HELP! Dual Class Fighter Cleric information required!

[Cilio]

I played Baldur's Gate for some time now and i'm finally starting to delve into specifics and now that I started making a character from scratch, I was thinking what weapons should a Dual Class Fighter Cleric start with, which level is best for my fighter to Dual Class in, and how do Weapon Proficiencies work? Which special fighter class should I start with? Kensai? Bonsai?

Also are Dual Class characters restricted to both kits? As a fighter, am I restricted to only put points into non-bladed weapons?

By the way, i'm planning to hit Grand Mastery on a specific weapon before dual classing.

[wendigo211]

Originally posted by Folcrow:

I played Baldur's Gate for some time now and i'm finally starting to delve into specifics and now that I started making a character from scratch, I was thinking what weapons should a Dual Class Fighter Cleric start with, which level is best for my fighter to Dual Class in, and how do Weapon Proficiencies work? Which special fighter class should I start with? Kensai? Bonsai?

Berserker, or vanilla Fighter (if you want GM in slings). Fighter/Clerics want armor so avoid the Kensai (Kensai/Druids do work though). I've heard some people get good mileage out of the Wizard Slayer, but I don't find the benefits of that kit very good. Barbarians can't dual class, so don't try for a Barbarian/Cleric.

Also are Dual Class characters restricted to both kits? As a fighter, am I restricted to only put points into non-bladed weapons?

You can only pick a kit for your first class, your second class just gets the basic kit. You will be restricted to the weapons of the Cleric ethos, so blunts only (any proficiencies you pick up in non-cleric weapons as a Fighter will be lost after you dual).

By the way, i'm planning to hit Grand Mastery on a specific weapon before dual classing.

You don't need to hit GM before you dual class, after you regain your fighter abilities you can continue to add proficiency points to weapons until you get GM. E.g. a Fighter 7 with high mastery can get grand mastery after he dual classes with the next proficieny he picks up after Cleric 8.

Of course, if you want to put off dual classing until you've got GM, that's up to you, although the main benefit will be maxing out your hitpoints and getting another rage if you go for Berserker. If you're doing that, you might want to wait until level 13 and you get the last 1/2 APR.

[Cilio]

Holy cow! This was very informative, thanks! I think i'll go for Dual Berserker Cleric warhammer build, i'll follow your advice on armor so I will get myself some heavy stuff and a good shield to go with my hammer. Also, are there any thrown warhammers that return? I heard stuff about a returning axe+2 but nothing about warhammers.

Originally posted by wendigo211:

Of course, if you want to put off dual classing until you've got GM, that's up to you, although the main benefit will be maxing out your hitpoints and getting another rage if you go for Berserker. If you're doing that, you might want to wait until level 13 and you get the last 1/2 APR.

Gosh, I can't wait to import my char to BG2

[wendigo211]

Originally posted by Folcrow:

Holy cow! This was very informative, thanks! I think i'll go for Dual Berserker Cleric warhammer build, i'll follow your advice on armor so I will get myself some heavy stuff and a good shield to go with my hammer. Also, are there any thrown warhammers that return? I heard stuff about a returning axe+2 but nothing about warhammers.

IIIRC, there are no returning hammers, although Wulfgar's hammer is referenced in the game. The only thrown melee weapons are axes and daggers.

[Cilio]

Originally posted by wendigo211:

IIIRC, there are no returning hammers, although Wulfgar's hammer is referenced in the game. The only thrown melee weapons are axes and daggers.

Oh well, guess i'll just contend myself with the good old maylay. Thank you very much for all the information, this will certainly help me alot during progression. Now to deal with those pesky tomes

[Soteria]

Originally posted by wendigo211:

Originally posted by Folcrow:

Holy cow! This was very informative, thanks! I think i'll go for Dual Berserker Cleric warhammer build, i'll follow your advice on armor so I will get myself some heavy stuff and a good shield to go with my hammer. Also, are there any thrown warhammers that return? I heard stuff about a returning axe+2 but nothing about warhammers.

IIIRC, there are no returning hammers, although Wulfgar's hammer is referenced in the game. The only thrown melee weapons are axes and daggers.

Dwarven Thrower, right? Restricted to dwarves though. Edit: well, in the sequel.

[Icedfate]

odd question, why would anyone pick warhammer over mace or flail? I'm not criticizing, I am asking for comparison, because the the warhammer uses a d4, while maces and flails use a d6, and then the morning star is a d8, the same as a long sword, so why would anyone pick anything other than a morning star? I'm confused.

When I played a cleric in tabletop dnd I always picked morning star as my weapon because it had the highest tiered damage die.

(i actually have my main character using a warhammer right now, despite not being proficient in it, because I found a +2 warhammer that has +1 electical damage to it and haven't found anything better, but I dunno.)

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

Ashideena +2 warhammer is not the only reason. It's nice and reappears in BG2EE early, but Crom Faeyr is much more helpful as a permanent off-hand weapon for a companion. Runehammer comes late in ToB.

There's a limited choice of good maces in BG2EE.

It depends a lot on what blunt weapons you want to give your companions, even if termporarily only. Usually I give the Flail of Ages to the best melee warrior, who can engage Adamantite Golems directly, and restrict my clerics to mace/club/warhammer.

[swordfish]

First, it is a bad idea to make a cleric fighter, it means your dull fighter is going to be weaker. And, I see no reason in making your dull fighter weaker. the concept of dull is to focus on high daamge. Clerics are weak in thiis game. They meant to support only, and do little daamge. There are good NCP clerica that you can find in the game. So, no need to make a cleric fighter at all. The game does not provide good NCP fighters as the main character fighter that you can make..

[swordfish]

Originally posted by Folcrow:

Holy cow! This was very informative, thanks! I think i'll go for Dual Berserker Cleric warhammer build, i'll follow your advice on armor so I will get myself some heavy stuff and a good shield to go with my hammer. Also, are there any thrown warhammers that return? I heard stuff about a returning axe+2 but nothing about warhammers.

Originally posted by wendigo211:

Of course, if you want to put off dual classing until you've got GM, that's up to you, although the main benefit will be maxing out your hitpoints and getting another rage if you go for Berserker. If you're doing that, you might want to wait until level 13 and you get the last 1/2 APR.

Gosh, I can't wait to import my char to BG2 :B1:

No offense but his answer is not that much good. Make a pure fighter. As I said, A cleric fighter is much weaker than a pure fighter...

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

Originally posted by snakejishi:

Clerics are weak in thiis game. They meant to support only, and do little daamge.

They can cast spells when wearing heavy armor. They can cause enemies major troubles using spells. They can buff themselves in various ways and become capable warriors, especially when dual-classing them from a level 9-13 warrior. Their protection spells for companions are invalueable.

If, however, you want to breeze through the game on "story mode" only, build a simple fighter.

[swordfish]

Originally posted by D'amarr from Darshiva:

Originally posted by snakejishi:

Clerics are weak in thiis game. They meant to support only, and do little daamge.

They can cast spells when wearing heavy armor. They can cause enemies major troubles using spells. They can buff themselves in various ways and become capable warriors, especially when dual-classing them from a level 9-13 warrior. Their protection spells for companions are invalueable.

If, however, you want to breeze through the game on "story mode" only, build a simple fighter.

I duno , may be you are right, but I beat BG already on insane diffic, and main character was pure dull fighter, now Iam on second gameplay SOD on insane also, and same main character. i reached final battle and ddi not have +3 weapons and enough scrolls and potions, so I restarted again on insane. My main character dull pure fighter is doing more than great. High damage and good tanking. May be we both are right, becz also it depends on gameplay style..

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

One doesn't build a dual-class warrior/cleric because it would be required to finish the game. One builds such a character because it's fun and gives access to a larger variety of options.

Pure mages and sorcerers also are the better arcane casters than a dual-class Kensai/Mage, but the latter can do things the former cannot do, and that adds all the fun.

Of course, if filling the party's slots with NPC companions, choosing Branwen or Viconia in BGEE gives you a pure cleric for support - and a bit of weapon and shield defender fighting - and in BG2EE you may be happy with Sir Anomen or Viconia, too. But once you've seen what Anomen can do - being a dual-class Fighter 7/Cleric - why not build the bhaalspawn as a better dual-class character and enjoy the extra abilities? Afterall, a dual-class cleric does not need potions to increase strength and fighting powers.

[Icedfate]

I know this is about dual class fighter/cleric

but since we are on the subject of the whole warrior/cleric idea and the idea that clerics are underpowered

I have read some guides that claim a multiclassed ranger/cleric is OP. . .

I don't know because I hate playng cleric and in every dnd game I always end filling all or most of the spell slots of my clerics with cure spells.
(which is why I suspect they changed the rule in later editions and allow you to spontaneously convert your other spells into cure spells, because they know most people just fill all the slots with cure spells and ignore the other spells)

although, considering that 95% of the spellcasters in this game open up with mirror image and then use horror, remove fear or resist fear(mage spell) is mandatory.

the cleric gets many essential spells like dispel magic, remove fear, buff spells etc. . . but many of these spells or equivalents are also available to a mage.
clerics also get silence 15' radius which can shut down spellcasters.

comparatively, jaheira's summon insects spell is also pretty powerful for shutting down spellcaster but that's a druid spell, not cleric and it's level 3 which means less cure serious wounds spells while silence is level 2 and there aren't many good level 2 spells anyway.

[Soteria]

Originally posted by FeMaiden:

I know this is about dual class fighter/cleric

but since we are on the subject of the whole warrior/cleric idea and the idea that clerics are underpowered

I have read some guides that claim a multiclassed ranger/cleric is OP. . .

There was a bug that let you have both the druid and the cleric spell progression. It's been fixed, but apparently there's a change you can make in an .xml or config somewhere to reinstate the bug.

I don't know because I hate playng cleric and in every dnd game I always end filling all or most of the spell slots of my clerics with cure spells.
(which is why I suspect they changed the rule in later editions and allow you to spontaneously convert your other spells into cure spells, because they know most people just fill all the slots with cure spells and ignore the other spells)

IMO this is a mistake born of not understanding the power of some of the different cleric buffs/debuffs/summons.

comparatively, jaheira's summon insects spell is also pretty powerful for shutting down spellcaster but that's a druid spell, not cleric and it's level 3 which means less cure serious wounds spells while silence is level 2 and there aren't many good level 2 spells anyway.

The insect spells are really good. They'd be OP if it weren't for the fact that druids are otherwise sadly weak. Silence is comparatively garbage.

[Cilio]

Welp, this discussion turned lively literally overnight! I'll try to answer everyone to the best of my abilities. First off, i'm a newb. I only came close to finishing this game 2 years ago, but almost missed 80% of the late game content, and somehow managed to bug Lycan island, barring entry. Plus Durlag's tower kept kicking my melee sorcerer's elven arse, on the normal core difficult, with a very strong late game party, all pimped out with great enchanted equipment. (I bring shame to my family and will commit Sudoku soon. )

All in all it was due to my reckless playstyle (and never using the freaking find traps, dammit Safana, your rapturous voice is distracting me!) and a very huge misuse of the Sorcerer class due to my newbie reasoning of the inner workings of stats and kits, (I went for a dweeby dual wield katana build on a sorc lol) that brought down my main character's usefulness to crappiness.

But in my defense I thought at the time that being an elf, having 90% resist to some dangerous crowd control would be a great idea as a sorc vying for melee fights by self-buffing haste, heat shield, etc,(I remember having about 18 STR and 16 CON) which made fights go rather well in the early game. Though now I wish I could punch myself back then for not researching a little bit. Well I still made a ton of classes and tried and experimented on a lot of things, although all ended in sad, sad failure.

Then I kept getting destroyed over and over again. Plus having a few bugged quests and locations, made me drop it all together. I only recently started playing it again after researching about it for a bit more. Though I still had (and still have) alot of questions related to this game, so i'll be relying on the discussion threads for some time.

On the question of why I chose dual class fighter cleric? Well I felt like doing this evil beasty holyman (i'm chaotic evil mwahaha) and decided to pump him full of "God bless you"-roids and set him free on the frontlines. Now, I know that multiclass Fighter/Cleric is better (my multiclass brings all the HLAs to the yard), in melee combat than dual class, but I also wanted to have some measure of access to high level cleric arsenal.