I am just sorting out the new 3rd edition rules and am generating my party. It seems like a bard is able to unlock doors and disable traps pretty well at the early levels. I have never used one in a party and would like to replace a thief with a bard. Is this wise? I don't want to get to later game stages and find I can't open anything.

I was planning to play with a party of:

Pure Fighter
Fighter/Wizard
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Wizard (Conjurer)

If I don't have a thief am I doomed (well majorly limited) ? I always found a theif character in IW and BG1 and BG2 very necessary but I have always wanted to have a bard character in the party.

Thanks!

lets look at this way: people solo these games all the time, heck, even ive done it! so this would leave the question of, do they always solo a thief? i dont think so. to answer your question, no, you are not doomed.

not doomed but it does make things difficult. but then you do have a bard so you won't be completely without disarming capabilities. so have at er!

Why would you be doomed? Any characters can learn thief skills.

You can always take a couple of levels of rogue and pick up the necessary thieving skills as well. Just pick a character with high intelligence and the right race/class so you don't suffer a non-favoured class penalty. [img]smile.gif[/img]

In my game, I have a bard and a monk, each with one rogue level. Those two characters together do everything a rogue does and at the full rogue capabilty for their equivalent level. No, don't need a rogue. Although, there are many cases when I would like to have a good backstab.

Bards are awesome in IWD2.

Thanks for all the input... I wasn't really implying that the game couldn't be won without a thief...I just meant that I hate to miss items if I can't open a chest! I had this problem with Imoen in BG2, as some of the later stuff I couldn't get her to open. As I said, I like finding as many items as possible!