Baldurs gate - how should I start.

[Marid Audran]

You should play the class whose stronghold quest you've yet to experience.

If you're familar with every stronghold quest, then the Skald gets my vote. Most interesting stronghold, and a fun class to boot.

Then download the Chloe Kensai NPC lesbian romance at:

http://home.centurytel.net/Crossroad/Crossroad/ChloeMod-v12.rar

...and tell me what it's like.

Recommended Party:

Chloe
Anomen
Jaheira
Jamski (female bard)
Yoshimo
Edwin

...for maximum banter hilarity. Hopefully.

[Jamski]

How about I take Kelsey instead of Edwin and make sure to use the "multiple romances at once" fix from the EoU pack? Banter insanity

I know all the strongholds backwards though... perhaps I'll play as a theif-type, then I can take someone instead of Yoshimo... perhaps... Solufain?

Now THAT would be a banter-mad party.

Me as assassin, or perhaps fighter/theif?

-Jam

[Marid Audran]

Kelsey would be a fine alternative. Hell, the FW designers for Chloe even made her banter-a-rifically compatible with Kelsey.

However, IMO WeiDu really butchered the Solaufein project, casting him as some 3rd-rate candy-ass Byron-lite Chaotic Good fighter/mage!! I always pictured him a stern, unyielding, Lawful Neutral fighter type. A waste (besides he won't banter with other 3rd-party mods. And most of the game "improvements" and added encounters bundled with the package also suck and are needlessly overpowered).

I have a personal axe to grind concerning sorcerors, feeling they are the ultimate munchkin class, and not in harmony with AD&D treatment of magic at all (influenced more by a Final Fantasy "mana" paradigm). Whenever I take Kesley on board I always go into Shadowkeeper and tweak his character into an Abjurer or something. And revert his goddam elf mage avatar to its proper human one.

As for the class, I never liked thieves much, so my opinion is somewhat biased. Between those two suggestions I vote fighter/thief tailored as an archer than can pick locks and disarm traps.

[Jamski]

Fighter/thief as a dual-wielding back-stabber is MUCH more fun.

Perhaps I'll take Haer-Darlis instead of Solu then... or just run 5 characters.

I'm making my character now

-Jam

[Marid Audran]

Haer'Dalis is always fun; an amenable solution.

However, you truly haven't lived until you play a gnome fighter/illusionist...

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Marid Audran
Then download the Chloe Kensai NPC lesbian romance at:

http://home.centurytel.net/Crossroad/Crossroad/ChloeMod-v12.rar

...and tell me what it's like.

That's it! With a lesbian Kensai I'm being a female Sorceror 2 man party... oh man this will be fun

Originally posted by Marid Audran
Recommended Party:

Chloe
Anomen
Jaheira
Jamski (female bard)
Yoshimo
Edwin

...for maximum banter hilarity. Hopefully.

Wouldn't you want Minsc and Jan for banter hilarity? Or maybe Minsc and Aerie?

Originally posted by Jamski
How about I take Kelsey instead of Edwin and make sure to use the "multiple romances at once" fix from the EoU pack? Banter insanity

Kelsey? Is that a mod NPC?

And multiple romances at once just doesn't seem realistic to me

Originally posted by Marid Audran
I have a personal axe to grind concerning sorcerors, feeling they are the ultimate munchkin class, and not in harmony with AD&D treatment of magic at all (influenced more by a Final Fantasy "mana" paradigm). Whenever I(besides he won't banter with other 3rd-party mods. take Kesley on board I always go into Shadowkeeper and tweak his character into an Abjurer or something. And revert his goddam elf mage avatar to its proper human one.

I always think Sorcerors go best as the PC. You are a Bhaalspawn, you have in you inate magic. You haven't had enough time in Candlekeep to have learned all the fine arts of Magic, but as a sorceror, when you get stronger, your natural abilities get stronger. IMHO Sorcerors are not only better than mages, they are more in keeping with the story.

As for thiefs: Kensai Thief! Hide in shadows, and backstab for ridiculous amounts (more than an assassin by a long long way). And he can even stay there and keep killing.

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Jamski
Perhaps I'll take Haer-Darlis instead of Solu then... or just run 5 characters.

I could never fight with only 1 mage. IMHO 2 is the minimum for a 6 person party. And Anomen and Jaheira seems a bit much together. Clerics/Druids are awful as characters, but you need one for healing and some nice spells. But two? Seems like a waste to me

Always wanted to go for main character Cleric, dual at 13 to Druid and end with a 13/14 character. Would be nice with spells, though would take ages to get to 14 druid, and so would have a long time without cleric spells.

[Traianvs]

what's that flirt pack??

hmm if it is what I think it is I don't need it, the romances don't interest me that much
I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I don't manage to have romances anyway, maybe i'm being a bit blunt or something?

[Marid Audran]

Originally posted by Drogue

Wouldn't you want Minsc and Jan for banter hilarity? Or maybe Minsc and Aerie?

I find Minsc to be the single most abhorrent character in Baldur's Gate II, so no, I don't opt for him. Whenever I hear his voice I want to gouge my eardrums with a pen-knife. He's simply unfunny, and an inbecile to boot. He's an insult to Rangers too.

Jan is hilarious the first time you let him join up, but his long-winded schtick wears thin pretty quick. I like gnomes but Jan is a bit much; he doesn't compare to Quayle from BG1.

My favorite NPCs are Korgan, Yoshimo, and Keldorn. I think they all represent their classes very well with likable personalities.

Originally posted by Drogue

Kelsey? Is that a mod NPC?

Yes, Kelsey is a 3rd-party mod PC. A human male sorceror, romancable by females, with original voice acting, banter, compatibility with flirt-packs, the odd scripted quest or two, etc. In other words designed to live up to the Bioware standard.

Originally posted by Drogue

As for thiefs: Kensai Thief! Hide in shadows, and backstab for ridiculous amounts (more than an assassin by a long long way). And he can even stay there and keep killing.

I'm sure quite a few savvy players have found inventive ways to unleash their uber-thieves' 300 damage backstab and so forth, but I still have never liked thieves. Consider them more a "necessary evil" to a party than anything. More to the point I don't believe they are well-represented in IE games. Arcanum was better for thief-type characters.

Of course, nothing beats Thief: The Dark Project and Thief: The Metal Age as far as immersive thieving experience goes.

Can't say I agree with you at all on the topic of Priests (clerics/druids). Their spells are of immense offensive/defensive value (not just glorified healers), and they are capable in battle in a way that wizards aren't.

[Jamski]

Theifs RULE. Of course Kensai/theif is better, but its soooooo cheezy. My female elf assassin is pretty tasty thankyou (Its the HLAs that really make the class supreme. Assassination - every hit counts as a backstab (damage x 7) that round.)

Clerics RULE too, as you can easily get them to have STR of 25, huge bonuses to hit, and immune to everything. In a straight fight, the cleric is better than a fighter even (as long as he has time to buff) Also both Jaheira and Annoy-man are multiclassed with fighter, making them even more useful.

Multiple mages... this is really a matter of taste. With Edwin or Kelsey, I'm not sure you NEED another mage.

-Jam

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Marid Audran
Yes, Kelsey is a 3rd-party mod PC. A human male sorceror, romancable by females, with original voice acting, banter, compatibility with flirt-packs, the odd scripted quest or two, etc. In other words designed to live up to the Bioware standard.

Anyone got a link to DL it. Also, about flirt packs, I have one, but it doesn't seem to work for Virconia. Is there a full version for all romances? If so, can someone link it? Another human sorceror would rule

Originally posted by Jamski
Clerics RULE too, as you can easily get them to have STR of 25, huge bonuses to hit, and immune to everything. In a straight fight, the cleric is better than a fighter even (as long as he has time to buff) Also both Jaheira and Annoy-man are multiclassed with fighter, making them even more useful.

Well, only on ecan get to 25 Str, and they still have few attacks per turn. Straight clerics suck in fights, IMHO. My solo character now has 18 in almost everything, near the begining, but still struggles. Sure, he can't be hit that much (-4 ac is good for the begining) but he doesn't hit much either.

Originally posted by Jamski
Multiple mages... this is really a matter of taste. With Edwin or Kelsey, I'm not sure you NEED another mage.

Without those I'd be looking at 3. I love mages. Without multiple breach spells I'm not sure how I'd survive.

[Jamski]

Drogue - all the mods there are. ALL OF THEM!

http://forums.interplay.com/viewtopic.php?t=27924&sid=d5a87a3b55fd6e34a724c87f3f0f8e12

No Drogue, all clerics can buff their STR up to the maximum. DUHM is a good starter... just have a quick flick through the cleric spells. I also like the other bonuses that go with the cleric self-buffs. Extra AC, CON, DEX, Thac0... all hits do maximum damage... yum.

As for multiple breaches.... try using Keldorn and/or a PC paladin with the Holy Avenger + someone (Imoen?) with the Staff of the Magi. I love "dispels on hit"

-Jam

[Jamski]

Oh, what I actually wanted to post...

I now have the first 4 members of my party :

Me, Jamskianna, a female elven Assassin (longsword +1)
Jaheira, female (forced to be lesbian) half-elven Fighter/druid (romance started)
Anomen, male human Fighter/cleric (romance started)
Chloe, female (freely lesbian) Kenasi (romance started)

I'm intending to add Kelsey too, and romance him.

So... I really can't decide on the 6th party member. Its either :
Keldorn (Paladin, truesight, dispels, Carsomyr, etc) or
Edwin (mage, über)
Haer Dalis (bard, blade, cool but fragile)

I really can't choose.

-Jam

[Drogue]

If you have Kelsey, maybe Keldorn, for the Holy Avenger? Personally I like Edwin (he get's so many spells ) but either of those two would be good.

"And remember: love bards, unless they're that Haer'dalis jackass" (You have to love Jasper St. Baird )

[Jamski]

I now have Keldorn too Its such a shame he can't cast cleric spells.. what with Jahs and Anomen in the party...

This is quite a butt-kick party now. Just have to remember to buff properly - Chloe needs a STR booster, Keldorn needs Barkskin, Prot from Evil for all = happy party.

-Jam