Druid or Cleric ?

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Since a Druid can reach lv.10 withe ToSC expansion, would this put them on even footing or give them an edge on Clerics inyour opinion?

 

Meh. The core spells at these low levels are accessible by both, so they're about even.

 

You remember there's these things called "turn undead",spell raise dead,

Clerics rule supreme!

 

Turn Undead is next to useless at BG1 levels, and Raise Dead is only available at end-game if at all.

 

Clerics are far superior, mainly because of the overpowered "animate dead" spell, the cleric only "protection from evil 10' radius" does also help a lot.

 

I must say that after some comparative play, I beleive that the Druid is just as viable as the Cleric. By the time they max out in experience points the Druid is 2 levels above the Cleric with a better THAC0, saving throws, and access to level 5 spells. Granted, there are only two level 5 spells for a Druid, Animal Summoning 2 and Cure Critical Wounds, these are two great spells. And if the Druid has used the 3 tomes of wisdom in the game, he gets 3 level 5 spell slots. Animal Summoning 2 is far better than the Animate Dead spell of the Cleric in an unmodded, standard TotSC game. The only spells that the Cleric has that give him an advantage in the magic areana are Rigid Thinking, Domination, Remove Paralysis, Silence 15' Radius, Hold Person, Draw Upon Holy Might, and Sanctuary. While these are significant, the only ones the Druid can't make up for are Rigid Thinking, Silence 15' Radius, and Sanctuary. And of these only Rigid Thinking and Silence 15' Radius are used regularly in a combat situation. The Turn Undead ability is not greatly significant at these levels. The Druid has access to armour options just as good The Cleric has and in weapons the Druid has the advatage of being able to use the Dagger of Venom, +3 Frost Brand, Darts of Wounding and Stunning, and all Cleric scrolls. And the Druid's THAC0 is only 3 point behind a Fighter with **** in thier weapon of choice. So based on that information I believe that a Druid armed with the Dagger of Venom and Darts of Wounding and Stunning along with certain potions, the Druid is just, as if not more, formidable as the Cleric.

 

Although the Cleric wouln't have to do as much to be powerful would they?

 

Perhaps not, but I think in thier own way in a standard TotSC game a Druid can be just as powerful and useful as any Cleric would be. The strategiesing it takes to set up a strong Druid can be fun because it seems to me that the game designers went out of thier way to try and make the Druid a crappy class. Come on people, give the ol' Druid a chance to earn your love.

 

Go with a Cleric/Ranger (dual or multi) and have the best of both worlds!

Clerics are a decent class on their own. I personally think Druids stink if they're single-classed.

 

My thoughts ran along these same lines until one day I took Faldorn in a party. Now conventional wisdom would dictate that she sucks and after seeing her stats and such and combine that with the suk@$$ druid spell selection who would want her. But my wife was watching me play and convinced me to take her. The first thing I Did was give her the best equipment that could be spared, the very best being reserved for my fighters. She wore: Ankheg Plate Mail, Helm of Defense, Gauntlets of Dexterity, Boots of Avoidance,Ring of Holiness, Ring of Animal Friendship, Necklace of Missiles, Golden Girdle, Spear +1, Sling +1 and later on I added The Dagger of Venom, Sling +3 : 'Arla's Dragonbane' and Kiel's Buckler. Now, I don't know what it is about her but she rarely gets hit and fights at an optimal level for a cleric, and even if she can't take down a tough opponent she can detain them long enough to give the fighters a chance to finish other tough opponents without being beaten on from behind. Add that to being able to reach 10th level and being a spell caster, I am now a fan of Faldorn if not Druids in general.

[ August 27, 2006, 22:12: Message edited by: Bassil Warbone ]

 

Give similar equipment to Branwen and see who comes out better.

 

With the exception of the spear and the dagger, I would imagine.

 

@Klorox With Darts of Wounding and Stunning and wands of Fear and paralyzation I woud say the fight would be pretty even. I think I may sword coast keeper them up and try them out.

 

Clerics are probably better at lower levels, and are better for lending support to your fighters through protective magic or just swinging a mace around.

 

At lower levels I think Clerics are probably more useful and powerful, but Druids level up faster and farther.

 

Actually, I gained Raise Dead about mid-way through the game on Finch, and my own cleric PC gained that spell a short time after Finch.

edit: I would also add that personally, I prefer clerics, but druids are good too.

 

You got to 9th level halfway through the game... Well, I guess Tutu (Finch is a Tutu-only NPC) must have twice as much XP, then. My point still stands for BG1 levels, where the 161K XP cap (not to mention total XP of about 1.1 million; divided by six that's 167K) would stop even a single-classed cleric at level 8, short of Raise Dead.

 

A cleric isn't all that powerful in his own right if single classed if you ask me. But they got a bunch of really good suporive spells.
Druids however (at least i think so) isn't the best chioce in BG1 howvere in BG2 they are good mainly because of thier ability to shapechange.