Ancient topic: Builds you think other people might've missed

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After 5+ years, everyone has probably played and seen everything in SOA, but use this thread to discuss builds you don't think many people might use or talk about, and explain why they're worthwhile. I haven't seen anyone discuss these in the past year, but then again, they could just be old hat. (So no, I'm not trying to claim that I'm cleverer than everyone else.)


Vanilla ranger (no kit): Like I said in the other thread, get 3* in two-weapon fighting and 2* your favorite 1-hander weapons. By the end of SOA, you'll be a walking weapons platform (Crom Faeyr, Celestial Fury, Belm, IMOD, FOA, etc. etc.) in full plate, magical helmet and accoutrements with the option to swap in a tower shield for default -10AC (or better) or leather armor for stealth and scouting. Note that no other ranger kit in SOA possesses all these options.

Berserker dualled to cleric at 9/12/13: 3-5* in flail and/or mace and/or warhammer. Buff yourself to the gills with holy power, blade barrier, reflected image, plus whatever other things you want (chant, defensive harmony, barkskin, etc.), and on top of that, use the berserk ability to get bonus stats and HP and become immune to everything. Wearing the heaviest plate mail, shield, and magic helmet and doodads (cloak of the sewers/Balduran, ring of earth control, etc.) for AC of -10 or better unbuffed with high DEX (use gauntlets of dex if needed).

Going 5* in warhammer for Crom Faeyr may sound a little too much like being a munchkin/powergamer, but considering how long it takes to finally assemble CF (and how you'll probably be stuck with a lousy +2 warhammer/+1 electrical damage at best the rest of the time), it's a little more balanced than it sounds. Then you get your hands on Crom Faeyr with 25 STR, cleric buffs, berserk, the heaviest armor in the game, and becomes totally unbalanced and disgusting.

 

Pure ranger always sounds cool, but people tend to MC or DC it with a cleric. The trade off for using only blunt weaponry is:Highest spells, cleric HLAs, turning undead, holy symbol, better save vs death at the beginning etc.

 

I recently started trying out a swashbuckler who will be dual classed to cleric at level 10 (or 11, can never remember when the 5 level increments for kit bonuses actually kick in). Plan is to make him a stealthy field medic/special ops character using traps, buffs, reciprocal damage spells and the like. Using single weapon style and two handed weapon style (dual class characters that dont include fighter levels always end up with a huge range of proficiencies, so he might as well stay flexible), he is forgoing the dual wielding option as it would be too tempting to stick Crom Faeyr in there for hefty chunkage. He wont be supremely powerful, but then I dont want him to be.

 

Cool idea Will!

Strange and unique builds like those are always fun to try methinks.

 

Also trying the C/T route, though with a cleric dualled to thief at level 14. She'll be my scout and backsmacker[tm] with clubs and staves.

@Will - Swashies get that AC bonus every 5 levels; 5, 10, 15, etc.

 

Still I guess a MC C/T would be more powerful, having UAI and Cleric HLAs both must be good. Wear Robe of Vecna for increased spell casting speed, equip SoM, and you are one bad-ass cleric!

A question though:
With Use Any Item HLA, when a thief wears heavy armor, like fullest plate mail etc. will its thievery skills be disabled still? It must have hurt.

 

AFAIK, UAI doesn't get around the heavy armor restriction on thieving skills. I'm curious to see if UAI will let me play with knives.

 

Yes and yes. UAI does not remove the armor's restriction, but at least you can still cast clerical spells and look for traps with it on. And while you will then be able to use stabby-stabby and slashy-slashy, you still can't become proficient with them. Staves are still your best friend.

 

Or clubs, especially if you have the Item Upgrade Mod that offers two very good club options. (Actually, the +4 Fulcrum might be the better bet for a C/T as it gives you grand mastery in clubs.

As far as some underappreciated builds, I'll go with a multi-classed ranger-cleric, a dual classed kensai-thief, a multi-classed fighter/thief/mage, and no one ever plays a sorcerer. *snicker*

 

Any class without a kit is a class that is under played.

**OFF TOPIC** I remember playing PnP AD&D and it was a blessing if you had the stats to be a Paladin, Ranger, Bard, Druid, or a Specialist Mage. Those classes are kits themselves compared to a Fighter, Cleric, Thief or Mage. The special class have some really high abilties scores that made them rare. When the kits were introduce the special classes were no longer so special. And now with 3E rules those special classes are considered a regular class like a Fighter, Cleric, Thief or Mage. For me though those special classes are special and unique which is what made AD&D fun for me. Being able to say I had a Paladin, Ranger, Bard, Druid or Specialist Mage.

Now with 3E the classes that made 2E so great are just your every day class. It make me not want to play any new D&D computer games.

 

I always thought the Jester was a pretty interesting and underplayed build.

 

First off.. Hi there, long time BG Series fan and it's nice to see there still some active forums about this great game

I finshed the game (non-TOB) with my swashbuckler lvl 10 dueled to cleric.. he was pretty good but his atack numbers where kinda low (around 2 or 3 per round so he just didt beat the berserker / cleric combo)

off-topic(in response to killjoy): can you even get cloak of balduren in BG II or its expension? same question for cloak of the wolf tbh..

 

Cloak of Balduran and Wolf are both only in BG1. Should've been better about the topic.

Cloak of the Sewers is a SOA-only cloak that works in a pinch to knock off an extra AC point without the "you are already wearing magic armor +1" restriction.

 

Once upon a time I had a paladin with stats like 16/13/13/16/17/17 or something like that (don't take my word on the exact numbers but the principle was more or less the same) and the single-weapon style.

 

I'm thinking about playing a Sorcerer who would focus on Enchantment and avoid Evocation spells, that could be fun (the idea comes from a comic books villain named Mesmero).
I don't think it is going to be very easy to play but it can be worth a try for a change.
I always wanted to play a charismatic Charname surrounded with tanks, a leader who wouldn't have to demean himself by carrying a weapon!