You're right. Pallies and rangers cap at seventeen, pure fighters cap at nineteen. Still, I feel like I'm getting ripped off. Any idea where I can find that proficiency fix, then? Bugrit, I might as well just start again and not bother going past regular specialisation. I'd be able to specialise in axes and halberds that way, too.

I personaly used a paladin: undead hunter in this game. As for many out there I simply enjoy playing the role, think of the paladin as a fighter with class and high charisma. But the undead hunter has some advantages such as he is immune to hold and level drain (comes in handy against vampires)and has bonuses against the undead (combined with the daystar sword this guy will make any vampire wet his pants in fear). bottom line: I wanted a fighting type of character that had something a little different than just a bash everything in sight low IQ fighter.

Hey GW, although I do cheat on some things from time to time, I did not cheat creating the ranger/thief. I was really shooting to create a ranger/magic-user, but that was not an available option. I used the dual class option built into the game and I could only change into either a cleric or a thief. Well, I saved the game and tried both options. I will have to say that playing a Ranger/Cleric was much easier to do than to play a Ranger/Thief. I was extremely limited to my options as a thief. The backstab and the Rangers stealth options more than compensated for it though. I was able to just put points into opening locks and finding/removing traps until I got a high enough level to gain back my ranger's stealth option. Because the other stats went up so fast, I was able to max out pick pocketing too. As for role playing, I did try to keep up with my Ranger ethos by not pick pocketing during the game though. I don't know why you couldn't dual class to the thief, except to think that your stats weren't high enough to get it. Hmmmm. Well, anyways, if I was to cheat to create a Ranger class, it would have been for the Ranger/Magic-User. Ever since the Ranger first came out in PnP D&D, they allowed the Ranger to have Magic-User spells. When 2nd edition came out and they made him/her have Druidical spells, I kinda lost interest. I mean, if I'm gonna have druidical spells, why not just make my character a Paladin? They get more benefits. Can go anywhere and be offered a place to stay and eat for nothing except their faith. They usually start off with better equipment too. I guess that's why they go up so slow in levels. Course, the Ranger goes up fairly slow too. Even more reason to try and play him solo. Just because you can't choose an option in a game (that someone else says they can do) doesn't mean they are cheating, it just means that your environment is different. I have the 1st version of BGII (collector's edition) with bonus CD's installed (no patches). Perhaps something in this combination makes it where I could class change him like that. I don't know. I did roll for like 3 hours straight until I got pretty decent scores though. I did have a Ranger/thief from BGI, but during the interim of waiting for BGII to come out, I had a hard drive crash and had to re-install everything. Needless to say, I lost everything as well.

Ouch my eyes! Good idea to use paragraphs in future Tobbin. (smiles)

Armisael you can find the proficiency fix at www.teambg.com

It does make a difference with Grand Mastery.

Why am I Paladin? I like the Holy Sword, the ability to cast heal spells (the more the merrier, in my opinion. All my people would be able to if I could =-) and it fits my personality. Plus, my first DM liked Paladins and told me I would be a good one. =-)

No, in this game there is no Stead (my last one was a Hippogriff in AD&D) and I don't have any magic spells. But where would you be with no fighters in front of you to take the heat from the other brutes? I think all classes have their high points and low points. It just depends on whatever strikes a nerve with you, the person.

BK

I posted the answer to the prof and attacks per round question in a separate thread titled "Grandmaster Nerfed?", check it out. This will make the diff between Fighters and Pallys/Rangers with respect to combat a little clearer. It also shows why the Holy Avenger is so powerful with its very low speed factor, thus making a Pally in this game an "almost" must.