Main character's class for playing thru the whole saga with Tutu for the 1st time?

[kmonster]

Originally Posted by Grombag

... I do suggest however to play as a neutral character if you want a familiar. The familiars for the good characters are hardly any good.

I disagree.

[Crenshinibon]

But having the imp in BG1, early on, it's almost overpowered.

[kmonster]

Neutral characters don't get the imp, only lawful evil do.
All familiars are almost overpowered at the start of BG1.
When choosing an imp your caster also gains 3 HP less than with most other familiars.

[Crenshinibon]

I never said anything about imps being for Neutral aligned characters.

That may be, but you basically command an ogre, which is basically having a permanent Monster Summoning III at your side.

[kmonster]

I don't think that ogres fight better than pseudo dragons.

[Crenshinibon]

Pseudo Dragon:

AC: -4 (-7 with Blur, Ghost Armor doesn't help here)
HP: 48
THAC0 8
Attacks: 2
To Hit: -1
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Magic: 35

Imp: (Normal Form)
AC -6
HP: 48
THAC0: 12 (although he has 15 strength compared to the Psuedo Dragon's 7)
Attacks: 2
To Hit: 0
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Fire: 100
Cold: 100
Electricity: 100
Magic: 35
Magic Fire: 100
Magic Cold: 100

Ogre Form:

AC: 5
HP: 48
THAC0: 9
Attacks: 2
To Hit: +3
To Damage: +6

Resistances -
None

Flind Form: (Weapon counts as +1 and deals fire damage)

AC: -2
HP: 48
THAC0: 10
Attacks: 3
To Hit: +1
To Damage: +1

Resistances -
None

Spider Form: (Poisonous attacks, very deadly in BG1)

AC: -3
HP: 48
THAC0: 12
Attacks: 5
To Hit: 0
To Damage: +1

Resistances -
None

Brown Bear Form:

AC: 6
HP: 48
THAC0: 9
Attacks: 4
To Hit: +3
To Damage: +6

Resistances -
None

Black Bear Form:

AC: 7
HP: 48
THAC0: 9
Attacks: 4
To Hit: +3
To Damage: +6

Resistances -
None

Wolf Form:

AC: 2
HP: 48
THAC0: 12
Attacks: 2
To Hit: 0
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Cold: 100
Electricity: 50
Magic Cold: 100

Mustard Jelly Form:

AC: 0
HP: 48
THAC0: 12
Attacks: 2
To Hit: 0
To Damage: 0

Resistances -
Cold: 50
Electricity: 100
Magic: 100
Magic Cold: 50
Slashing: 30
Crushing: 60
Piercing: 100
Missle: 85

The Pseudo Dragon has a lower THAC0, but the Imp can have a stronger defensive presence against magic and in melee still. Also, the Imp does more damage and certain forms have special effects.

[kmonster]

I'm surprised that Tutu uses the upgraded ToB familiars, not the normal ones. In this case you should even get 24 hitpoints for casting this spell unless you're CG.
If the numbers are right (may I ask for your source ?) the imp is really the better fighter (although not in ogre form).
But the pseudo dragon isn't bad, his attacks can render victims unconscious and the ghost armor spell grants the target AC2 for 100 rounds, turning your mage/sorc into a very hard to hit tank.

[galraen]

In my experience Tutu doesn't use the ToB versions of familiars. They appear in the creature Browser is SK, but every time I've cast the spell I got the standard version.

PS er, actually that's a lie, the last time I got a standard version, as edited by me, I cheated in better thieving abilities for my pussy cat, so I could dual Imoen ASAP.

[VonDondu]

If Tutu lets you have familiars like that in BG1, then it's much cheesier than I thought.

[ktchong]

Forget about the Sorcerer. I have already decided I'm NOT going to use a Sorcerer.

There's no "Find Familiar" scroll in BG1. There's just no way of getting a familiar in BG1 without cheating or wasting a spell slot. I just don't want to waste a precious spell slot for the "Find Familiar" spell -- which is only going to be cast once, ONCE, and that's it -- and then be stuck with a spell that I'll NEVER use again. I've read enough forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs to know that using a Sorcerer's spell slot for the "Find Familiar" spell is a very, very bad idea.

And I'm going to play a good character, either neutral good or chaotic good. I have never really enjoyed playing an evil character.

[Crenshinibon]

You don't have to chose the spells that you don't want to. These are just suggestions. As a sorcerer though, you do have an edge in BG1 because you have access to SoA spells as well and don't need to find scrolls.

I would personally go with a blade, as it's a very versatile class, able to use magic, hold it's own in melee and can control the field with magic. Not to mention it's a single class, so you don't have to wait long periods of time before level ups come through. As a rogue, it gains levels pretty quickly and is ideal for shoplifting.

In SoA and ToB, the class becomes even more powerful, having a greater melee presence than a fighter.

[kmonster]

Originally Posted by ktchong

I've read enough forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs to know that using a Sorcerer's spell slot for the "Find Familiar" spell is a very, very bad idea.

Not it isn't. It's actually the logical choice if you start in Tutu since it makes you stronger for the whole game.
There are of course many "forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs" about not picking the spell and using a scroll instead, but they are not about your situation if you look closely. You're not playing a BG2 only game, you're starting in tutu and continuing to BG2 with your character.
You can be sure that if I would have been telling nonsense in this very alive forum it wouldn't have taken long until a BG veteran would have objected.

[ktchong]

Originally Posted by kmonster

Not it isn't. It's actually the logical choice if you start in Tutu since it makes you stronger for the whole game.
There are of course many "forum posts, suggestions, hints and walkthroughs" about not picking the spell and using a scroll instead, but they are not about your situation if you look closely. You're not playing a BG2 only game, you're starting in tutu and continuing to BG2 with your character.
You can be sure that if I would have been telling nonsense in this very alive forum it wouldn't have taken long until a BG veteran would have objected.

I've already seen couple of objections in this thread. Not to mention those other forum posts and suggestions are also pertinent to Tutu for BG1 and BG2 and came from other BG veterans.

I'm just not going to use a Sorcerer and waste a spell slot on a spell that's going to be used only once. I don't even like the idea of it. It's just seem such a complete waste of a spell slot. That's just not how I'm going to play the game.

[ktchong]

Is there a chart on how many "high-level abilities" each class/multiclass receive throughout the game?

I know Ranger/Cleric gets the total of 20 high-level abilities from both Ranger and Cleric pools, which is sweet.... when I play Fallout, I was very excited when I got pick a new perk.

[Crenshinibon]

If you think it's a waste of a spell slot, then don't choose it. It's as simple as that, although I can't possibly think of enough level one spells that you would pick to use. Magic Missle and Protection From Evil, the latter one being used mostly in BG1 are pretty much all you'd need. There are only so many level one spells that you'll end up using, you simply don't need all the slots.

I think you're approaching this from the wrong point. This is a roleplaying game. It seems like you want to create a godly character just so you can breeze through and say you beat it. You make it sound like it's a job.