Level used for innate abilities and dual class?

[PokPokPekPek]

Hi, I searched the forum but couldn't find an answer.

1.) Do all innate abilities (Bhaalspawn Draw upon holy might, Thief regular traps, Assassin poison weapon) use the average level of dual class. Ex. Thief 2 -> Fighter 16?

2.) How about Turn undead? Ex: Ranger 2 -> Cleric 16 and Cleric 2-> Ranger 16

3.) What cleric caster level is used? Ex: Ranger 2 -> Cleric 16 and Cleric 2-> Ranger 16

[subtledoctor]

I believe it is an average of your classes. So, yes, dual-classed characters get screwed, especially if you do a very early dual. 

(Doesn’t particularly bother me, since dual classing is so brokenly powerful.)

[jmerry]

All innate abilities use the average of the class levels, for all dual-class and multiclass characters. That's pretty well known. Basically, characters have an innate caster level (that average), a divine caster level (cleric/druid/shaman level, paladin/ranger level minus whatever, or 1), and an arcane caster level (mage/sorcerer/bard level, or 1). Whatever spell you cast uses the caster level appropriate for its type. With the exception of some effects that cast a spell at a fixed level defined in the effect. So, for example, Bala's Axe has an activated ability to cast Dispel Magic. Specifically, the divine version. Which means it uses the wielder's divine caster level, which is usually pretty low unless they're a Shaman.

Ranger/cleric casting (in the EE) is something I've tested:

- The number of spell slots at a given spell level is whichever is larger between the cleric spell progression (including WIS bonuses) and the ranger spell progression (which doesn't include WIS bonuses).

- All spells that a cleric can cast that aren't forbidden based on alignment are included in the spell list, if the character can cast spells of that level based on either class's progression.

- Druid-only spells are added to the spell list only if the ranger spell progression has reached that level. (This is an EE change; pre-EE, the spells were added for all spell levels regardless of ranger level.)

- Caster level is always the cleric level.

So, for example, a cleric 2 -> ranger 17 with WIS 18, in the unmodded BG series, has four level 1 spell slots, three level 2 spell slots, and three level 3 spell slots. All spells from the cleric and druid lists that the character's Good alignment allows are included at those levels. And all of those spells are cast at caster level 2. Fortunately, pretty much all spells have "level 1" abilities that allow a character with a level too low to normally memorize the spell to cast it with an effect matching the lowest level it would normally be available at. So you can cast Animate Dead (for the weakest skeletons) or Holy Smite (for 5d4 damage), but your Dispel Magic and Call Lightning spells are considerably less powerful than a pure level 17 ranger's.

I suspect that the mechanics of an early cleric -> ranger dual were never tested at all before release.