Non-HOF party

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The Ultimate Tank thread has got me thinking: how would you build a party differently if you weren't planning to go through HOF with it? I.e. if you were planning to play by actual AD&D rules (as implemented by IWD2) instead of the messed-up version in HoF?

I'm thinking that it might be entertaining to have a two-man party of Deep Gnomes, one whom I would name "Edmund Blackadder" and use the pointy-bearded gnome picture plus Male Bard 1 voice (it sounds so smug), and another whom I would name "Baldrick" (don't know a good voice for him). Edmund Blackadder is the hero of the story, and might be either a Monk (with Illusionist mixin) or a Dreadmaster (w/ Monk mixin), depending upon how physical I'm feeling about beating on stuff. Baldrick is his faithful bard, and spends most of his time Hiding (but still singing buffs!) and occasionally healing Blackadder. Also, sometimes Baldrick has to act as a diplomatic go-between with people who are too stuck up to acknowledge Edna's (er, Edgar's?) existence. And Baldrick also collects turnips. They'd reach level 18-ish during normal mode, without level-squatting.

-Max

 

Love the Black Adder theme going on here. Sweet!

I'd suggest adding Lord Percy Percy as a low CHA sidekick (Paladin if it wasn't for the alignment) and even possibly Lord Flashheart for some high CHA goodness "Woof!" if you're willing to move beyond the original medieval series.

Another option would be to go for the Rogues from the Black Seal episode:

-Sir Wilfred Death, good with swords, weapon finessed fighter.

-Three-Fingered Pete, a most devious archer.

-Guy de Glastonbury, a ruthless Rogue.

-Sean the Irish Bastard, a dagger dual wielding maniac who relies on sneak attacks.

-Friar Bellows, lewd Cleric.

-Jack Large, aka Unspeakably Violent Jack, the bull-buggering priest-killer of no fixed abode. Possibly a Halfling with a violent streak.

The good thing about Normal Mode is that you don't have to necessarily powergame to have a good party.

By the way Baldrick is quite good with a club or blunt weapons whereas Edmund relies on the dagger (the Black Dagger) and his codpiece with the major exception of a certain sword thrust. What about sheep handling? That sounds like some points spent in Animal Empathy (or not).

 

Heh.

For starters, your party should make heavy use of the level adjusted races. Because of the way IWD2 implements level adjustment, your APL doesn't suffer. So you can go with an all drow/dg party for free SR and bonus stats to everyone. Or you can be really abusive and make only the non-casters drow/dg, while your casters are human -- this will allow the casters to reach level 19 or so.

 

Oops. Slip of the tongue. Er, fingers.

-Max