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my party: I always reload when a PC dies - fights were I need to reload in the normal game:
- targos palisade (due to using the ultra hard undead targos mod): 4 attempts
- toraks camp (due to using the ultra hard undead targos mod): 3 attempts
- BS: a few reloads caused by not killing enemy in time
- last chamber of 8 chambers quest: 2 attempts
- 4 iron golems at monastry grave: 3 attempts
- guardian: 3 attempts
afterwards I finished the game without anyone dying in battle!
no one died in HOF so far (chapter 2 right now)
so I think you could consider this as a *very* powerfull party!
1st PC: role: melee-fighter - support arcane caster
race: drow male
alignement: chaotic good
stats: STR 18 - DEX 20 - CON 16 - INT 17 - WIS 4 - CHA 5
comment on stats: increase INT (20) and STR - you don't need WIS that much cause of your SR and +2 will saves (drow) - later you get better will saves from the wiz-levels and you can use protection spells!
major class: wizard 20
mix-ins: rogue 3 - fighter 4 - barb 3
order of levels:
1st rogue
after 5th: rogue 2 - fighter 2 - barb 1
after 25th: rogue 2 - fighter 2 - barb 1 - wizard 20
final: rogue 3 - fighter 4 - barb 3 - wizard 20
most important spells: all defensive & stat buffs - in general spells without a save - as you don't have that high INT nor GSF!
most important feats: imp. critcal, EW:BS (using some of weimars mod BS), PA, cleave, ambidex, 2-WF, dirty tricks
skills: open lock & dis. dev., concentration - all maxed + hide & move sil.
general comments: backbone of the party in normal game - no problems to master battle-square at level 9! does 50% of the kills in the normal game! Due to the defensive arcane buffs very capable in melee-combat even in HOF!
2nd PC: role: melee-fighter - support divine caster
race: drow female
alignement: lawfull neutral (must!)
stats: STR 14 - DEX 20 - CON 14 - INT 13 - WIS 14 - CHA 5
comment on stats: increase INT (14) and WIS - you get additional 4 WIS through the dreadmaster quests! you need 13 for com. exp. and casting level 3 arcane spells later - go for 14 INT for 1 additonal SP
major class: cleric 15 (don't need level 9 spells)
mix-ins: rogue 3 - fighter 4 - monk 3 - wizard 5 (5th level late - exp-hit!)
order of levels:
1st rogue
after 4th: rogue 2 - fighter 2
after 19th: rogue 2 - fighter 2 - cleric 15 (dreadmaster)
final: rogue 3 - fighter 4 - monk 3 - cleric 15 - wizard 5
most important spells: all defensive & stat buffs - in general spells without save- as you don't have that high WIS/INT nor GSF! - heal !!!
most important feats: imp. critcal, EW:BS (using some of weimars mod BS), PA, cleave, ambidex, 2-WF, dirty tricks, comb. exp.
skills: concentration & pick-pocket maxed + hide & move sil.
general comments: secondary melee fighter & secondary cleric of the party - does 25% of the kills in the normal game! - due to extremly high AC melee-capable in HOF
3rd PC: role: main cleric
race: aasimar female (gender doesn't matter)
alignement: lawfull good (must)
stats: STR 10 - DEX 18 - CON 14 - INT 3 - WIS 20 - CHA 15
comment on stats: increase CHA (16) and WIS - you get additional 2 WIS 4 CHA through the paladin quests!
major class: cleric ilmater 25 (25 for breaking SR and special spells like dispel magic)
mix-ins: PAL 2 - monk 3 (both ilmater)
order of levels:
1st paladin
after 21th: paladin 1 - cleric 20
after 25th: paladin 2 - monk 3 - cleric 20 (monk late & squatted - afterwards exp-hit!))
final: paladin 2 - monk 3 - cleric 25 (all ilmater)
most important spells: summon undead - heal - defensive buffs - offensive divine spells - excellent WIS-boni -therefore very hard to save against!
most important feats: GSF necro, combat feats, martial weapon great sword, comb. exp. - will give her ambidex & 2-WF late (can't use shield as a monk and CS is one-handed!
skills: concentration maxed + spellcraft (10 for elemental feats if needed)
general comments: main divine caster & secondary melee-fighter - due to extremly high AC melee-capable in HOF
4th PC: role: main arcane caster
race: aasimar female (gender doesn't matter)
alignement: lawfull good (must)
stats: STR 11 - DEX 18 - CON 18 - INT 3 - WIS 10 - CHA 20
comment on stats: increase CHA
major class: sorceress 25/28 (for breaking SR, damage multiplier uncapped spells & special spells like lower resistance)
mix-ins: PAL 2 - optional: fighter 2 - rogue 1
order of levels:
1st & 2nd paladin
after 27th: paladin 2 - sorceress 25
final: paladin 2 - sorceress 25/28 - optional: fighter 2 - rogue 1 (EXP-hit!)
most important spells HOF: WotB, Symbol: hopelessness, FoD, malison, lower resistance, imp. invis., low level defensive stat buffs for the whole party: stoneskin, prot. miss.!
most important spells normal: fireball, DBF, chain lightning, chromatic orb, icelance!
most important feats: GSF evoc & necro, elemental feats (don't take SP cause you will damage your own party more then the enemy this way!)
skills: concentration maxed & spellcraft 10 for elemental feats
general comments: main arcane caster & and master of mass-destruction especially in HOF: cast symbol: hopelessness and malison from a secondary caster - then walk in the middle of your enemies cast WotB - and nearly everybody drops dead!!! - this build rocks in HOF!
5th PC: role: diplomat - party-support
race: human female (gender doesn't matter)
alignement: neutral good (neutral is a must)
stats: STR 8 - DEX 12 - CON 10 - INT 14 - WIS 18 - CHA 14
comment on stats: increase DEX 13 or 14, rest WIS - 8 STR aren't needed but it's a pain in the a** if she can't carry anything!
major class: druid 21 (using weimar mod - needed for shapeshifting elemental half-dragon)
mix-ins: bard 9
order of levels:
1st to 5th: bard
6th to 8th: druid (then stop levelling until you can jump to level 21!)
final: bard 9 - druid 21
most important spells: bard defense buffs - druid barkskin for the ultimate AC PCs! - summons - heal
most important feats: GSF evoc & necro, elemental feats
skills: all diplomat skills maxed + concentration, wilderness lore
general comments: diplomat & support PC most of the game - didn't kill any enemy in normal game - keeps out of the action & plays tymoras song most of the time - but low level (8) decrease average party level ! - levelling up to 21 she can shapeshift to the incredible powerfull elemnetal half-dragon (didn't level up & use this feat to avoid imbalancing the game in normal mode!)
6th PC: role: secondary arcane caster - party-support
race: tiefling male (gender doesn't matter - next time I would conisder a male drow instead)
alignement: chaotic neutral (neutral is a must for using a powerfull item later in the game)
stats: STR 13 - DEX 20 - CON 18 - INT 20 - WIS 6 - CHA 1
comment on stats: increase STR 14, rest INT - 6 WIS gives a little weak will save - getting better through wiz-levles later or use chaotic commands or spells like this
major class: wizard 20
mix-ins: rogue 10
order of levels:
1st: rogue
2nd to 21th: wizard (stop levelling for a while after you have haste & mass haste, don't level up if there are no good spells available!)
final: wizard 20 - rogue 10
most important spells: wiz offensive & defensive buffs your sorc doesn't have !
most important feats: GSF evoc & necro, elemental feats & some combat feats later if you like (you have a massive amount of feats!
skills: alchemy, spellcraft, knowledge arcana, concentration, search maxed + move silent, hide
general comments: not the best PC in this party - but you need him somehow - very good at the beginning (1 or 2 spell-levels higher then your sorc) until your sorc is high enough - identifies all items - and you need an generalist arcane caster for the spells your sorc doesn't have...
...but compared to the sorceress in HOF he is quite weak - but later with the rogue levels and all arcane buffs a good melee-fighter (using M-sword or BBoD)
alternative:
A) instead of the 10 rogue levels use the mix-in from the PC #1
B) skip this PC and use a carbon copy of PC #4 - but give the missing skills knowledge arcana & alchemy to someone else then!
hope this "little" advice helps 
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