[NobleNick]

Originally posted by Naked Paladin: Here's my party that I'm currently playing with for a complete run of IWD/HoW/TotLM: Human-Paladin: 2-Longswords, 2-Greatswords Human-[DC]Fighter(9)/Rogue: 5-Longswords,2-Bows Human-[DC]Fighter(9)/Mage: 5-Axes, 2-Bows Human-[DC]Fighter(9)/Cleric: 5-Flails, 2-Missiles Human-[DC]Fighter(13)/Druid: 5-Longswords, 3-Missiles Human-Bard: Whatever weapons Almost finished the IWD portion and I can say it has been pretty fun. Granted I didn't have a thief in the beginning but the traps and locks weren't nothing my fighters couldn't handle. @NobleNick: Why do you pick illusionist? I can't remember what the opposition school is off the top of my head. But you lose access to those spells in the opposite school for the benefit of one extra spell slot per spell level? If I were to pick a specialist, I would possibly pick Invoker for some heavy artillery fun or Conjurer for summoning up some cannon fodder. I'm just curious to your thoughts of picking illusionist.

Naked Paladin,

It surprises me to see that this is your first post, since I have seen you wandering the boards for at least a week. Let me be the first to say:

[img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . WELCOME to the IWD Forum! . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

Well, I see from your party that you understand Dual Classing!

Nice, also to hear someone saying that waiting to F[9] to DC to Thief is no problem.

I pick Mage specialties based on the schools they do NOT get. Instead of picking the school I want, I pick the schools I can do without, and pick the Mage that has that school as an opposition school. So, the reason for Illusionist (HoW installed) is that her opposition schools are Necromancy and (IIRC) Abjuration. Skull Trap is the only really valuable spell in the former, and the latter is, IMHO, totally worthless.

If you pick any other specialist school, you will almost certainly lose access to one of the following schools: Invocation, Conjuring and Illusionist. These are, IMO (and in that order) the three most valuable schools. Picking a Conjuror because you want Conjuring spells is a big mistake. The Illusionist conjures just as well as the Conjuror; but the Illusionist also has access to Invocation (the most powerful spell set) and the Conjuror does not. Same type of problem for the Invoker, but I forget what she loses.

In a 2 Mage party, I would pick the Necro to complement the Illusionist, each Mage specializes in one of the opposition schools of the other. Between the two, all schools are covered. And BOTH Mages have access to the two most powerful spell sets: Invocation and Conjuring.

The Bard also makes an excellent complement to any specialist Mage, since all schools are open to her.

Yes, I feel the specialization is worth it, especially in a 1-1/2 or 2 Mage party; because whenever you qualify for the next level spell, you get TWO slots at that new highest level. I know at least one very experienced player that prefers general Mage in single-Mage parties (he plays in HoF mode); but I have never wished that any of my Mages had taken that path.

Now I have a question for you. Why a second melee weapon for the Pally, instead of Bow?

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What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!