For my next go through I was thinking of an all-dwarf party - to make it a little different, and just because it's very peculiar. Plus I've got to believe it would freak out Larrel.

I did BG1 with an all halfling party, so I reckon I can do this too (lot's of "strength of one" for that party!). And it's definitely easier than solo-ing

My thoughts on the issues I'll face are:
1) Lack of "Friends": In my opinion the most useful spell for a mage early on. I'll be stuck with charisma 16 instead of 23, which means everything will cost what, 60% more than I'm used to. This means I'll be less well equipped at almost every stage of the game. Nothing to be done but suck it up. Not having to buy spells (and being able to sell all the ones I find) should help a little.
2) Lack of identification: Again nothing to be done here. Thief is the only class open to dwarves with anything resembling lore, so I'll have to keep INT and WIS reasonably high for the thief just to be able to identify the crappy items. Nothing to be done but suck it up and pay the cash.
3) Lack of Magic Missile, spell disrupter par excellence. I suppose I try to make do with magiic stone, and heavy bow power. For a lot of mirrored enemies I'll probably be stuck having to dispel magic.
4) Not much in the way of area affect spells. OK I'll get hold person which will occasionally be useful, silence which can be handy, but for large groups spell power won't be too helpful. My thought is to use potions, which will again run into the cash problem, but should be alright. Definitely want a single class cleric to get to the better spells quickly.
5) Lack of summons: I actually think animate dead can be used to work wonders. So I'm not too concerned.

As a result my thoughts on party composition are:
1) Fighter. Will give this one 16 Charsima to buy stuff, 18+ strength 17 dex and 19 con. Frontline melee. Heading for GM axes ASAP. Darts for spell disruption.
2) Fighter/Cleric: Primary job melee, healing and buffs. Maces.
3) Fighter/thief: Not sure here, but I don't think a single class thief is much better and I'd rather have the F/Ts better THAC0 for backstabs. CON probably only 16, as I need him to have decent WIS and INT and I just don't like setting CHA to 3. Bows and short sword. Backstab at higher levels, archer early on. Focus on traps and then stealth - most locks seem very bashable.
4) Fighter: I think I need an excellent archer to handle all the spell casters. Will pile everything into bow skill to get high rate of fire. Great swords for ambushes.
5) Cleric: Primary job offensive spells (such as they are) and maybe identification early on. Probably flails to start.

It's pretty melee heavy and some of the spell casters will be tough. On the other hand all will have at least good HPs and AC, and all will have great saves (+5 for dwarfs).

Is it worth thinking about another cleric (for more spell casts per round) or would I be better off keeping the experience among 5 characters? Is the secodn fighter needed or would I be better off getting my cleric(s) to level 3 spells quicker? Anyone think there's an advantage to having a single class thief?

[ 01-17-2005, 09:48 AM: Message edited by: ister ]

Nice idea, and Welcome to IW [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

Are you going though HoW and TotLM too, or just normal IWD?

I would say that with a lack of offensive magic, you should get mucho priestly power to compensate. With a six person party, I would keep your 5 guys, and add another fighter/cleric. If a dwarf can be a bard, then that is a much better choice.
This gives you:

1. A main tank heavy hitter
2. A backup tank frontline healer/buffer
3. A silent backstabber/archer, combat techtician, loremaster
4. An archer/backup tank
5. Another backup tank, your main priest for offensive spells and summons.
6. Yet another backup tank, though unlike #2 focuses on offensive magic.
6b. An arcane caster, though main duty is singing the war chant.

This gives you 6 (!) battle hardened dwarves, possibly a bard to buff them, 3 priests to specialize in buffing, healing, summoning, or blasting as you see fit, 2 archers, and a thief. Happy hunting!

Dwarves can't be bards.

I think I have enough melee already, So I think I'd be better of with a second straight cleric rather than a second F/C. I mean everyone can already take care of themselves, and I'd rather get the higher levels spells sooner. Especially level 3 (animate dead and dispel magic being essential) and level 5 (flame strike [img]smile.gif[/img] ). I see my clerics having to do a lot more offensive spells than a typical cleric, so I don't think the fighter skills are as important.

Sounds good. Thanks for reminding me, I've been playing IWD 2 recently.

I suppose having two single class clerics would be nice for you. However, I would take your archer into the back line, since that way he could continue shooting while protecting your spellcasters.

Keep us posted on how your rugged band of ugly, stinky, tough-as-rock dwarves handle the challenges of the Dale. Good luck!

Ister - good luck with your party. Sounds like we have something in common - adventurers who are small in stature, but big in heart.

I'd make a sixth guy an extra archer, to deal with mages.

Nah, Ister's better off with another cleric. The clerics are the "mages" of the group, responsable for the AoE spells. With 2 good archers and a fighter with throwing axes, there is no need any more range (and slinging is there for a reason).

Though I guess that is just preference.

[ 01-17-2005, 07:48 PM: Message edited by: Marty4 ]

Yeah you'd better go with a cleric, I failed to notice that the fighter/thief could be ranged, ending up for two middle line archers.

So no-one thinks I'd be better of with 5 or even 4 characters in the party? I think that's probably right as the ability to get off three spells a round (when needed) is pretty useful, even though most of the really useful spells will be missing.

<font color = mediumspringgreen>A dwarf can not be a Mage? (Even a poor Mage would be better than no Mage at all.)

I agree that Cleric power in HoW and TotLM is an excellent idea; but would opt for the MC F/C over the SC Cleric: You will get scads of expo to level up your MC character for quick access to Cleric spells, and the extra HP and Fighter power will be nice.

</font>--------------------<font color = mediumspringgreen>
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!
</font>

I wish they could. Course, with Dalekeeper, ANYTHING is possible ;) I wouldn't count it as cheating [img]smile.gif[/img]

I agree, Nick. My reflex suggestion was making a dual class fighter->cleric, but then I remembered how dwarves tend to not want to change there mind. Bummer. Of course, like the above, Dalekeeper is there. Call him a half-dwarf! wait... :confused: :eek: [img]graemlins/1puke.gif[/img]

The faces explain it all... :D

<font color = mediumspringgreen>A half-dwarf... Interesting concept.

Yep, Dwarves are not the type to DC, so you're stuck with MC.

</font>--------------------<font color = mediumspringgreen>
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!
</font>

<font color = mediumspringgreen>ister,

You can have enough melee, but more is always better. The same goes for Cleric power if you are headed into the expansions.

I think you get a lot more bang for the expo in a larger party: I would recommend a full 6 over 4 or 5.

The recommendation for character/party builds depends on whether you will take this party into the expansions and whether or not you lean towards power-gaming. Assuming you are going into the expansions, I was going to recommend yet another SC Fighter, SC Cleric or MC F/C; when it hit me that there are a lot of offensive Druid spells that could fill a need in your party. Can a Dwarf be a Druid or Ranger? (Dwarf Druid sounds reasonable, but a Dwarf ranger??) Druid would be the better choice; and a SC Druid or MC F/D would round out your party very nicely. A Ranger would also be a better pick than Fighter for your Fighter-heavy party.

Hope you found this interesting.

</font>--------------------<font color = mediumspringgreen>
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!
</font>

<font color = mediumspringgreen>ister,

You can have enough melee, but more is always better. The same goes for Cleric power if you are headed into the expansions.

I think you get a lot more bang for the expo in a larger party: I would recommend a full 6 over 4 or 5.

The recommendation for character/party builds depends on whether you will take this party into the expansions and whether or not you lean towards power-gaming. Assuming you are going into the expansions, I was going to recommend yet another SC Fighter, SC Cleric or MC F/C; when it hit me that there are a lot of offensive Druid spells that could fill a need in your party. Can a Dwarf be a Druid or Ranger? (Dwarf Druid sounds reasonable, but a Dwarf ranger??) Druid would be the better choice; and a SC Druid or MC F/D would round out your party very nicely. A Ranger would also be a better pick than Fighter for your Fighter-heavy party.

Hope you found this interesting.

</font>--------------------<font color = mediumspringgreen>
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!
</font> </font>[/QUOTE]I'm pretty sure that a dwarf can't be a druid or ranger. You can only make "Pikel"s in IWD2. For those who don't know, Pikel is a dwarven druid in RA Salvatore's novels.

Yes, the reason I was attracted to the idea in the first place is that an all dwarf party HAS to be unbalanced. The only classes open to dwarves are F, T, C, F/C (MC only), F/T (MC only).

Based on these opinions I guess I'll with 2 F/C and only one straight C. One cleric single class is called for, IMHO, in order to get to dispel magic and animate dead as early as possible (before forbidden gad anyway), and to get to flame strike as early as possible (won't be until Dorn's with 6 character I think).

Still with three clerics there will be a lot of spells cast. I'd love to have a cleric who's favourite spell wasn't "cure wounds", but was animate dead instead. [img]smile.gif[/img]