<pre style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace, serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">Difficulty Settings {INT009}

o======================================================================o

There are five difficulty settings as follows:

INSANE (far right): Hit Point rolls are random, characters can

permanently die, scribing spells can fail, enemies

do 200% normal damage.

HARD (middle-right): Hit Point rolls are random, characters can

permanently die, scribing spells can fail, enemies

do 150% normal damage.

CORE RULES (middle): Normal rules. Hit Point rolls are random,

characters can permanently die, scribing spells can

fail, enemies do 100% normal damage.

NORMAL (middle-left): All Hit Point rolls are maxed, characters cannot

permanently die, all spells are automatically

learned, enemies do 75% normal damage.

NOVICE (far left): All Hit Point rolls are maxed, characters cannot

permanently die, all spells are automatically

learned, enemies do 50% normal damage.

My suggestion? Play the game under CORE RULES, but when you level up

or scribe scrolls, switch to NORMAL. Look, I don't know about you, but

in the original game I always save/loaded to get maximum Hit Points per

level and to ensure I always succeeded at scribing scrolls. Manipulating

the difficulty settings just saves time, and life is too short (as is my

patience) to waste it save/loading Baldur's Gate.

Enhanced Edition Notes {INT010}

o======================================================================o

I will admit, I am too much of a fan to resist pointing out story/event

changes throughout the guide as I notice them. These changes (usually

inconsequential stuff) will be noted under the ***ENHANCED EDITION***

heading. This is just me showing off what knowledge I have of the game

and is entirely useless fluff... But, it interests me, so it's in

there. It may contain spoilers (although I've tried to keep them fairly

minor) but if you want to play it safe, just ignore them. I've also

started to use them to discuss various changes between Enhanced Edition

patches, as well.

Console Commands {INT011}

o======================================================================o

In a game the size of Baldur's Gate 2, there's bound to be bugs. Rather

than let them ruin your day, you might want to try entering console

commands to set things right. I'm not going to provide any commands-you

can look up fixes found by people smarter than myself, but if you need

to get the console working you can do so by editing the Baldur.ini

file, which is found (for Windows users) in the following folder:

Documents/Baldur's Gate II - Enhanced Edition

All you have to do is open said file in Notepad and copy/paste the

following line:

'Program Options', 'Debug Mode', '1'

The tab-spaces are necessary between each item, and the preceeding

option line... just let the other options be your guide. Place that

line at the bottom of the file, just below the last option, but before

all the ',',

gibberish.

Once in the game, hit (control + space) to bring up the console

command entry bar.

And of course, be smart-make a safety version of Baldur.ini, and play

around with the console commands on a disposable save game.

o======================================================================o

| 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons Mechanics |

| (Character Creation) {DND001} |

o======================================================================o

Below are some suggestions for character creation in Baldur's Gate 2,

Along with a number of tables, charts, and rules used by the game.

Either blindly follow my lead or read up on the section below and make

your own choices. I'll give opinions and brute facts, but I won't be

rating anything. Feel free to make your own-informed-decisions.

Composition {DND002}

o======================================================================o

Unlike in Icewind Dale, you only create one character-the protagonist.

This means your character will need some help on their journey through

Baldur's Gate 2. In any Dungeons and Dragons game you need a Cleric,

Fighter, Mage, and a Thief, the four 'base' classes. No matter what

character you make, you NEED one representative of each of those four

base classes in your party. A party without a front line, spell buffs,

healing, and trap finding is a party that is probably losing.

Gender {DND003}

o======================================================================o

Gender is pretty irrelevant, the only time I can think of where it comes

into play is during romances. If you're male you can't romance Anomen

(even though I wonder about him sometimes...) and if you're female you

can't romance Aerie, and so on. If you want romances, and you don't want

to use a mod to remove limitations, I'd suggest not playing a Dwarf,

Gnome, Halfling, or Half-Orc. No promises any of the in-game PCs will

go for that kind of fling.

Race {DND004}

o======================================================================o

There are more pronounced differences between the races in the Enhanced

Edition, but the big restrictions are still what they were in the

original. Humans can dual-class, everybody else cannot. All the other

races can multi-class (to varying degrees), but Humans cannot. I

STRONGLY advocate either dual-classing as a Human, or multi-classing.

Class restriction by race are shown on the table below.

Class Restrictions by Race {DND005}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

|Human

| |Elf

| | |Half-Elf

| | | |Gnome*

| | | | |Halfling

| | | | | |Dwarf

| | | | | | |Half-Orc

o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o

Barbarian | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Bard | x | | x | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Cleric | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Cleric/Mage | d | | x | x | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Cleric/Ranger | d | | x | | | | x |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Cleric/Thief | d | | | x | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Druid | x | | x | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Fighter | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Fighter/Cleric | d | | x | x | | x | x |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Fighter/Druid | d | | x | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Fighter/Mage | d | x | x | x | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Fighter/Mage/Cleric | | | x | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Fighter/Mage/Thief | | x | x | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Fighter/Thief | d | x | x | x | x | x | x |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Mage | x | x | x | x | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Mage/Thief | d | x | x | x | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Monk | x | | | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Paladin | x | | | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Ranger | x | x | x | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Sorcerer | x | x | x | | | | |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Thief | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |

o===o===o===o===o===o===o===o

* = Instead of a Mage, they are always an Illusionist.

x = Race/Class combo is allowed.

d = Can dual class, not multi-class.

Human {DND006}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Humans are the vanilla race of the fantasy genre. I'll bet most of my

readers are Human (the rest are whatever race Anne Coulter belongs to-

the reptilians), which begs the question... why play it? Doesn't it

just inject a bit of mundanity into a fantasy setting? And why would you

do that? Whatever, the only thing special about Humans is that they can

(and should) dual-class. Oh, and they can be every class in the game.

So if you're really hard up for a Monk, Paladin, or some types of

specialist Mage... well... this is your only option.

Humans have the following traits:

--> Thief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +10% Open Locks,

+5% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows.

Elf {DND007}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Everybody hates Elves these days. Probably because of Orlando Bloom.

Anyways, Elves have some solid multi-class options, and are decent

characters all around. The Dexterity bonus is nice... but it's not

nearly as helpful as the Constitution bonus is harmful. Still,

considering all the stat boosts you'll find in the game, it's not a big

deal.

Elves have the following traits:

--> 90% resistance against charm and sleep magics.

--> Infravision.

--> +1 THAC0 bonus with bows, short swords, and long swords.

--> Thief Skills: +20% Pick Pockets, +5% Open Locks,

+5% Find Traps, +15% Move Silently, +15% Hide in Shadows.

--> +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution.

Half-Elf {DND008}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The bastard off-spring created by Humans and Elves... nobody seems to

care that an Elf boning a Human is just kind of... weird. I mean, how

much older is the Elf, on average? It would make for great a fantasy

Maury show... They've got a few bonuses that Humans don't have-stuff

you won't really miss-but they trade the ability to dual-class for the

most extensive multi-class options in the game. They're a great choice

for any protagonist.

Half-Elves have the following traits:

--> 30% resistance against charm and sleep magics.

--> Infravision.

--> Thief Skills: +25% Pick Pockets, +10% Open Locks,

+5% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +10% Hide in Shadows.

Gnome {DND009}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Gnomes are retarded and everybody should hate them. They're nothing but

incompetent Dwarves without any of the cool Dwarfiness. Gnomes have

one advantage over Dwarves-they can become Mages. But... since they

default to Illusionists, it's not so great of a bonus.

Gnomes have the following traits:

--> +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Rod/Staff/Wand and vs. Spell

with additional bonuses based on Constitution.

--> Infravision.

--> Thief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +15% Open Locks,

+15% Find Traps, +15% Move Silently, +10% Hide in Shadows,

+10% Detect Illusion, +5% Set Traps.

--> +1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom.

Halfling {DND010}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

If you wanted my opinion on Halfings... well... look at my opinion

about Gnomes. It's not a short person thing, I'm not too tall myself,

but... their class options suck and their racial traits just aren't

very good. Honestly, I've always hated Halflings. They seem like a

waste of a race, and in my gaming sessions, I've never been able to find

a use for them. What are they, always? Wandering thieves and pranksters.

Almost without variation. Who always plays them? The annoying kid who

just wanted to be a pain in the ass and slow things down. On the plus

side, Halflings arguably make the best Thieves in the game, starting

out with whopping skill points bonuses into what are the most useful

Theiving skills, and that Dexterity bonus doesn't hurt, either. Still,

with the level cap in Baldur's Gate 2, even a triple-classed Thief will

earn more skill points than they know what to do with.

Halflings have the following traits:

--> +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Paralyzation/Poison/Death, vs

Rod/Staff/Wand, and vs. Spell, with additional bonuses based

on Constitution.

--> +1 THAC0 bonus with slings.

--> Thief Skills: +20% Pick Pockets, +15% Open Locks,

+10% Find Traps, +20% Move Silently, +20% Hide in Shadows.

--> +1 Dexterity, -1 Strength, -1 Wisdom.

Dwarf {DND011}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Now Dwarves are where it's at. Who doesn't love Dwarves? They're always

awesome. Nothing's better than a heavily-armed, ill-tempered, hairy,

drunk demi-human. Fortunately for you, the game does a decent job in

supplying you Dwarves to tag along with-leave the Dwarfing to your

allies and pick stronger multi-or-dual-class options, instead.

Dwarves have the following traits:

--> +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Paralyzation/Poison/Death, vs.

Rod/Staff/Wand, and vs. Spell, with additional bonuses based on

Constitution.

--> Infravision.

--> Thief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +20% Open Locks,

+20% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows,

+5% Detect Illusion, +10% Set Traps.

--> +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity, -2 Charisma.

Half-Orc {DND012}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Not much to say about this class-they have the same appeal as Dwarves

in my book. Fugly warriors that almost always seem to fall into a well-

trod stereotype. In this, they excel, and if you plan to make any

single-class warrior type, go with a Half-Orc. You won't miss that

Intelligence.

Half-Orcs have the following traits:

--> +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -2 Intelligence.

--> Thief Skills: +15% Pick Pockets, +10% Open Locks,

+5% Find Traps, +10% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows.

Class {DND013}

o======================================================================o

Since you can recruit a character that pretty much covers whatever you

may lack, you have the freedom to create a character that plays how you

want. Versatility and power are my goals in character creation, and that

pretty much cries out for dual-or-multi classing. Also, if the

developers were so kind as to provide you with a recruitable ally with

their own unique voice, portrait, history, and statistics, why bother

making a similar character? Since dual-or-multi class characters are

invariably stronger in Baldur's Gate 2, they are what I suggest. You

simply get stronger, more versatile characters if you dual-or-multi-

class.

A Fighter/Mage is arguably the strongest class in the game by the end of

Baldur's Gate 2. Magic in Baldur's Gate is incredibly important and

deep, and controlling a protagonist who cannot cast spells seems

rather.. blasphemous. And if you can destroy any foe in melee combat as

well, all the better. Alternatively there's the Fighter/Mage/Thief, who

isn't as much of a Fighter or Mage, but you don't have to rely upon a

recruitable Thief to do your trapfinding. There's also the

Fighter/Cleric, but the spell buffs a Mage can cast are more powerful,

and a Mage wont be limited to blunt weapons like a Cleric. If you're at

all interested in making a Fighter/Cleric, try a Ranger/Cleric instead.

Pretty much the same thing in terms of weapon selection, and Hit Points,

but they'll also get Druidic spells, in addition to their Clerical

spells. This means Insect Plague, Elemental Summoning, and Iron Skins...

it's something to get excited about, trust me, I've never played as a

Fighter/Mage/Cleric, but... it certainly sounds interesting. In the end

I feel a Fighter/Mage is a great protagonist, a great play, and

certainly a good choice to write a guide around. For the evil party

play-through (Version 1.02 of the original Baldur's Gate 1 guide) I

created a Fighter/Mage/Thief so I could use many of the strategies with

which I am familiar, but also because of how desperately the evil party

needs a Thief in Baldur's Gate 2. For the record, Hexxat alleviates the

need for a Thief somewhat, but in my mind, she's just nowhere near as

strong as a Fighter/Mage/Thief protagonist. My girlfriend's choice was

much the same, except she used a Fighter as her protagonist and created

a Fighter/Mage/Thief sidekick in the sequel to overcome the crippling

Thief-shortage. It might be cheap, but it's better than dragging around

Haer'Dalis.

Dual-Classing {DND014}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

To dual-class you must be a Human, and you must be at least 2nd level in

the class you started out as to dual-class. You must have a 15 in the

prime requisites of your current class, and 17 in the prime requisites

of the class you want to change to. The prime requisities for each of

the four base classes are as follows:

Cleric: Wisdom

Druid: Wisdom, Charisma

Fighter: Strength

Mage: Intelligence

Ranger: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom

Thief: Dexterity

Once you dual-class the experience of your previous class will be capped

at the minimum required to meet the last level you attained, and it will

go inactive. You can no longer gain levels in this class, or use any of

the class abilities. The only thing you keep from that class are the Hit

Points, you temporarily lose weapon and armor proficiencies, skills,

spells, THAC0, and even saves.

You now begin advancing as your second class, following all its rules.

You pick new proficiencies, and spells or thief abilities, if

applicable. For example, if you were a Fighter and dual-classed into a

Mage, you would be bound by the weapon and armor restrictions of the

Mage. You'd have the saves, THAC0, proficiencies, and spells of a 1st

level Mage, but you'd have your Fighter Hit Points. Once your level in

your new class exceeds your level in your old class, your old class

becomes active again. You cannot gain experience in your old class, but

you gain back any previously attained abilties, weapon and armor

proficiencies, skills, spells, THAC0, and saves, if they are better than

what you have now. Keep in mind that proficiencies are not cumulative.

For example, take the following case. Start out with a level one Fighter

and you'll get four weapon proficiencies to spend-you can spend up to

two points (become Specialized) in any one weapon class or fighting

style. Let's say the proficienies were allocated as follows:

Long Sword ++

Two-Weapon Style ++

At level two, the character dual-classes to a Thief. They temporarily

lose those proficiencies, but being a brand-spanking almost new Thief,

they get two points to distrubte. Let's say it goes as follows:

Katana +

Short Sword +

Once the newly dualed Thief becomes level three, they'll get their

Fighter stats back... at least until their Thief THAC0 and Saving Throws

surpass whatever their Fighter level gave. Their proficiencies now look

like this:

Katana +

Long Sword ++

Short Sword +

Two-Weapon Style ++

So, when dual-classing, do NOT overlap proficiencies. Any overlap

results in wasted points. On the other hand, one of the bonuses you

will retain while dual-classing is Weapon Proficiency progression-a

Fighter/Thief dual-class will, for example, still be able to attain

Grand Mastery, a Ranger/Cleric can attain Specialization, and so on.

A good tactic is to start out as a Thief and gain their Find Traps

skill, get it as high as you need, and then dual-class into something

more useful, like a Fighter or Mage. This gets you the essential Thief

skill without having to waste an entire character on a class that,

frankly, isn't great on its own. Another option is to make a Fighter,

get up to a high level and attain its high Hit Points, THAC0, and maybe

even Grand Mastery, then dual-class into something else to retain those

excellent combat stats to make a more 'hardy' version of that class.

The experience gained by the first class does count towards your total

experience, and hence towards the experience cap. If you dual-class a

character, be sure to dual class early enough so you have enough

experience left to exceed your previous classes' level with your new

class. If you never exceed your first class with your second, it will

never become active, making the whole process a waste and stunting your

character. This is obviously more of a preparatory tactic for the

sequel, as you will not gain enough experience to get the most out of

dual-classing for some combos in the first game. If you want to make a

dual-class Fighter or an Assassin/Fighter, you'll have to play through

this game as a single-classed character. For characters like Imoen,

dual class away, but for your main character I do not suggest

dual-classing until the sequel.

Multi-Classing {DND015}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Mutli-classing is a bit simpler than dual-classing. Most races besides

Human can multi-class into something, but Half-Elves are by far the

most versatile multi-classers. Whereas dual-classing means dropping one

class in favor of another, only to gain the benefits of the previous

class back after you exceed its level with the second class, multi-

classing means pursuing both classes simultaneously. You get the better

choice of THAC0 and saves between the classes, meaning a Fighter/Mage

would use their better Fighter THAC0 instead of their worse Mage THAC0

or some composite. Hit points, however, are a composite, essentially

halving the dice rolls of both classes and giving them to you. If a

Fighter/Thief levels up in both classes, they get a maximum of eight

Hit Points (10 + 6 = 16/2 = 8.) Note, however, that if you are a Fighter

multi-class, you get the highest benefit of your Constitution, meaning

a Fighter/Cleric with a Constitution score of 18 would get a +4 bonus to

their Hit Points per composite level, instead of only +2 as a single-

classed character would. Triple-class characters work the same way,

except their Hit Points per class/level is split three ways. For

example a Fighter/Mage/Thief only receives six Hit Points per composite

level (10 + 6 + 4 = 20/3 = 6.67~, always rounded down = 6).

Experience is split evenly between the two (or three) classes, which can

level up independently. This results in a slower rate of leveling than

a single-classed character. Multi-classed characters typically make up

for it with versatility, being able to effectively combine multiple

class abilities to maximum effect. After all, a Thief who can hide in

shadows and backstab with a Fighter's THAC0 and higher weapon

proficiencies is better than just a Thief, and a Fighter who can use

Mage spells to spell buff themselves with Mirror Image, Haste,

Stoneskin, and Improved Invisibility will be MUCH more effective than

just a Fighter. Multi-classed characters must abide by the restrictions

of BOTH classes. A Fighter/Mage could wear Fighter armor, but not cast

spells while so doing. A Fighter/Cleric could not use Swords or Bows.

A Thief/Cleric could sneak, but not in heavy armor, and so on. But on

the plus side, a high level multi-classed character will be able to pick

epic feats from both trees. A Fighter/Thief could spend all their epic

feats on Whirlwind and Greater Whirlwind, for example, if they so

wished, instead of having to pick between the two (i.e. Thief feats on

Thief levels, Fighter feats on Fighter levels.) This gives them

another massive benefit over dual-classed characters.

Dual-and-Multi-Classing in Baldur's Gate 2 {DND016}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

There is one significant advantage to multi-classing over dual-classing

in Baldur's Gate 2, namely in the selection of Epic Level Feats. Upon

reaching a certain experience threshold (and every level thereafter)

you'll get to pick a feat, many of which are phenomonally strong. If

you dual-class, you'll never again level up with your dormant class,

meaning you'll never get these feats. A dual-class Fighter/Thief might

have all the perks of a Fighter, and unimpeded progresion in thieving

skills as well, but they will never get the Epic Fighter feats. A

multi-classed Fighter/Thief will, however. Of course another thing to

keep in mind with multi-classing is that you will not get as many of

these feats for each class as a single-classed or dual-classed

character will. It's a fair balancing act I think, and a good

addition to a game that ultimately penalizes single-classed characters

too harshly. Consider yourself duly warned-if your 'uber' Fighter/Thief

turns out to be a sissy late in the sequel because you can't get

Greater Whirlwind Attack(s)... it's on you.

Class Kits {DND017}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

In Baldur's Gate 2 most single-classes have 'kits' which are basically

variants of the normal class. These include everything from shape

shifting Druids, combat-focused Bards, Paladins skilled at thwarting

Mages, sword saint Fighters, and Rangers who are truly dedicated

archers. For the most part the kit functions like the normal class, with

a few advantages and disadvantages thrown in. Note that you cannot

multi-class with a kit, but you can start out with a kit or

specialization and then dual class into a class without a kit or

specialization.

o==========================o

|Barbarian | {DND018}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May not wear armor heavier than splint mail.

--> May not exceed Specialization (two slots) with any weapon class.

--> May achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and

allocate three slots in Two-Weapon Style.

--> Moves 2 points faster than other characters.

--> Immune to Backstab.

--> May use the Rage ability once per day every 4 levels (starts at

1st level with one use).

RAGE: The enraged status lasts for five rounds and provides a +4 bonus

to Strength and Constitution, a -2 penalty to Armor Class and a +2 bonus

to Saving Throws vs. Spell, as well as immunity to all Charm, Hold,

Fear, Maze, Stun, Sleep, Confusion, and Level Drain spells.

--> 11th level: Gains 10% resistance to crushing, slashing,

piercing, and missile damage. An additional 5% is gained at

level 15 and 19.

--> Hit Dice: d12

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

A Barbarian certainly looks like a viable choice for any warrior, but

keep in mind that they aren't great on defense, as they can't use the

heaviest armor in the game. It doesn't help that one of their key

abilities actually lowers their Armor Class further, so don't rely on

them to 'hold the line', although the extra Hit Points gained from

raging will certainly help, even more so considering that Overhaul Games

had to good sense to actually give them the d12 Hit Dice they were

supposed to have had in the original Baldur's Gate 2. Their rage ability

raises their Strength and Constitution by 4 points, which is HUGE, but

since it lasts only five rounds... well... you'll need to burn through

a lot of them just to finish a fight, while a normal Fighter could do

just fine with potions of giant Strength, and later on in a sequel that

Strength superiority will be rendered less impressive. Girdles of Giant

Strength means any Fighter can enjoy being part of the high-Strength

club... all the time... with no fatigue. All things considered, it might

be better to just get a Fighter with Grand Mastery. They keep those

combat bonuses all the time, and can wear heavier armor. Unless you're

really into role-playing a baba, I can't really recommend them over a

Fighter, even though they move faster and gain some resistances to

slashing, piercing, crushing, and missile damage. Of course, if you're

patient and you get your hands on some sweet White Dragon Scale armor

those Armor Class woes will become a thing of the past...

Barbarian

Level EXP HP

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d10

2 2,000 2d10

3 4,000 3d10

4 8,000 4d10

5 16,000 5d10

6 32,000 6d10

7 64,000 7d10

8 125,000 8d10

9 250,000 9d10

10 500,000 9d10+3

11 750,000 9d10+6

12 1,000,000 9d10+9

13 1,250,000 9d10+12

14 1,500,000 9d10+15

15 1,750,000 9d10+18

16 2,000,000 9d10+21

17 2,250,000 9d10+24

18 2,500,000 9d10+27

19* 2,750,000 9d10+30

40 8,000,000 9d10+93

o==========================o

|Bard | {DND019}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May not wear armor heavier than chain mail. (Spells canont be

cast while wearing armor.)

--> May not equip shields larger than bucklers.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.

--> Thieving abilities: Pick Pockets.

--> Increased Lore score.

--> May cast arcane spells starting at 2nd level.

--> May use Bard Song ability. While active, the Bard Song has the

following effects:

Restore Morale to its average value

Remove Fear

Protection From Fear

--> Alignment restricted to any neutral.

--> Hit die: d6

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Bards were a good class in Baldur's Gate 1, mixing light armor with

a decent spell selection that went all the way up to 4th level spells,

providing extra spell power in a pinch. However, they'll reach their

spellcasting zenith in Baldur's Gate, and while 4th level spells might

have stacked up well against 5th level Mage spells in Baldur's Gate 1,

a Bard with 6th level spells will be unimpressive against 9th level Mage

spells in Baldur's Gate 2. They're segregated more than ever into a

support roll, able to cast buffs like Haste and and a few defensive

spells to keep them handy, but they'll never contribute to a fight as

much as a Fighter, Cleric, or Mage will. The game does say they are

jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none, and they mean it... but by now

specialization is paying big dividends to single-classed characters, and

multi-and-dual-classed characters are excelling in two or more fields.

Simply put, a Fighter/Thief and Fighter/Mage... or especially a

Fighter/Mage/Thief just leave the Bard far behind. You can grab the

Enhanced Bard Song feat when you get access to epic feats and make the

Bard that much more effective at what they do best: supporting the

party. While it's an impressive ability, it's poor compensation when you

look at a Fighter/Mage who can Time Stop and use Greater Whirlwinds.

Bard

Level EXP HP Spells Pick Pockets

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d6 40%

2 1,250 2d6 1 45%

3 2,500 3d6 2 50%

4 5,000 4d6 2/1 55%

5 10,000 5d6 3/1 60%

6 20,000 6d6 3/2 65%

7 40,000 7d6 3/2/1 70%

8 70,000 8d6 3/3/1 75%

9 110,000 9d6 3/3/2 80%

10 160,000 9d6+2 3/3/2/1 85%

11 220,000 9d6+4 3/3/3/1 90%

12 440,000 9d6+6 3/3/3/2 95%

13 660,000 9d6+8 3/3/3/2/1 100%

14 880,000 9d6+10 3/3/3/3/1 100%

15 1,100,000 9d6+12 4/3/3/3/2 100%

16 1,320,000 9d6+14 4/3/3/3/2/1 100%

17 1,540,000 9d6+16 4/4/3/3/3/1 100%

18 1,760,000 9d6+18 4/4/4/3/3/2 100%

19 1,980,000 9d6+20 4/4/4/4/3/2 100%

20 2,200,000 9d6+22 4/4/4/4/4/3 100%

21 2,420,000 9d6+24 5/4/4/4/4/3 100%

22 2,640,000 9d6+26 5/5/4/4/4/3 100%

23* 2,860,000 9d6+28 5/5/5/4/4/4 100%

40 8,000,000 9d6+62 5/5/5/5/5/5

(max at level 38)(max at level 14)

Blade {DND020}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

A Blade might seem like a good idea on paper, as it gets Offensive Spin

and Defensive Spin, but think about it. Offensive Spin doesn't stack

with Haste, so it's really only giving you a +1 bonus to attack and +2

damage, which will not make a you a competitive front-liner, even if the

max damage is nice. Defensive Spin might not go past -10, but for a Bard

that's still a pretty hefty benefit. Your Bard song sucks anyways, and

you can just grab Enhanced Bard Song to break even with the best a

normal Bard has to offer. Pick Pockets can be raised with potions, and

won't be a huge issue, and Lore is pretty useless anyways. Keep in mind

that these benefits are largely going to be redundant by the time you

reach Throne of Bhaal, your -10 Armor Class isn't going to protect you

much, and Offensive Spin will not compete with Whirlwinds. A Bard is

better off casting defensive spells and using Enhanced Bard Song, making

this kit rather useless.

Advantages:

--> May play 3 slots in Two-Weapon Style.

--> May use the Offensive Spin and Defensive Spin abilities once per

day per 4 levels.

OFFENSIVE SPIN: During the next 24 seconds, the Blade's movement rate

doubles and she gains a +2 bonus to hit and damage rolls as well as an

extra attack per round. All attacks deal maximum damage for the

duration. Offensive spin may not be used in conjunction with the Haste

or Improved Haste spells.

DEFENSIVE SPIN: During the next 24 seconds, the Blade is rooted to the

spot and gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class per level, up to a maximum of

+10.

Disadvantages:

--> Only has one half normal Lore value.

--> Only has one half normal Pick Pockets score.

Jester {DND021}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The Jester has been improved somewhat in the Enhanced Edition, and it

might have been kind of cute-seeming in the first game. You might have

looked at it and determined that most of its abilities would be out of

reach until the sequel, where this class would 'mature'. Granted, it

does stack effects as you level up-adding a chance to Slow and later,

knock foes unconscious to the base confusion effect, but there are a

few things to consider. First, all the saves made against these effects

are at a +2 bonus. That might have cut it in the first game, when saves

were generally high, but we're dealing with bigger, badder, better foes

in this game. Any foes of substance will generally resist the effects,

and really, you're going to be counting on the brute 5% fail rate

(rolling a natural one on a d20 roll-a critical failure) for each

such effect. On the other hand, any Mage can use Chaos or Slow to do

much the same thing-except they don't need to be standing near the foes,

and their spells actually impose a -4 save penalty, which has a much

better chance of working. Even a Jester itself would be better off just

casting spells than performing their bardsong, which makes me wonder...

why not pick a kit that actually adds something else?

Advantages:

--> Jester's song does not help allies. Instead, every opponent

within 30 feet must save once per round to avoid falling under

its effects:

1st level: Enemies must save vs. Spell with a +2 bonus or be

be confused

15th level: Enemies must save vs. Spell with a +2 bonus or be

confused, and must save vs. Spell or be slowed.

20th level: Enemies must save vs. Spell with a +2 bonus or be

confused, must save vs. Spell at +2 or be knocked unconsious,

and must save vs. Spell or be slowed.

Disadvantages:

--> None.

Skald {DND022}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Now if you want a melee handy Bard, this is the way to go. +1 to hit and

damage all the time beats a Blade's offering. And what about their Bard

song? That looks a lot like... wait... it IS Enhanced Bard Song! They

already get it! Pick Pockets isn't necessary anyways, so don't worry

about having a low value there. You can always use potions when you need

to.

Advantages:

--> +1 to hit and +1 to damage rolls.

--> The Skald's song is different from the typical Bard's and varies

with level:

1st: Grants allies a +2 to hit and damage rolls, and a +2 bonus

to AC.

15th: Grants allies a +4 to hit and damage rolls, a +4 bonus

to AC, and immunity to fear.

20th: Grants allies a +4 to hit and damage rolls, a +4 bonus

to AC, and immunity to fear, stun, and confusion.

Disadvantages:

--> Only has one quarter the normal Pick Pockets score.

o==========================o

|Cleric | {DND023}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May wear helmets.

--> May wear any armor.

--> May only use non-bladed, non-piercing weapons (war hammer, club,

flail, mace, quarterstaff, sling).

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.

--> May only become Proficient (on slot) in any weapon fight style.

--> May Turn Undead.

--> May cast priest spells.

--> Hit Die: d8

Prime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Wisdom

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Clerics are essential to any party, being good buffers and healers, and

while generally not as good at dealing damage, ripping through spell

defenses, and debuffing as a Mage, there are instances in which they

shine. They get great spells against undead, namely Sunray, which is

your best chance of taking down Liches. They also get good offensive

spells such as Greater Command, Holy Smite, and Finger of Death, not

to mention their defensive spells like Death Ward, Chaotic Commands,

Defensive Harmony, Protection from Evil 10' Radius, and Dispel Magic.

And yes, they get healing Spells such as Heal and Restoration, both of

which are indispensable. They can also typically hold a battle line,

being able to equip shields and plate armor, even if they can't hold

up quite as well as Fighters. When you hit epic levels you can get some

really awesome abilities, such as the defensive Globe of Blades, Aura of

Flaming Death, and Summon Deva abilities, which further improves their

defensive capabilities. Frankly, however, it's a poor choice for a main

character. Firstly, it seems silly for the child of a dead god to be

worshiping another deity, especially with so much potential... but

really, Anomen already beat us to the punch, being a dual-classed

Fighter/Cleric. And no main character can equal Viconia's natural

resistance to magic. Don't worry, the game already has plenty of great

recruitable Clerics. Clerics also get the ability to turn undead, but

it's not too great of an ability. Big things won't be affected, and

little things can just be smote. Unlike most classes there is no reason

to not pick a Cleric kit... they're all beneficial with no downside.

When a Cleric hits 25th level they gain a holy symbol from their deity,

which gives them +1 to Strength, 5% magic resistance, and allows them to

memorize another 6th and 7th level spell. For Clerics with high

Strength, this can put them over the top, letting them go around without

having to worry about Girdles of Giant Strength and the like

(read: Anomen).

Cleric

Level EXP HP Spells

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d8 1

2 1,500 2d8 2

3 3,000 3d8 2/1

4 6,000 4d8 3/2

5 13,000 5d8 3/3/1

6 27,500 6d8 3/3/2

7 55,000 7d8 3/3/2/1

8 110,000 8d8 3/3/3/2/1

9 225,000 9d8 4/4/3/2/1

10 450,000 9d8+2 4/4/3/3/2

11 675,000 9d8+4 5/4/4/3/2/1

12 900,000 9d8+6 6/5/5/3/2/2

13 1,125,000 9d8+8 6/6/6/4/2/2

14 1,350,000 9d8+10 6/6/6/5/3/2/1

15 1,575,000 9d8+12 6/6/6/6/4/2/1

16 1,800,000 9d8+14 7/7/7/6/4/2/1

17 2,025,000 9d8+16 8/8/8/8/5/3/2

18 2,250,000 9d8+18 9/9/8/8/6/4/2

19 2,475,000 9d8+20 9/9/8/8/6/4/2

20 2,700,000 9d8+22 9/9/9/8/7/5/2

21* 2,925,000 9d8+24 9/9/9/9/8/6/2

25 3,825,000 9d8+32 9/9/9/9/9/7/3 <-- Holy Symbol Obtained

40 8,000,000 9d8+62 9/9/9/9/9/8/7

(max at level 38)

Holy Symbol: When a character reaches 25th level as a Cleric, they

will receive a unique 'ring'. This Holy Symbol differs in name based

upon alignment, evil characters will have a Holy Symbol of Talos, good

characters will receive a Holy Symbol of Lathander, and neutral

characters obtain a Holy Symbol of Helm. Regardless of which one they

get, they're all alignment-conditional Cleric-only items with the same

properties. If you're a multi-classed character you won't reach this

total until you max your experience, but single-classed Clerics should

obtain this Holy Symbol early in Throne of Bhaal. Each one gives a

+1 bonus to Strength, 5% Magic Resistance, and a bonus 6th and 7th

level spell slot.

Priest of Talos {DND024}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Lightning Bolt isn't a great spell, but Storm Shield provide some

interesting bonuses to your resistances, at least. Once per day per ten

levels of the caster means... once or twice, in Shadows of Amn.. but at

least it lasts a long time.

Advantages:

--> May cast Lightning bolt once per day per 5 levels of the caster

(starts at 1st level with one use.)

--> May cast 'Storm Shield' once per day per 10 levels of the caster

(starts at 1st level with one use), as detailed below.

STORM SHIELD: This spell lasts 1 round per level of the caster. It

protects the caster from lightning, fire, cold, and normal missiles.

Disadvantages:

--> Alignment restricted to evil.

Priest of Helm {DND025}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The Priest of Helm may be the best variant, especially for evil parties.

Having some extra True Sight spells cannot be underestimated. Seeking

Sword is a little lame, but it does give you a +4 weapon, allowing you

to hit things like Kangaxx the Demilich and many demons. Its damage

doesn't stand up, but it does give you three attacks per round, even

though it takes away your ability to cast spells for its duration, which

blows.

Advantages:

--> May cast True Sight once per day per 5 levels (starts at 1st

level with one use).

--> May cast Seeking Sword once per day per 10 levels (starts at 1st

level with one use), as detailed below.

SEEKING SWORD: This spell creates a sword in the Cleric's hand (that

cannot be dropped or unequipped). The sword is +4 for purposes of

determining what it can hit (but this bonus does not apply to attack or

damage rolls), and it deals out 2d4 damage to any target it hits. The

weapon sets the number of attacks of the Cleric to 3. It lasts for 1

round per level of the caster. When equipped the wielder cannot cast

further spells.

Disadvantages:

--> Alignment restricted to neutral.

Priest of Lathander {DND026}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Another good Cleric kit, if you really don't like undead, this is worth

a glance. Hold Undead is decent at stopping some undead, but it probably

won't work terribly often. The Boon of Lathander, however, is a very

nice ability, making the Cleric more potent for its fairly lengthy

duration. There are few enough good ways to make yourself immune to

level drain in Shadows of Amn... unless you're a Mage of some sort, or

better yet, a multi-or-dual-classed Mage who can take on undead while

protected. Having this kit and the Boon of Lathander ability will give

you a character fully capable of taking the fight to Vampires, Wraiths,

and various Mists without flinching.

Advantages:

--> May cast Hold Undead once per day for every 5 levels of the

caster (starts at 1st level with one use).

--> May cast Boon of Lathander for every 10 levels of the caster,

(starts at 1st level with one use), as detailed below.

BOON OF LATHANDER: This spell lasts for 1 round per level of the

caster. It gives the caster a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, a +1

bonus to all Saving Throws, and 1 extra attack per round. It also

protects the recipient from level drain.

Disadvantages:

--> Alignment restricted to good.

o==========================o

|Cleric/Ranger | {DND027}

o==========================o

Alright, full disclosure: I was completely wrong about the

Cleric/Ranger multi-class, and everything that I'm going to say below

has been revised based on better research. All of this information is

due to the e-mail I got from Rick Taylor, who tipped me off to the

merits of this class combo. Now that I got that shameful admission out

of the way, the Cleric/Ranger is very similar to the Fighter/Cleric.

You'll essentially get a stronger, healthier, more melee-competent

Cleric with a slower spell selection. But the Ranger/Cleric has one

huge bonus over its Fighter/Cleric counterpart: they'll get the full

selection of Drudic spells each level as well as all the Cleric spells.

Granted, there's a lot of overlap, but you'll have all the combat perks

and spells of a Fighter/Cleric, with the addition of spells like Insect

Plague and Iron Skins... the latter of which is a huge contribution to

the character's defenses, being essentially the Cleric version of

Stoneskin. You'll get more spells than a Fighter/Cleric, you'll get

much better fighting abilities (better Hit Points, THAC0, and feats)

than a Cleric, and as compared to a Druid you'll have faster spell

progression AND better fighting abilities. Not to mention you can also

sneak (if you wear light armor) and you will start out specialized in

the Two Weapon Style, if you're interested in taking full advantage of

your awesome melee prowess by wielding, say, Flail of Ages and Crom

Faeyr. This is the best class to pick if you want to combine fighting

prowess and divine spells... which is to say, if you want divine spells

at all, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor by playing a

Cleric/Ranger.

o==========================o

|Druid | {DND028}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May not wear armor heavier than studded leather.

--> May not equip shields larger than bucklers.

--> May only use the following weapons: scimitar, dagger, club,

spear, quarterstaff, dart, sling.

--> May only become proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.

--> May only become proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.

--> May cast druidic spells.

--> 7th level: May Shapeshift into a wolf, black bear, or brown bear

once per day.

--> 15th level: Becomes immune to poison.

--> 18th level: Gains 10% resistance to cold, fire, electricity and

acid, gains a further 10% resistance at levels 21 and 24.

--> Alignment resticted to true neutral.

--> Hit Die: d8

Prime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Wisdom, Charisma

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Druids, well... let me be frank. Druids suck. They gain their own set of

divine spells, but most of them are wholly inferior to the Cleric's

spell selection. In addition they're not able to wear heavy armor or use

most weapons... even the Cleric's own limited martial selection will be

welcome after seeing the Druid, unless you just like Clubs and Quarter

Staffs. They can use Scimitars, but with their crappy Armor Class, that

is just asking for trouble. They get some buggy shapeshifting abilities

that let you transform into monsters that aren't very strong in a sad

attempt to counter their lack of martial prowess. Is that going to make

up for it when a Cleric can use things like Crom Faeyr and Flail of the

Ages, along with enchanted shields and armor which bring their Armor

Class down to Fighter-esque levels? No, it's not. A Druid can, however,

wear unconventional armors, such as Ankheg Plate Mail, Red Dragon Scale,

and Shadow Dragon Scale, since these are not made out of metal.

Unfortunately this only brings them to the doorstep of combat-

effectiveness, as they still cannot use a shield like Clerics can. The

only reasonable counter to this is to load them up with defensive

equipment to bring their Armor Class up to snuff, or better yet, to

make them specialize in Spears, of which several useful specimens

exist in both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal, although in my mind,

Spears are decidedly weaker than Halberds over the course of both the

main game and the expansion. And of course the fact that they won't

get Whirlwind makes them patently inferior to any warrior, but at

least they can-eventually-become useful enough in combat not to scoff

at... even though a Shielded Cleric with Flail of the Ages or Crom Faeyr

well out-classes an unshielded Druid, even with Ixil's Nail. On the

other hand, a Druid is a pretty good class to dual-or-multi class with,

as a Fighter's martial selection will do wonders to ease the Druid's

Armor Class woes. Unfortunately, Jaheira already exists, so why bother?

At least they get immunity to poison and 10% resistance to cold, fire,

electricity and acid (up to 30% at level 24), which somewhat offsets

their defensive deficiencies. I feel compelled to point out the Druid's

erratic experience spikes, and the massive boost to their spells they

get if they do manage to climb those hurdles and reach levels 13, 14,

and 15. Sometimes I think all classes should be like that, every level

takes twice as much as the previous level, but each time you level up

you get dramatically stronger. What's the difference between an 14th

and 15th level Thief? Not much. What's the difference between a 14th

and 15th level Druid? Well. Look for yourself.

Druid

Level EXP HP Spells

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d8 1

2 2,000 2d8 2

3 4,000 3d8 2/1

4 7,500 4d8 3/2

5 12,500 5d8 3/3/1

6 20,000 6d8 3/3/2

7 35,000 7d8 3/3/2/1

8 60,000 8d8 3/3/3/2

9 90,000 9d8 4/4/3/2/1

10 125,000 9d8+2 4/4/3/3/2

11 200,000 9d8+4 5/4/4/3/2/1

12 300,000 9d8+6 6/5/5/3/2/2

13 750,000 9d8+8 6/6/6/4/2/2

14* 1,500,000 9d8+10 6/6/6/5/3/2/1

15 3,000,000 9d8+12 6/6/6/6/6/6/6

31 8,000,000 9d8+44 9/9/9/9/9/7/7

(max at level 25)

Totemic Druid {DND029}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

You can summon weak monsters, but you can't shapeshift into weak

monsters. Huzzah.

Advantages:

--> May summon a special spirit animal (spirit bear, spirit wolf,

spirit lion, spirit snake) once per day ever 5 levels. The

Totemic Druid can call a 1 HD animal at level 1, a 3 HD animal

at level 3, a 5 HD animal aat level 5, a 7 HD animal at level

10, and a 10 HD animal at level 10.

Disadvantages:

--> Cannot Shapeshift.

Shapeshifter {DND030}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

You can become a Werewolf, and eventually a Greater Werewolf, which

is... well... everything to this kit. Unfortunately in the original

Baldur's Gate 2 this class was nerfed-the Werewolf you got was nowhere

near where it should have been... even still, if it wasn't nerfed, it

would be nowhere near as strong as it would need to be to compete.

Things honestly didn't look good for the Shapeshifter in the first

Enhanced Edition game-Overhaul Games didn't fix anything with the

Shapeshifter... meaning you weren't even getting the better version of

an obsolete shapeshift. Simply put, even if the Greater Werewolf was as

strong of a transformation as it was an enemy, it would still be

out-competed by pretty much any late-game Fighter. And by late-game I

mean towards the end of Shadows of Amn-this class is pathetically

under-powered in Throne of Bhaal.

Advantages:

--> May shapeshift into the form of a Werewolf once per day for

every 2 levels (starts at 1st level with one use).

--> At 13th level gains the ability to change into a Greater

Werewolf once per day.

Disadvantages:

--> May not wear any armor.

--> No other shapeshifting abilities due to the effort required in

maintaining balance in his primary forms.

Avenger {DND031}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Well, I'll admit that Improved Invisibility, Chaos, and Chain Lightning

are all good additions, but the shapechanges are worthless. And losing

the Strength and Constitution? The Constitution isn't bad for a single-

classed Druid as they can't exceed a +2 bonus at 16 anyways, but the

Strength? That hurts. It's not a like a Druid was going to be very

strong anyways, so the loss of one point of to hit and damage isn't

very severe, and nothing a Giant Strength item can't fix, and losing

access to Studded Leather Armor is, well, annoying, but there's not a

huge difference between one sucky suit of armor and the next anyways.

It's rather hard to critique this subclass at all, given the whole

feeling of 'who cares' when talking about the Druid in general... Still,

while the 4th, 5th, and 6th level all spells are decent, Improved

Invisibility can be duplicated by a Ring of Air Control, Chaos will

have to compete with Insect Plague, and Chain Lightning is a mediocore

damage-dealer. At the end of the day, you're probably better off being

able to wear better armor than being able to cast Improved Invisibility,

which is easily duplicated and will be quickly dispelled later in the

game, and there are plenty of Mages to cast Chaos-but only Druids can

cast Insect Plague, so why not stick to what they're good at? This class

is essentially a dubious defensive trade-off in return for a spell you

won't need to memorize and an okay damage-dealer. It has its good

points, sure, and is clearly the least-offensive Druid kit... but at the

end of the day you're still stuck with playing a Druid.

Advantages:

--> May shapechange into the form of a sword spider, baby wyvern,

and fire salamander besides the normal shapeshifting abilities.

--> Six mage spells are added to his repertoire, all the way up to

6th level.

These are listed below:

1st level: Chromatic Orb.

2nd level: Web.

3rd level: Lightning Bolt.

4th level: Improved Invisibility.

5th level: Chaos.

6th level: Chain Lightning.

Disadvantages:

--> May not wear heavier armor than leather.

--> Incurs a -2 penalty to Strength and Constitution.

o==========================o

|Fighter | {DND032}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May wear helmets.

--> May wear any armor and use any weapon.

--> May achieve Grand Mastery (five slots) with any weapon class.

--> May achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and

allocate three slots in Two-Weapon Style.

--> Hit Die: d10

Prime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Strength

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The best perk of a Fighter is that they can gain Grand Master in a

weapon. This allows them to do the most damage, wear the best armor,

and generally outclass every other character in melee combat. The

Barbarian might have rage, but the perks of picking a Fighter don't

last merely 5 rounds. The Fighter is also the safe, if dull choice, as

there's not much strategy involved in playing one. You pick a weapon,

you put as many points as you can in it, and you hold the line. That

said, this is a great dual-or-multi class option, and Fighters only get

stronger with Throne of Bhaal, which gives them access to Greater

Whirlwind, the feat that makes them better at what they do best: hitting

things.

Fighter

Level EXP HP

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d10

2 2,000 2d10

3 4,000 3d10

4 8,000 4d10

5 16,000 5d10

6 32,000 6d10

7 64,000 7d10

8 125,000 8d10

9 250,000 9d10

10 500,000 9d10+3

11 750,000 9d10+6

12 1,000,000 9d10+9

13 1,250,000 9d10+12

14 1,500,000 9d10+15

15 1,750,000 9d10+18

16 2,000,000 9d10+21

17 2,250,000 9d10+24

18 2,500,000 9d10+27

19* 2,750,000 9d10+30

40 8,000,000 9d10+93

Berserker {DND033}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

If you want to be like your pal Minsc, this is the way to go. Rage is

a decent ability that gives you a bonus to hit and damage, but imposes

an Armor Class penalty. One turn is a fairly long time, and since you

get many of them, you'll be able to keep yourself juiced up. I think

every Fighter should have a ranged option, however, and not being able

to specialize in ranged weapons... well, you could always use a Throwing

Axe or something similar. It's a decent kit, although even with Korgan

I hardly ever used the abilities it provides. Again, not because it's

not good, but because I was wary of the Hit Point loss at the end.

I never felt it absolutely necessary to have those bonuses at the

potential risk of having a character come down from Rage and die. Also

note the penalties after you exit Rage-it's not a free ride. Still, all

things considered it adds a little extra potential to the Fighter with

no significant downsides. I give it a pass, especially since the list of

immunities while enraged has increased a good deal in the Enhanced

Edition. Immunity to imprisonment, stun, and level drain? Yes please.

Pop this ability on every time you have to fight some stupid undead who

wants to drain your levels, and your tank can go fisticuffs with the

creatures and draw their attention away from your less drain-resistant

characters... you know, like a tank? Since this class makes a great

single-class option, it should be no surprise that it would also make a

great dual-class base. A Berserker/Thief, Berserker/Mage, or

Berserker/Cleric certainly wouldn't be hurt by the ability to Rage.

Note that you gain 15 'temporary' Hit Points when you use enrage.

Temporary is not the same as free. If you lose any of these Hit Points,

you'll suffer when you come out of Rage, this just allows you to weather

a little more damage before you die while in Rage. Be sure to have a

Cleric handy to heal a Rage-using Berserker if their Hit Points are low.

Nothing sucks more than having a character fall over dead after winning

a tough fight. Right Aec'Letec? Asshole.

Advantages:

--> May use Rage ability once per day every four levels.

RAGE: The enraged state lasts for 1 turn. While enraged, a Berserker

gains a bonus of +2 to his attack and damage rolls as well as his Armor

Class, and becomes immune to charm, confusion, fear, feeblemind, hold,

maze, imprisonment, level drain, maze, stun, and sleep. The Berserker

also gains 15 temporary Hit Points which are taken away at the end of

his berserk spree, possibly killing him.

Disadvantages:

--> Becomes winded after berserking: -2 penalty to Armor Class,

to-hit rolls and damage rolls.

--> May not Specialize in ranged weapons.

Wizard Slayer {DND034}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The Wizard Slayer is good against spell casters, but weak against

everything else. Their lack of the ability to use any magical equipment

save weapons and armor might actually make them more vulnerable to Mages

than a straight Fighter! And they do mean ANY magical items except

armor. Fortunately this allows them to wear Helmets and use Shields, but

no Cloaks, Rings, Bracers, Girdles or Necklaces. Honestly, an Inquisitor

Paladin kit is a MUCH better Mage-killer than this class could ever

aspire to be. Being able to drop a True Sight or Dispel Magic at will

absolutely confounds most Mages, especially with their quick cast times.

If you want a Mage-buster, do that instead. The Inquisitor suffers no

significant drawbacks and gets-for my money-better abilities in return.

Advantages:

--> Each successful hit bestows a 10% cumulative chance of spell

failure on the target.

--> 1% Magic Resistance per level.

Disadvantages:

--> May not use any magic items except for weapons and armor.

Kensai {DND035}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Again, I prefer all my characters to have a ranged option, and this

class takes some of the better options away from my characters. Granted

a Two Weapon Style Fighter will probably not use a ranged weapon very

much, but there are more severe problems than that. A +2 bonus to Armor

Class does not counter the lack of wearing any armor at all, and the

fact that you can't wear gauntlets or bracers means you can't even shore

up your defenses with Bracers of Defense. Sure, there are plenty of

items that increase your Armor Class marginally, but the Kensai is going

to be chewed up in combat nonetheless. Its bonuses are good, but in my

mind I just don't think the bonuses to hit and damage and a few rounds

of the 'kai' ability make up for the total lack of armor. And of course,

if you're throwing every scrap of Armor Class lowering gear on the

Kensai, every other character who needs it will suffer, too. They just

drag the whole party down with their suck. I almost hate to say it, but

the Berserker, Inquisitor, or even a plain Fighter will be stronger, all

things considered. In fact, I'd even rather play a Skald through both

games than play a Kensai. At least the Skald could temper their inferior

offense with magic and a great Bard Song. But wait... maybe I'm missing

something... right, this is the Enhanced Edition! One of the big draws

of any Fighter is their ability to dual-class, right? But in the

original guides, I wanted continuity, which meant I couldn't (for

obvious reasons) start as a Kensai in Baldur's Gate 1, then dual-class

in Baldur's Gate 2. Of course, I could have made my own Kensai in

Baldur's Gate 2 and dual-classed... but what fun is that? I wanted to

go through BOTH games with the SAME character. Now you can have your

Kensai and eat it too. If you were thinking about dual-classing with a

Fighter as your base class, it might not be a terrible idea to get some

of those Kensai bonuses. A Kensai/Mage or Kensai/Thief isn't a terrible

idea, and in the sequel you can cover up your Armor Class woes a bit by

getting some of the superior Bracers of Defense the game offers. I still

don't find the dual-class option nearly as appealing as a multi-class

one, but the bonuses gained by a Kensai will make a superior character

base to dual with. After all, a dual-class Kensai/Mage will have

defensive buffs to help them out, and a dual-class Kensai/Thief

shouldn't be expected to hold the line anyways. A single-class Kensai,

however, is garbage.

Note that the Kensai's armor exemption really does mean ALL armor, even

armor which isn't encumbering enough to block spells such as Bladesinger

Chain. There is one exception though.. the Big Metal Unit near the end

of the sequel, which will bestow upon the character a phenomenal armor

class, if you can make it to the end of Throne of Bhaal, anyways. By

then you're pretty much done with the game though.

Advantages:

--> +2 bonus to Armor Class.

--> +1 to hit and damage rolls every 3 levels.

--> -1 bonus to Speed Factor every 4 levels.

--> May use the Kai ability once per day ever 4 level (starting at

1st level with one use).

KAI: All successful attacks within the next 10 seconds deal maximum

damage.

Disadvantages:

--> May not wear any armor.

--> May not use missile weapons.

--> May not wear gauntlets or bracers.

Dwarven Defender {DND036}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The only class the Human can't play, the Dwarven Defender, as its name

subtly implies, requires a Dwarven protagonist. As you might expect,

this class is all about fitting into cliches and defense. What do

Dwarves fight with? Axes and War Hammers. So what are the only two

weapons the Dwarven Defender can attain High Mastery (four ranks) with?

Axe and War Hammers, of course. Fair enough, one of the best weapons

in the game is a War Hammer, which can be obtained almost right out of

Candlekeep, and whilest good magical axes are scarce, they're not

non-existent. Not being able to Grand Master in any weapons might hurt

in the long-run (and when it comes to character creation, this is a

long-run kind of guide), but many other classes get away with worse

restrictions-it all depends on what other abilities they bring to the

table. On this account the Dwarven Defender does alright. Their

Defensive Stance seems great-the 50% resistance to physical damage,

especially, but one turn is ten rounds, which isn't the longest period

of time, especially when they're moving at half speed. Also, mind that

the resistance is to 'physical damage'. This will not help a bit against

spells, which will be much more of a concern in the sequel, but at least

they throw in a +2 bonus to Saving Throws, whatever small measure that

is. I'm also concernted about the movement speed issue, which might make

tactical withdrawals (not retreats!) for healing less likely to end in

preserving the life of the Dwarven Defender... an ironic disadvantage,

to be sure. More mouth-watering to gamers will be the brute 5% damage

reduction gain every 5th level (maximum 20% at 20th level) and the d12

Hit Dice per level... but wait... this sounds awfully familiar, doesn't

it? Pretty much identical bonuses to what the Barbarian gets. Good thing

the Dwarven Defender has better proficiency selection and can wear

heavier armor, making them the superior choice in my book. The Dwarven

Defender might be one of those rare kits which is actually better than

the base class-but it still pales in comparison with some of the better

dual-and-multi-class combinations out there. Surely no character who

can cast Stoneskin will care a bit about any of the Dwarven Defender's

resistances.

Advantages:

--> May use Defensive Stance once per day every 4 levels (starts at

1st level with one use).

DEFENSIVE STANCE: For 1 turn, the Dwarven Defender gains +50% resistance

to all forms of physical damage, a +2 bonus to Saving Throws, and a 50%

movement rate penalty.

--> Gains 5% resistance to crushing, slashing, piercing, and missile

damage every 5 levels to a maximum of 20% at level 20.

--> Hit Dice: d12

Disadvantages:

--> Race restricted to Dwarf.

--> May not exceed High Mastery (four slots) in axes and war

hammers.

--> May not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any other weapon.

o==========================o

|Fighter/Cleric | {DND037}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

An interesting combination with slightly higher fighting skills than

the Cleric and some defensive buffs to supplement the Fighter. Frankly,

however, a Cleric doesn't have as good of a defensive spell selection as

a Mage, and by itself a Cleric is already a pretty stout Fighter. Sure

it helps to add more attacks and damage, but it's just not quite as

potent as the Fighter/Mage. For one, you don't get Time Stop. But at

least neither of your classes are hurt by wearing heavy armor, so you

don't need the spell buffs quite so much. A very good thing about this

combination is they will get both the Fighter and Cleric feats. Having

a strong melee Fighter who can go up in combat with an Aura of Flaming

Death, a Globe of Blades, and then use Greater Whirlwind Attacks is a

thing of beauty. Especially if they can retreat from combat and use Heal

on themselves before jumping right back into the fray. They can't

decimate enemies quite as well as a Fighter/Mage, but they can certainly

make an impact. Unfortunately you'll be regulated to a few types of

weapon because of the Cleric. You can either go with Flail of the Ages

or Crom Faeyr and use the Sword and Shield Style, or go with both using

the Two Weapon Style and really lay waste to enemies. Note that with

this combo you will still get enough experience to get your holy symbol

at level 25. Nice.

o==========================o

|Fighter/Druid | {DND038}

o==========================o

This combination works almost exactly like the Fighter/Cleric, except

that you will of course have Druid spells instead of Clerical ones, and

you will have the Druid weapon selection, which includes Scimitars, but

doesn't allow War Hammer, Maces, and Flails. The game provides you with

a perfectly fine recruitable Fighter/Druid in Jaheira, so I don't know

why you'd ever need to make your own. Note that as a Fighter/Druid

you'll still get enough experience to get the really good Druid levels,

making this combo in every way preferable to a single-classed Druid.

o==========================o

|Fighter/Mage | {DND039}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

My favorite class, and possibly the strongest in the game. You can't

wear armor and cast spells, but that's hardly an issue in this game,

where you have many ways to improve your Armor Class without having to

wear armor. Bracers of Defense are one, obvious way, but in this game

you will also get your hands on Elven Chain Mail, which allows you to

cast spells while wearing it. With the better weapons and combat styles

of Baldur's Gate 2 I drop any and all pretenses of being an archer and

go for the Two Weapon Style. Thanks to my Fighter levels, I can afford

to do this, and the amazing defensive spells a Mage has keeps me safer

than a single-classed Fighter, armor be damned. The best thing of all is

that a Fighter/Mage can access both Fighter and Mage feats, allowing

them to pull off Time Stops and Greater Whirlwinds in unison. This is a

versatile character who can debuff and cast offensive spells at enemies,

or go toe-to-toe with most anything in melee combat once fully spell

buffed. It almost makes you feel sorry for the single-classed Mages and

Fighters you'll slaughter. Almost.

o==========================o

|Fighter/Mage/Cleric | {DND040}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

An interesting option, this class combines the power of two strong

spell casters with the solid backing of the Fighter class. Keep in mind

that your progression will be horribly slow with a triple class

character, meaning you'll always be one or two spell levels below a

single-classed character. This class actually has a slightly better hit

point range than the Fighter/Mage, but worse weapon selection and the

same lack of armor. I feel this class might be a bit too much, honestly.

Not as in over-powered, but you're only one character, with one action

a round just like everybody else. Even having such variety there's only

so much you can actually DO in a given span of time. It's probably best

to do fewer things better. I mean, are you ever going to actually get

out a significant number of Cleric and Mage spells, and then still have

a battle left to fight? It's a good concept, but this class might just

be trying to do too much at once. As for weapons and tactics, you're

probably better off trying to do what the Fighter/Mage does, but with

Cleric-allowed weapons. Note that with this build you will not get 9th

level spells, negating the whole Time Stop tactic that the Fighter/Mage

can employ. Also, you won't get access to any of the Mage feats, like

Comet and the bonus 6th, 7th, and 8th level spell slots.

o==========================o

|Fighter/Mage/Thief | {DND041}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

This class suffers from many of the problems the Fighter/Mage/Cleric

suffers from, but to a lesser degree. Firstly, most Thief skills are

only useful out of combat, or as telling first strikes. It's not another

host of spells you're trying to cast in a finite window of time, meaning

the Thief actually enhances the Fighter and the Mage. Also, the Thief is

capable of using a much greater selection of weapons than the Cleric,

allowing you to diversify your weapons and tactics much more. A

Fighter/Mage/Thief in essence works like a combination of the

Fighter/Mage and Fighter/Thief. Go in with Two Weapon Style, attempt to

score backstabs, and use defensive spells to compensate for your lack of

armor. A Fighter/Mage/Thief will not get 9th level Mage spells. Also,

a Fighter/Mage/Thief will not gain any of the Mage feats. No Comet,

no extra 6th, 7th, and 8th level spells slots. For the evil party,

making your protagonist a Fighter/Mage/Thief is the best solution to the

distinct lack of recruitable Thieves in the game. You'll be able to pull

off many of the Fighter/Mage tricks (uber spell-buffing in order to

become nearly invulnerable to enemy spell casters) and handle all the

thieving requirements your party will need. You won't be able to pull

off the devastating Greater Whirlwind/Timestop combo, but being able

to spell-buff and perform Greater Whirlwind attacks is still quite

respectable.

o==========================o

|Fighter/Thief | {DND042}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

As you may have learned in Baldur's Gate 1, the Fighter/Thief was a

potent combo, easily matching a Ranger's skill with weapons while

having the same quirks. Some important differences remain, a

Fighter/Thief can disable traps and backstab, while a Ranger cannot.

This makes a Fighter/Thief in my eyes every bit more powerful than a

Ranger. Sure, the Ranger will have higher Hit Points and some minor

Druid spells, but a Fighter/Thief can access both the the Fighter and

the Thief feats. Things only get better for the Fighter/Thief in

Baldur's Gate 2 as their backstab reaches a mighty x5 and a deeper melee

system allows them to abuse it to its fullest advantage. Going for a

Fighter/Thief with the Two Weapon Style is a very fun thing to do in

this game.

o==========================o

|Mage | {DND043}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May not wear any armor.

--> May only use the following weapons: dagger, quarterstaff, dart,

sling.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.

--> May cast arcane spells.

--> Hit Die: d4

Prime Requisite for Dual-Classing: Intelligence

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Firstly I just want to say that there is no reason to make a single

classed Mage protagonist. Edwin out-guns you. Period. If you must make a

Mage, make a Fighter/Mage or Fighter/Mage/Thief, which increases your

options immensely. Other than that, if you make a Mage, make a Conjurer.

They get an extra spell per day per spell level and lose a handful of

spells that aren't even all that good. The best ones I can think of are

Identify-which can be replicated with items that have unlimited uses,

and True Sight, which is more of a significant loss. Still, if you

have Jaheira and Anomen/Viconia in your group you have two other casters

who can provide that spell, not to mention the possibility of Keldorn,

and the Book of Infinite Spells. If you must make a Mage, start out as

something else first. A Fighter can get to level 8 and dual-class into

a Mage without wasting a single experience level of the Mage, giving you

a high hit point Mage who can use Bows, Swords, or whatever your little

heart desires. A Thief can get to level 9 before dual-classing into a

Mage, again without using a single level. This negates the need for a

Thief at all, as you can build a Mage who can Find/Remove Traps on his

own, as well as having a few more Hit Points and the ability to use Short

Bows. It is MUCH better to dual-class into a Mage than to go straight

Mage. Note that if you dual-class into a Mage you cannot legitimately

dual-class into a Conjurer, or any other type of Specialist. This

perplexes me to no end, as it was entirely possible to do this in

Baldur's Gate 1. If you want to do this, you'll have to cheat with a

save game editor like Shadow Keeper. Oh, and don't bother playing a

Wild Mage. All their spells have a chance to do something bonkers, and

a Mage will be casting a lot of spells through the game. Why shoot

yourself in the foot?

Specialist School Opposition School

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Abjurer Abjuration Alteration

Conjurer Conjuration/Summoning Divination

Diviner Divination Conjuration

Enchanter Enchantment/Charm Invocation

Illusionist Illusion Necromancy

Invoker Invocation Enchantment

Necromancer Necromancy Illusion

Transmuter Alteration Abjuration

Mage

Level EXP HP Spells

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d4 1

2 2,500 2d4 2

3 5,000 3d4 2/1

4 10,000 4d4 3/2

5 20,000 5d4 4/2/1

6 40,000 6d4 4/2/2

7 60,000 7d4 4/3/2/1

8 90,000 8d4 4/3/3/2

9 135,000 9d4 4/3/3/2/1

10 250,000 9d4+1 4/4/3/2/2

11 375,000 9d4+2 4/4/4/3/3

12 750,000 9d4+3 4/4/4/4/4/1

13 1,125,000 9d4+4 5/5/5/4/4/2

14 1,500,000 9d4+5 5/5/5/4/4/2/1

15 1,875,000 9d4+6 5/5/5/5/5/2/1

16 2,250,000 9d4+7 5/5/5/5/5/3/2/1

17* 2,625,000 9d4+8 5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2

31 7,875,000 9d4+22 5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/4

(max at level 34)

o==========================o

|Mage/Cleric | {DND044}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Not only do you have an ally who fits this role, I'm not entirely

convinced it's a role worth fitting. It's a good thing to have a

character who can pump out Horrid Wiltings, Time Stops, Hastes, Finger

of Death, and other great Mage spells and then to be able to heal up the

party after the fight is over... that's nice. But I remain doubtful

whether the two spell types rolled into one character is terribly

practical in combat-again, they might have more spell selection, but

they still can only cast one spell at a time. Having four characters who

can cast one type of magic well is going to work out better than having

two who can cast both poorly. Despite being a Cleric, being hampered by

a lack of armor, as slower progression, and worse Hit Points will all

but eliminate them from a combat role. On the other hand, adding some

powerful defensive Mage spells to mingle with the epic level Cleric

spells is a devastating combination. Your THAC0 will be lower than a

Fighter, and your AC will suffer from lack of armor. If you're willing

to invest Bladesinger Chain to this character and deal with the poor

weapon selection and slow proficiency progression, you may at least be

able to stand up in combat... but why pick two spell casting classes if

that's what you want to do?

o==========================o

|Mage/Thief | {DND045}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

I find it hard to imagine any case in which a Mage/Thief would be

particularly useful, especially compared to a Fighter/Mage or

Fighter/Thief. Being able to use Bows is fine and all, but Mages should

have something better to do in most combats than shoot things. And you

never need to hide if you have Invisibility. Imoen has it right, this is

best done as a dual-class option for the sake of versatility. There's

nothing wrong with getting a Mage with some Thief abilities, especially

since you get get plenty of ranks into Find Traps while sacrificing no

potential Mage levels. You can get to 9th level as a Thief (110,000

experience) and dual-class into a Mage and reach the maximum level of

31 (7,875,000 experience) for maximum effect. Frankly, if you're even

going to bother making a Mage as your main character, I'd suggest doing

this. At least then you can dispense with having a Thief altogether. And

you'd have extra Hit Points and THAC0 to boot. You lose nothing and gain

a great deal.

o==========================o

|Monk | {DND046}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May not wear any armor.

--> May only use weapons available to the Thief class (except two-

handed).

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in Single Weapon Style and

may not put slots into any other style.

--> Moves 2 points faster than other characters. Movement rate

further improves by 1 every 5 levels.

--> May make 1 unarmed attack per round. An additional 1/2 attack

per round is gained every 3 levels. Damage dealt by unarmed

attacks increases with level as follows:

Level 1-2: 1d6

Level 3-5: 1d8

Level 6-8: 1d10

Level 9-14: 1d12

Level 15+: 1d20

--> At level 9, unarmed attacks are treated as a +1 magical weapon

and gain a +1 bonus to hit and damage rolls. This enchantment

improves to +2 at level 12, +3 at level 15, and +4 at level 25.

--> Receives a +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Spell.

--> Deflect Missiles: +1 bonus to AC vs. missile attacks every 3

levels.

--> Starts with an Armor Class of 9 at 1st level and gains an

additional +1 bonus every 2 levels.

--> May use Stunning Blow ability once per day every 4 levels.

STUNNING BLOW: All successful attacks within the next round force

the victim to save or be stunned. This special ability automatically

modifies normal attacks, no targeting needs to be done.

--> 5th level: Becomes immune to all diseases and cannot be slowed

or hasted.

--> 7th level: May use Lay on Hands ability to heal 2 Hit Points per

level.

--> 8th level: Gains a -1 bonus to Speed Factor.

--> 9th level: Gains a +1 bonus to all Saving Throws and becomes

immune to Charm.

--> 11th level: Becomes immune to poison.

--> 12th level: Gains another -1 bonus to Speed Factory.

--> 13th level: May use the Quivering Palm ability once per day.

QUIVERING PALM: The next successful attack forces the opponent to save

or die. This special ability automatically modifies normal attacks, no

targeting needs to be done.

--> 14th level: Gains 3% Magic Resistance per level (starting with

42% at 14th level).

--> 20th level: Becomes immune to non-magical weapons.

--> Alignment restricted to lawful.

--> Hit Die: d8

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Ah, the Monk. There's nothing that frees a player from thought quite as

much as this class. They're easy to roll up and they can only be Humans,

which is easily the white-bread choice of the game. They don't require a

big investment of equipment, and there are no choices to make as to how

they progress. A Monk needs no gear, they simply go around pummeling

everything with their fists, and at this they excel. The one problem is

the fact that they can never control the upgrades to their unarmed

attacks. They gain damage, speed, and magical enhancement bonuses as

they level, but this is typically well behind the weapons the rest of

the party will have access to. For example, you can't even hit anything

that requires a +4 or better weapon to hit until level 25. That's a HUGE

handicap, although you can learn to use Thief weapons, but you'll never

be better at fighting with them than a single-classed Thief, and that's

not what you played a Monk for, is it? If you can handle not being able

to attack creatures that require magical weapons to hit, the Monk is

actually a very solid choice of character. They're fast, they're strong,

and they just get better as they level up. At level 20 they'll have a

base Armor Class of -1. With a good Dexterity score, some Bracers of

Armor, and a protection item, this could potentially take their Armor

Class very low. Add that to the fact that they get +1 to all saves,

+2 to saves versus spells, and up to 78% magic resistance and you have

a very good defensive character. On top of this they gain extra bonuses

against missiles, up to a presumed +6 to Armor Class at level 18. They

can't be hasted, however, but with their speed and high number of

attacks they'll be hitting more often than most anybody else anyways.

Oh, yeah, and a Monk gains access to warrior feats, meaning they get

Whirlwind Attack. This is a good thing. Last and not least, Monks can

sneak. Sure, they can Detect Traps, but they can't do anything about

them, which makes me wonder... why bother spending points in it?

Monk

Level EXP HP

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d8

2 1,500 2d8

3 3,000 3d8

4 6,000 4d8

5 13,000 5d8

6 27,500 6d8

7 55,000 7d8

8 110,000 8d8

9 225,000 9d8

10 450,000 9d8+2

11 675,000 9d8+4

12 900,000 9d8+6

13 1,125,000 9d8+8

14 1,350,000 9d8+10

15 1,575,000 9d8+12

16 1,800,000 9d8+14

17 2,025,000 9d8+16

18 2,250,000 9d8+18

19 2,475,000 9d8+20

20 2,700,000 9d8+22

21* 2,925,000 9d8+24

40 8,000,000 9d8+62

Dark Moon Monk {DND047}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Once upon a time, just having the Monk was good enough... then Overhaul

Games had to add new classes, force me to stir from my lair, and

comment on two more freakin' Monk kits... *sigh*... okay, let's get this

over with... The changes aren't very big, essentially you're

restricted to one set alignment (Lawful Evil) and you trade your

unimpressive Lay On Hands and Stunning Blow abilities for a bunch of

low-level spell-like abilities. Since these include Blur and Blindness,

however, it's not really a bad trade-off. Sure, Frozen Fist probably

isn't as good Stunning Blow (although with no save penalty, it'll

rarely be a primary debilitation attack anymore anyways) but you can't

poo-poo Blur and Mirror Image. These themselves will grow increasingly

more obsolete as the game goes on, however, as more and more foes will

come ready with True Sight to tear down your illusions So... you're

giving up Stunning Blow and Lay on Hands for two points of cold damage

per attack for one round per level. Trying to decide what's better, when

paired with Greater Whirlwind... stunning, or extra cold damage... Eh.

It's really a wash.

Advantages:

--> Perception: +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Illusion spells.

--> May cast Frozen Fist once per day ever four levels (starts at

1st level with one use).

FROZEN FIST: When this ability is activated, the Dark Moon Monk's fists

are wreathed in a frosty shell. For one round per level, the Dark Moon

Monk's unarmed attacks deal an additional 2 cold damage per successful

attack.

--> 1st level: May cast Blindness once per day.

--> 3rd level: May cast Blur once per day.

--> 7th level: May cast Vampiric Touch once per day.

--> 11th level: May cast Mirror Image once per day.

Disadvantages:

--> Alignment restricted to lawful evil.

--> May not use Lay on Hands ability.

--> May not use Stunning Blow ability.

Sun Soul Monk {DND048}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

I really want to call this class a piece of shit, and settle into

redundant mockery... but, you know what? It's actually pretty good.

I know, I'm shocked, too. It trades off Stunning Blow and Quivering

Palm in return for a bunch of flamey-sunny abilities, which are probably

worth the trade off... you know, since neither Quiver Palm nor Stunning

Blow have Save penalties. The staple ability is, in my eyes, Flaming

Fists, which adds 2d6 fire damage to the Monk's attacks, and once

leveled, lasts for several rounds. Far more reliable than Stunning Blow.

It'll only get better when your Monk starts performing Whirlwind

Attacks-that +2d6 damage doesn't seem like much, but when you're getting

ten attacks per round, it adds up. They also have a Sun Soulray (low

damage attack), Greater Sun (Fireshield (Red)), and Sun Soulbeam, an

area-of-effect, moderately damaging attack that for some stupid reason

must succeed at an attack roll. Sure, the abilities aren't overwhelming,

and it's debatable whether it's better than the Monk... but it's less

useless than the Dark Moon Monk. At the very least, the Sun Soul Monk

was designed with abilities that extend past 11th level.

Advantages:

--> 2nd level: May cast Sun Soulray once per day.

SUN SOULRAY: The Sun Soul Monk projects a blast of light from her open

palm, dealing 1d8 damage every 2 levels to a maximum of 5d8. This

ability does an additional 6 damage vs. undead.

--> 5th level: May cast Flaming Fists once per day.

FLAMING FISTS: The Sun Soul Monk channels her inner light into her

unarmed attacks, turning her fists into flaming weapons that deal an

additional 2d6 fire damage per hit for the next round. The duration

increases to 2 rounds at level 9, 3 rounds at level 12, 4 rounds at

level 15, and 5 rounds at level 25. This special ability automatically

modifies normal attacks. No weapon-switching needs to be done.

--> 6th level: Gains an additional use of Sun Soulray.

--> 8th level: May cast Greater Sun once per day.

GREATER SUN: The Sun Soul Monk wreathes herself in flames that act as a

Fireshield (Red), granting the Monk 50% Fire Resistance and protecting

her from attacks made within a 5-ft. radius. An opponent that hits the

Monk with any weapons or spells within this radius suffers 1d8+2 points

of fire damage.

--> 10th level: Gains an additional use of Sun Soulray.

--> 13th level: May cast Soul Sunbeam once per day.

SUN SOULBEAM: The Sun Soul Monk emits a dazzling burst of light that

strikes at all other creatures within a 30-ft. radius. The Sun Soulbeam

does not automatically hit all targets, but makes a melee attack using

the Monk's current THAC0 (+3 to hit vs. undead). Struck creatures

suffer 9d6 points of damage (9d6+3 if undead), unless they save vs.

Spell for half. In addition, all creatures except the Monk must save

vs. Spell or be blinded for 10 turns.

--> 15th level: Gains an additional use of Sun Soulray.

Disadvantages:

--> Alignment restricted to lawful good.

--> May not use Stunning Blow ability.

--> May not use Quivering Palm ability.

o==========================o

|Paladin | {DND049}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May wear helmets.

--> May wear any armor and use any weapon.

--> May not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any weapon class.

--> May achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and

allocate three slots in Two Weapon Style.

--> May use Lay on Hands ability once per day to heal a target for

2 Hit Points per level of the Paladin.

--> May cast Detect Evil once per day per level (starts at 1st level

with 3 uses).

--> May cast Protection from Evil once per day per level (starts at

1st level with one use).

--> May Turn Undead as a Cleric two levels lower, starting at

level 3.

--> May cast priest spells starting at level 9.

--> Receives a +2 bonus to all Saving Throws.

--> Alignment restricted to lawful good.

--> Hit Die: d10

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Paladins are holy warriors, and as such they gain a slew of abilities

to help them combat evil. They aren't as combat savvy as Fighters, only

being able to buy two ranks in any weapon proficiency, and they cannot

multi or dual class. In exchange you'll get the ability to lay on hands

(heal a character 2 Hit Points per level), detect evil (useful for

telling which NPCs are bad or not and detecting enemies on the map

before you even scout), protection from evil, and they can turn undead

as if they were a Cleric two levels lower than their paladin level.

Paladin's make great party leaders due to their high minimum Charisma

(17). In Baldur's Gate 2 you might as well get proficiency points in

Two Handed Swords, because the best sword in the game is such a weapon,

and it's only for Paladins. Frankly though, since Keldorn is on the

scene there's really no reason to make your own Paladin.

Paladin

Level EXP HP Spells

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d10

2 2,250 2d10

3 4,500 3d10

4 9,000 4d10

5 18,000 5d10

6 36,000 6d10

7 75,000 7d10

8 150,000 8d10

9 300,000 9d10 1

10 600,000 9d10+3 2

11 900,000 9d10+6 2/1

12 1,200,000 9d10+9 2/2

13 1,500,000 9d10+12 2/2/1

14 1,800,000 9d10+15 3/2/1

15 2,100,000 9d10+18 3/2/1/1

16 2,400,000 9d10+21 3/3/2/1

17* 2,700,000 9d10+24 3/3/3/1

34 7,800,000 9d10+75 3/3/3/3

(max at level 20)

Cavalier {DND050}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

This is a pretty nice kit, even given the lack of missile weapons.

Having immunity to fear, charm, and poison are all very nice abilities,

and getting +3 bonus to hit versus Demons and Dragons is great too. You

might not come across Dragons much, but Demons are fairly common, and

you're going to want every bonus you can get against them. Having

Remove Fear once per day per level essentially means that at any time

this character can get your party back in line, which is almost as good

as having a party that's immune to fear as well! It certainly means that

your Clerics and Mages don't have to focus so much on keeping fear

effects subdued. A very nice kit indeed.

Advantages:

--> +3 bonus to hit and damage rolls against all fiendish and

draconic creatures.

--> May cast Remove Fear once per day per level.

--> Immune to fear and morale failure.

--> Immune to charm, fear, poison, and morale failure.

--> 20% resistance to fire and acid.

Disadvantages:

--> May not use missile weapons.

Inquisitor {DND051}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

This is probably the best kit in the game, and certainly the best of the

Paladin kits, even though the other two aren't bad. Being able to cast

Dispel Magic at TWICE your Paladin level means Inquisitors will rip

through spell defenses, and will be able to do it often. True Sight is a

fairly high level debuff, and a very good one. No more can creatures get

away with Improved Invisibility, Shadow Door, Mirror Image, or anything

of the sort, and they will try. This frees up spell casters to prepare

other spells. The disadvantages might seem bad, but you can get plenty

of healing elsewhere without Lay on Hands, and the turn undead and

Paladin priest spells are both weak anyways. Would you trade a handful

of low level Priest spells for two very powerful, very useful, mid level

spells? I would. This is the class Keldorn is, and it's one of the

reasons he's so good.

Advantages:

--> May cast Dispel Magic once per day per 4 levels (starts at 1st

level with one use). The spell is cast at Speed Factor 1 and

acts at twice the Inquisitor's character level.

--> May cast True Sight once per day per 4 levels (starts at 1st

level with one use).

--> Immune to hold and charm.

Disadvantages:

--> May not Turn Undead.

--> May not use Lay on Hands ability.

--> May not cast priest spells.

Undead Hunter {DND052}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Being immune to level drain is nice, but there are spells that do the

same... granted, there are spells that do the same things that the other

kits do... but +3 to attack and damage versus undead can't compete with

the massive debuffs that the Inquisitor has, nor the slew of resistances

that the Cavalier has. And what's the strongest undead anyways? A Lich.

+3 to attack and damage isn't going to help you kill a Lich as much as

disabling its defensive spells will. Frankly, the Inquisitor is a

better Undead Hunter than the Undead Hunter when it comes to big game

hunting! The Undead Hunter will, however, excel against Vampires.

Still, undead are quite common, so picking up this kit certainly is

better than playing a vanilla Paladin.

Advantages:

--> +3 bonus to hit and +3 to damage rolls against undead creatures.

--> Immune to hold and level drain.

Disadvantages:

--> May not use Lay on Hands ability.

Blackguard {DND053}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Holy crap! A new kit! The Blackguard is actually a pretty decent kit,

taking the Cavalier's nice immunity level drain and adding immunity

to fear. They also have the ability to steal health from foes-similar to

the Lay on Hands ability... but evil! Yeah, it's pretty uninspiring,

especially since it allows a Save vs. Spell at no save to negate it.

Poison weapon really just deals an extra twelve damage-again, making it

a lack-luster bonus. On the other hand, the Aura of Despair ability can

get pretty damn good-essentially acting like the Skald's Bard Song...

but in reverse. All in all, it's an interesting possibility for the

evil party, with a good pair of immunities and a wonderful debuff. Does

this class compare to an Inquisitor? No, it doesn't, but that's not

really fair.

Advantages:

--> Immune to level drain and fear.

--> May Rebuke Undead as Paladin of the same level.

--> May use Absorb Health ability once per day.

ABSORB HEALTH: Deals 2 points of damage per level to an enemy, healing

the Blackguard the same number of Hit Points. A successful Saving Throw

vs. Spell negates the effect.

--> May use Poison Weapon ability once per day every 5 level

(starting at 1st level with one use).

POISON WEAPON: Each successful hit within the next round will inject

poison into the target, dealing an extra 2 points of damage per second

with no Saving Throw (for a total of 12 points of damage). Moreover, if

the target fails a Saving Throw vs. Poison, he will suffer 1 additional

point of damage per round for 4 rounds thereafter.

--> May use Aura of Despair ability once per day starting at 3rd

level, with effects that improve based on level:

3rd level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -1 penalty to hit and

damage rolls and a -1 penalty to Armor Class.

6th level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -2 penalty to hit and

damage rolls and a -2 penalty to Armor Class.

15th level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -4 penalty to hit and

damage rolls and a -4 penalty to Armor Class, causes Fear in

enemies of level 8 or below.

20th level: Bestows nearby enemies with a -4 penalty to hit and

damage rolls and a -4 penalty to Armor Class, causes Fear in

enemies of level 18 or below.

Disadvantages:

--> Alignment restricted to evil.

--> May not cast Detect Evil.

--> May not cast Protection from Evil.

--> May not use Lay on Hands ability.

o==========================o

|Ranger | {DND054}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May wear helmets.

--> May wear any armor and use any weapon.

--> May not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any weapon class.

--> May achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style.

--> Begins Specialized (two slots) in Two-Weapon Style and may place

a third slot into it.

--> May select a racial enemy, which grants a +4 bonus to hit and

damage rolls against the selected enemy race.

--> May use Charm Animal ability once per day every 2 levels (starts

at 1st level with one use).

--> May Hide in Shadows while wearing no armor, leather armor, or

studded leather armor.

--> May cast druidic spells starting at level 8.

--> Alignment restricted to good.

--> Hit Die: d10

Prime Requisites for Dual-Classing: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Rangers are defenders of the wilderness, hunters, scouts, and

outdoorsmen. They can only get two ranks in a weapon proficiency, but

in compensation they can use stealth, charm animals, and eventually

cast druid spells. The stealth ability can only be used in light armor,

Leather, Studded Leather, or Hide, but it makes them invaluable for

scouting ahead of the party. Being strong enough to fight their way out

of trouble helps too. The charm animal ability sucks, but once in a

while if you want to play with it and charm a bear or something... eh...

they'll still turn hostile on you when it's over, so why bother? The

druid spells are a long time in coming, but adding Armor of Faith,

Slow Poison, Dispel Magic, and some basic healing spells can't hurt.

Last but not least, the Ranger has a racial enemy they can choose,

against which they'll deal +4 damage. A decent boost, but there's alot

of foes-what do you pick? As far as I'm concerned, picking something

dangerous as well as common is a good choice, but also picking foes

the damage will actually help against is better, still. Dragons,

Liches, Mind Flayers, Beholders, Vampires, and Demons are all fair

enough choices, but the first two are too uncommony, against the next

three I've developed strategies against that, honestly, +4 damage

wouldn't really do much to make any more likely do succeed. In my

mind, the Demonic/Fell category is the best one to choose-they're

common, dangerous foes against which brute damage will be much more

appreciated.

Ranger

Level EXP HP Spells Stealth

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d10 15%

2 2,250 2d10 20%

3 4,500 3d10 27%

4 9,000 4d10 33%

5 18,000 5d10 40%

6 36,000 6d10 47%

7 75,000 7d10 55%

8 150,000 8d10 1 62%

9 300,000 9d10 2 70%

10 600,000 9d10+3 2/1 78%

11 900,000 9d10+6 2/2 86%

12 1,200,000 9d10+9 2/2/1 94%

13 1,500,000 9d10+12 3/2/1 99%

14 1,800,000 9d10+15 3/2/2 99%

15 2,100,000 9d10+18 3/3/2 99%

16 2,400,000 9d10+21 3/3/3 99%

17* 2,700,000 9d10+24 3/3/3 99%

34 7,800,000 9d10+75 3/3/3 99%

(max at level 16)(max at level 13)

Archer {DND055}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Now this is a kit. Take something and do it VERY well. The bonuses to

hit and damage with arrows eventually increase to +6 at level 18, and

by the end of Throne of Bhaal it's up to +9, which is a HUGE bonus to

your rolls. Somebody who is specialized in bows to that extent isn't

going to want to use metal armor anyways, and besides, you're a Ranger,

you want to be able to sneak. The lack of proficiency with melee

weapons hurts though, as that costs us half an attack if we ever need to

get into melee. Keep in mind one tiny little problem. There are no +4

Arrows, so you'll never be able to hit anything that requires a +4 or

better weapon to hit with most bows. Also, +3 Arrows aren't unlimited.

The best unlimited ammo you get are +2 Arrows, and by Throne of Bhaal

many things won't be bothered by those. In big fights against powerful

enemies, your Archer isn't going to be able to contribute, at least not

against the main event. Balors, Greater Wolfweres, Greater Mummies, Pit

Fiends, and some Vampires will all be out of your league. There are a

few exceptions, however-there are two Short Bows in this game that

generate their own ammo-Tansheron's Bow +3 and the Gesen Bow +4.

Obviously the latter is superior, providing unlimited ammo that counts

as +4 for determining what it can hit. Also, since this class improves

all missile weapons, you could always use a Sling or throwing weapon

instead. In the latter case, there are plenty of good throwing Axes

throughout both games, even a +4 specimen in Throne of Bhaal. The only

problem? You will only be able to become proficient with throwing

weapons, and you will not attack particularly fast with them... at least,

not compared to bows. Still, as an anodyne for our suffering Overhaul

Games decided to fix the Called Shot ability-it's now cumulative,

meaning the higher you level the more your arrows do. Previously the

Called Shot ability only did whatever your level plateau indicated,

instead of keeping the bonuses you had at lower levels. It's a big

improvement. If you're planning on making an Archer, I'd suggest

focusing on Shortbows, as the only two bows that generate their own

ammunition (which strike as +3 and +4 weapons) are Shortbows. Simply

put, Shortbows can harm foes that Longbows can't, and one such bow can

be obtained fairly early in the game, making Longbows obsolete

throughout the game.

Advantages:

--> +1 to hit and damage rolls with any missile weapon for every 3

levels.

--> May achieve Grandmastery (5 slots) in longbows, shortbows, and

crossbows.

--> May use Called Shot ability once per day every 4 levels.

CALLED SHOT: All successful ranged attacks within the next 10 seconds

have the following cumulative effects besides normal damage, according

to the level of the Archer:

4th level: -1 penalty to target's THAC0.

8th level: -1 penalty to target's Saving Throws vs. Spell.

12th level: -1 penalty to the target's Strength score.

16th level: +2 bonus to damage roll.

Disadvantages:

--> May not wear any metal armor.

--> May only become proficient (one slot) with melee weapons.

--> May not use Charm Animal ability.

Stalker {DND056}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The 'may not wear armor greater than studded leather' disadvantage isn't

too bad, as that's the highest grade of armor I tend to throw on a

Ranger anyways, so let's look at the advantages. +20% to Stealth is

nice, but there's always a chance of failure, and considering how many

levels you can get... well... any Ranger is going to be good at stealth,

eventually, making the bonus Stealth incredibly short-sighted. The

backstab modifier is very nice, as it allows a Ranger to play like a

Thief. Haste is a good spell for any character to have, and Minor Spell

Deflection might come in handy. It won't save the Ranger from

Imprisonment or Horrid Wilting, but it will stop Disintegrate and Finger

of Death, and a whole host of other annoying low level spells (like

Charm, Chaos, and Hold Person). This kit might just be better than the

normal Ranger, but it's really just a poor substitute for a Fighter/Mage

or Fighter/Thief, both of which will be far, far superior.

Advantages:

--> +20% to Move Silently and Hide in Shadows.

--> May use Backstab ability, although for a lower damage multiplier

than Thieves:

Level 1-8: x2

Level 9-16: x3

Level 17+: x4

--> 12th Level: May memorize 3 Mage spells: Haste, Protection From

Normal Missiles and Minor Spell Deflection.

Disadvantages:

--> May not wear armor heavier than studded leather.

Beast Master {DND057}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

And again with the suck. Who wants to play a Ranger that is more like a

Druid? Druids suck, and Animal Summoning sucks. Don't even give this kit

a glance, it's not worth your attention.

Advantages:

--> +15% to Move Silently and Hide in Shadows.

--> May use Find Familiar ability to summon a Psuedo Dragon (if

lawful or neutral good) or Fairy Dragon (if chaotic good)

companion.

--> 8th level: May cast Animal Summoning I

--> 10th level: May cast Animal Summoning II.

--> 12th level: May cast Animal Summoning III.

Disadvantages:

--> May not use any metal weapons (for example: swords, halberds,

war hammers, or morning stars).

--> May not wear armor heavier than studded leather.

o==========================o

|Sorcerer | {DND058}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May not wear any armor.

--> May only use the following weapons: dagger, quarterstaff, dart,

sling.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.

--> May not place any slots in any fighting style.

--> May cast arcane spells.

--> May not scribe spells into their spellbooks as Mages do. Instead,

Sorcerers learn a small number of spells at each level, which

they can cast daily without memorization.

--> Hit Die: d4

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

If you're familiar with 3rd Edition Sorcerers, you'll be familiar with

Baldur's Gate 2's Sorcerer, they're just alike. That said, I never liked

Sorcerers. They function like Mages, except they can only know a handful

of spells, from which they can cast any of their known spells without

having to memorize them, although they are still limited to a maximum

number of spells per day. Ultimately a Sorcerer can know only several

spells of each spell level, and for many spell levels that's fine.

Chances are you won't find too many more 9th level spells, at least

not ones you'll use often. On the other hand this takes down their

tactical flexibility a great deal. You either know the spell, or you

don't, there's no learning it from a scroll or preparing it for a big

fight when needed. They do get one more spell per day per spell level

than a normal Mage, but what do they have that Edwin doesn't have? He

gets two spells per day per spell level over a normal Mage AND has

tactical flexibility. On the other hand, when you get right down to it,

there are only a handful of spells each level that get used frequently,

and not having to choose the exact number of each to prepare can be

helpful.

Sorcerer

Level EXP HP Spells (Known) Spells (Cast)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d4 2 3

2 2,500 2d4 2 4

3 5,000 3d4 3 5

4 10,000 4d4 3/1 6/3

5 20,000 5d4 4/2 6/4

6 40,000 6d4 4/2/1 6/5/3

7 60,000 7d4 5/3/2 6/6/4

8 90,000 8d4 5/3/2/1 6/6/5/3

9 135,000 9d4 5/4/3/2 6/6/6/4

10 250,000 9d4+1 5/4/3/2/1 6/6/6/5/3

11 375,000 9d4+2 5/5/4/3/2 6/6/6/6/4

12 750,000 9d4+3 5/5/4/3/2/1 6/6/6/6/5/3

13 1,125,000 9d4+4 5/5/4/4/3/2 6/6/6/6/6/4

14 1,500,000 9d4+5 5/5/4/4/3/2/1 6/6/6/6/6/5/3

15 1,875,000 9d4+6 5/5/4/4/4/3/2 6/6/6/6/6/6/4

16 2,250,000 9d4+7 5/5/4/4/4/3/2/1 6/6/6/6/6/6/5/3

17* 2,625,000 9d4+8 5/5/4/4/4/3/3/2 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/4

31 7,875,000 9d4+22 5/5/5/5/5/5/5/4/4 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6

(max at level 20)

Dragon Disciple {DND059}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Oh my... where to even begin? Well, lets start out with the obvious.

What is the primary role of a Sorcerer? Casting spells. What's their

biggest limitation? The number of spells per level they know. If there

is any one problem with the Sorcerer, it's that their spells per day

limit their tactical flexibility. Their biggest perk is the ability to

be able to cast any of their known spells at will, up until their number

of spells castable per level per day. So, any class kit that proposes

to reduce the number of spells the Sorcerer can know absolutely must

provide outstanding benefits to compensate... preferably ones that

amplify in other ways the magical prowess of the class. Is that the

case, then, with the Dragon Disciple? Of course not. What do you get in

return for shearing off one spell known per day? 100% Fire Resistance,

+4 Armor Class, +2 Constitution, and an 8d8 breath weapon. First, you

can get Fire Resistance from all sorts of sources, but since we're

talking about Sorcerers, lets assume they could get them from spells-

spells they would have the flexibility to learn if you had just picked

a normal Sorcerer, or better yet, a REAL Mage. Armor Class shouldn't be

very important for a Mage, who belongs out of melee combat... but it can

also be improved by spells... again, more spells known, more defensive

spells available. Third, why the hell do you need the Constitution

bonus? Start out with a sixteen, the Sorcerer can't get more than +2

Hit Points per level anyways. Lastly... a once per day 8d8 damage

breath weapon? Fireball will deal comparable damage, why not use that?

Not saying it's not beneficial, but is it really worth the loss of

spells? Heck, you can find a book that will allow you to cast a Fireball

(amongst other spells) once per day, and that item is rarely useful, so

how often do you think you'll need to call upon your inferior breath

weapon? The best perk this class adds is the superior d6 Hit Dice.

18 extra Hit Points is not bogus, but the rest of this class's perks

are replacable with spells... spells you would know if you weren't this

class! Worse still, almost all the bonuses of this class are defensive,

and defensive boosts that a Mage doesn't really need. I say, just be a

normal Sorceror, or better yet, a Specialist Mage, or best of all, just

recruit Edwin.

--> 1st level: +1 bonus to AC.

--> 3rd level: May use Breath Weapon once per day.

BREATH WEAPON: The Dragon Disciple breathes a gout of flame up to 30 ft.

long, inflicting 3d8 points of fire damage on all creatures caught

within the 140 degree cone.

--> 4th level: Gains 25% innate Fire Resistance.

--> 5th level: +1 bonus to AC and Constitution.

--> 6th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 4d8.

--> 8th level: Innate Fire Resistance rises to 50%.

--> 9th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 5d8.

--> 10th level: +1 bonus to AC.

--> 12th level: Innate Fire Resistance rises to 75%.

--> 12th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 6d8.

--> 15th level: +1 bonus to AC and Constitution.

--> 15th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 7d8.

--> 16th level: Innate Fire Resistance rises to 100%.

--> 18th level: Breath Weapon damage increases to 8d8.

--> 20th level: +1 bonus to AC.

--> Hit Dice: d6

Disadvantages:

--> May cast one fewer spell per level per day.

o==========================o

|Thief | {DND060}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May not wear armor heavier than studded leather.

--> May not equip shields larger than bucklers.

--> May only use the following weapons: long sword, short sword,

katana, scimitar, dagger, club, quarterstaff, crossbow,

shortbow, dart, sling.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.

--> May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.

--> May distribute 25 points per level (40 at level 1) in thieving

abilities: Open Locks, Pick Pockets, Find/Disarm Traps, Move

Silently, Hide in Shadows, Detect Illusions, Set Traps.

--> May use Set Snare ability once per day every 5 levels (starts at

1st level with one use).

1st Level: Deals 2d8+5 missile damage.

11th Level: Deals 2d8+5 missile damage and additional deals

2d6 poison damager per round for the next 3 rounds.

16th Level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and 4d8+2 fire damage.

21st Level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and 20 poison damage

with no save, slays target if a Save vs. Death with a +4

bonus is failed.

--> May use Backstab ability for increased damage.

Level 1-4: x2

Level 5-8: x3

Level 9-12: x4

Level 13+: x5

--> Hit Die: d6

Prime Requisites for Dual-Classing: Dexterity

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The Thief isn't as combat savvy as the Cleric, and they don't have

spells. What's the draw then? Their thieving abilities. These allow them

to pick pockets, find and disarm traps, open locked objects, and hide

from enemies. Of these skills, one is essential, so some character or

another with thieving abilities is required in any party. As for combat,

they can only wear the lightest armors, but they do have access to a

variety of weapons. Most importantly, as they gain levels they get the

ability to 'backstab'. If they are hidden and attack an enemy they

multiply the damage they deal by their backstab modifier. They are a

waste of a class on their own, but it is a great dual or multi class

option, as it gives any class the ability to be more lethal by

backstabbing... and if you make your own, you don't have to drag around

a character to do the thieving for you. A Fighter/Thief is a potent

combination, and so is a Fighter/Mage/Thief. For more information on

Thief abilities, see [DND084].

Thief

Level EXP HP Backstab Multiplier

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d6 x2

2 1,250 2d6 x2

3 2,500 3d6 x2

4 5,000 4d6 x2

5 10,000 5d6 x3

6 20,000 6d6 x3

7 40,000 7d6 x3

8 70,000 8d6 x3

9 110,000 9d6 x4

10 160,000 9d6+2 x4

11 220,000 9d6+4 x4

12 440,000 9d6+6 x4

13 660,000 9d6+8 x5

14 880,000 9d6+10 x5

15 1,100,000 9d6+12 x5

16 1,320,000 9d6+14 x5

17 1,540,000 9d6+16 x5

19 1,760,000 9d6+18 x5

20 1,980,000 9d6+20 x5

21 2,200,000 9d6+22 x5

22 2,420,000 9d6+24 x5

23 2,640,000 9d6+26 x5

24* 2,860,000 9d6+28 x5

40 8,000,000 9d6+62 x5

(max at level 13)

Assassin {DND061}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

You'll be slower with your Thief skills progression, but that seems a

worthy trade for the x7 backstab multiplier! +1 to hit and damage is

nice too, but it's totally out-shadowed by the backstab. This is a great

class to dual-class into a Fighter with. Get your Thief skills in place

and enjoy your bonus THAC0, damage, and backstab multiplier. There is

nothing preventing you from poisoning your weapon before you backstab,

either, although the poison is by itself fairly weak, any little bit

helps, especially with such a resounding first strike. The only problem

is you need to make it fairly far as a Thief to get that juicy x7

multiplier. Thankfully, however, the Thief is the lowest class to raise.

Getting to level 13 will only take 660,000 experience, leaving enough

left over for you to reach level 37 as a Fighter, which is more than

enough. It'll be a long time hitting level 14 to get your Thief skills

back... probably not a thing a new player wants to attempt. But

worthwhile if you pull it off.

Advantages:

--> +1 bonus to hit and damage rolls.

--> Backstab ability reaches x7 multiplier instead of capping at x5.

--> May use Poison Weapon ability once per day ever 4 levels.

POISON WEAPON: Each successful hit within the next round will inject

poison into the target, dealing an extra 2 points of damage per second

with no Saving Throw (for a total of 12 points of damage). Moreover, if

the target fails a Saving Throw vs. Poison, he will suffer 1 additional

point of damage per round for 4 rounds thereafter.

Disadvantages:

--> May only distribute 15 skill points per level among thieving

skills.

Bounty Hunter {DND062}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Some changes were made to this kit in recent patches, so let's take a

look... the first two traps are somewhat decent, although 3d8+5 damage

and Slow isn't nothing to go crazy over, either. After that, though,

the traps just get worse. I'd rather have the slow at a -4 Save than

Hold at -1-a slowed enemy is so crippled they might as well be

defenseless. By level 16, this class is a joke. Otiluke's Resilient

Sphere just removes a foe from combat for a short while, and Maze?

Pretty much the same thing, for a period of time that varies based on

Intelligence. Is this kit supposed to compare in any way to the

Assassin, Swashbuckler, or Shadowdancer? Because it fails. I can't see

how any of these would be terribly useful against most foes in Baldur's

Gate 2, and getting sixteen levels in a class just so you can use a less

reliable version of Otiluke's Reslient Sphere-a 4th level Mage spell

just seems incredibly stupid. Hell, I'd rather have the normal Thief's

21st level trap than the Bounty Hunter's; 3d8+25 damage with Save vs.

Death or die is much better than freakin' Maze. Point is, this kit is

full of suck. Someone, somewhere, is laughing at if you if you pick

this kit.

Advantages:

--> +15% bonus to Set Traps.

--> May luse Set Special Snare ability once per day every 5 levels

(starts at 1st level with one use) in addition to the normal

Thief's Set Snare.

SET SPECIAL SNARE: Set a trap in the chosen location when no hostile

creatures are in sight. Traps grow more powerful with the Bounty

Hunter's level and can only be triggered by enemies.

1st level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and slows target for 5

rounds is a Save vs. Spell with a -4 penalty is failed.

11th Level: Deals 4d8+5 missile damage and holds target for 5

rounds if a Save vs. Spell with a -1 penalty is failed.

16th Level: The trap erects an Otiluke's Resilient Sphere around

the target for 7 rounds if a Saving Throw is failed.

21st Level: The trap mazes the target.

Disadvantages:

--> May only distribute 20 skill points per level among thieving

skills.

Swashbuckler {DND063}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

This is at least a legitimate attempt to make a character who is not a

Fighter actually able to fight. The bonus to Armor Class and attack and

damage are both pretty good, and almost overcome the handicap a Thief

suffers against a Fighter in armor and THAC0. The ability to specialize

is very welcome, especially in the Two Weapon Style. The only down sides

are the fact that the Thief loses the backstab ability, and for all its

trying, a Fighter it is not. Namely they're still losing sorely in the

Hit Point department. This makes me wonder one thing. Why not make a

Fighter/Thief instead of a Swashbuckler? You'll have the better THAC0 of

a Fighter, better Hit Points than a Thief, the ability to specialize in

weapons, including all the Fighter weapons, and you get to keep your

backstab. It's a nice offer, but frankly multi-classing still wins.

Advantages:

--> +1 bonus to Armor Class at 1st level, plus an additional

+1 bonus every 5 levels.

--> +1 bonus to hit and damage rolls every 5 levels.

--> May Specialize (two slots) in any melee weapon available to

Thieves.

--> May place 3 slots into Two-Weapon Style.

Disadvantages:

--> May not use Backstab ability.

Shadowdancer {DND064}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

The Shadowdancer once had its merits, but I now consider well and

truly nerfed by Overhaul Games. First, however, let me just point out

that I consider it a waste to make a single-classed Thief for any

reason, no matter what the kit. The point of having a Thief is, first

and foremost, to get that necessary Find Traps skill into your party.

Fortunately, you can multi-class and dual-class to make the best of

having a Thief. Not that a Thief is terrible, but a Fighter/Thief or

Mage/Thief (or best yet, a Fighter/Mage/Thief!) is much better than

a single-classed Thief. The draw of mixing a Shadowdancer into a

dual-classed kit is, of course, its superior back-stabbing abilities,

thanks to its Hide in Plain Sight ability-so good it had to be ripped

out of 3rd Edition (except for the Assassin and Ranger, who just get

screwed here). What does it do? Lets you hide... in plain sight!

Normally if a foe spots you, you can't hide. I know, this ability is a

little lame because you can always run around a corner or cast

invisibility... so a multi-class Thief who can cast Mage spells need

not worry, nor does any Thief equipped with The Paws of the Cheetah,

and ignoring the fact that invisibility items are common as dirt in this

game, it's a good ability. They also get Shadowstep once for every

five levels, which acts like a non-combative Time Stop, allowing

you to move for one round while everything else is frozen... which is

actually a pretty good tactical ability. Need to get behind that Mage

in the midst of a group of guards before they can expose your

invisibility, and want to get back out in one piece after attacking?

Here you go. The downsides to this kit always limited the benefits,

but less so before than now. The folks at Overhaul Games apparently

realized that a Shadowdancer with good Hide in Shadows and Move

Silenty could essentially backstab foes at will thanks to Hide in

Plain sight, and responded with putting a cooldown timer (about one

round) on the Stealth skill after using Backstab. Worse still, they

nerfed the Shadowdancer's short-term Backstab multiplier in favor of

long-term gains, which is not what we want as a potential dual-class.

Previously you could obtain a x3 multiplier by the time you hit 9th

level, but the same bonus now requires an 18th level Shadowdancer.

You'd have to exceed that level with a second class to get your original

bonuses back, and that is simply impractical, even if you're rather

power-gamey (by comparison, an Assassin would enjoy a x7 backstab at

a lower level, plus a flat +1 bonus to attack and damage). Put those

two together and you've got a class that can't quite backstab with

impunity, and doesn't even recieve a backstab damage bonus until 9th

level.

Advantages:

--> +10% bonus to Hide in Shadows and Move Silently.

--> Hide in Plain Sight: A Shadowdancer may Hide in Shadows even

while being observed.

--> May cast Shadowstep once per day every 5 levels.

SHADOWSTEP: Step into the Shadow Plane and move for 7 seconds while

others are frozen in time. The Shadowdancer cannot attack or cast spells

while in the Shadow Plane:

--> Slippery Mind: +1 bonus to Saving Throws.

Disadvantages:

--> Alignment restricted to any non-lawful.

--> May use Backstab ability, although for a lower damage mutliplier

than Thieves:

Level 1-8: x1 (no multiplier)

Level 9-17: x2

Level 18-24: x3

Level 25+ x4

--> May only distribute 20 skill points per level (30 at level 1)

among thieving skills.

--> May not use Set Snare ability.

o==========================o

|Thief/Cleric | {DND065}

o==========================o

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Well, might as well mention it eh? The Thief/Cleric is an odd, and at

odds with itself character. You won't be wearing any heavy armor if you

want to keep your Thief skills, but you can certainly wear light armor

with no problem. Of course, you're stuck with the Cleric's selection of

weapons, but you'll be able to use all the Thief skills, including

backstab. Honestly the Mage spells seem a better fit for a Thief, which

is more of a stay back out of the way kinda class, as opposed to the

Cleric, which is often a decently armored character who can stand up in

combat. This might be an interesting dual-class, provided you don't care

that your Cleric won't be as tough as if you had dual-classed with a

Fighter.

o==========================o

|Wild Mage | {DND066}

o==========================o

CLASS FEATURES:

--> May memorize one additional spell per level.

--> May cast the 1st level spell Nahal's Reckless Dweomer.

--> May cast the 2nd level spell Chaos Shield (included in spellbook

for free).

--> May cast the 7th level spell Improved Chaos Shield (included in

spellbook for free).

--> Upon casting a spell, there is a 5% chance of incurring in a

Wild Surge.

WILD SURGE: A Wild Surge generates a completely random magical effect

from the spell being cast. Its effects may be either beneficial or

detrimental to the Wild Mage and her allies.

--> Casting level varies slightly whenever she casts a spell--

anywhere between five levels lower and five levels higher than

the WildMage's true level.

--> Hit Die: d4

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

You take a normal specialist Mage, remove their prohibited school, and

add massive randonmess to everything they do, and you've got the Wild

Mage. I know that when I cast spells, I always find myself wistfully

wishing that I had a chance to change my gender or cast a Fireball on

myself. Seriously though, the odds of having Wild Magic doing something

beneficial actually isn't that low. Having it do the RIGHT beneficial

thing to the right target, however, is rather uncommon. You're

essentially trading the known penalty of a prohibited spell school for

the random 5% chance to... well... check out the table below [DND069].

Suffice to say, I don't find randomness helpful when it comes to my

Mages. We already have to deal with targeting, Magic Resistance, Saving

Throws, and the possibility of getting interrupted by damage. Magic is

busy enough already. On top of that, every spell they DO successfully

cast without triggering a Magic Surge also fluctuates by up to five

levels (plus or minus) the caster's level. At level one, this doesn't

matter much-you really only stand to gain, but as you level up, this

adds serious uncertainty to the duration and damage of many spells. All

in all, what does a Wild Mage have over a Conjurer? Identify, True

Sight, and massive randomness to everything they do, that's what.

Wild Mage

Level EXP HP Spells

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

1 n/a 1d4 1

2 2,500 2d4 2

3 5,000 3d4 2/1

4 10,000 4d4 3/2

5 20,000 5d4 4/2/1

6 40,000 6d4 4/2/2

7 60,000 7d4 4/3/2/1

8 90,000 8d4 4/3/3/2

9 135,000 9d4 4/3/3/2/1

10 250,000 9d4+1 4/4/3/2/2

11 375,000 9d4+2 4/4/4/3/3

12 750,000 9d4+3 4/4/4/4/4/1

13 1,125,000 9d4+4 5/5/5/4/4/2

14 1,500,000 9d4+5 5/5/5/4/4/2/1

15 1,875,000 9d4+6 5/5/5/5/5/2/1

16 2,250,000 9d4+7 5/5/5/5/5/3/2/1

17* 2,625,000 9d4+8 5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2

31 7,875,000 9d4+22 5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/4

(max at level 34)

Wild Surge Table {DND067}

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

This table was taken straight from the Throne of Bhaal manual.

o====o=================================================================o

|Roll| Wild Surge Effect |

o====o=================================================================o

| 1 | Repulsion field centred on the caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2 | Wild colour changes upon the caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3 | Squirrels appear around caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4 | The caster becomes itchy |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5 | The caster glows |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6 | A fireball centres on the caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7 | The caster’s sex is changed |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8 | The caster’s colour changes |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9 | Every one in the area changes direction |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10 | Explosion centred on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11 | Entangle spell centred on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12 | Slow spell centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13 | Target polymorphed into a wolf |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14 | Caster held |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15 | Caster hasted |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16 | Caster changed into a squirrel |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17 | Gold on the caster is destroyed |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18 | Target weakened |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19 | Sunfire spell centred on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20 | Movement rate lowered on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21 | Fireball centred on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 22 | Caster held as per the spell Hold Person |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 23 | Fear spell centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 24 | Roll twice more. Both effects apply |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 25 | Entire area explored |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 26 | Globe of invulnerability centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 27 | Silence 15 foot radius centred on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 28 | Caster dizzy |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 29 | Target invisible |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 30 | Pretty sparkles! No other effect |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31 | Caster is spell’s target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 32 | Caster becomes invisible |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 33 | Colour spray from caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 34 | Birds appear around the caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 35 | Fireball centred on caster. No damage done |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 36 | Gems created on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 37 | Combat music starts |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 38 | Goodberries created on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 39 | Fireball flies toward target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 40 | Charges drained on area effect around target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 41 | Random treasure created on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 42 | Caster is combat ready (+2 THACO +2 Damage) |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 43 | Teleport field spell centred on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 44 | Teleport field spell centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 45 | Area effect hiccups centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 46 | All doors in area of effect open. If there are no doors, then |

| | roll twice and use both effects |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 47 | Caster polymorphs into wolf |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 48 | Change target randomly |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 49 | Caster recuperates as if he rested |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 50 | Monsters summoned by target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 51 | Start snowing if outside, otherwise roll twice more |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 52 | Loud noise. Target must save or be stunned |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 53 | Target’s hit points doubled |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 54 | Summon demon to attack target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 55 | Spell fired but with squealing noise |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 56 | Spell goes off but duration is halved |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 57 | Strange visual effect, but the spell fizzles |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 58 | Projectile speed halved |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 59 | All weapons in the area glow |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 60 | No saving throw is allowed against the spell |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 61 | Target is held as per the Hold Person spell |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 62 | Detect magic spell centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 63 | Roll 4 more times. All effects happen |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 64 | Slow spell centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 65 | Instead of the chosen spell, a different spell of the same level|

| | goes off |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 66 | Lightning bolt spell cast at target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 67 | Target strengthened |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 68 | Heal centred on the target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 69 | Entangle target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 70 | Caster weakened |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 71 | Fireball spell centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 72 | Flesh to stone on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 73 | Spell fired. Caster also recuperated as if rested |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 74 | Heal spell centred on caster |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 75 | Target dizzy |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 76 | Sunfire centred on target (caster unaffected) |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 77 | Target held |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 78 | Target blinded |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 79 | Target charmed |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 80 | Gems created on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 81 | Target’s movement rate reduced |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 82 | Random treasure created on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 83 | Target polymorphed into squirrel |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 84 | Silence 15 foot radius centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 85 | Target’s sex changed |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 86 | Fake explosion (no damage) centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 87 | Stinking cloud centred on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 88 | Cow falls from sky on the target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 89 | Target dizzy |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 90 | Spell has 60 foot radius at target (change projectile) |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 91 | Target itchy |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 92 | Casters hit points doubled |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 93 | Target held |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 94 | Target hastened |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 95 | Destroy all gold on target |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 96 | Spell casts at double effectiveness |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 97 | Spell cast, -4 to target’s saving throw |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 98 | Target’s colour changed |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

| 99 | Spell cast at double level |

|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

|100 | Spell casts normally |

o====o=================================================================</pre>