# minmax Baldur's Gate 2



## mooby (Oct 7, 2003)

What do you think is the best race/class combo for the protagonist?  I'm going with an elven fighter/mage.  i think this will be pretty lethal


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## Enforcer (Oct 7, 2003)

If you're going to have a full party, it really doesn't matter. All races and classes can kick ass. 

Though, my dwarf fighter who dual-wielded axes and warhammers was the most fun. By the end of Throne of Bhaal, he was just disgusting...five stars in axe and hammers, 3 stars in 2-weapon fighting, and something like 275+ hp. He was pain incarnate. I also beat the game as a monk, a druid, a bard, a thief, a paladin, a ranger, and a cleric (I played a lot, but no wizards), so I know that anything's workable.

If you want to solo (as in only one character), I've heard a dual-classed kensai/mage is the way to go.


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## Welverin (Oct 7, 2003)

I played through the series with a paladin, which worked well enough for me.

I'd suggest a single class magic user or cleric, since good ones can be a bit lacking and there are enough good fighter type NPCs floating around to recruit.

p.s. when I say good I'm not talking about alignment


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## LostSoul (Oct 7, 2003)

I had a Fighter/Mage/Thief that did quite well for himself.  A little weak at lower levels (that's what the bow is for) but after I while I got used to clearing out dungeons by myself.  Backstab rocks.


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## Henry (Oct 7, 2003)

First time I played it - Human Monk. Abolutely kick-butt. Unlike 3E, the 2E Baldur's Monk can really tear up the scenery.

Second time - a human sorcerer. Again, no problems in combat-readiness, due to the obscene about of firepower offered by magic missile, agannazar's scorcher, fireball, ice storm, cone of cold, mordenkainen's sword, and limited wish.


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## Dark Jezter (Oct 7, 2003)

Some of the most powerful BG2 race/class combos are...

*Human Inquisitor:*  The inquisitor is the best paladin class kit.  Plus, if you take this class you'll be able to use the _Holy Avenger_, which is one of the single most powerful weapons in BG2.

*Half-orc Barbarian:*  The barbarian really is a powerful class in BG2; he's immune to backstabs, he's fast on his feet, and his rage ability makes him immune to things like domination and level drain.  Pick half-orc as your race so that you can get 19 Str and 19 Con.  Put as many proficency points as you can in two-weapon fighting, and then you can fight with the _Celestial Fury_ katana in one hand and the _Equalizer_ longsword in the other.  Alternatively, you can replace this with the Berserker class kit, which is similar to the barbarian.

*Human Monk:*  As Henry said in his post, the Monk class in BG2 is absolutely devastating.  Although they aren't real powerful when the game begins, at higher levels they are easily one of the most powerful classes in BG2.  You can't go wrong playing as a monk.

*Elf Archer:*  The Archer is the best ranger kit in the game, and capable of dealing lots of damage from range.  Max out your proficency in shortbows so you can use _Gesen's_ short bow (which never runs out of arrows) or choose longbows and pick up the _Quiver of Plenty_ in Throne of Bhaal.  Since elves get bonuses when using bows and have high dexterity, they are usually the best choice for the archer kit.

*Half-Orc Kensai:*  The Kensai is the best fighter kit, and is capable of dealing whopping amounts of damage.  As with the barbarian, choose half-orc as your race so you can get 19 Str and 19 Con.  Max out your proficencies in either katanas or longswords.  You can also max out dual-weilding and fight with both types of weapon.

*Human Kensai/Mage:*  Since neither kensai nor mage can wear armor, these two classes work excellent together (fighter/mages can wear armor, but can't cast spells while the armor is worn).  You'll get the attack and damage bonuses of the kensai, in addition to being able to cast spells.  The only class that can take advantage of this combo is a human (with 15 Str and 17 Int) who begins as a Kensai, and then dual classes to a mage.  Take proficency points in Katana so you can take full advantage of _Dak`kon's Zerth Blade_, which is the perfect weapon for a kensai/mage.


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## orbitalfreak (Oct 8, 2003)

If you're looking for some cheap action, try a Kensai/Thief dual-class.  At high thief levels, when you get the epic abilities, you can choose "Use Anything" to be able to equip any piece of equipment.  This includes armor that you would otherwise be prohibited from using by being a Kensai.

I don't remember how dual-classing works, exactly, so I don't know what class to pick first.  I think Kensai, and then Dual into thief.


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## Gnome Berzerker (Oct 9, 2003)

orbitalfreak said:
			
		

> I don't remember how dual-classing works, exactly, so I don't know what class to pick first.  I think Kensai, and then Dual into thief.




Yeah, that's how it would work.

The Kensai-Thief and Kensai-Mage are both powerful combos.  A Bard can be good too, since Bards cast spells and wear armor.

I prefer a Paladin, since you're a hero, and it's a simple character to play.

Cavalier looks better than it really is (there aren't too many times it's Dragon bonuses come into play), and Inquisitor (can't be _Held_) is probably the best one of them all.  Any of them work, though.


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## mooby (Oct 16, 2003)

Thanks for the help.

I've been quite busy, and have just made it to act 2.

I'm playing a human kensai, he's 8th level right now.

After I hit 9th, I'm not sure if I'll go for Thief or Mage, but I'm definitely going to dual class.


Which is better?


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## Dark Jezter (Oct 16, 2003)

I'd multiclass into a mage; that way you can use spells like Mirror Image and Stoneskin to offset your inability to wear armor.

A stoneskinned, mirror imaged kenasi/mage can often kill a dragon before the dragon can destroy all of his mirror images.


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## JRRNeiklot (Oct 17, 2003)

I don't think anything beats a straight kensai, but you could try a dual classed kensai mage.  Take enough mage levels for a few stoneskins and you should be good to go.


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## Gnome Berzerker (Oct 17, 2003)

JRRNeiklot said:
			
		

> I don't think anything beats a straight kensai, but you could try a dual classed kensai mage.  Take enough mage levels for a few stoneskins and you should be good to go.




Do stoneskins (to use a 3e term) stack?  Or are you just suggesting casting another one once the spell runs out?


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## Dark Jezter (Oct 17, 2003)

Stoneskins don't stack.  You just cast the spell again once it runs out.


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## Gnome Berzerker (Oct 19, 2003)

I've been thinking of going with a straight sorcerer, or some kind of warrior.

I had been doing the kensai/mage thing, but I just didn't like it too much.


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## Remus Lupin (Oct 20, 2003)

Agh. Inspired by this thread, I just tried to reinstall BGII, and got lot's of crashes and "missing file" notices. Does anybody know if Windows XP causes problems with BGII?


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## Minsc (Oct 31, 2003)

Not that I know of.  Check interplay.com for patches.

Back on the Min/Max subject:  I've come to the conclusion that the Inquisitor is my favorite.  I don't know if it's the most powerful, but it's up there.  If you don't believe me, get your hands on that Holy Avenger sword; ther'll be no stopping you!

Here's my party (I swap out the most similar character to do certain character-specific quests; unfortunately this sometimes means Minsc, who is my favorite (hence the user-name):

Protagonist: Human Inquisitor 
NPCs: 
Minsc (Human Ranger) -- The other heavy hitter alongside the Protagonist
Jaheira (1/2 Elf Fighter/Druid) -- Some may prefer Cernd, but I like Jaheira.  Better armor and you can romance her
Anomen (Human Fighter dualed over to Cleric) -- He can be annoying at times, but if you do his personal quests well, he becomes a lot more likeable, and he fits in with the party better.  He's just about as good a Cleric as Vinconia, and the party won't suffer a reputation penalty with him in the party.  He's also a good fighter, although the above 3 will do better in melee than he.
Jan (Gnome Thief/Illusionist) -- best Thief in the game.  The spells are just a bonus, and they compliment Nalia well
Nalia (Human Thief dualed to Mage) -- best Mage in the game, save for that evil dude Edwin.  Edwin is actually better, but he'll leave your party after your rep. gets too high.  Nalia's minor Thief abilities stink, but they allow her to use a shortbow, and there are some pretty good ones in this game.

A more powerful party would probably be to have your Protagonist be a Kensai, Berzerker, Barbarian, or Monk, and to use the Inquisitor NPC instead of Minsc.  But I just can't do the game without Minsc and Jan keeping me laughing the whole way through.  They're so freakin' funny!


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## Dark Jezter (Oct 31, 2003)

Minsc said:
			
		

> Protagonist: Human Inquisitor
> NPCs:
> Minsc (Human Ranger) -- The other heavy hitter alongside the Protagonist
> Jaheira (1/2 Elf Fighter/Druid) -- Some may prefer Cernd, but I like Jaheira.  Better armor and you can romance her
> ...




Sounds like a nice party, Minsc.  Here are some of the party makeups I've had the most success with...

*Main Protagonist:*  Half-orc barbarian, half-orc kensai, human monk, human kensai/mage, or human inquisitor.

*NPCs:*

*Viconia:*  She is, hands down, the best cleric in the game.  When you give her the Crom Faeyr, she becomes a servicable melee warrior as well.  Plus, she has magic resistance.  Be careful when putting her in the same party as Keldorn, though, because Viconia and Keldorn will eventually fight each other.
*Mazzy:*  Make way for halfling death!  Mazzy is an excellent archer, and if you give her the Gesen Short bow, she'll never run out of arrows.
*Edwin:*  The only unmulticlassed mage in the game.  You need a good mage if you'll want to succeed in BG2, due to the fact that enemy mages will begin each battle by layering themselves with protections, and you'll need a mage of your own to dispel them.  Be careful when putting Edwin in the same party as Minsc, because they will eventually fight each other.
*Imoen:*  She's a decent mage, and she's also capable of disarming traps.
*Valygar or Keldorn:*  If your main protagonist dual-weilds katanas/longswords, take Keldorn so that you can also take advantage of the Holy Avenger.  If your main protagonist is an inquisitor who uses the Holy Avenger, take Valygar and have him weild the Celestial Fury and Equalizer Longsword.  If your main character is a monk, make a choice between the two. 

Here is a secondary build for if your main protagonist is a spellcaster.

*Main Protagonist:*  Human, Half-Elf, or Elf sorcerer.

*NPCs:*

*Minsc:*  Minsc is available from the start of the game, he's tough, and he is good with two-handed swords (and there are several good two-handed swords in BG2).  Equip him with the Silver Sword (which can be assembled after exiting the underdark provided you have the components) and your enemies will never know what hit them.  If you are playing Throne of Bhaal, Minsc can be replaced with Serevok, who is the single deadliest warrior NPC in BG2 or ToB.
*Viconia:* See above.
*Valygar:*  Equip with Celestial Fury and Equalizer and max out his ranks in two weapon fighitng.  If you have Minsc (or Serevok) and Valygar at the front of your party, you'll cut through enemy ranks like a knife through hot butter.
*Jan:* A good mage, and a good thief.  Plus, his special crossbow bolts come in handy.
*Jaheira:* The only druid in the game worth taking since she has the Harper's Call spell, which can raise dead party members.


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## LightPhoenix (Oct 31, 2003)

Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> *Viconia:* She is, hands down, the best cleric in the game. When you give her the Crom Faeyr, she becomes a servicable melee warrior as well. Plus, she has magic resistance. Be careful when putting her in the same party as Keldorn, though, because Viconia and Keldorn will eventually fight each other.



It's been a while since I've played BG2, but I thought there was a way to stop Keldorn from attacking Viconia.


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## Dark Jezter (Oct 31, 2003)

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> It's been a while since I've played BG2, but I thought there was a way to stop Keldorn from attacking Viconia.




Actually, there is a way to stop them before one of them kills the other.  When Keldorn and Viccy start fighting, cast _maze_ on Keldorn (it probably won't work on Viconia due to her resistance).  When Keldorn disappears from sight, you can recruit Viconia back into your party.  A minute later, Keldorn will reappear and he can rejoin the group as well.

After that, Keldorn and Viccy will have no more problems with each other.


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## Minsc (Oct 31, 2003)

Do they still have problems after you've changed Viconia's alignment?

I don't like Edwin, and I find that Nalia can be just about as good.  When you pick her up in the Copper Coronet, she's a damn good mage already, and her XP isn't split between any two classes since she's a dul-classed character, not multiclassed.


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## LightPhoenix (Oct 31, 2003)

Minsc said:
			
		

> Do they still have problems after you've changed Viconia's alignment?
> 
> I don't like Edwin, and I find that Nalia can be just about as good. When you pick her up in the Copper Coronet, she's a damn good mage already, and her XP isn't split between any two classes since she's a dul-classed character, not multiclassed.



I don't like Edwin either.  I prefered dual-classing Imoen into a Mage, and using her and Nalia.


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## Minsc (Oct 31, 2003)

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> I don't like Edwin either.  I prefered dual-classing Imoen into a Mage, and using her and Nalia.





They did it for you (the dual-classing)! 

Don't get me wrong, I love Edwin's abilities, I just don't like Evil characters.


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## Wombat (Oct 31, 2003)

**sigh**

I wish BG2 worked on XP...


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## Dark Jezter (Nov 1, 2003)

Minsc said:
			
		

> Do they still have problems after you've changed Viconia's alignment?




Nope.  Viccy's alignment change happens in Throne of Bhaal (if you're romancing her and you tell her the right things), while Keldorn and Viconia's confrontation will only happen in Shadows of Amn.



			
				Wombat said:
			
		

> **sigh**
> 
> I wish BG2 worked on XP...




That's strange; I can play BG2 on Windows XP with no problems whatsoever.  Are you sure you've got the latest patches for BG2 and Windows XP downloaded?


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