A Icewind Dale question Poll!

[Strife]

Hey guys... Im bored, figured I would make a little poll for everyone to answer(hopefully)... Answer if you want! (If I get 5 or more responses, I will answer myself)

1. If you can choose any of the NPC's in the game to join your party(since you cant in this game), who would you choose?

2. In your opinion, what is the most powerful ring in the game?

3. Elves or Dwarves... Who are more useful in the game(Depending on your playing style, just in general, whatever)

4. If you could own any piece of equipment in the game(In real life), what would you choose?

5. Whats the best character you ever created in this game(give a description, stats, whatever).

Well, have fun with it, peace!

-Strife

1. I have not finished the game. So far my favorite is the spirit fighter in the vale of shades (wolf) He has a fantastic style when moving his weapon.
2. No great rings so far.
3. I love them both but can't really play without a dwarf fighter on the front.
4. A scroll of fire balls to lit my BBQ
5. Mauturin, my hafling thief. Not really powefull but he is always first, hidden in shadows, reveal the map, and when enemies are there, kick their ass and quickly run back to the rest of the party which is ready for the fight. This one knows what it means to loose 90% of HP with magic missiles ....

1. Malavon, without a doubt - I always like evil archmages.
2. I like the ring of the warrior thief, but Kontik's ring of wizardry is nice also.
3. My first paper and pencil character was a dwarven fighter/thief, and I've been partial to dwarves ever since.
4. Boots of speed or a potion of invisibility would be pretty cool to have in real life, I suppose. Whether they would be used to fight crime or commit crime is up for debate.
5. Icewind favors fighters, so I like my human fighter with 161 hp, -12 AC, and 4 1/2 attacks per round with the longsword +4. His quote "I'll wash my beard in your blood" says it all.

[Strife]

Ah well, 5 haven't answered yet, but I will answer anyway...

1. If you can choose any of the NPC's in the game to join your party(since you cant in this game), who would you choose?

There are a lot, but two stand out in my mind... The Ghost of Kresseleck and Larrel. Kresseleck seems like he could just hack anyone to shreds and Larrel would be cool for spell casting and whatnot.

2. In your opinion, what is the most powerful ring in the game?

Kontik's ring of wizardry... My mage has like 7 magic missles memorized and three Identifys... very useful.

3. Elves or Dwarves... Who are more useful in the game(Depending on your playing style, just in general, whatever)

Dwarves... I like their constitution, and you can bring them back to life(unlike elves). Though Elves make pretty good theifs...

4. If you could own any piece of equipment in the game(In real life), what would you choose?

Hmmm... probably a ring of invisibility... It would be cool to be able to go around without being noticed(Think of the possibilities!)

5. Whats the best character you ever created in this game(give a description, stats, whatever).

I like all of them... Two stand out though, my Mage, Kayla D'Mesceroide... Shes one tough gal. I always like having her toss a couple fireballs into a room with some baddies... Lots-o-fun. The went is Tarzok Strife, Human Fighter. His AC is down to -14 now with 148 hit points AND has 19 constitution(not done with game yet). I like sending him and Durgan Frostbeard(Dwarf Fighter with 20 constitution, 19 strength) into the fray and hack away while Kayla and my two archers hit from a safe distance. My Cleric also goes in hand to hand, but usually uses his Wand of Heavens from behind and heals my men.

Anyways, more people answer the poll! Im interested in getting feedback, espically on question #5.

-Strife

1. Kresselack.
2. Every ring I have found seemed to be of little value.
3. Elves, though the only reason I find
them more useful is because they can
be fighter/mage/thief. Otherwise I prefer
half-elves (no penalties plus some resistance
bonuses) or humans (because of dual-classing). Gnomes seem to be useful too.
See #5.
4. That sword that gives +1 intelligence.
Just imaging appearing in some academic
society with it equipped
5. Elven Fighter/Thief/Mage. Bows + axes. And it was a real surprise for me. I wanted 4 man party and was short on magic users, and I also wanted to have a thief too, so I had to have this compromise. And I also decided that it's time for Anna from Torment to learn some magic . Amazingly, this character proved to be very useful. She scored 30% of kills and the real benefit was in flexibility. Usually she casted stat improving skills, and used bow or axe dependig on situation. Other times she was finding and disarming traps. And it was nice to have a mage capable to stay her own in melee.

Now I am playing second time and one more surprise awaited me. This time I've selected
gnome fighter/illusionist with bow and axe skills and he unexpectedly became my main melee man (while other members are ranger/cleric and 2 fighters dualled in mage and cleric). The key is that there's nice +3 helmet for him and defender axe +2 very early in the game. In combination with blur and protect from evil + some group spells
he reaches -20 AC (I've just finished Dragon's Eye). Who needs many HP if one can
avoid hits?

1. The Elven Chic - Maiden Ilmadia (sp?).
She rocks.
2. Ring of Wisardry
3. Gnomes
4. Ring of Invis
5. Gnome Cleric/Illusionist (see the above post) plus he gets all the cleric healing and buff. I managed to get maxed all his stats but charisma:
18 STR 18 DEX 18 CON 17 WIS 19 INT 3 CHA
no cheating!
I gave him a "Giving Star" and a -4 Red Knight Shield, he wears a cool helm and an AC 0 Mithral Field Plate - he cannot die he has an AC of -21 (with spells) plus he heals himself with his weapon.

1. That Drow Elf Merchant. I always like to play the evil Drows...no offense to Drizzt.
2. The gold ring...gold is virtually indestructible. Does not rust, has a high heat tolerance, and can be molded to any shape! And it's worth money!
3. In BG, elves and half-elves were the best. In IWD, I love Elven/Half-Elven archers and Dwarven battle-axe man! Although it's funny to watch a dwarf use the bow
4. The acid and fire arrows. I just think that people burst in flames kinda funny. (No, I don't play with fire, so ease your minds!) I'm talking about Independence Day where people were killed by that fire which was hilarious to see that palm trees survived the carnage!
5. Slag-King (from my quake playing days where I was slagged alot

St 18/82
Dex 18
Con 18
In 10
Wis 14
Cha 11

Male half-elf Ranger Chaotic Good (now that's fun! Han Solo style!) Giants racial enemy (this is a topic that not many people talk about)
Prof 2-bows 2-great swords 2-long swords 1-crossbows

I can't remember the weapons at the top of my head, but this is what I have!

[Erekose]

1.Ilmadia
2.It really depends what class your characters are but a few good ones i found were warrior thief, wizardry or dead elven king.
3.Elves (ps. if you cast resurrection they can be brought back from the dead).
4.Elven chain +3 because it can be worn comfortably under normal clothing. The cold resistance would be nice for frosty days.
5.Kitty- Chaotic Neutral Human Dual Class- 9th Fighter /13 Thief. Armed with spell diver, elven chain, ring of the warrior thief and grandmaster of shortswords. Stopped nearly all spellcasters from getting of any spells at all (very funny to watch) and killed mavalon in an epic 1 on 1 battle.

Here is my 2 cents for all it worth. Good questions.

1. Why Belhifet himself of course he's a walking killing machine.

2. The ring of free action has to be the most over all powerful ring IMO. Many times I have brought down a web, and an entanglement spell centered on my party. The foes get wraped up and I walk out and take them out with ranged attacks. I took out the pack of dire wolves in severed had in 2 melee rounds,
1 to cast web and entangle in the door way- the next to send 6 potions of firery burning into the pack.

3. I am a big fan of dwarves, if I were to become any of the races in reality I would have been a dwarf- or a half orc LOL

4. Any piece of equipment humm good one lets see- This is a little selfish/personal or what have you but if I could have any item it would be the resurrection spell scroll, I'd use it to bring back my Mother I lost to cancer a year ago.

5. Best Character I have is Xylan my 12th level Paladin

str 18/25
dex 17
int 10
wis 13
con 16
chr 18

Hp 116 AC -6
Specialized in Crossbow (2x), Great Swords, Hammers. I have grown to really enjoy playing him. I recently stripped him of everything he owned and started over playing him alone in the game just to see how I can do. So far he's taken out all goblins in Kuldahar pass-

1. My party generally lacked archers and rangers. I would appreciate (physically and sexually) if my party included Kaylessa (living, not dead, with all her equipments).
2. Kontik's ring of wizadry. I just loved it when I blasted the hells out of monsters with magic missiles and Melf's acid arrows, meanwhile protected by mirror images...
3. Dwarves. I am a melee guy. Melee people need lotsa muscles. Dwarven muscles are rock solid.
4. Several thousand scrolls of dire charm. I think that most people in the modern world has a save vs spell above 15. They are highly susceptible...
5. Gordon Thunderhammer, Lawful Neutral Male Dwarven Fighter/Cleric. Crusader, honest, grumpy, and has a charisma of a piece of dog shit.

STR 18/00
DEX 17
CON 19
INT 11
WIS 18
CHR 2

This guy isn't the leader of my party. He serves as the front line, however, breaking giant legs and stinks them out.