My first char...solo and power-gaming

[oldwind dale]

Hey guys...i'm installing IWD 2 ...

and I'm a big fan of BG 2....and I always soloed,generally playing a sorcerer

so I want advices to my first game in IWD 2

I want it to be solo and a real powerful character for power-gaming...

I've been reading some things here and I'm looking forward playing a Drow Paladin 1 / Sorcerer 29...

Is it really really powerful?????
What other classe/races are good for solo power-gaming??
I prefer arcane spell-casters but advices with a solo meelee char wouldn't hurt or maybe mixed up arcane with meelee

Thanks.....

[kmonster]

It should be able to solo the game with any class or race, drow sorcerer is the easiest.

I wouldn't take the paladin level too early since paladins don't accept rewards (there are many quest payments in the first chapter) and a fast spell progression is far more important.
For powergaming I'd start a lawful good drow sorc with 18-18-16-5-3-20 and raise only cha at level up. Put all skill points into concentration. As for feats I'd take greater spell focus evocation and enchantment early and GSF necromancy afterwards.
Dodge, rapid shot, improved critical or heroic inspiration are also very useful feats.

[oldwind dale]

Thanks for the advices but why the 18 at str??

Is it because of the weight limit it would be able to carry?

I think i'll take rapid shot as my first feat

and what spells would you suggest??

[Klorox]

Make sure you only level-up when you have to. I can only imagine how hard XP will be to come by if you level up too fast as a solo character.

[oldwind dale]

What you mean Klorox?

Only level up when i'll gain access to a new spell level?

That would make me level up once each two level ups right?

[kmonster]

You get fighting XP according to your party level. The higher it is the less you get. If you're 8 levels higher than the enemies you don't get any XP.
Therefore some players don't level up to gain more XP. It's some kind of game mechanics abuse.
You don't really need this cheese, you can get enough quest XP to reach high levels.

I recommend 18 str since str is more useful than int and wis and the other stats (except dex, you could go 16 str, 20 dex instead) are already maxed out. +4 to hit and +6 to damage with quarterstaff or other 2-handed weapons can help a lot when you enter hand-to-hand combat (With the right spells sorcerers are even more powerful in melee than fighters.). You also get the strength bonus to damage with any ranged weapon except bow or crossbow.
Carrying capacity is no problem since you can find a bag of holding in the first chapter. If you don't mind being less effective using weapons playing a sorc with 10 str is no problem, in this case I'd take 4 wis and 12 int to get a second skill point per level. 9 skill points in spellcraft will then allow to take powerful elemental feats like "spirit of flame". In this case I'd pump up diplomatic skills at creation for the dialogue-heavy prologue and build up spellcraft to 9 at the level ups.

I can't give you the ultimate spell selection advice since a lot depends on your playing style. Some spells which are definitely worth taking are mirror image, eagle's splendor (L2), stoneskin, improved invisibility, emotion:hope (L4), animate dead (L5).

[oldwind dale]

that was some helpful advice kmonster...

i just installed the game....i put the first level as sorcerer
and skills i'm just going to max concentration

but what about my feats
which ones should i put?
the first one i put , spell focus:evok

[kmonster]

I already recommended the most useful feats in my first post.

Personally I'd take dodge at the start (gives the monsters a hard time hitting you in combination with the shield spell), GSF evocation at level 3 and 6, SF enchantment at level 9 and rapid shot at 12.
But which feats are most important for you depends on how you want to play the game. The usefullness of SF evocation depends on how often you cast evocation spells which allow a save for example.

Don't bother too much about taking the right feats, they only grant little bonuses.
You don't need a perfect character in order to beat the game.