Perfect Party #2
If you want to play the game without cheating (that means you have an experience cap), Dual-Class characters are much more powerful than Multi-Class heroes. If you prefer to have a party consisting of strong and skilled warriors, you should consider using some of the characters shown below.

Try to combine your mages, clerics and thieves with Fighters using Dual Class. The Kensai/Mage mentioned in "Solo Through BG2" is a very strong and useful fighter. So why don't always use combinations of Fighters and other characters? Since they start with many hitpoints and provide the party with a mortal weapon skill later in the game. Take a look at my favorite party:

1. Starting Character
2. Kensai - Mage (double class when Kensai is at 9th Level)
3. Kensai - Mage (double class when Kensai is at 9th Level)
4. Thief - Cleric (double class immediately)
5. Fighter - Cleric (double class when Fighter is at 9th Level)
6. Fighter - Thief (double class when Fighter is at 9th Level)


1.) Which Character you choose to start with is your choice - Take a look at the Strongholds (personal quests for this character) to find out what suits you best. I liked having a castle for my own and also wanted to try out the Shaolin-fighting skills of a monk, so my first character was a human female monk. I spent all the skills I got on "hide in shadows" so I had a fighter who is able to go through enemy lines, standing right to their powerful spellcasters. When my other characters started the fight I used the stunning blow ability to quickly take out the mages even without wasting spells. Later in the game you can use the deathly blow ability of the monk to get rid of the mages within the first seconds of a battle.

2.) I started my Kensai as described in the "Solo through BG2" (very good description). My weapon proficiencies are katana (5 points) and the other 3 points to dual wield. The best weapons for this character are the Celestrial Fury and Dak'kon's Zerth Blade or the Katana +2 found in Bodh'is Lair.

3.) This Kensai got 5 skill points on Two Handed Sword and Two Handed Sword Ability.

4.) This Character got the best AC in my party and often the task to keep all enemies busy with him so the other characters with less AC could easily clean up everything that tried to harm this character. For this, my Thief set the Weapon skills to "sword and shield", backstab and sling (weapons the cleric can use). The Thief-skills I put to "Pickpocket" (150) and "Hide in Shadows" (80). These 80 points could also be spent on "Set Snares"- depending on your fighting strategy. Once in the game, I changed the class to Cleric. He spent his weapon skills to "flail" (Flail of Ages), maces and war hammers. Later in the game he was equipped with the best shield (Fortress Shield or Sentinel) and gave him the Flail of Ages. He could also use any maces, warhammers or clubs in combination with the shield (especially for undead enemies the mace of disruption is really good). For using your "Pickpocket" ability you have to undress your Armor, gloves, and your shield as well.

A nice alternative is to take a Swashbuckler - Cleric and set the Swashbucklers weapon skills to "dual wield" and the Clerics as described above. Once you reactivated your Swashbuckler skills you are able to strike with 2 maces/flails.

5.) The Fighter spent his skills to "dual wield" and warhammer, since there are really good warhammers in the game (which have a very good attack-rate).

The Cleric spent his skills to other weapon-Proficiencies like mace, flail and club for beeing able to use these weapons if neccessary.

6.) This character was used to detect and disarm any traps so i spent his skillpoints to "Detect Traps" as well as "Disarm Traps".

The Thief also spent his skill points to "Crossbows", "Short Bows", "Long Bows" and "Backstab" (maybe "Short Sword is worth a thought too).

When "Detect Traps" and "Disarm Traps" were on 150% I spent my skill points to "Hide in Shadows" for having another character able to defeat spellcasters behind the enemy lines.

For this task he needs good magical weapons which can be used very quickly. Long swords suits this best I think so I assured that my Fighter had 5 skill points on "Long Sword" and 3 skill points on "dual wield" before becoming a thief.

Disadvantage: There are many traps and locked chests in the beginning of the game. You have to use spells to detect and disarm them. Later in the game you have a very versatile Fighter - able to remove traps, open locks, using stealth to surprise his victims. He is also good in using all long ranged weapons.

Later in the game this character should get 2 types of Armor - Plate Mail for fights where no Thief-skills are needed and Shadow Armor for disarm traps and for using the stealth ability.

Alternatively it might be wise to change the weapon skills to Two Handed Swords and 2 Handed Weapon-ability instead of using Long Swords.

Character 2) (the Kensai -Mage using Two-Handed Weapons) can take Long swords instead. He could use the Sword "Ras" which allows him to let his sword fight and cast spells at the same time.

Conclusion:
a Party with a "free-to-choose" main character has the skill of
4 Fighters (2 Kensai, 2 Fighter)
2 Mages
2 Clerics
2 Thieves
plus all the skills the Main Character has


For the Main character a Kensai-Druid might be also very interesting - all Druid Spells, a very skilled fighter using Spears, Quarterstaffs or any other weapons.

Some Disadvantages of this party:
- Have to undress Armor for pickpocketing
- Have to change Armor before combat for using stealth ability
- The Kensais have a quite high AC although they are very hard to hit with a weapon
- Only one Character (plus maybe your main character) can use Bows/Crossbows, although there are many good Bows in the game
- Fighting strategies like "Set Snares" can only be performed by taking many rests because normal Thieves cannot set as many snares as Bounty Hunters


Submitted by: Dominik