Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - Is This Game Inordinately Hard or What!?!

NobleNick · 10-28-2002, 02:21 PM

Dundee,

Thanks for serving up the straight gouge from the manual! It's nice to know the right answer!

Merlin,

Most people on this forum, I think, would agree that Bards and Druids are mediocre in IWD, if you do not have the HoW expansion. *HOWEVER* when you install HoW, the game is rebalanced. A MAJOR part of the rebalancing included giving a lot more capabilities to the druid and bard, to address the former shortcomings of these characters.

I am grooming a fighter to dual over to druid, so can only speak from second hand knowledge; but I have yet to hear anything but rave reviews for a druid in HoW. Some of the more spectacular anecdotes I have heard involve the use of moonwall spell; use of static charge (as Dundee so aptly pointed out) and lightning; and of turning into a water or earth elemental, totally immune to slashing attacks!

I *DO* have a bard, in one of my parties that is deep into Dragon's Eye. She has, among other songs, War Chant of the Sith (Yea!); some really neat spells, including Aganazzar's scorcher, lightning bolt, skull trap, monster summoning, and fireball. I bought her the Bardic Horn of Vahalla, so we also get treated to a berserker party about once a day. She is definitely a worthy member of a large party (where lots of members are available to benefit from her songs).

Are you talking about starting a party for IWD:HoW, Merlin? Heh, heh, then your REALLY opened a can of worms! EVERYONE has advice on that! Let me get my two cents in, first. I am only about halfway through the game; but am running two parallel games, so that I can cover most of the available classes. I, like you, lean towards magic users. I think a great full party (6 members) would be:

(dc = dual class. mc = multi-class. When two options for a slot are given, my personal preference is listed first. If the first pick in each slot is chosen, EVERY member has magic spells or magic-like abilities, and most also get VERY respectable fighter abilities and "fighter-like" hit point stats.)

1. Paladin
2. dc Fighter/Druid (Get AT LEAST to fighter level 9 before dual over. Level
. . . 12 to 13 is preferable if you are doing HoW/TotLM areas or HoF mode.)
3. dc Fighter/Specialist Invoker (Again, get AT LEAST to fighter 9.)
4. dc Cleric/Fighter OR Cleric/Ranger (I forget the sweet spots for dualing
. . . over a Cleric; but would go at least to level 9, just for the extra hp.)
5. mc Thief/Specialist Illusionist (race = Gnome) OR mc Thief/Fighter
6. Bard (Pick a race with infravision if your mc Thief does not have it.) OR
. . . ANOTHER dc Fighter/Specialist Mage (I prefer Conjuror.) You know the
. . . drill, by now: AT LEAST fighter level 9. I think a Bard is better; but
. . . for my other party (started before HoW, so with no bard) I use this guy.

What's a party,
Without a song?
Bard's ROCK!
Party On!

Edited mostly to add party suggestion for Merlin. Edited again, because pritchke's post, below, is correct: fire elementals are not immune to slashing attacks.

[ 11-05-2002, 09:56 PM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

10-28-2002, 02:21 PM	#22
NobleNick Quintesson Join Date: February 5, 2002 Location: Huntsville, AL, USA Age: 65 Posts: 1,045	Dundee, Thanks for serving up the straight gouge from the manual! It's nice to know the right answer! Merlin, Most people on this forum, I think, would agree that Bards and Druids are mediocre in IWD, if you do not have the HoW expansion. HOWEVER when you install HoW, the game is rebalanced. A MAJOR part of the rebalancing included giving a lot more capabilities to the druid and bard, to address the former shortcomings of these characters. I am grooming a fighter to dual over to druid, so can only speak from second hand knowledge; but I have yet to hear anything but rave reviews for a druid in HoW. Some of the more spectacular anecdotes I have heard involve the use of moonwall spell; use of static charge (as Dundee so aptly pointed out) and lightning; and of turning into a water or earth elemental, totally immune to slashing attacks! I DO have a bard, in one of my parties that is deep into Dragon's Eye. She has, among other songs, War Chant of the Sith (Yea!); some really neat spells, including Aganazzar's scorcher, lightning bolt, skull trap, monster summoning, and fireball. I bought her the Bardic Horn of Vahalla, so we also get treated to a berserker party about once a day. She is definitely a worthy member of a large party (where lots of members are available to benefit from her songs). Are you talking about starting a party for IWD:HoW, Merlin? Heh, heh, then your REALLY opened a can of worms! EVERYONE has advice on that! Let me get my two cents in, first. I am only about halfway through the game; but am running two parallel games, so that I can cover most of the available classes. I, like you, lean towards magic users. I think a great full party (6 members) would be: (dc = dual class. mc = multi-class. When two options for a slot are given, my personal preference is listed first. If the first pick in each slot is chosen, EVERY member has magic spells or magic-like abilities, and most also get VERY respectable fighter abilities and "fighter-like" hit point stats.) 1. Paladin 2. dc Fighter/Druid (Get AT LEAST to fighter level 9 before dual over. Level . . . 12 to 13 is preferable if you are doing HoW/TotLM areas or HoF mode.) 3. dc Fighter/Specialist Invoker (Again, get AT LEAST to fighter 9.) 4. dc Cleric/Fighter OR Cleric/Ranger (I forget the sweet spots for dualing . . . over a Cleric; but would go at least to level 9, just for the extra hp.) 5. mc Thief/Specialist Illusionist (race = Gnome) OR mc Thief/Fighter 6. Bard (Pick a race with infravision if your mc Thief does not have it.) OR . . . ANOTHER dc Fighter/Specialist Mage (I prefer Conjuror.) You know the . . . drill, by now: AT LEAST fighter level 9. I think a Bard is better; but . . . for my other party (started before HoW, so with no bard) I use this guy. What's a party, Without a song? Bard's ROCK! Party On! Edited mostly to add party suggestion for Merlin. Edited again, because pritchke's post, below, is correct: fire elementals are not immune to slashing attacks. [ 11-05-2002, 09:56 PM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]