Playing for first time--tips?

[Shotgun]

I'm going to finish IWD and all the expansion packs tonight. Once that's done, much to my husband's dismay, I'm going to install IWD II and start that. Can anyone suggest good classes to play with? I've used wizards, rangers, clerics, thieves, etc. and would like to try something new. How are monks and sorcerers? Are sorcerers better than wizards? I plan on keeping a thief, because she was really helpful in the first game. I had a fighter/thief last time, but would you suggest a different class mix? Any suggestions would be great as I have no idea what to expect from this game.

[pritchke]

Druids are great due to there spells Call Lightning, and Static Charge. Without any spoilers a Druid will make two of the hardest battles in the game easier due to these two spells. I recommend taking one, I took 2 in my last game.

A Cleric is another good choice for buffing and protecting your characters.

I would not take a plain thief, a Monk/Thief is a good combination.

Almost forgot, take a Bard over either a Sorcerer or Wizard. They don't have as many spells or as big a selection but they have enough and you will find the songs most helpful.

Be sure to take a couple Tank like characters as well. I prefer taking a Paladin as my second tank but never put him in the lead. A Bard makes the best leader when talking but protect him during combat situations.

For me an ideal party would go something like this but everyone as there own idea on this has not every one appreciates all the same classes like Bards and Druids for example.

1. Fighter
2. Fighter, Barbarian or, Paladin
3. Druid or Cleric
4. Ranger(1)/Druid(X) (A Druid that can Dual wield is worth taking an experience penalty)
5. Thief(3 or 4)/Monk(X)
6. Bard



[ 03-08-2004, 11:02 AM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Nightowl2]

I liked sorcerers for three reasons: they don't have to memorize beforehand, they can cast more spells per level, and they can pick any spell they want on level gain. The drawback is that they will never have as many spells as a wizard. The big problem with wizards is that higher level spells are not easy to come by. So have the best of both worlds with one sorcerer and one wizard. Just be careful with your sorcerer spell picks because there's no way to change that.

Some people liked monks, but I didn't much care for them myself.

Nightowl2

[Shotgun]

I do have one question about static charge--how do you use it? I could never figure it out in IWD 1, so never used it. People say it's a great spell, but I'm not sure how you cast it.

[pritchke]

It is just a spell that you cast and it goes off at certain time intervals. If there are enemies nearby it will hit them if not it just dissipates harmlessly. Very easy to use but if you are not close enough to enemies or watching the text screen it is easy enough to think that it does nothing.

"Static Charge is similar to Call Lightning except it can be used indoors. Upon completion of this spell an enemy creature within the area of effect is fried by a static discharge for 1d8 electricity damage per caster level, to a maximum of 16d8 electricity damage. Once released the static charge will build up again on the caster, discharging once per turn for the duration of the spell. "

It works exactly as the description says. Only thing is if there are no enemies nearby you may not realize that it is working.


[ 03-08-2004, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Bozos of Bones]

It will only say something like "Static Charge Buildup dissipates harmlessly."
Take a sorcerer and a dual-class wizard. Do not take pure thief, a monk-thief is nice, but focus on monk levels. Take a cleric of selune because they're just great when it comes to u dead(I did get it right, did I?).

[Micah Foehammer]

Originally posted by pritchke: Druids are great due to there spells Call Lightning, and Static Charge. Without any spoilers a Druid will make two of the hardest battles in the game easier due to these two spells. I recommend taking one, I took 2 in my last game. A Cleric is another good choice for buffing and protecting your characters. I would not take a plain thief, a Monk/Thief is a good combination. Almost forgot, take a Bard over either a Sorcerer or Wizard. They don't have as many spells or as big a selection but they have enough and you will find the songs most helpful. Be sure to take a couple Tank like characters as well. I prefer taking a Paladin as my second tank but never put him in the lead. A Bard makes the best leader when talking but protect him during combat situations. For me an ideal party would go something like this but everyone as there own idea on this has not every one appreciates all the same classes like Bards and Druids for example. 1. Fighter 2. Fighter, Barbarian or, Paladin 3. Druid or Cleric 4. Ranger(1)/Druid(X) (A Druid that can Dual wield is worth taking an experience penalty) 5. Thief(3 or 4)/Monk(X) 6. Bard

Just as an aside, you can avoid the xp penalty for the ranger druid combination by making the character either human or half-elven.

Using a few thief levels to cover essential skills such as trap disarming and opening locks and then putting the rest in another class is an excellent suggestion.

Putting the paladin in front can limit your dialogue options in some cases. be careful of your party order. Also be aware that the leader does NOT always get the dialogue - I've seen cases where the SECOND person in the queue drives the dialogue. It seems that proximity to the other person also makes a difference. Wierd but true. Paladins have limited spells but they are fairly useful PLUS they get the most powerful sword in the game! Cera Sumat! Two words to make any paladin swoon ...... [img]smile.gif[/img]

I question the lack of a mage (or sorceror) in a party as the arcane spells contain some really potent choices. Substituting a druid though may work.

I'm not overly fond of bards, but some people swear by them. [img]smile.gif[/img]

There are simply TOO many possibilities for party builds to list all of them here. Basically, try to adhere to general guidelines as follows:

(1) Have a balanced party - this applies not only to combat abilities but also to the skills that each character brings to the table.
(2) Pay close attention to stats so that you do NOT cripple spell casters with inadequate stas in their KEY spellcasting stat. Intelligence for mages, Wisdom for Clerics, etc.
(3) Review the feats and check the prequisites. That can save a LOT of frustration in the game later on.
(4) Most of all, just have fun. [img]smile.gif[/img] Play the characters you like playing and toss in a couple for party balance.

[Timber Loftis]

Once you start adventuring, remember the IWD mantra -- Hack, Slash, Repeat. I have not been overly-fond of bards or paladins or monks. Just haven't used them.

My shield dwarf has 230 hp though.

If you want to replace a party member later in the game, do they get an advancement bonus or are you stuck with a level 1 pudley?

[ 03-08-2004, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

[Micah Foehammer]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Once you start adventuring, remember the IWD mantra -- Hack, Slash, Repeat. I have not been overly-fond of bards or paladins or monks. Just haven't used them. My shield dwarf has 230 hp though. If you want to replace a party member later in the game, do they get an advancement bonus or are you stuck with a level 1 pudley?

No advancement bonus. Unless you are bringing in a character who is on par with the other party members he comes in as level 1.

[Shotgun]

Okay, I'm definitely going to pick a dwarven fighter, and a thief of some sort--he/she will certainly have another role--and probably a wizard/sorcerer of some type, I think, since I seem to like them. All the others are up in the air. How about this: Are there any classes that are just not worth it?