Starting HoW

[Aerich]

Hey, forgot some paladin dialogue options

SPOILER
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A big one - If you use a paladin to talk to the Eldathyn priest at the entrance of DE lvl 4, you can reveal their evilness and start combat right away.* That gives you a good chunk of extra experience. This option does not give you the chance to free the adventurers right away. You'd have to fight your way to them. However, I never free them (must admit not played in HoF mode yet), as I like all the luverly experience to myself. I find a web-stinking cloud-grease trap at the front door does quite nicely with ranged weapons and judicious use of fireball and various fire potions.

*Note; make sure to go into the library first to talk to the librarian (with a non-paladin) to buy spells.

With paladins you also get the occasional funny dialogue option with NPCs. For instance, if you talk to Aldwin (the sneaky halfling innkeeper in Kuldahar) with a paladin after finding the ring upstairs, he gets all accusatory. Not necessary, gives no more XP, but funny nevertheless.

[Spiff]

Ok, I'll keep the paladin for a while longer and see how he does. Having cleric spells and being able to use swords and bows sounds good and hopefully it will be once I start getting more cleric spells.

I'm not to concerned with regaining my fighter skills as quickly as possible after dualing to a cleric though. I expect him to level up to a good selection of cleric spells fairly quickly so I'll just change tactics and start focusing on casters more than tanks. It would be a nice change since the casters are a little neglected right now.

I did make it through severed hand though and think I'll go to dorns deep now and just wait on the expansion. Severed hand got me all curious as to what I'll find with the dwarves there.

[Spiff]

I'll have to start using the more often when talking to npcs because it looks like there are some options for them.
IWD2 just got me in the habbit of keeping the paladin far away from any dialog as they tend to refuse all the rewards people offer.

[Aerich]

Yeah, no reward refusals here. Upper Dorn's Deep isn't as chock-full of artifacts as the Severed Hand, but there are some good ones, and some more advanced spells. You really start hitting jackpot in the following chapters (the Frost Giant Caverns/Ice Museum {which are my favourite areas} and Lower Dorn's).

I too noticed that spellcasters get neglected in melee-heavy parties. The ease of pounding your way through tends to take away from innovative strategies. In my first time through (6 characters), I think my single-class cleric had a whopping 3% of the kills and my ranger had 40%. You do have 5 warrior types, so it won't hurt you at all to change tactics, you will be able to recover from most mistakes. Typically you only need one really good tank to take the hits and a second for backup. I've started a new party recently (on insane as well) and am currently flying through the Vale of Shadows. Coincidentally, my main tanks are a paladin and a cleric/ranger [img]smile.gif[/img]

As for cool clerical tactics, see my post on the 3rd level spell Glyph of Warding. Very cool, especially when used in multiples with Skull Trap, Dimension Door and ambush/luring tactics.

[Aerich]

More reasons to take a paladin...

They have the innate ability to cast protection from evil, which gives +2 AC, +2 to saves on top of the +2 bonus you get already for being a paladin (I think), and immunity to certain charm spells. AFAIK, their protection from evil (because it is innate) can be stacked with the clerical spells Protection From Evil and PFE 10' Radius. As they advance in levels they also become immune to disease and fear. A Paladin with 18 Dex makes a great tank for receiving/avoiding hits, status ailments and spells, especially with a Ring of Free Action and Protection From Fire.