Advices???

[NobleNick]

Bernardo,

Remember that human = Dual Class (DC) and non-human = Multi-Class (MC). I presume that is what you wanted: an MC Fighter/Thief and a DC Fighter/Cleric.

I am not an expert on all the nuances of what special qualities each race brings to a given class; but your party looks good, as is.

I am fond of DC over MC or straight class. If I were to tweak your party for my own use, I would make the Bard a race with infravision; make the Fighter/Thief a human DC (DC at Fighter 6); and make the Mage a human DC Fighter/Mage (DC at Fighter 6). If I felt I couldn't go that long without a thief) I would trade the Fighter/Mage for a Thief/Mage (DC to Mage at Thief 3 or 4), and DC my Fighter to Thief at Fighter 9.

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

[Bernardo]

MMMhh....well, for the mage, that would be a good idea, but you see, I built the party refering to my family so the Gnome fighter/thief I can't (if you would know me you would say that to) take off.
Aniway, can a mage be even fighter?I thought that every time you put on a chain mail or that kind of stuff on a mage, he looses all his magick from memory...(what I sead will have sense if IWD is similar to BG).

[Lymond]

Bernardo,

The mage fighter can be done, but you are correct about the armor. A mage can wear armor, but not cast spells while wearing it- the spells are still memorized. Those quick buttons disappear, so I just don't use them.

My fighter/mage doesn't go back and forth often between fighting and spellcasting. Usually I do the summons, party enhancements, and long range spells, then don the armor and jump into the fray. Because you have the ability to remove your armor while the game is paused, you can quickly take it on and off. I find it disrupts the rhythm of the battle, so I don't do it often. On the other hand, if I'm stuck or really need to cast a spell, then the armor comes off.

I was going to do the family name thing, but thought it would be bad karma when someone got killed.

Lymond

[NobleNick]

Lymond,

ROTFL! Bad karma, indeed... especially if Mom is watching when her namesake has 2 HP and then takes a critical hit!!

Bernardo, I like building uber-Fighter/Mages (DC to Mage at Fighter 9, 12 or 13); but you don't have to be as bent over as me to get lots of benefit from DCing a Fighter to Mage (or a Fighter to anything, for that matter). Just putting in 3 levels of Fighter first will give you a mage that has lots more HP than a regular mage, some extra APR and some extra (stacked!) Proficiency Points. This character is really primarily a Mage, not a Fighter; but he won't wilt when a monster looks at him cross-eyed. This gives you the flexibility to run him up to the front lines to throw an Agan. Scorcher, without worrying that a stray hit or two will fold him over.

The next step up: If I were to level my Fighter for a "hardened Mage," I would put every PP that I could into bows, and stack the other (starting) PPs in dagger or short sword. IIRC, at level 6 the Fighter would have 4 PPs in bow and 72 HPs. DC to Mage after this modest investment and you've got a very healthy and hardy spellcaster who doesn't need to have Fighters babysitting him. At Mage 7 he regains his stacked bow skills, stacked dagger or SS skills, extra APRs, and generally becomes a HEAVYWEIGHT addition to your ranged artillery!

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


[ 10-21-2003, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

[pritchke]

I like my mages a little different. I like to dual at level 6 but it is just my preference to get to the higher level spells quicker. I prepare them for the front lines, 2 points to a melee weapon (usually long swords), 3 to bows for when short ranged, and defensive spells are depleted. Some mods/expansions possibly TotLM add elvish armour to the game in Kundahar so you don't have to worry about switching armour. Else one may be found much later in the game. If not than stone skin, or mirror image always does the trick as he goes straight to the front lines to blast away with shocking grasp, burning hands or other close range spells. A battle mages strength is short ranged spells that normal mages would just be to scared to get close enough to get off. These spells are quite damaging even the ones at low levels. Also dualing at 6 he gets level 7, 8 and 9 spells much quicker than duelling at level 9. Then your battle mage can be used to destroy armies with a single spell, or a cyclops with a word.

[ 10-21-2003, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[NobleNick]

pritchke,

Right, you make a very good point. I LOVE using Aganazar's Scorcher; and realize that you need to either expose your mage to front line hits or risk toasting members of your own party to use it. And I have started using Burning Hands a lot more, too. But I never really thought about the fact that most of the REALLY useful and devastating low level spells, and some of the higher level ones, call for you to expose a mage to front line action (e.g., A. Scorcher, Burning Hands and Vampiric Touch), or even move well forward of the front line (e.g., Malavon's Rage and Sunfire). A "battle mage" (I like the term you use) is just the ticket to reap the benefits of these risky spells; and you get one by starting him out as a Fighter.

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


[ 10-22-2003, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

[Bernardo]

I don't understand very well how all theese experience points and that kind of stuff works; but I like a very fast and cool way of killing.
Do you remember (if you have played it) in BG1 the xvart village?
Well, the first time I came there, I coulden't kill them, the second time, I Attacked them with arrows of all kinds and magic. I mus have killed them in 50 or 60 seconds, wich is not at all bad.(I really had fun throwing fire balls in that mass of gnomes).

So you see, I need a mage alwise ready to cast a spell after an other, and at least two warriors that protect him or her, I alwise killed like this.

[Bernardo]

This sunday I'll have IWD...Any VERY inportant things you didn't say and I have to know?

[moiraine sedai]

Doesn't a buffed mage with stoneskin and mirror image act as enough of a battle mage? The protective spells protect them, so they can be free to wander around frying people or using touch range spells.

Forgive me if I'm missing something...

Cheers,

Moiraine Sedai

[NobleNick]

moiraine,

Heh, heh, heh... Just trying to get my goat, aren't you? Yes, a regular mage can throw Stoneskin and/or Mirror Image and/or Blur, etc., just like the Battle Mage, and wade into the enemy. The differences are:

1.) The Battle Mage can actually hit his opponent: He dishes out punishment with with up to 5 PP in his melee weapon and will typically have AT LEAST 3 PP in ranged weapon! (My Fighter/Mages have AT LEAST 7 PP split between exactly two weapons: one ranged [bow] and one melee.)

2.) A Battle Mage can spend the first half of the battle fighting, instead of spending 2 to 3 rounds getting buffed while his buddies are dying.

3.) If the protective spell wears off in the heat of battle, the Battle Mage says, "Eat this, Orc-breath" (if he remembered to re-don his armor), since he has true Fighter stats and abilities; whereas the vanilla Mage might get off a, "Help!!" before he is dead.

4.) Because the Battle Mage is not so reliant on protective spells, he can save them for the really tough battles, and fill most of those regained slots with things that we like Mages to have (for me that means offensive spells).

What's a party,
Without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party on!!