Khalid alive, idle somewhere waiting on your return, and Jaheira in your party.
    2. Your other option is for Khalid to be petrified by a Basilisk, but take care not to let him get hit a second time. Slay the basilisks, use a scroll of Stone to Flesh, and simply don't speak to him so he doesn't rejoin. Same end product as option 1.
    Darkk said:

    So...
    Whatever my main charecter is, should i keep Imoen as a thief till the end, right?

    Totally up to you. If you want to dual-class her, optimal time is Thief level 7. You can get her to Mage level 8 and she ends up pretty powerful endgame, but she's pretty crappy for a long time as a result.

    I tend to keep her Thief all game because that's how I like her, but that's just my preference.
    Darkk said:

    I used Minsc up front in close battle, but is he really better as an archer? What is the best way to play him?

    He's much better as a melee than a ranged character. That said, he's decent with a bow.
    Darkk said:

    The same about Khalid, what is he better at? When should i leave him somewhere?

    Khalid is actually pretty versatile. He starts off with Long Sword **, Long Bow *, and Axe *. You should either go for Long Sword ***, Long Bow ** or Long Sword **, Long Bow ***. Between his decent Dexterity and good Constitution, he can make for a good sword-and-board frontliner/tank. He's not going to inflict scads of damage (until you get the Gauntlets of Ogre Power! Then he's the perfect man, even by Jaheira's standards), though I tend to throw him strength-enhancing potions in tougher fights. And if you go the Long Bow *** route, he's a pretty solid archer.
    Darkk said:

    And who the best tough guy for up front battle? Ajantis? Yeslick?

    The absolute best is Kagain. After that, Yeslick or Ajantis (with the Gauntlets of Dexterity), then Khalid actually.
    Darkk said:

    Who is the best healer? I used Jaheira back then.

    The healers in Baldur's Gate 1 actually kind of suck. None of them have better than 16 Wisdom, which leaves a bit to be desired. Jaheira is practically as good as any, and fulfills the fighter role well enough provided you give her the proper equipment. Yeslick is an excellent Fighter/Cleric who fulfills the tank AND healer roles admirably. Considering you seem to like good characters, he could be an appropriate pick for you.
    Darkk said:

    Also how good are Kivan and Coran? What are they better at?

    The two best ranged warriors in the game. In terms of raw archery, Coran is better, and a good thief to boot. Kivan is more versatile -- he's the second best archer AND a good melee combatant.
    Darkk said:

    I like the game for the quests, the people, the conversations, the exploring etc... but i tend to be hold back by details, always thinking what would be best... So i want some help to decide and get started to get lost in that world again!

    Yeah, I would let yourself wander a bit. It's not the end of the world if you end up dropping a character you spent a decent amount of time with for another.
    Darkk said:

    Lastly, i just remember i read over and over again that people do things only with their main character or with Imoen, to level up before getting any more party members. I always got them straight away. Should i do it for a bit in the beginning and if so until when?

    Since you like immersing yourself, I wouldn't micromanage to that degree. Pick up people when they pop up and don't worry about all that. That tends to take away from the feel of the game for me anyway.
    JuliusBorisov
  • DhariusDharius Member Posts: 654
    edited May 2017
    For a Khalid replacement, if you don't mind taking evil characters I'd recommend either Dorn or Kagain as they're both on the main "path" of the game and generally do the fighter thing better than Khalid anyway.

    Kagain: has great CON which means he can regenerate. Finding a decent axe for him isn't too tough either: you can find them for sale in Beregost, if you have the money. But you do need to work out where he is in the first place in order to pick him up. He has a short and rather pointless side quest.

    Dorn: His STR is legendary. If you speak with him early you shouldn't have trouble finding him later. As he progresses, give him 1 or 2 stars in longbow and he'll cover all bases. His side quests are interesting and not that evil.


    Garrick is also a decent all rounder and easy to find too. He's handy with a crossbow.
    Quartz
  • LoldrupLoldrup Member Posts: 291
    Dharius said:

    Garrick is also a decent all rounder and easy to find too. He's handy with a crossbow.

    Garrick is brutal with that special Halberd and Gauntlets of Ogre Power. Unbuffed damage range is 13-22 and a THAC0 of 12 at level 7 (40000 XP)
    [Deleted User]QuartzJuliusBorisov
  • LoldrupLoldrup Member Posts: 291
    Loldrup said:

    Dharius said:

    Garrick is also a decent all rounder and easy to find too. He's handy with a crossbow.

    Garrick is brutal with that special Halberd and Gauntlets of Ogre Power. Unbuffed damage range is 13-22 and a THAC0 of 12 at level 7 (40000 XP)
    Plus he can tank because of his defensive spells (Mirror Image!)
    [Deleted User]QuartzJuliusBorisov
  • UnionhackUnionhack Member Posts: 27
    Concerning Coran and Kivan, I would say Coran is uncontestedly better in my experience. He can reach downwards of -1 THAC0 if you kit him up with the Dead Shot and other archery related items. However, if you're gonna run mage/thief, his thief skills might be a little redundant. I think his archery more than makes up for this, but that's just me. Kivan is, as folks have said, more of a utility character, but I think specialization is more efficient and other characters can fulfill Kivan's role just as well.

    You could replace Khalid with Yeslick if you don't mind a bit more divine punch in your squad. He can buff his deficiencies in the fighter department with draw upon holy might and other such spells and can make a great tank, especially with shorty saving throws.

    Unfortunately he's a late join so Kagain might be the best long term choice. Figures that two of my favorites are late joins...

    Shar-Teel isn't a bad fighter option either if you can mesh with her personality.

    Honestly this game is beatable with ANY party, powergaming isn't necessary, and I always found it best to just choose a party based on your character's personality more than anything. Still, if you're going for the best combos possible, there are universally agreed upon 'best in class' characters for just about every class in the game.
    Aerakar
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    Unionhack said:

    Concerning Coran and Kivan, I would say Coran is uncontestedly better in my experience. He can reach downwards of -1 THAC0 if you kit him up with the Dead Shot and other archery related items. However, if you're gonna run mage/thief, his thief skills might be a little redundant. I think his archery more than makes up for this, but that's just me. Kivan is, as folks have said, more of a utility character, but I think specialization is more efficient and other characters can fulfill Kivan's role just as well.

    Ahh the age-old debate. Raw ranged power, or someone more versatile?

    People tend to conveniently forget Coran is relatively garbage in melee, whereas Kivan is still quite good in that area. He's more versatile.

    But yes, Coran's archery is hands down the best in the game, and so long as you keep him out of close quarters the "relatively garbage in melee" issue isn't a real problem. Khalid is/can be the third best archer actually as I mentioned -- if you invest the pips and make him Long Bow ***.

    Coran and Kivan don't even have to be mutually exclusive -- give Kivan the Composite Long Bow +1 (+2 THAC0, +3 Damage) from Feldepost's Inn in Beregost, and Coran the Deadshot/Long Bow of Marksmanship (+3 THAC0, +2 Damage) and you're set. Enjoy shooting down basically everything before it can even get close!
    AerakarOrlonKronsteen
  • tbone1tbone1 Member Posts: 1,985
    I'll back up @Quartz here. Archery rules in BG1; having Kivan AND Coran will let you mow through 98% of enemies, as long as the ammo holds out
    QuartzAerakarOrlonKronsteen
  • SomeSortSomeSort Member Posts: 859
    tbone1 said:

    I'll back up @Quartz here. Archery rules in BG1; having Kivan AND Coran will let you mow through 98% of enemies, as long as the ammo holds out

    Easiest BG1 run I've ever done had Kivan with the composite long bow +1, Coran with the Dead Shot (Long Bow +2), and an Archer charname with the Eagle bow, (short bow +2).
    AerakarQuartz
  • 11302101130210 Member Posts: 381
    I had such an easy run one time as a 4 member-party early in the game. The xp got divided so heavily among the party that I was at the level cap before any of the expansions. xD
    AerakarQuartzOrlonKronsteen
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    edited June 2017
    1130210 said:

    I had such an easy run one time as a 4 member-party early in the game. The xp got divided so heavily among the party that I was at the level cap before any of the expansions. xD

    @1130210 Not to take things too far off topic, but you're right, this is one of the easiest ways to beat the game. I started attempting to play Baldur's Gate at age five (in 1999) and I was terrible at it. I finally came back to the game 10 years later and did quite good with a single-class cleric PC, Kagain, Imoen and Edwin.

    The experience point division can be really painful in Baldur's Gate 1, and it was an intentional decision, believe me. In BGII it's not bad at all, especially with the addition of quest points.
    Aerakar1130210
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