Party build help and guide.

[Spindles]

So I'm new to this game and I've been told it is punishingly hard. I was one of the few who found Icewind Dale's "Easy" mode to be rather difficult. Is there any reccomendation for party contruction and builds? I'd like to do an entire party from the ground up of I can, I like assigning personalities to the characters I build. Any reccomendations or builds would be greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous Helper]

From what I've seen in LP's and read in forum (haven't played it yet though I own it on GOG), there is no hand holding (no proper directions logbooks or quest journals etc. you need to write everything down yourself, old skool style you know ;-p) and combat is murdrously hard (quite literarily so at the begining when everyone and everything will kill you just by looking at you), at least till you have leveled up and gained good equipment. It's pretty much recommended you make some party members at start at least to fill up the spots you can't fill with recruitable characters immediately (you can recruit 2 pretty much at start and you can have 5 party members total).

The thing is, most recruitable characters are better than anything you can make at start as they have more stats and skills than created character have at same level. They often also have decent equipment when, early on, your created characters have to fight with kitchen knives and frying pans with clothers as protection. Only advantages created characters have are that you have complete control over their stats and skills as well as the fact that you can give them background that gives minor advantage. There may also be some consequences having whole party of glowing eyed created and/or soulbinded characters (you can force people to your will). No one I know have tried it but game does hint to it.

Be aware that casters in SitS don't throw around fireballs or other damging spells (although there are few) like in other RPG's. Their role is almost exlusively support (buff/debuff) and healing, though, they still are critical to your party's survival. Spells aren't instant either but on the other hand most of them continue as long as caster is casting them (so character continues being healed as long as caster keeps the spell on). There is no resurrection either so if something dies it stays dead and if you die, it's game over and time to reload.

Can't really give advice on builds other than you probably want to have 2 people capabe of healing at all times.

[STATIC]

Well, a healer with couple points in "blood cocoon" heal spell is a MUST have, 'cause in the beginning every fox can kill whole party, on higher levels there is a mass heal spell....aaaaaaand that's all, apart from typical support-heal wizard other builds are pretty balanced and only limited by your imagination, but remember that creating a "jack of all trades" it's a bad idea. And, how previous jentleman said - "most recruitable characters are better than anything you can make at start".
P.S.
There IS a consequences for soul-bind party. ATTENTION - HEAVY, I MEAN, HEAVY SPOILER INSIDE second ending can't be achieved if you soul-bind somebody or if you create another avatars in the beginning, but that's another story, you can easily find a topic about second ending and goal to complete it on official forum of the game

[jigsaw87]

There are a lot of ways you can build your party, but the easiest would be 1 tank and 2 healer/buffers. Here's what I did:

1 Tank -> as much AC as you can stack on him
1 Healer -> all stat points in Occ, max blood cacoon
1 Buffer/Healer -> all stat points in Occ, max shimmering scales (max blood cacoon as well)
Cast Blood Cocoon and Shimmer Scales on tank and watch as you are invinsible.
Other 2 party memebers can be whatever you want, preferably dps.
Make sure all the mobs get on your tank.