Starting BG and going all the way to ToB

[norompanlasolas]

Ok, I just started (again after completing it 3 years ago) BG+ToSC. Since I am planning to take the char to BG2+ToB, I was wondering what would be the best setup.

I already know it is going to be Human, and dual classed. And that it is going to dual to Necromancer. So the question is which class do I want to have 5 or maybe 6 levels... cleric, thief, fighter?

A Cleric might be good cause it'd have some healing spells to rely on as well as extra hit points, but a thief might be a good alternative either (especially if I get to pick the Assasin kit in SoA). I really dont know about figher, I think I prefer the other 2 (Paladins and Bards cant dual, and I dont like the Druid-Necro combo... it just doesnt fit).

Any ideas? [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Xanthul]

In BG2 you cant dual to a kit, but anyway i dont know what happens if you bring a thief dualed to necromancer from bg1 to bg2... i think you´ll be able to choose a kit for the thief but not for the mage (at least it works that way in bg2, you can choose a kit for the first class but not for the second one). Anyway, i´d suggest fighter or cleric over thief.

[norompanlasolas]

Thats perfect, because the Necro is a kit by its own, and if I can choose a kit for the first class, I should be able to make it a Cleric of Thalos/Necro, or maybe Assasin/Necro... that would be cool.

Thanks a lot Erthai (I was going to say fellow countryman, but I am Argentinian, although I live in Madrid). [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Zbyszek]

In BG1 you can choose Necro and then dual in BG2 to Priest of Thalos, but you want to dual to Necro, not from (as far as I understand). In such case you can be Necro after dualling.
Why to dual at lv 5,6 - it means lv 3 spells only (for 1st class cleric or mage).
Make all BG1 and ToSC with whoever you wish. In SoA you will get kit. In case you want to play in ToB dual at level 12 or sth like this.

[SixOfSpades]

I LOVE Dual-Classing Fighters. My suggestion to you is either to go to Level 6 and get, for instance, Large Sword+++ Bow+++, and then Dual to Necro, or wait until BG2 and become a Kensai->Mage, which (from what I hear) is REALLY overused, everybody's got one, but then, if everybody's got one....they must be good.

Or to go Cleric->Mage, I'd suggest Dualing at Level 4, 5, or 6. Level 4 gets you some basic Healing and Chant/Slow Poison, while with 5 or 6 you can also toss a couple Animate Dead/Dispel Magic in there (The drawback of this is that the odds of Dispelling are determined by the level of the caster--in this case, a Level 6 Cleric, not a Level 14 Mage.)

I think it's better to Multiclass Mage/Thieves than to Dualclass them. Your hitpoints are worse, but your THAC0 is better, and both classes are always gaining EXP. An excellent all-around character, but he won't be able to reach the spell levels that true-class or dual-classed Mages will....and he can't choose a kit.

Druids can only Dual to Fighters, that's it.

[norompanlasolas]

Well, I finally made my char, a Neutral Evil Fighter with stats 18/33, 16, 16, 18, 17 and 8.

I dismissed being a thief because a lvl 5 thief just doesnt cut it and I would have ended up using another one to openlocks, detect traps, etc... thus having 2 in my party. And I didnt choose cleric because although a lvl 5 one can have access to 3rd level spells, these are just meager and, again, would force me to use another one to do all the major healing, clericiish things.

I am planning to dual it to Necromancer in level 5 (since I have ToSC installed, this will permit me to reach maximum level in mage anyways, due to the xpcap). I dont think its good to dual in SoA since it makes the game very difficult (its like starting from lvl 1 with a Necro!).

I dont think I'll get the Kensai kit since I am planning to make my char similar to a wringwrait from LoTR. In Rolemaster, a few of them were fighters/necro.

Oh, and I didnt cheat the rolls, I was like an hour in front of the damn computer... I'm an idiot, I know... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[SixOfSpades]

If you're gonna go Fighter->Mage, I urge again to wait until Level 6 to Dual. Why turn down a weapon point, at least 10 more HP, and a lowered THAC0? You won't be able to reach Level 9 as a Necro, sure, but what do you care? You'll be hitting Level 9 in BG2 before you know it. Trust me, you'll look back and be glad you got that weapon point.

[norompanlasolas]

I thought the fighter got an extra weapon point on 5th level. If it is on 6th, then youre probably right and I should wait one more lvl to dual.

Or, you can do what I did. I played a thief up until level 10, then dual classed to mage. I would NOT dual at 6th level, definitely not if you're going to go all the way to ToB.

[Lemernis]

Keep in mind that the kit that becomes available when you enter BG2 is a thief kit then (it can only be for the original class). And I guess there should be no problem selecting a specialization school as a mage when you dual, but I would check that out first. But anyway, an assassin-necromancer, for example, sounds like a really fun character. I agree that you will probably thank yourself later if you dual the thief at more like level 10. From a roleplaying perspective Necromancers are really fun, i.e., assuming they would have a predilection for casting the spells of that school--i.e., going around stealthed, backstabbing, and slapping a Vampiric Touch on the enemy to finish them off, etc. Although from a purely practical standpoint, I'm not thrilled about giving up the Illusion spells as a Necromancer. A Conjurer sacrifices the least with respect to losing the opposition school's spells.