seeking advice re: dualed fighter-thief

[Lemernis]

Heyas,

 

The regulars here probably know everything there is to be known about the Baldur's Gate series. Hope you don't mind if I tap your wisdom regarding strategy for building a dual classed fighter-thief for the entire BG saga.

 

I'm playing Tutu/Tweak Pack/NPC Banter Pack for BG1. I'm a little more than halfway through BG1. I'm beginning Chapter 5, and have cleared the wilderness maps and done Durlag's.

 

I dualed the character to Thief at level Fighter 7, and he is now F7/T8. I've been splitting the thieving skills equally among Hide in Shadows (109), Move Silently (98), and Set Traps (78). Profs are Katana *****, Dagger *, Darts *, Single Weapon Style **

 

The focus for this character will be backstabbing and trap setting.

 

Any suggestions about how to allocate thieving skill points and weapons profs from here on out?

 

Think I dualed too early? While I might have had stronger Fighter skills if I had dualed at level 9 or 13, will I make up in Thieving skills what I have sacrificed in Fighter skills?

 

Pretty sure I have all the best gear for BG1 for this character already. But for BG2 and ToB what's the best gear for me to get for such a character?

 

Thanks in advance for any input and advice.

[Macready]

Hello -

 

I'd pick quarterstaff for resistant enemies (e.g., mustard jellies). Just about everything falls to blunt damage. Also, a point in 2H style will give you staff crits on 19, and a tasty +1 damage that gets multiplied by the backstab modifier.

[Meira]

Hello -

 

I'd pick quarterstaff for resistant enemies (e.g., mustard jellies).  Just about everything falls to blunt damage.  Also, a point in 2H style will give you staff crits on 19, and a tasty +1 damage that gets multiplied by the backstab modifier.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can backstab with a staff? I thought you could not.

[Ghreyfain]

You can backstab with any weapon a single-class thief can use.

[Meira]

You can backstab with any weapon a single-class thief can use.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ok, thanks.

 

Is there any way to tweak this? Cause, if you can backstab with a staff it's a little silly that you can't do same with a spear? Or maybe you should not be able to backstab with a staff? That said, I always liked the term 'sneak attack' better; it does not imply so strongly to using a short bladed weapon.

[Moongaze]

I thought Sim's tweak pack had a component for that. I can't recall clearly, but I think it adds penalties when you try to backstab with certain weapons like a staff.

[Meira]

Yes, looks like it does. I thought the idea was vaguely familiar.

[Lemernis]

Ah, I forgot all about quartstaves, thanks. In BG1 I've enjoyed whacking targets I sneaked up on from behind with a quartstaff when playing a cleric-thief. In fact other than it's the only weapons that can be used by that class to backstab. The damage from the Staff of Striking with a crit was like 96 or something. It's quirky fun. Gets more use out of some of the quarterstaffs in the game.

 

I've haven't played BG2 much. And I've never played ToB. I don't mind being spoiled a little about the best katanas, daggers, leather armor, gauntlets, etc., for a backstabbin', trap settin' thief, if anyone wants to point me in a particular direction.

 

Also, I'm unfamiliar with the trap setting skill, but I'm not finding it to be all that useful yet. The character can usually set the snares successfully, but enemies don't seem to be tripping the traps. I've only just begun trying out the skill, and I'm wondering if it's worth investing further in. Your thoughts?

[Drew]

Trapsetting is really only useful if you are using meta-game knowledge.....unless your character is a bounty hunter (he can throw his special snares) or maybe a cleric/thief (I don't think trap setting breaks sanctuary). If you don't have a bounty hunter or cleric/thief I'd put the points into detect illusions instead.