Paralyzed at Character Creation - Help Appreciated

[Phreddy]

After reading so many positive reviews, I knew I had to buy the game. But, I am totally overwhelmed and paralyzed at the character creation screen. Knowing that this game will take me 100 hours plus, I am afraid of getting the build wrong that won't mesh well with the way I would like to play. I know what I want but not sure how to best get there. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I played D&D like 40 years ago so for all intent and purposes, I am pretty new to the rule set although have played other RPGs including Divinity

Here is what I want to get from this first play through
1. want a character who won't be gimped or liability (especially towards end of game) and can hold their own but priority is on optimizing role playing experience instead of maxing out power/damage
2. To enhance role playing experience, will want to team up with core group of companions who have the best and most interesting backstory and inter party dialogue. This is relevant for character creation b/c if Laezel (for example) is the best fleshed out and interesting NPC (no idea if she is), then I would want to make sure my character complements and does not overlap with her default class
3. Will want to play a male able to romance a female companion and will probably shade towards doing good deeds instead of playing evil
4. Am looking to play a martial oriented character but open to idea of playing a bow/crossbow build or melee weapon (or even double wielding)
5. The dark urge origin story seems interesting to me but I would like to play a good aligned character so not sure that would work (although the idea of playing a good aligned character trying to overcome these dark urges and somehow staying true to my alignment is intriguing)
6. Would like character that gives most dialogue options and generally observant and able to access secret doors/areas (although on the later point, if a companion can do that, then I dont need to stress about not having that for my main character)

Thanks so much for any non-spoiler suggestions you may have regarding class, race, skill attribute distribution, origin and general build

[Bastila Shan]

Picking your own character is a good chunk of the fun in this game, you cant get it too wrong you will be able to respec later.

[Mr Fred]

You can respec anytime you want for 100g in a game where youll end at 50k plus. It really isnt the moutain youre making out of it

[Bloodwest]

1. Your companions have about the same possibilities for growth, having only level 1 and background preset, you can respec them into whatever you want, except background which rarely even matters if they don't do the talking;
2. She's fighter but you can respec her, also having two melee fighters is viable;
3. Ok
4. Fighter-Battlemaster maxed is safe and reliable pick before you figure out something more intricate;
5. Not recommended for 1st playthrough;
6. To spot stuff easily you need character with high wisdom and perception/survival proficiency.

[Phreddy]

Thank you for replies. Didnt realize it was so easy to respec and appreciate preliminary recommendations. Happy to take other thoughts before I go forward but to the point made, I won't stress out about it too much (get enough of that from work).

[Fueler]

1. Initially play what seems most interesting/fun to you (in terms of race/class) as you can always respec cheaply, even change race and reset your stats. Also you'll get to experience other classes through the companions you have join you.
2. Any/all of the companions you can pick up in Act 1 have interesting stories, no real wrong choices here either.
3. That's your choice.
4. Almost everyone in the game can use both a ranged and melee weapon of differing types (or dual wield melee and/or dual wield hand crossbows if you like, provided they have the right proficiency). Fighter is a class that can be pretty good both ranged and melee.
5. The Dark Urge will offer you some not so 'good' choices, but you can resist the urge in most cases and adds a bit more story then just playing an full custom char.
6. The Dark Urge or picking an origin char will give the most dialog options in general. Companions are there to fill the gaps you have as no one char can be proficient in everything like history and medical and insight etc. Again, you can always respec if you feel the need for something specific.

[Okat]

The only thing I would add to the previous replies: if you want a character that can pass many/most skill checks on their own without having to switch party members, I would recommend a rogue, bard, or ranger (they get a few more skill points) with dexterity as their primary stat (value of 16 or 17), then charisma as a secondary for rogue and bard, and wisdom for ranger (value of 15 or 16). You can also start as a human for the extra skill proficiency, but that's not necessary at all. You can also play a Warlock and pick the Eldritch invocation that gives proficiency in Persuasion and Deception when you hit level 2. Just make sure you have proficiency in Sleight of Hand (from race, class, or background).

Don't stress too much about passing skill checks, you will be able to progress the story and side-quests even if you fail most of them. You can also just switch to a party member with the right proficiency ahead of a skill check you really want to pass.

[Nauct]

For roleplay best advice would be to pick a main with high charisma, most roleplay options use that. For other things you can just have a character in your party for lockpicking, intelligence things, etc.

So main character you could do pact of the blade warlock, can't go wrong with warlock. Or a paladin. Both are very powerful classes and both use Charisma.

I don't want to spoil, but I played Dark Urge first playthough and I was a "good guy"

[Phreddy]

Thanks... follow-up question regarding dialogue... If a half drow race seems interesting, will picking that race limit dialogue options with NPCs (even if I have high charisma). Also, you said companions are there to pick up the slack since no one character can be good at everything, does that carry over to opening up dialogue options. So if I need high wisdom to some skill knowledge (arcane) to advance a conversation with an NPC and I dont have that (b/c I went with a fighter build), would a Companion who has that skill or attribute jump into the conversation to open that dialogue option? Not sure how that works

[Nauct]

Originally posted by Bloodwest:

1. Your companions have about the same possibilities for growth, having only level 1 and background preset, you can respec them into whatever you want, except background which rarely even matters if they don't do the talking;
2. She's fighter but you can respec her, also having two melee fighters is viable;
3. Ok
4. Fighter-Battlemaster maxed is safe and reliable pick before you figure out something more intricate;
5. Not recommended for 1st playthrough;
6. To spot stuff easily you need character with high wisdom and perception/survival proficiency.

Dark Urge I'd highly recommend first playthrough especially if you're going to play multiple times. So much is fresh and new 2nd playthrough because of certain events I did on Dark Urge

[Nauct]

Originally posted by Phreddy:

Thanks... follow-up question regarding dialogue... If a half drow race seems interesting, will picking that race limit dialogue options with NPCs (even if I have high charisma). Also, you said companions are there to pick up the slack since no one character can be good at everything, does that carry over to opening up dialogue options. So if I need high wisdom to some skill knowledge (arcane) to advance a conversation with an NPC and I dont have that (b/c I went with a fighter build), would a Companion who has that skill or attribute jump into the conversation to open that dialogue option? Not sure how that works

So you can usually choose who to talk to the NPC with, so if you have a Githyanki in your party and you're talkin to other Githyanki you could just control that character and use them.

So far I've played Dragonborn and Tiefling and they each had unique dialogue options. So depending on the situation you'll get an extra option. Same goes for class, sometimes Barbarians can just intimidate people, sometimes warlocks can talk about their pact with a demon. So don't worry about locking yourself out of options, just pick what is cool and you'll get a bonus somewhere

[Okat]

Originally posted by Phreddy:

Thanks... follow-up question regarding dialogue... If a half drow race seems interesting, will picking that race limit dialogue options with NPCs (even if I have high charisma). Also, you said companions are there to pick up the slack since no one character can be good at everything, does that carry over to opening up dialogue options. So if I need high wisdom to some skill knowledge (arcane) to advance a conversation with an NPC and I dont have that (b/c I went with a fighter build), would a Companion who has that skill or attribute jump into the conversation to open that dialogue option? Not sure how that works

Companions cannot jump in mid-conversation, unfortunately. That's a conscious choice by Larian which has the community divided. The character that starts the conversation is the one that has to pass the skill checks.

As for the race choice: it will not lock you out of anything, but there is always a little bit of extra content for each race at different points in the game (not a lot, just some dialogue options and some characters reacting differently here and there). Drow have a markedly different relationship with some NPCs - that's neither a good nor bad thing, you don't miss out by not being a full-blooded Drow.

[IvoryTemplar]

Originally posted by Phreddy:

After reading so many positive reviews, I knew I had to buy the game. But, I am totally overwhelmed and paralyzed at the character creation screen. Knowing that this game will take me 100 hours plus, I am afraid of getting the build wrong that won't mesh well with the way I would like to play. I know what I want but not sure how to best get there. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I played D&D like 40 years ago so for all intent and purposes, I am pretty new to the rule set although have played other RPGs including Divinity

Here is what I want to get from this first play through
1. want a character who won't be gimped or liability (especially towards end of game) and can hold their own but priority is on optimizing role playing experience instead of maxing out power/damage
2. To enhance role playing experience, will want to team up with core group of companions who have the best and most interesting backstory and inter party dialogue. This is relevant for character creation b/c if Laezel (for example) is the best fleshed out and interesting NPC (no idea if she is), then I would want to make sure my character complements and does not overlap with her default class
3. Will want to play a male able to romance a female companion and will probably shade towards doing good deeds instead of playing evil
4. Am looking to play a martial oriented character but open to idea of playing a bow/crossbow build or melee weapon (or even double wielding)
5. The dark urge origin story seems interesting to me but I would like to play a good aligned character so not sure that would work (although the idea of playing a good aligned character trying to overcome these dark urges and somehow staying true to my alignment is intriguing)
6. Would like character that gives most dialogue options and generally observant and able to access secret doors/areas (although on the later point, if a companion can do that, then I dont need to stress about not having that for my main character)

Thanks so much for any non-spoiler suggestions you may have regarding class, race, skill attribute distribution, origin and general build

TL, DR;

Bro, it's not that deep. Play what you want. Google some stuff if you have no clue about D&D. You don't have only one chance to play the game, so make different characters/campaigns and have fun.

[OhHellYeah]

You played 40 years ago? What type of dinosaur are you? Then we can match that to a character build.

[CatraGirl]

Can't go wrong with rogue. I'm playing a thief rogue (with 2 levels in fighter for archery perk and 2nd attack), with a party of Shadowheart (cleric), Lae'Zel (fighter) and Karlach (barbarian). You can replace either of the melees with Gale (wizard) if you want, but I find that these 2 melee classes are super strong.

[Phreddy]

Thank you... I think I got what I need.