This discussion is kinda wicked since it depends on the circumstances.

Given the chars has the same amount of XP, maximum stats, access to every item in the game and no knowledge of the enemy char until you face him and the battle starts I'd say that a pure figther with the right equipment is the strongest class but it really comes down how your adversary outfits his char.

If pre-fight buffing is allowed I'd put my money on a FM, dual or multi depending on the XP amount.

If the chars don't have the same amount of XP, stats and access to all items then the whole strongest duel class duscussion is moot.

/dev

I meant fight or monk or duel class. I was just being lazy and not botherin with the 'or'. Well I'm out of the dungeon with my monk and only need to pick up edwin to finish my group. Should be fun. Oh and monks can wear Keldorns armour if they have high enough charisma. Usefull until your AC improves.

Keldorn
Me (Monk)
Anomen
Jaherie
Jan
Edwin.

Warby

no, blade cannot. he will get squished as soon as the combat starts

Do not forget that Blades can have Contingencies, Minor Spell Sequencers, and have the potential to have the lowest AC in the game, although I would much prefer the Offensive Spin.

Blades can have Time Stops too... and use the Shapeshift spell to turn into a Mind Flayer and cast Improved Haste and proceed to rapidly INT-drain any opponent due to the fact that they can dualwield( hence the IH multiplier benefits them greatly).

Unless you want to exclude ToB out of the equation, then we will stick to the Mislead Exploit, and the Melf's Minute Meteors Exploit( 10 attacks per round baby, and maximum damage all the time).

Absolutely!

Of course, if the only thing your bard does is singing ... then forget about him. But if well prepared, by the time the fighter is hacking through the bard's stoneskin and other defenses, the fighter is already hacked into pieces. And the tenser transformed blade is a premium class fighter (23rd level in SoA).

But I understand that in a party of say 4 characters, you may prefer a fighter. I hate having to cast spells for any fight, like for against bunch of kobolds. There, I prefer the permanent AC of a good fighter's plate.

What are the Mislead & Melf's Minute Meteors Exploits?

>Melf's Minute Meteors Exploit( 10 attacks per round baby, and maximum damage all the time).

I have never heard of these.

Melf's Minute Meteors Exploit for Blades:
----
As you all might know, casting MMM sets your Attacks per round(Apr) to 5. Blades can also dualwield well, something that regular Mages lack. What you may not know is that due to MMM, the off-hand weapon is transformed into a ranged weapon.

For every 2 attacks of MMM, the third attack is the off-hand weapon, so...

1st attack: MMM
2nd attack: MMM
3rd attack: Off-hand weapon
4th attack: MMM
5th attack: MMM
6th attack: Off-hand weapon
~
~
etc... ...

So what you might ask. Well... imagine being able to hurl Crom Faeyr across the room. ;) Or Celestial Fury, or Flail of Ages, etc... ...

Cast Improved Haste, and the Apr becomes 10, cast Offensive Spin and you deal maximum damage for all your hits. Use the Mislead illusion to sing the Bard Song and gain damage bonuses as well.

Bards weak? I think not. ;) I can use a Blade and clean out an entire Mind Flayer complex without losing a single Hp.

but do not forget Barb's resistance and saving throw is godly... it is entirely possible to have all negative saves with 100% nature physical resistance

how many time stops can u cast? 30?

and mmm, off-hand weapon is not transformed into range weapon, it misses ALL the time.

[ 09-20-2002, 02:07 AM: Message edited by: 250 ]

and Dundee, when did you become moderator!?

Physical Resistances and Saving Throws will not save you from INT-Drain. Neither will they save you from Imprisonment. I know Barbarians are powerful, but they are not invulnerable.

Now, if you were to pit a Barbarian versus a Wizard Slayer, then maybe the Barbarian will have a supreme advantage, not against the Blade though. :D
You would not think I would dare to mention it if I have not tried it out do you? ;) It works perfectly fine and I love it. :D
Just today. I just found out about half-an-hour ago too. Got to thank Ziroc later when I get back home( using a lousy school computer now).

[ 09-20-2002, 02:18 AM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]

oh oh, talk abt magica here ya? how about scroll of magic protection? heh, lets say I carry 5 of those

you cannot do int drain on me while time is stopped, aye? so, lil blade need to go back [img]tongue.gif[/img]

The <font color="white">Time Stop + Shapeshift:Mind Flayer</font> is the prima donna cheese combination of all times as it is the only thing that can kill people who hold Imoen's Belt( even the much abused Ctrl+Q cannot kill people wearing such an item).

The reason for the Time Stop is because all hits during a Time Stop connect( auto-hit). It is even deadlier for a Blade because they can have more attacks per round as compared to regular Mages. Time Stop also means your Barbarian cannot gulp INT potions to counter the INT-Drain.

mmm, alright

but there remained only one problem, I will have godly AC of -30... you cannot hit me :D unless you keep rolling 20s

btw, Sennid posted on the Gathering, go check it out, plz

[ 09-20-2002, 02:39 AM: Message edited by: 250 ]

yeah yeah, I know what you gonna say, you still cannot hit me [img]tongue.gif[/img]

fine, I am getting obselete :D but then again, I've wacked my shares of ppl, lol

You can have -1000 AC( even though the game caps it at -20 AC), while I have 1000 THACO( even though the game caps it at 20 THACO) and I will still hit you, because Time Stop means auto-hit. Hence the utter cheesiness of it all. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Read Regin's post already, but I am at a lousy school computer. Will reply when I get back home. Got to go now anyway, time for me to attend a lecture.