Cleric/Thief Both cleric and thief are important support classes, but neither are really needed in a pure class version. By combining the two, you free up space in your party to bring whom you like. From the cleric the thief get more HP, slightly better TACH0, much better saving throws and the ability to use heavy armor, helmets, shields and cast spells (while wearing armor). You don't have the same fighting abilities as a fighter/thief, but you got buffs to make up for it. The biggest downside is being unable to use non-cleric weapon, leaving only staffs and clubs for backstab, and slings for ranged.
I'll not run through every single spell (at least for now), but just the ones that can be combined with the thief tactics to increase effectiveness. For a complete BG:EE spell guide, I think this is useful: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=205238783
*You can start by 17 and then get the tome of +1 CON to reach 18. ** You need 9 in order to use wands *** 17 is max for Gnomes, but don't worry about it, you get +3 from tomes. ****If you meet the above values, put whatevers is left into CHA.
You start by two proficiency points, but since you most likely want both backstab and ranged attacks, I recommend staff and sling.
Additional Cleric/Thief tactics (BG:EE)
Just like fighter, you can wear heavy armor early on, in order to increase your survivability. You can boost your party before running into backstab, and afterwards you will be able to use spells to debuff enemies or do some crowd control. As a multiclass cleric, you still get acces to lvl 4 spells. Some spells are directly increasing your abilities as a thief:
Sanctuary lvl 1 Great spell for Cleric/Thieves, it allows thieving and removing traps without breaking the invisibility. You can't backstab from Sanctuary.
Draw Upon Holy Might lvl 2 Increase STR, DEX and CON. Useful to increase combat abilities, and the DEX bonus boosts your thieving abilities.
Holy Power lvl 4 Raises STR to 18/100 and gives the Thac0 of a fighter. Cast this before you cast DUHM.
Turning Undead is also great to have, note that neutral and good chr can scare Undead or turn them into dust, but Evil aligned can take temporary control of them.
Notable items specific for a Cleric/thief - Honorary Ring of Sune: Grants one ekstra spell lvl 1-4. - Wand of the Heavens: Flamestrike 8-48 to target - Helmets, armor, shields etc.
Additional Cleric/Thief tactics & HLAs (BG2:EE)
Basically through BG2, your role as support continues. Cleric HLA generally sucks… Focus on the ones from the thieves pool. Summon Deva is maybe worth it, but that is about it! You are still a thief with buffs, on top you can use spells for party support. I like to scout, go back, summon, buff and then attack (backstab if the enemy is not immune). Since your spellcasting is slow, timestop traps are a very good idea. You get the Cleric saving Throws + shorty saves: These are Godsend in BG2! With buffs you can also go melee after landing your initial backstab.
Defensive Remove Fear (lvl) + Death Ward (lvl) + Chaotic Command (lvl) will grant you immunity to disabling spells and instant death – highly needed in BG2.
Armor of Faith for 25% melee and magical damage absorbtion at lvl 20.
Protection from Evil, 10' Radius + Remove Fear + Bless + Chant : Gives all +3 AC bonus, +2 to hit bonus, and +4 save bonus
Defensive Harmony + Strength of One are also good all-party buffs
Offensive: Doom: No saves and -2 to THAC0 and saves. Holy Smite, party friendly, 1d4 dmg/lvl, and you can cast a lot of then Greater Command Holy Word Harm Blade Barrier Firestorm
Summons: Animate Death, Summon (fallen) Deva (HLA) & Arial Servant
Healing Mass Cure, Resurrection, Remove Paralysis etc.
Other: Wonderous Recall (lvl) can recall Death Ward and Chaotic Commands, make you able to protect more characters.
True Seeing dispels illusions, so you can either put your thieving points elsewhere than Detect Illusion, or (recommended) use your thieving skill instead.
Farsight is great for scouting with no risk!
PC Interface
One detail that kept me from enjoying the Cleric/Thief class, was the fact that all the thief abilities was hidden on the quick bar. Now, only the Thieving ability is hidden in your special abilities. Pressing F5 will activate this ability in any other Thief class, and you can Open Locks, Remove Traps or Pick Pockets. It can be a bit annoying having to double click every time. Here is have to deal with it:
Go to Options -> Gameplay -> Assign Keys -> Actions -> Thieving: Then assign a key. Easy
Illusionist/Thief The Illusionist/Thief differs from the other two, by actually being weaker than a pure thief in term of less HP and slower Thac0 progression. It is a less straight forward class to choose, but in exchance you get acces to a variety of very useful arcane spells, and will eventually become really powerfull. Being a specialist mage, you gain en ekstra spell/level, but are unable to use necromancy spells.
Again, I'll not run through every single spell, but just the ones that can be combined with the thief tactics to increase effectiveness. For a complete BG:EE spell guide, I think this is useful: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=205238783
Stats and proficiencies
You'll have various of good ways to distribute the stat-points. I would aim for a 89 roll, and distribute like this: STR: 18* DEX: 18 CON: 17** INT: 18*** WIS: 15**** CHA: 3 *****
* 18 STR is an absolute luxury you don't need. You can just boost yourself with the lvl 2 spell Strength. Still I like high STR, to increase carrying capacity and to save the spellslot. If not 18, have between 10 and 12. ** You can start by 17 and then get the tome of +1 CON to reach 18. *** You don't benifit from going above 19 (maximum amaounts of spells known), use the tome + 1 INT to get there. **** If you do not continue to BG2:EE, ignore it. If you do, you can still ignore it, OR: 15 + 3 WIS tomes = 18. 18 is needed to succesfully use the spells Limited Wish and Wish on regular basis. WIS needs to be 9 if you plan on using cleric scrolls and wands in late BG2:EE. ***** CHA : whatever is left
You got 2 proficiency points in the beginning, I'll recommend choosing one ranged and one backstab weapon.
Additional Illusionist/Thief tactics (BG:EE)
Honestly you are pretty weak early on. Stand back and act like an archer, maybe wear a studded leather armor and forget you are part mage until you gain a few more levels. You got both defensive and offensive spells, I recommend to mix a bit of both. As a multiclass illusionist, you get acces to lvl 4 spells, but not lvl 5 spells. Some spells directly increase your thief part:
Protection/AC-type spells Use before going into backstab or suffer Blur and Mirror Image lvl 2 are very good lvl 2 spells.
Invisibility-type spells Use this untill your stealth is reliable. Makes you able to scout an area unseen. Use to disapear while in enemy line of sight.
Haste-type spells Useful for hit'n'run tactics.
Strenght lvl 2 Provides 18/50 STR. Useful selfboost, especially if you chose not to max STR.
Luck Offers a 5% bonus to everything you do, including +5 to every thieving skill. It may be a minor bonus, but it stacks with potions
Notable items specific for an Illusionist/Thief - Ring of Wizardry: Doubles lvl 1 spells - Robe of good/neutral/evil Archmagi: Base AC 5, +1 saving throws, 5% magic resistance
It is possible to add a thief kit with EE Keeper. However they do not always act according to the describtion: The game engine acts as if you created a normal x/thief; Any class get 25 thieving points/lvl, any class has acces to backstab, traps etc. In terms of HLA's, you get the normal theif pool. A Swashbuckler will be able to backstab and gain the Assasination HLA, a Shadowdancer will get full thieving skill points and may lay traps etc. A Mage/*thief kit* is especially powerful, as the game will give acces to the +1 spell/lvl as if a specialist mage, but without any school restrictions.
Comments
Both cleric and thief are important support classes, but neither are really needed in a pure class version. By combining the two, you free up space in your party to bring whom you like. From the cleric the thief get more HP, slightly better TACH0, much better saving throws and the ability to use heavy armor, helmets, shields and cast spells (while wearing armor). You don't have the same fighting abilities as a fighter/thief, but you got buffs to make up for it. The biggest downside is being unable to use non-cleric weapon, leaving only staffs and clubs for backstab, and slings for ranged.
I'll not run through every single spell (at least for now), but just the ones that can be combined with the thief tactics to increase effectiveness. For a complete BG:EE spell guide, I think this is useful:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=205238783
Stats and proficiencies
STR: 18
DEX: 18
CON: 17 (or 18)*
INT: 9**
WIS: 17***
CHA: ? ****
*You can start by 17 and then get the tome of +1 CON to reach 18.
** You need 9 in order to use wands
*** 17 is max for Gnomes, but don't worry about it, you get +3 from tomes.
****If you meet the above values, put whatevers is left into CHA.
You start by two proficiency points, but since you most likely want both backstab and ranged attacks, I recommend staff and sling.
Additional Cleric/Thief tactics (BG:EE)
Just like fighter, you can wear heavy armor early on, in order to increase your survivability.
You can boost your party before running into backstab, and afterwards you will be able to use spells to debuff enemies or do some crowd control. As a multiclass cleric, you still get acces to lvl 4 spells. Some spells are directly increasing your abilities as a thief:
Sanctuary lvl 1
Great spell for Cleric/Thieves, it allows thieving and removing traps without breaking the invisibility. You can't backstab from Sanctuary.
Draw Upon Holy Might lvl 2
Increase STR, DEX and CON. Useful to increase combat abilities, and the DEX bonus boosts your thieving abilities.
Holy Power lvl 4
Raises STR to 18/100 and gives the Thac0 of a fighter. Cast this before you cast DUHM.
Turning Undead is also great to have, note that neutral and good chr can scare Undead or turn them into dust, but Evil aligned can take temporary control of them.
Notable items specific for a Cleric/thief
- Honorary Ring of Sune: Grants one ekstra spell lvl 1-4.
- Wand of the Heavens: Flamestrike 8-48 to target
- Helmets, armor, shields etc.
Additional Cleric/Thief tactics & HLAs (BG2:EE)
Basically through BG2, your role as support continues. Cleric HLA generally sucks… Focus on the ones from the thieves pool. Summon Deva is maybe worth it, but that is about it! You are still a thief with buffs, on top you can use spells for party support. I like to scout, go back, summon, buff and then attack (backstab if the enemy is not immune). Since your spellcasting is slow, timestop traps are a very good idea. You get the Cleric saving Throws + shorty saves: These are Godsend in BG2! With buffs you can also go melee after landing your initial backstab.
Defensive
Remove Fear (lvl) + Death Ward (lvl) + Chaotic Command (lvl) will grant you immunity to disabling spells and instant death – highly needed in BG2.
Armor of Faith for 25% melee and magical damage absorbtion at lvl 20.
Protection from Evil, 10' Radius + Remove Fear + Bless + Chant : Gives all +3 AC bonus, +2 to hit bonus, and +4 save bonus
Defensive Harmony + Strength of One are also good all-party buffs
Offensive:
Doom: No saves and -2 to THAC0 and saves.
Holy Smite, party friendly, 1d4 dmg/lvl, and you can cast a lot of then
Greater Command
Holy Word
Harm
Blade Barrier
Firestorm
Summons:
Animate Death, Summon (fallen) Deva (HLA) & Arial Servant
Healing
Mass Cure, Resurrection, Remove Paralysis etc.
Other:
Wonderous Recall (lvl) can recall Death Ward and Chaotic Commands, make you able to protect more characters.
True Seeing dispels illusions, so you can either put your thieving points elsewhere than Detect Illusion, or (recommended) use your thieving skill instead.
Farsight is great for scouting with no risk!
PC Interface
One detail that kept me from enjoying the Cleric/Thief class, was the fact that all the thief abilities was hidden on the quick bar. Now, only the Thieving ability is hidden in your special abilities. Pressing F5 will activate this ability in any other Thief class, and you can Open Locks, Remove Traps or Pick Pockets. It can be a bit annoying having to double click every time. Here is have to deal with it:
Go to Options -> Gameplay -> Assign Keys -> Actions -> Thieving: Then assign a key. Easy
Illusionist/Thief
The Illusionist/Thief differs from the other two, by actually being weaker than a pure thief in term of less HP and slower Thac0 progression. It is a less straight forward class to choose, but in exchance you get acces to a variety of very useful arcane spells, and will eventually become really powerfull. Being a specialist mage, you gain en ekstra spell/level, but are unable to use necromancy spells.
Again, I'll not run through every single spell, but just the ones that can be combined with the thief tactics to increase effectiveness. For a complete BG:EE spell guide, I think this is useful:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=205238783
Stats and proficiencies
You'll have various of good ways to distribute the stat-points. I would aim for a 89 roll, and distribute like this:
STR: 18*
DEX: 18
CON: 17**
INT: 18***
WIS: 15****
CHA: 3 *****
* 18 STR is an absolute luxury you don't need. You can just boost yourself with the lvl 2 spell Strength. Still I like high STR, to increase carrying capacity and to save the spellslot. If not 18, have between 10 and 12.
** You can start by 17 and then get the tome of +1 CON to reach 18.
*** You don't benifit from going above 19 (maximum amaounts of spells known), use the tome + 1 INT to get there.
**** If you do not continue to BG2:EE, ignore it. If you do, you can still ignore it, OR: 15 + 3 WIS tomes = 18. 18 is needed to succesfully use the spells Limited Wish and Wish on regular basis. WIS needs to be 9 if you plan on using cleric scrolls and wands in late BG2:EE.
***** CHA : whatever is left
You got 2 proficiency points in the beginning, I'll recommend choosing one ranged and one backstab weapon.
Additional Illusionist/Thief tactics (BG:EE)
Honestly you are pretty weak early on. Stand back and act like an archer, maybe wear a studded leather armor and forget you are part mage until you gain a few more levels. You got both defensive and offensive spells, I recommend to mix a bit of both. As a multiclass illusionist, you get acces to lvl 4 spells, but not lvl 5 spells. Some spells directly increase your thief part:
Protection/AC-type spells
Use before going into backstab or suffer Blur and Mirror Image lvl 2 are very good lvl 2 spells.
Invisibility-type spells
Use this untill your stealth is reliable. Makes you able to scout an area unseen. Use to disapear while in enemy line of sight.
Haste-type spells
Useful for hit'n'run tactics.
Strenght lvl 2
Provides 18/50 STR. Useful selfboost, especially if you chose not to max STR.
Luck
Offers a 5% bonus to everything you do, including +5 to every thieving skill. It may be a minor bonus, but it stacks with potions
Notable items specific for an Illusionist/Thief
- Ring of Wizardry: Doubles lvl 1 spells
- Robe of good/neutral/evil Archmagi: Base AC 5, +1 saving throws, 5% magic resistance
Additional Illusionist/Thief tactics & HLAs (BG2:EE)
*missing*
Misc
Links
Gernerel info, progression charts etc:
http://playithardcore.com/pihwiki/index.php/Baldur's_Gate
Walkthroughs, equipment etc: (Not updated to the EE version)
http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate/
http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate2/index.html
http://www.forgottenwars.com/index.html
Thief guide: (Not updated to the EE version)
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/258273-baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/faqs/27550
https://www.supercheats.com/pc/walkthroughs/baldur-walkthrough01.txt
A note on multiclassing with theif kits
It is possible to add a thief kit with EE Keeper. However they do not always act according to the describtion: The game engine acts as if you created a normal x/thief; Any class get 25 thieving points/lvl, any class has acces to backstab, traps etc. In terms of HLA's, you get the normal theif pool. A Swashbuckler will be able to backstab and gain the Assasination HLA, a Shadowdancer will get full thieving skill points and may lay traps etc.
A Mage/*thief kit* is especially powerful, as the game will give acces to the +1 spell/lvl as if a specialist mage, but without any school restrictions.
...And some portraits!
Originally found:
Shorty1L: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/527906387548325454/
Shorty2L: http://www.free-hdwallpapers.com/wallpapers/abstract/222189.jpg
Shorty3L: http://i.imgur.com/HKYBEPV.jpg
Shorty4L: http://img10.deviantart.net/e010/i/2012/262/8/4/snow_white_and_the_huntsman_dwarf_concept_4_by_jsmarantz-d5f93fa.jpg
Shorty5L: http://img04.deviantart.net/80cf/i/2006/149/4/9/battle_dwarf_of_khazad_dum_by_baardk.jpg
Shorty6L: http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/5869/female-halfling-thief.jpg
Shorty7L: http://41.media.tumblr.com/32529c517f984d08b8fbb1c77af2692d/tumblr_mgcanrxw3G1rgyzm0o6_1280.jpg