Is it even worth it to stay a fighter class rather than dual classing?

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It seems like it wouldn't really be worth it to continue past level 13? Dual classing then seems to be the way to go from what I've read on here??
Or is multi-classing the way to go instead? If you multi-class you can't get a kit so I'm thinking no on the multi stuff

 

For a kensai, the ideal time to dual is either on the 9th or 12th level. There's nothing particularly wrong with sticking it out though. Unless you're soloing, fighters make a good contribution to the team. Unfortunately, IE games are a slave to their D&D system, and up until 4th edition, casters have always outshined mundanes. That's just how it works. Fighters get a little more damage or resistance, and mages get planetars and dragon breaths.

 

Not really. past lvl 20 the fighter doesn't improve in thac0, and a lvl 17 fighter will have the same Death:3/Wand:5/Polymorph:4/Breath:4/Spell:6 saving throws as a lvl 40 fighter.
Also, a fighter multiclass can get the same hla's as a pure fighter.
That's one point for multiclass over dual class, as you won't be able to get fighter HLA's if you dual a fighter at lvl 13, only the second class you dual to gets the high level abilities.
One thing a pure fighter has over dual/multiclass is that he can attain grandmastery in his proficiencies, but the bg2 grandmasteries nerfed as they are, it's not really worth it.
Some kits can make pure classes worth it, for example the swashbuckler and kensai get bonuses each 5 / 3 levels respectively. They will keep gaining these bonuses even beyond lvl 20.

The thing is - most classes arn't going to gain a lot more after 20 levels or so anyway. caster spell slots gained taper off after this, a lvl 20 mage has 2 lvl 9 spell slots, getting 3 lvl 9 spell slots at lvl 23 and 4 at lvl 28.
compared to a lvl 20 mage, a lvl 28 mage gets 1 extra lvl 6 spell slot, 2 lvl 7 spell slots, 2 lvl 8 spell slots and 2 lvl 9 spell slots - and after lvl 28, you stop gaining more spell slots alltogether.
This is why, when dualing to a mage you'll want to do it soon enough to be able to hit mage lvl 28 before the endgame if you want to make the most of it.

Similarly, a thief at lvl 20 will have ~500 points to put in their thieving skills, more then enough to get all skills to a respectable level.
That's the reason most people will dual or multiclass - there's just not much point to pure classes, besides the few exceptions in case of kits, and even then the added utility from dual/multiclassing usually outweighs the bonuses you keep gaining from any kit.

 

I thought it was level 13?

 

Multiclassing works because spellcasting is incredibly powerful in BG2 and because multiclassed characters get to choose HLAs from two/three different classes for each level they gain after reaching 3M or so total XP.

Most dual-classed characters are basically just enhanced versions of single class characters. You give up faster level progression for some other benefit, like fighter abilities (better THAC0/HP, extra attacks per round, weapon grandmastery, fighter kit abilities). Although it is possible to dual after getting HLAs (for max benefit) this is generally discouraged because it takes too long for you to gain back the abilities of your primary class. The last time I tried this on a non-solo, I only got back my primary class abilities after beating 4 out of the big 5.

In the end, it all depends on whether you want a good fighter AND arcane caster (multiclass fighter/mage) or a dedicated mage who can also fight well (dual class kensai-mage).

Single class fighters are actually pretty powerful, especially the Kensai which has abilities that improve with levels. Fighters get LOTS of good HLAs.

 

The thing about dualing at lvl 13 is that you have a humongous downtime where you need to get to mage lvl 14 to regain your original class' levels.
You'd need to hit 1250000 exp to get to fighter lvl 13 in the first place, then 1500000 exp to get to mage lvl 14.
Probaby only really wise to do this in a solo game, and even then you might need to exploit scribing scrolls to regain your exp in the mage levels to make the game playable once you do dual.

 

You're right, you get the +½ attack at 13, not at 12. I only did a quick glance at the proficiency points.

 

Are you kidding me?!?!? Have you used a high level fighter will all those HLAs? They become absolute killing machines.

 

Ditto T2. Fighters are monsters with HLAs. Try running a duo of kensai & blade to the end of ToB. Blender City.

 

All characters are monsters with HLAs. Mundanes are the cleanup crew, in case anything survives the initial onslaught of casters or for when spells aren't worth casting.

 

I'm not saying fighter HLA's are bad, but multiclass fighters get access to them just as pure fighters do, while also getting access to HLA's from their second class for more versatility.

 

I like multiclass characters, my personal favorites are:

half-orc fighter/thief (starts with 19 strength)
gnome cleric/thief (traps, backstab, and harm make for a bad day -- for the other guys)

 

Pure class fighters are not bad, but a palladin, monk or barbarian will get the same HLAs and some class specific extras as well. A multi-class fighter will fight just as well (though may lag behind a bit in HP), but also have the benefit of the other class's abilities.

I would dual at 9 or 13. 9 if you're going for a short down time, 13 to max things out. A fighter 13 could dual to cleric or thief and still get cleric/thief lvl 39. Only if you reach the 8 mln level cap, obviously.

 

But it takes forever to get to HLAs for multis...

 

It depends on the multi though. Since you get an HLA for each level you gain past 3M XP, some multiclass combos (usually fighter/x or rogue/x) get lots of HLAs because of fighter and rogue level progression. Single class fighters get a whopping 20 of them, iirc. 10+ Greater Whirlwinds is a lot, especially if there's a wizard to help you kill stuff faster/more efficiently.

 

Since multi's get HLAs at the same 3 mln exp. threshold as anyone else, there is no difference. Only dual classes get them later than anyone else because they have to reach the 3 mln not overall but on their currently active class.

 

Do I have this wrong then....

Fighter gets HLAs at 3,000,000 XP?

F/M/T gets HLAs at first class to reach 3,000,000 XP, which would mean 9,000,000 XP required to get a class to3,000,000XP?

If I have that wrong, I am going o be PISSED OFF(at myself)! I always assumed it so I never used a Muli-class character in ToB. EVER.

 

Yup, that's wrong. a multiclass character gets a HLA for every level past 3 million exp total across all 3 classes, you don't need 3 million in a single class to start getting them.
i.e. a F/M/T will get 1 fighter HLA once hitting level 12/12/14. (having 1 million exp in each class)
You can test this yourself by just creating a multiclass character in bg2 and using the SetCurrentXP(3000000); command

 

I believe you. I guess that was a pretty big miss on my part. After all these years I still learn something new... who would of figured?

 

Yeah, i actually just added in that last bit because that's what i did to confirm that was the case since i wasn't 100% sure, i made a f/m/t, sat through the irenicus monologue and cheated in the exp

I still prefer dual over multi in some cases though, even with the delay/lack in versatility in getting HLA's
For example, a triple multiclass mage is never going to get lvl 9 spell slots, and a dual multi mage only 2 of them, so i'll take a dualclassed mage anyday