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For starters, it is of utmost importance to choose a DRUID weapon and put your skill points into it. There are a number of weapons that Druids can not use, and if you put ANY skill points into them, they will be lost upon gaining access to both classes. My personal recommendations are the Spear and the Scimitar (Long
Sword Proficiency). Scimitar is my favorite because you can equip a shield as well.
3. Why: A Level 9 Fighter Dual-Classed to a Druid would have (not including CON bonuses) 18 more hit points than a Level 9 Druid.
The Druid will have an increased selection of weapons. Only
250,000 exp. is needed for a Fighter to reach Level 9; this will not affect the Druid's ability to reach Level 30. Finally, having
a Fighter/Druid whose Druid class is at Level 15 is immune to fatigue, including that induced by the Haste spell. For those of you who like the Haste spell, imagine - a Fighter that is not tired afterwards!
The Ranger
----------
The Ranger is a pretty cool idea for a character class. Having said that,
I hope to show why it is just that - a good IDEA. In actual game terms, the
Ranger is really not a great choice. In Heart of Winter, many of the character classes received some improvements and changes, including the
Ranger. However, these additions are still not that great. What follows below is my take on Rangers, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
Advantages Disadvantages
---------- -------------
1. Can cast spells and wear armor. 1. Spells aren't all that great.
2. Has the new Tracking ability. 2. Tracking ability not too useful.
3. Can forego a shield for an extra 3. Has to forego a shield for an attack per round. extra attack.
4. Receives spells 3 levels earlier 4. Progresses slower through the in Heart of Winter. spell chart. (more below)
5. Longer spell progression lets 5. Must be Level 29 to cast Level 6
Rangers learn Level 6 spells. spells.
6. Can not put more than 2 skill points in a weapon skill.
7. Has a slower experience table than some classes.
I will not go into detail on all of the above pro's and con's, but I wish to address a few. These are: Tracking Ability, Spell Progression, Extra
Attacks, and Dual-Classing.
Tracking Ability: The tracking ability is a new ability of the Ranger
----------------- in Heart of Winter. It will allow you to discern the types of creatures in whatever area you are in, as well as a general idea of where they are. While the ability can only be used once per day, it has a good chance of success. The drawback to this ability is that once you have played the game once, you will probably already know what creatures are in what area. Also, the game sometimes gives you hints on what creatures you might encounter. For example, if you start finding a number of Flaming Oil items, chances are real good that there are Trolls nearby.
Spell Progression: The Ranger is what I consider a novelty spellcaster.
------------------ Basically, this means that the spells are not vital to defining the usefulness of the character.
Obviously, Clerics and Mages would be useless without spells, but Rangers don't really need them. If you are using a Ranger as your chief healing character, you are in for trouble. In Heart of Winter, your
Ranger can learn spells starting at Level 6 instead of Level 9. However, the Ranger actually gets fewer spells per level. Notice the following:
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
| Level 14 Ranger | | With Heart of Winter |
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
| Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | Level | 1 | 2 | 3 |
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
| 14 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
Now, it IS true that Rangers will be able to gain higher levels spells in
Heart of Winter, but to cast Level 6 spells, the Ranger has to be at Level 29.
The most notable Level 6 spell (not mage spells) that I can recall is Heal.
With this spell, you can instantly cure all the damage one character has received. Near the end of the game, you can have several characters with hit points near or over 100. So Heal is very useful. But why wait for a Ranger to reach Level 29 when you can get Heal for your Cleric at Level 11?
Extra Attack: In Baldur's Gate 2, I think that Rangers are one of
------------- the best character classes. This is because they start with the ability to dual-wield two weapons at once. Why this awesome ability is NOT in Icewind
Dale is beyond me. Instead, what they have given the
Ranger is the opportunity for more attacks per round if his other hand is empty. The most significant consequence of this is that a Ranger can not use a shield if he wants the bonus. Near the end of both
Icewind Dale and Heart of Winter are shields that can give a character a +4 bonus to their armor class. I find this to be much more valuable than one extra attack per round. Furthermore, there are several weapons that give a character an extra attack per round. Still, I consider this a Ranger's greatest advantage.
Dual-Classing: One of the possible ways to boost a character who may
-------------- be lacking (most notably Rangers and Thieves) is to either Dual- or Multi-Class them. There is an excellent class to Dual or Multi a Ranger with: a
Cleric. This way, the Ranger's rather feeble spellcasting skills are boosted by the Cleric's.
This was a fairly popular strategy before the expansion pack. However, one of the Ranger's other stunning disadvantages comes to light here: Can not put more than 2 skill points in a weapon skill. This does not hinder the Cleric, even though they can only put one point in a weapon also, but I think there is a better combination: The Fighter-Cleric. There are two good reasons for dualing a Fighter to a
Cleric instead of from a Ranger. The first is the experience table. Remember that, when dual-classing, you have to surpass the level of your old class before you can use both of them. If you wanted to switch from a Ranger to a Cleric at Level 9, you would need to earn 300,000 exp. A Level 9 Fighter only needs 250,000. (Level 9 is an ideal level at which to change over to the second class, because you will get the maximum hit points for the first class.
Note that if your first class is a Thief, and you are dual-classing to something else, switch at Level 10 instead)
The second reason is that Fighters can put more than two skill points in a weapon skill. So what you do is this: Decide which weapon you will want your
Cleric to excel with. When you start the game as a
Fighter, put every skill point you can in that weapon. By Level 9, you should have either 4 or 5 points in that weapon. Strive to put the full five points in. Now, when you dual-class over to a
Cleric, you will receive some starting skill points (two, I think). If you did not reach the maximum of 5 in the weapon of choice BEFORE the class change, DO
NOT put any points in the weapon until AFTER you gain access to both classes; these points will be lost. By doing this, you will have a Cleric with Grand Mastery in a weapon!! (my weapon of choice is the Hammer, mainly because of Conlan's Hammer)
NOTE: It was previously stated in this section that the Cleric gets a maximum of 2 skill points in any given weapon. This is not true.
The Cleric is only allowed ONE point per weapon. It was also stated that, upon dual-classing to a second character, you could continue to place points into a weapon, and they would merge together once you gained access to both classes. This is also NOT
TRUE. When you switch over to the second class, DO NOT put ANY points in any weapon specialization that had ANY points before the switch. These points will be lost! (contributed by Heng Lok)
EXTRA: Heng Lok has a different idea on which weapon merits Grand
Mastery status for your Cleric:
"In HoW you can buy the Three White Doves, a mace weapon which has a good chance of disrupting Undead and Outer Planar creatures. Put Grand
Mastery in Maces and combine it with Haste, and you will mow through undead like crazy."
Remember that this is just my opinion on Rangers. By no means would I discourage anyone from taking a Ranger if they want to. But hopefully this section will have shown you the pro's and con's of the Ranger. Better to know beforehand than when you reach Level 15 and realize you won't get exactly what you wanted.
-------------
Miscellaneous
-------------
Spell Memorization: Some Thoughts
----------------------------------
There is not much strategy involved when you only have one mage in your party. Just find every scroll that you can and memorize them! But...what if you have more than one mage? Well, one suggestion is to put some thought into each mage before you actually start the game. Since some spells, particularly the more powerful ones, have a limit to how many appear in the game, you should decide before you get them which mage will learn them. Below are some tips, some common sense, others more useful, on doing this.
1. Remember that you need an INT of 18 to learn Level 9 Spells.
2. Consider having an "Offensive Mage" or a "Support Mage" or perhaps a
"Defensive Mage". By doing this, you are more likely to remember which of your 2 or 3 mages has that Acid Storm spell. Some spells, like Magic Missile, Haste, Chromatic Orb, and Fireball should be learned by all mages that can learn them.
3. You could also divide spells by the type of attack. For instance, you could have an "Ice Offense Mage" or a "Fire Offense Mage", while giving both of them similar defense and support spells. Since Icewind
Dale is a very element-based game, you can use your Fire Mage through the ice sections while using the other one for support. This option, and the one preceding it, offer variety and coordination of party members.
Transferring Spells from Scroll to Spellbook
-------------------------------------------
It is very likely that any mage you create will have an INT score of 17 or
18. As mentioned elsewhere, with an Intelligence of 18, you have an 85% chance of successful writing the spell in your spellbook, IF you are able to cast spells of that level. However, if you try and transfer a Level 5 spell into your book, but you can only cast spells Level 1-4, you will incur a penalty (I forget how much, but I believe it is either 10% or 20% less per level of difference). This can drastically reduce your chances of success.
HOWEVER...
If you have an Intelligence of 19, you have a 95% chance of successfully learning a spell. That one INT point can mean the difference between success and a lot of reloading. There are two fairly easy ways of getting an INT score of 19 (or higher) that I will discuss now:
1. Use a Potion of Genius: This potion, and similar potions, will raise your character's INT score temporarily. This one will increase your
INT +4. The drawback is that the effects wear off, and you have to get more potions.
2. Use a Magic Item: Some Items (and Armor, Weapons, etc.) will increase you INT score for as long as the item is increased. So, equip the item when you are about to transfer spells to your spellbook, and remove it (if you wish) when you are done. The usual item bonus is only +1 to INT, but you can re-use it! In particular, I recall the
Large Sword "Turodahal" which gives the wielder +1 INT.
Easy Experience Anyone? (cheat)
===============================
Earning enough experience points to advance to the next level can be one of the more tedious parts of the game, especially as the levels get higher. One solution to this is to play the game in "Heart of Fury" mode. (see the "Why
Play Heart of Fury" section of this FAQ near the end of the document for more information regarding this new difficulty mode) However, the "Heart of Fury" mode can be extremely challenging, even with Level 30 characters. There is another solution to this, but it is considered cheating...by some.
In the game are two types of experience: Quest Experience and Fighting
Sword Proficiency). Scimitar is my favorite because you can equip a shield as well.
3. Why: A Level 9 Fighter Dual-Classed to a Druid would have (not including CON bonuses) 18 more hit points than a Level 9 Druid.
The Druid will have an increased selection of weapons. Only
250,000 exp. is needed for a Fighter to reach Level 9; this will not affect the Druid's ability to reach Level 30. Finally, having
a Fighter/Druid whose Druid class is at Level 15 is immune to fatigue, including that induced by the Haste spell. For those of you who like the Haste spell, imagine - a Fighter that is not tired afterwards!
The Ranger
----------
The Ranger is a pretty cool idea for a character class. Having said that,
I hope to show why it is just that - a good IDEA. In actual game terms, the
Ranger is really not a great choice. In Heart of Winter, many of the character classes received some improvements and changes, including the
Ranger. However, these additions are still not that great. What follows below is my take on Rangers, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
Advantages Disadvantages
---------- -------------
1. Can cast spells and wear armor. 1. Spells aren't all that great.
2. Has the new Tracking ability. 2. Tracking ability not too useful.
3. Can forego a shield for an extra 3. Has to forego a shield for an attack per round. extra attack.
4. Receives spells 3 levels earlier 4. Progresses slower through the in Heart of Winter. spell chart. (more below)
5. Longer spell progression lets 5. Must be Level 29 to cast Level 6
Rangers learn Level 6 spells. spells.
6. Can not put more than 2 skill points in a weapon skill.
7. Has a slower experience table than some classes.
I will not go into detail on all of the above pro's and con's, but I wish to address a few. These are: Tracking Ability, Spell Progression, Extra
Attacks, and Dual-Classing.
Tracking Ability: The tracking ability is a new ability of the Ranger
----------------- in Heart of Winter. It will allow you to discern the types of creatures in whatever area you are in, as well as a general idea of where they are. While the ability can only be used once per day, it has a good chance of success. The drawback to this ability is that once you have played the game once, you will probably already know what creatures are in what area. Also, the game sometimes gives you hints on what creatures you might encounter. For example, if you start finding a number of Flaming Oil items, chances are real good that there are Trolls nearby.
Spell Progression: The Ranger is what I consider a novelty spellcaster.
------------------ Basically, this means that the spells are not vital to defining the usefulness of the character.
Obviously, Clerics and Mages would be useless without spells, but Rangers don't really need them. If you are using a Ranger as your chief healing character, you are in for trouble. In Heart of Winter, your
Ranger can learn spells starting at Level 6 instead of Level 9. However, the Ranger actually gets fewer spells per level. Notice the following:
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
| Level 14 Ranger | | With Heart of Winter |
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
| Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | Level | 1 | 2 | 3 |
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
| 14 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
----------------------------------- -----------------------------
Now, it IS true that Rangers will be able to gain higher levels spells in
Heart of Winter, but to cast Level 6 spells, the Ranger has to be at Level 29.
The most notable Level 6 spell (not mage spells) that I can recall is Heal.
With this spell, you can instantly cure all the damage one character has received. Near the end of the game, you can have several characters with hit points near or over 100. So Heal is very useful. But why wait for a Ranger to reach Level 29 when you can get Heal for your Cleric at Level 11?
Extra Attack: In Baldur's Gate 2, I think that Rangers are one of
------------- the best character classes. This is because they start with the ability to dual-wield two weapons at once. Why this awesome ability is NOT in Icewind
Dale is beyond me. Instead, what they have given the
Ranger is the opportunity for more attacks per round if his other hand is empty. The most significant consequence of this is that a Ranger can not use a shield if he wants the bonus. Near the end of both
Icewind Dale and Heart of Winter are shields that can give a character a +4 bonus to their armor class. I find this to be much more valuable than one extra attack per round. Furthermore, there are several weapons that give a character an extra attack per round. Still, I consider this a Ranger's greatest advantage.
Dual-Classing: One of the possible ways to boost a character who may
-------------- be lacking (most notably Rangers and Thieves) is to either Dual- or Multi-Class them. There is an excellent class to Dual or Multi a Ranger with: a
Cleric. This way, the Ranger's rather feeble spellcasting skills are boosted by the Cleric's.
This was a fairly popular strategy before the expansion pack. However, one of the Ranger's other stunning disadvantages comes to light here: Can not put more than 2 skill points in a weapon skill. This does not hinder the Cleric, even though they can only put one point in a weapon also, but I think there is a better combination: The Fighter-Cleric. There are two good reasons for dualing a Fighter to a
Cleric instead of from a Ranger. The first is the experience table. Remember that, when dual-classing, you have to surpass the level of your old class before you can use both of them. If you wanted to switch from a Ranger to a Cleric at Level 9, you would need to earn 300,000 exp. A Level 9 Fighter only needs 250,000. (Level 9 is an ideal level at which to change over to the second class, because you will get the maximum hit points for the first class.
Note that if your first class is a Thief, and you are dual-classing to something else, switch at Level 10 instead)
The second reason is that Fighters can put more than two skill points in a weapon skill. So what you do is this: Decide which weapon you will want your
Cleric to excel with. When you start the game as a
Fighter, put every skill point you can in that weapon. By Level 9, you should have either 4 or 5 points in that weapon. Strive to put the full five points in. Now, when you dual-class over to a
Cleric, you will receive some starting skill points (two, I think). If you did not reach the maximum of 5 in the weapon of choice BEFORE the class change, DO
NOT put any points in the weapon until AFTER you gain access to both classes; these points will be lost. By doing this, you will have a Cleric with Grand Mastery in a weapon!! (my weapon of choice is the Hammer, mainly because of Conlan's Hammer)
NOTE: It was previously stated in this section that the Cleric gets a maximum of 2 skill points in any given weapon. This is not true.
The Cleric is only allowed ONE point per weapon. It was also stated that, upon dual-classing to a second character, you could continue to place points into a weapon, and they would merge together once you gained access to both classes. This is also NOT
TRUE. When you switch over to the second class, DO NOT put ANY points in any weapon specialization that had ANY points before the switch. These points will be lost! (contributed by Heng Lok)
EXTRA: Heng Lok has a different idea on which weapon merits Grand
Mastery status for your Cleric:
"In HoW you can buy the Three White Doves, a mace weapon which has a good chance of disrupting Undead and Outer Planar creatures. Put Grand
Mastery in Maces and combine it with Haste, and you will mow through undead like crazy."
Remember that this is just my opinion on Rangers. By no means would I discourage anyone from taking a Ranger if they want to. But hopefully this section will have shown you the pro's and con's of the Ranger. Better to know beforehand than when you reach Level 15 and realize you won't get exactly what you wanted.
-------------
Miscellaneous
-------------
Spell Memorization: Some Thoughts
----------------------------------
There is not much strategy involved when you only have one mage in your party. Just find every scroll that you can and memorize them! But...what if you have more than one mage? Well, one suggestion is to put some thought into each mage before you actually start the game. Since some spells, particularly the more powerful ones, have a limit to how many appear in the game, you should decide before you get them which mage will learn them. Below are some tips, some common sense, others more useful, on doing this.
1. Remember that you need an INT of 18 to learn Level 9 Spells.
2. Consider having an "Offensive Mage" or a "Support Mage" or perhaps a
"Defensive Mage". By doing this, you are more likely to remember which of your 2 or 3 mages has that Acid Storm spell. Some spells, like Magic Missile, Haste, Chromatic Orb, and Fireball should be learned by all mages that can learn them.
3. You could also divide spells by the type of attack. For instance, you could have an "Ice Offense Mage" or a "Fire Offense Mage", while giving both of them similar defense and support spells. Since Icewind
Dale is a very element-based game, you can use your Fire Mage through the ice sections while using the other one for support. This option, and the one preceding it, offer variety and coordination of party members.
Transferring Spells from Scroll to Spellbook
-------------------------------------------
It is very likely that any mage you create will have an INT score of 17 or
18. As mentioned elsewhere, with an Intelligence of 18, you have an 85% chance of successful writing the spell in your spellbook, IF you are able to cast spells of that level. However, if you try and transfer a Level 5 spell into your book, but you can only cast spells Level 1-4, you will incur a penalty (I forget how much, but I believe it is either 10% or 20% less per level of difference). This can drastically reduce your chances of success.
HOWEVER...
If you have an Intelligence of 19, you have a 95% chance of successfully learning a spell. That one INT point can mean the difference between success and a lot of reloading. There are two fairly easy ways of getting an INT score of 19 (or higher) that I will discuss now:
1. Use a Potion of Genius: This potion, and similar potions, will raise your character's INT score temporarily. This one will increase your
INT +4. The drawback is that the effects wear off, and you have to get more potions.
2. Use a Magic Item: Some Items (and Armor, Weapons, etc.) will increase you INT score for as long as the item is increased. So, equip the item when you are about to transfer spells to your spellbook, and remove it (if you wish) when you are done. The usual item bonus is only +1 to INT, but you can re-use it! In particular, I recall the
Large Sword "Turodahal" which gives the wielder +1 INT.
Easy Experience Anyone? (cheat)
===============================
Earning enough experience points to advance to the next level can be one of the more tedious parts of the game, especially as the levels get higher. One solution to this is to play the game in "Heart of Fury" mode. (see the "Why
Play Heart of Fury" section of this FAQ near the end of the document for more information regarding this new difficulty mode) However, the "Heart of Fury" mode can be extremely challenging, even with Level 30 characters. There is another solution to this, but it is considered cheating...by some.
In the game are two types of experience: Quest Experience and Fighting
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- Icewind Dale - Herz des Winters trainer by System on 14/03/2006, 06:30
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How to cheat in HoW in PDF format - Icewind Dale - Herz des Winters hints by System on 09/03/2006, 09:50
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- Icewind Dale - Herz des Winters FAQ by System on 09/03/2006, 09:50
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