POLL: Mazzy vs. Minsc

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I'm basing this off of a thread I started a while back, and the poll got screwed up.

LINK

I'm looking for the final tank to round out the following party:

Protagonist: Gnome Fighter/Illusionist
Aerie
Jaheria
Keldorn
Imoen

Out of the two, who better fits the party: Minsc or Mazzy?

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 12 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Mazzy vs. Minsc (12 votes.)

Mazzy vs. Minsc (Choose 1)
* Minsc - 58% (7)
* Mazzy - 42% (5)

 

Quite a hard choice, but I'd pick Mazzy. Keldorn is already swinging his two-handed sword, and you could equip Mazzy with short sword and shield (Shield of harmony and shield of balduran are quite useful). Then you could put Mazzy on the frontline to take hits with her -10AC and Keldorn can hit behind her and doesn't take that many hits, since his AC is only -2 or something. There is this 8 AC difference which (if I can count) means that Mazzy would take 40% less hits than Keldorn. That is from normal enemy. Mazzy also has lay on hands, strenght and haste which are VERY useful. Then again, Minsc isn't that bad either. Just pick one that you are less familiar with.

EDIT: Yes, I just remembered that Minsc can use mace quite well, so he could also be equipped with shield, but still I'd go with Mazzy. At least Mazzy and Keldorn should have quite a few good conversations. I haven't tried them together, but I think.

 

I've never tried mazzy, but i just love minsc! I'm playing an evil party now, and just have to bring minsc along! Someone has to send me burning stares every time i do something wrong you know

 

The important thing is how are you gonna use your PC. If he wears armour then there go your spells. If you are spell casting then who is gonna be up front?

You have 1 main tank in Keldron and a sparetime flanking tank in yourself. You could use another fulltime tank in Minsc IMO.
Mazzy is not a good tank vis-a-vis Minsc unless you give her a good set of equipment.

 

My PC usually uses spells before switching to melee. He wears the best bracers I can have at the time, but the tanks have better AC's with armor.

I'm not all too impressed with short swords, and I had flirted with the idea of giving Mazzy ranks in warhammer, so she could weild the mighty Crom Faeyr. Even if I didn't go that way, I'd theoretically give her STR boosting items anyway.


ON EDIT: I just read in another thread that Mazzy can't use her Lay on Hands ability on other party members, just herself. Is this true?

I know it's not much, but without any single-classed Clerics in my party, I was actually relying on her small amount of healing abilities (and liked the potential 'fast casting' of her Lay on Hands). Minsc gets a few low level cleric spells, and can help heal when combat is over as well.

If Mazzy can only heal herself, this poll is over, at least for the usefulness of constructing my party.

[ December 12, 2003, 15:16: Message edited by: Klorox ]

 

I'm a firm believer in three melee fighters and three missile weapon users. You have (currently) two people for melee (Keldorn and Jaheira) and three for missile (PC, Imoen, and Aerie). While you did not state so directly, I'm assuming your fighter/illusionist is going to gain specialization in some type of missile weapon, probably a bow.

For what it's worth, Mazzy is much better suited to a role of an archer. Her high dexterity gives her an extremely low THAC0 with missile weapons. Sure, you can give her strength enhancing equipment and send her up front, but that takes away the strength enhancing equipment from other characters. Minsc, coming in with a 18/93 strength doesn't really need any strength enhancing equipment right away. Minsc can also be diservified very well too. As a ranger, he automatically gets two stars in two weapon style. I usually get him either two more in flails or two more in axes, and then switch between FoA, axes, MoD depending on what I'm fighting.

Mazzy can only use her lay on hands ability on herself. In fact, as soon as you click on the ability, she heals herself - there is no option to select another character. Again, Minsc is going to help you out more in this regard, as he will get Druid spells. There won't be a lot, but he'll get you a couple of cure light wounds, and later on some cure moderate wounds.

Actually, you have Aerie and Jaheira in your party, so you should be OK when it comes to healing. The decision really is which character is going to serve better as a frontline fighter, and the answer to that is Minsc.

 

You guys are forgeting the most important factor here.......Mazzy doesn't have a hamster

 

Mazzy is always the better choice, except for banter, then it's Minsc.

Concerning healing, you have enough healing in Jaheira and Aerie.

@Aldeth
yes Minsc heals more but Mazzy can heal herself instantly in a fight. I never use healing spells in battle except in really desperate situations because they're to slow (slow casting time for the ones worth casting + the healer has to run up to the person to be healed). That's why I only use potions during fights and instant effects like inate abilities.

 

I'm a big fan of the machine gun (Mazzy). She has some very useful innate abilites that improve as she levels up (lay on hands heals more HP, strength increases). Arm her with the bow of Gesen, and it's all over.

 

"You guys are forgeting the most important factor here.......Mazzy doesn't have a hamster."

Mazzy IS a hamster....