I've been playing a fighter based party. This time round, I'll try a magic based party:

1) Paladin (Bows, Hammer, LS)
2) Gnome Fighter (Axe & Mace)
3) Elf Fighter (Bows, LS)
4) DC Fighter>Cleric dual at level 9
5) Elf Druid
6) DC Thief>Mage dual at level 7

I would prefer a 5-man party than a 6-man party anytime. If I want to remove a fighter, shall I take out the Paladin or Gnome? My Elf Archer has the highest kills in all my IWD games, so ....

Would a DC Thief>Cleric be more effective than a DC Thief>Mage? That would mean making a DC Fighter>Mage and a DC Thief>Cleric. I have not played a Thief>Cleric before so I would not know it effectiveness.

Well, first off I don't see why you didn't make the fighter a ranger. Rangers are AWESOME sword users, and just as good archers. If you wanted 5 people, I would ditch the gnome, though thats just me. I have never really liked thief-clerics, so stick with your current dual classes.

Erm, is that your magic-based party? [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]

Looks pretty heavy on grunts to me - three single-classed warriors isn't a whole lot of magic.

I'd ditch the gnome as well, but that's a tough call. Go with the Thief/Mage over the Thief/Cleric.

You could always switch out one of your fighter-types for a straight mage or a bard - that would give you a little more of a "magic-user party" feel. As is, with 3-4 fighter-classed characters (even if one of them is dual), you will be able to mulch through monsters just as well as you did before.

Sorry ...
Being magic based is that - I want to use all the spells from the realms of cleric/mage/druid.

That's why i wanted a 5-man party instead of 6.

Oh, well, lets how things go ...

<font color = mediumspringgreen>darkmage,

Do you have HoW? Are you going to do the expansions? If the answer to both questions is, "Yes," then I have a suggestion: Make yourself and Marty4 happy and trade in your Gnome F for a DC Good Cleric(10 to 12)/Ranger (Mace, Sling). ADVANTAGES: You still get your Warrior in that slot. The extra Cleric will come in very handy in the expansions. ALso, the Cleric will build up lots of spell slots; then the Ranger will give you access to fill up those slots with Druid spells. DISADVANTAGES: The only big drawback is a Ranger having to use blunt weapons and a sling; but it is still a rockin' character.

Here, compare portions of the spell progression charts for a Cleric and a Ranger:

</font>

CLVL|______Cleric (WIS=18)______ |
____|____________SLVL__________ |
____|_1_|_2_|_3_|_4_|_5_|_6_|_7_|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_09_|_<font color = lime>6</font>_|_<font color = lime>6</font>_|_4_|_3_|_<font color = lime>1</font>_|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_10_|_6_|_6_|_4_|_<font color = lime>4</font>_|_<font color = lime>2</font>_|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_11_|_<font color = lime>7</font>_|_6_|_<font color = lime>5</font>_|_4_|_2_|_<font color = lime>1</font>_|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_12_|_<font color = lime>8</font>_|_<font color = lime>7</font>_|_<font color = lime>6</font>_|_4_|_2_|_<font color = lime>2</font>_|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_13_|_8_|_<font color = lime>8</font>_|_<font color = lime>7</font>_|_<font color = lime>5</font>_|_2_|_2_|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|


CLVL|______Ranger (WIS=18)______ |
____|____________SLVL__________ |
____|_1_|_2_|_3_|_4_|_5_|_6_|_7_|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_09_|_1_|___|___|___|___|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_10_|_1_|_<font color = lime>1</font>_|___|___|___|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_11_|_1_|_1_|___|___|___|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_12_|_1_|_1_|_<font color = lime>1</font>_|___|___|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_13_|_1_|_1_|_1_|___|___|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_14_|_<font color = lime>2</font>_|_1_|_1_|___|___|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
_15_|_2_|_1_|_1_|_<font color = lime>1</font>_|___|___|___|
____|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|

<font color = mediumspringgreen>A <font color = lime>lime</font> number or skill means that number has increased from the previous CLVL (the row above).

C11 = 675K XP
C12 = 900K XP
R12 = 1200K XP
R13 = 1500K XP
R14 = 1800K XP

So, you could have a DC Cleric(12)/Ranger who, for a good part of the game, would have a 3 point THAC0 penalty relative to a Single Class Ranger; but who would have access to Cleric and Druid spells and have a massive number of slots to stock up on them. The loss of 3 points THAC0 is significant; but, in my book, the spells (some of which enhance the entire party's THAC0) more than make up for it. You could do Cleric(11)/Ranger for an equivalent THAC0 penalty of only slightly over 2, and slightly fewer Cleric spells. Both options give you access to SLVL 6 spells.

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

[ 05-16-2005, 11:32 AM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

Personally, I never have a character who cant cast spells, even if its just a Paladin. I never have a pure fighter or theif, their just not worth the bother.

IMHO, Rangers make better tanks then fighters anyway, as long as you give them a decent long sword with no shield.

Heh, I used to have a magic based party, forgot the particulars because it was lost when my computer went kaput but I remember having very many multiclasses.

I think I had:
Fighter/Mage
Fighter/Cleric
Fighter/Druid
Thief/Illusionist
Druid
Mage

Every last character a spellcaster from the start >.> Stats were a bear to roll with the Fighter/Druid. They tore through the Vale of Shadow like nobody's business. (Moonblades rock)

My priest-heavy party looked much similar, Neo.

The fighter multiclasses were the same as yours, as was the druid. My last two characters were a DC thief/cleric and DC evil cleric/necromancer.