Class power rankings

[Philip]

Does anyone have strong opinions about the better classes in NWN? Also, how good is the ranger class late game?

[wendigo211]

It's largely a game of multiclassing, so ranking the base classes doesn't have a huge effect. Anyway, the base classes, in terms of descending power (for PVE):

• Cleric. I don't think you'll get any argument that Clerics are insanely powerful in this game and 3.x in general.
  
• Sorcerer. Slightly stronger than wizard since they can leverage charisma more than a wizard can leverage intelligence. You also don't need to focus on too many spells in NWN. That said, like the Wizard, the class has a bit of a learning curve to it.
  
• Wizard. It's a bit more beginner friendly than the Sorcerer because of the larger spell selection.
  
• Bard. The Bard isn't as strong as it is in NWN2 (or 3.5) but it's still pretty good and pairs well with the RDD prestige class. A lot of its strength is in Bard Song+Curse Song.
  
• Paladin. Basically a Cleric with fewer spells.
  
• Fighter and Barbarian. Fighter is better for multiclassing, but the Barb is a bit better when kept pure (there are only so many feats you can take as a Fighter).
  
• Druid. Druid isn't a bad class, but it gets hurt badly by having a horrible spell list in NWN.
  
• Rogue. Don't go for dexterity in NWN, as long as you make a strength rogue it plays fine. That said the class' defining feature is Sneak Attack and about 1/2 the bestiary is immune to it.
  
• Monk. AKA the class that needs every ability other than charisma. It has some uses when multiclassing. In particular the class' attack schedule and Flurry of Blows ability in NWN is exploitable.
  
• Ranger. Ranger is a mix of fighter, druid and rogue and it mixes those classes in such a way that there's absolutely no synergy in the class abilities. It's actually impressive that WotC can make a martial class that's so horrible.

[elvendualwielder]

Short answer: Your preference.
Long answer: The playstyle you enjoy the most.
Do you enjoy playing the Big Dumb Fighter? Then Fighter/Barbarian will be up your alley.
Do you like the swarm tactics? Then go Druid and have an animal companion, shapechange into an animal and summon a dozen spiders into the mix.
Want to commit Deicide? Play a Wizard/Sorcerer and toss Meteor Swarms at their face until your opponents stop getting up.
Considering being untouchable and sneaking up to everything, backstab four times and tumble away to hide again? Be a Rogue and be the bane of most living things.
Feeling a little religious? Play a Cleric or Paladin to buff yourself to high heavens and make most encounters a joke, one at a time.
Ranger, Monk, and Bard are the flex classes that step between the above, but are completely viable in their own right with unique abilities for Monk/Bard and the utility of a combo Fighter/Rogue/Druid that the Ranger is.
Speaking of which, Ranger (like every base class) is completely viable late game, if a bit underwhelming. Ranger in TT was best used as an entryway into the prestige class of Horizon Walker, which is understandably missing from NWN (would be a massive PitA to code).
The best use of most base classes (unless you know exactly what you're doing) is to get into prestige classes, like a level or Sorcerer or Bard for Dragon Disciple, or taking one level of Shadowdancer purely for Hide in Plain Sight.
Most of the fun comes from experimentation though, so go nuts creating the mad mix of your wild imagination.

[Shiroi Ren]

If we are talking about direct combat efficiency and multi-classing... Than probably Cleric and Sorcerer are the strongest because they are the best all-arounders: they can buff themselves, they can multi-class efficiently and the can deal tons of damage with spells.

[Darsch]

it is worth noting there is a bard build that has the highest armor class in the game, highest resistances in the game and highest damage in the game, but it is a very specific min max build.

[Shiroi Ren]

Originally posted by Darsch:

it is worth noting there is a bard build that has the highest armor class in the game, highest resistances in the game and highest damage in the game, but it is a very specific min max build.

I really liked simple Sorc/Pal1/BG3 with Divine Shield.
Another half-assed build I liked was Fighter/WM/DD.

[drunken.dx]

Originally posted by elvendualwielder:

Most of the fun comes from experimentation though, so go nuts creating the mad mix of your wild imagination.

This, it's fun making some build combination and seeing how they play out.
After getting all NWN Steam ach, i plan on going wild with that.

Most fun I had in NWN was making Fighter/RDD with level of Sorc. that build steamrolled through all 3 official campaigns on Hardcore diff.

[Philip]

Ive been getting tired of going fighter/wizard throughout the years so I appreciate the ideas/discussion guys, Thanks

[Shiroi Ren]

I am currently playing Bard/Monk/AA.

[ErikRedbeard]

I'm currently playing a Barbarian/Sorcerer/RedDragonDisciple (It's not optimal, but it's def fun, and going fighter instead probably works a lot better but I liked the concept).
At level 20 I'm at 10 Barb, 6 Sorc, 4 RDD (10 Barb so I can get my fourth attack per round). And even more important Still Spell metamagic so I can wear use any armor/shield I want.
Now I'm leveling my sorc to 18 for 9th level spells so I can grab Automatic Still Spell.
And then after get RDD to 10 and Sorc to 20 for max.

Sorc is for buffing and environment things like knock/trap removal.

Currently going through HotU with the above setup.
Don't have much to compare it to other than my henchmen with the AI mod.
But I hit like a truck with a 2handed and can decently pump my defences if needed.

[Cryptic]

Originally posted by wendigo211:

It's largely a game of multiclassing, so ranking the base classes doesn't have a huge effect. Anyway, the base classes, in terms of descending power (for PVE):

• Cleric. I don't think you'll get any argument that Clerics are insanely powerful in this game and 3.x in general.
  
• Sorcerer. Slightly stronger than wizard since they can leverage charisma more than a wizard can leverage intelligence. You also don't need to focus on too many spells in NWN. That said, like the Wizard, the class has a bit of a learning curve to it.
  
• Wizard. It's a bit more beginner friendly than the Sorcerer because of the larger spell selection.
  
• Bard. The Bard isn't as strong as it is in NWN2 (or 3.5) but it's still pretty good and pairs well with the RDD prestige class. A lot of its strength is in Bard Song+Curse Song.
  
• Paladin. Basically a Cleric with fewer spells.
  
• Fighter and Barbarian. Fighter is better for multiclassing, but the Barb is a bit better when kept pure (there are only so many feats you can take as a Fighter).
  
• Druid. Druid isn't a bad class, but it gets hurt badly by having a horrible spell list in NWN.
  
• Rogue. Don't go for dexterity in NWN, as long as you make a strength rogue it plays fine. That said the class' defining feature is Sneak Attack and about 1/2 the bestiary is immune to it.
  
• Monk. AKA the class that needs every ability other than charisma. It has some uses when multiclassing. In particular the class' attack schedule and Flurry of Blows ability in NWN is exploitable.
  
• Ranger. Ranger is a mix of fighter, druid and rogue and it mixes those classes in such a way that there's absolutely no synergy in the class abilities. It's actually impressive that WotC can make a martial class that's so horrible.

rangers kick ass if you know what you're doing and rogues are extremely handy and most the enemies youre fighting are not immune to their sneak attack as most enemies are mobs and not bosses

[wendigo211]

Originally posted by Corrosion:

rangers kick ass if you know what you're doing

The only thing that Rangers have going for them is Bane of Enemies, and it's just not worth putting up with 20 levels of that ♥♥♥♥♥♥ class for that feat.

rogues are extremely handy and most the enemies youre fighting are not immune to their sneak attack as most enemies are mobs and not bosses

[sarcasm]Right, it's just constructs, elementals, undead, dragons, aberrations and couple of outsiders who are immune to sneak attack. That's hardly any enemies at all.[/sarcasm]

[Shiroi Ren]

Ranger is really weak in NWN.

[Lady Crimson (RIP)]

I would argue druid has stronger attack spells and tanking spells than cleric.. so there is room for it to be stronger.. but cleric domains generally are substancial.

[Valtari]

Ranger has a LOT of potential, people sell it far too short. But unfortunately outside of a few niche uses it's not terribly useful in the early levels. But if you're dealing with late game/epic levels it has a ton of potential, especially when you throw in weapon master and fighter levels. It really depends on what you're doing, though, and what you want to do. If you're low level and fighting a wide range of enemies then maybe ranger isn't the way to go.

A general power ranking is vaguely possible. Cleric is definitely at the top followed by wizard/sorcerer. However it's important to note that in a PvP situation all classes have a chance, especially dependent on luck, build and skill. An average build played by a highly skilled player is going to perform better than a highly specialized powerbuild played by an average player.

If we're talking 'standard' builds of pure classed characters I'd say the following, in terms of strongest to weakest. With "strongest" meaning the best able things like boss fights with no aid beyond their class abilities and items they're expected to have, assuming they're of an average level (like 7-13).

Cleric
Sorcerer
Wizard
Druid
Paladin
Barbarian
Bard
Monk
Fighter
Rogue
Ranger

My reasoning is as follows: Spells are at least the equal, if not superior to, class abilities. When you have spellcasting you automatically get a class that's significantly stronger than most martial classes can hope to be. Spells can replicate most any feat or class ability in the game in one way or another and often to a greater effect or more consistently. Balagarn's Iron Horn for instance is just a level 2 spell but is more reliable and effective than improved knockdown in most cases outside of those instances of facing strength focused enemies with massive strength. Considering what a central role knockdown in the builds of most martial classes this hopefully goes to show just how outclassed mundane characters are in NWN and D&D in general.

So when you have something like a cleric, which is passable as far as martial combat goes but then has tons of abilities and versatility as a full caster, you have a clear candidate for most effective class.

Sorcerer beats wizard for me for its spell versatility. You never have to worry about customizing your spell preparation, just put some thought into the ones you take on level-up and you'll have a decent array of spells for almost situation. I feel that the spell memorization of wizards just isn't as good as being to mix things up on the fly. However, at the end of the day this is largely a matter of taste.

After that comes druid, which honestly could easily come in 2nd place. In epic levels with a bit of multiclassing it easily beats out wizard/sorc thanks to dragonshape and monk multiclass, but in the earlier game I'd say they're a bit better. You're a full caster class but suffer from having less spellslots than average. Wildshape is decent, especially if you're on a server that customizes them. Same thing goes for animal companions, which thanks to magic fang can give you an ally that easily bypasses damage reduction as well as having damage reduction of its own. At higher levels you get elemental shape which is amazing.

I put paladin next because as a half-caster they're exceptional at getting out of magic what they need and then some. At later levels you get on-hit dispel which is HUUUUUGE. But up until then you're basically a fighter with reliable access to all the spells fighters love (magic weapon, protection from alignment, bull's strength, divine favor, bless, etc.) with a few extra bits that just make you that little bit more (fear immunity is great because nothing sucks worse than fear, then there's smites and divine might). You can't go wrong with paladin.

I put barbarian at the top of the martials because if you're playing a martial they're everything you need. They've got some extra skill points so they don't lose out there even though you don't look to them for that. They've got the most HP of any class (except maybe a fully buffed cleric) and their rage ability gives you great burst damage for when it's needed. You also don't need to do anything special with a barbarian, build-wise, just keep going barbarian as it gives you everything you need (often multiclassing is done to acquire feats like uncanny dodge) and only gets better with time. The only thing you'd be missing out on is tumble but that's not a big deal as getting full ranks in tumble would mean sacrificing the effectiveness of your Terrifying Rage.

After that comes bard. It was a toss-up between these for me. The bard song is excellent and lends itself to solo or group play excellently. Curse song is just as good if not better, and combined they can represent a jump in hit chance for you and drop for hit chance for the enemy equivalent to the buffs of several different spells. But on top of that you get lots of other spells to add on! Quick tip, a really powerful build here for lower level campaigns is 1 Fighter > 8 bard > 1 fighter, so 2 fighter/8 bard overall. Gives you wounding whispers and haste, two very powerful 3rd level bard spells, as well as heavy armor proficiency and, at level 10, you get improved critical. Very good, and you're far from weak leading up to it.

I put monk after that. People will probably disagree with me here. I feel that monk benefits greatly from a wide variety of gear a lot of other martials would ignore. It requires more finesse with builds to remain effective but has a much higher power cap as the reward for its much lower power floor.

Fighter comes afterward. You're really basic. I put it after monk because the extra attacks a monk gets by the time they're level 10 more than make up for the loss of 3 BAB in terms of overall damage per round, especially as some of those attacks aren't at as severe a BAB penalty as a fighter's subsequent attacks per round. At these levels we also see enemies utilizing a lot more in terms of mind affecting spells and evocations, which monks are superior at compared to fighter. However it's undeniable that at the really low levels (1-7) fighter and barbarian are at least approaching a cleric's effectiveness.

Next comes rogue. We're talking boss fights here without help so odds are sneak attack is rough to pull off. Again like monk you have a high skill ceiling but low skill floor. If you understand how stealth works in NWN you can basically replicate Hide in Plain Sight with no feat investment and without relying on corner sneaking. However, so many enemies are sneak attack immune that you're also potentially screwed just because of this irritating rule that will draw your damage per round down to the lowest in the game. That said, if you've a well built strength based rogue going up against the right enemies you've got the highest damage per round in the game, potentially.

Finally ranger. The weakest. Yes, I started this off by saying they've a lot of potential. And they do. But realizing that potential is tough. It is certainly possible to do, though, even as a pure class ranger. You just have to know what you want to do and you have to be able to actually utilize your class abilities. The class ability in question here is favored enemy. If you take favored enemy then at level 0 you've got a +3 to damage. That's more than a fighter's +2 from weapon spec. That's equivalent to a cleric's +3 from greater magic weapon (granted cleric then gets +3 from bull's strength and +3 from divine favor and +1 from prayer and probably like +4 or +5 from divine might and.. yeah there's a reason cleric is number one). Trouble is that only applies to 3 types of enemies. So if you're playing a heavily undead focused campaign then you can make use of this most of the time. On top of that you can get a +18 to hide and +8 to move silently from two spells and one class ability, which could let you sneak passably in full plate if you wanted to. With stealth you can now smack enemies then quickly hide just like a rogue does but with the advantage that your DPR doesn't suffer if you're spotted. Then you've got an animal companion which is just as good as the druid's. It all just depends on who you're fighting and where.

[Shiroi Ren]

Between Cleric and Sorcerer... If you want damage - go for Cleric. If you need buffs - go for Sorcerer.