Baulders Gate DA2

[hivedragon]

Hey I just bought this game and intend on playing it on two player:
Any tips on which characters for us each to pick?
Also any tips for playing the game in general?

[Eldonauran]

Necromancer + Monk

I always have fun playing that combo.


***Anyone else see "Baldur's Gate Dragon Age 2" when they read that!?!?***

[Toastkart]

necromancer and cleric both have some good group synergy, and are strong solo, so pair them with someone else. The barbarian is very straightforward, but he doesn't get a class quest like the other classes do. The thief is pretty good if you build him for range, but it always helps to have a backup 1h/shield available for blocking (same goes for all classes, really).

I never really played around with the monk, but I'm sure you can make any combination work if you plan ahead what you're going to be building towards.

[Shpadoinkle]

I never liked monks in BG2 very much, to be honest. I mean... yeah, they're fast, but all that means is that they get to wait around while everyone else catches up. They do a lot of damage, but it's comparable to what other melee characters can do. Probably their biggest boon is their magic resistance, but I'm just not all that impressed with that. It's nice but not enough for me to consider playing a monk.

Also necromancers are... well, okay, I guess, but I consider sorcerers to be 100 times more useful.

I've heard berserkers (fighter kit) dual-classed to clerics are level 13 are pretty solid, though I've never played one myself. Berserkers are pretty nice, though, as their berserk ability gives them immunity to a lot of really nasty stuff (it's best to think of it as more of a defensive ability than an offensive one.) If you go straight berserker I suggest putting points in axes, as Azuredge, Stonefire/Frostreaver, and the upgraded Axe of the Unyeilding are some of the better weapons in SoA/ToB. Plus Azuredge is throwable. If you go with a straight berserker I recommend playing as a dwarf, since they get a +1 bonus to their saving throws for every (I think) 3.5 points of Constitution.

Inquisitors (paladin kit) are awesome, because while they lose spells (who cares, really) and turn undead (like you won't have a cleric for that) they gain True Sight (GREAT for getting rid of horribly annoying spells like Improved Invisibility, Shadow Door, Mislead, etc. that enemy mages just love to use) and Dispel Magic with a caster level equal to TWICE their actual level. Be sure to put points in 2-handed swords for Carsomyr. Lilarcor's also pretty handy until you can get Carsomyr.

A Skald (bard kit) isn't terribly interesting to play but has a GREAT bard song. I normally have mine cast Invisibility on himself and sing while the rest of the party carves up monsters.

Playing as an Archer (ranger kit) is fun- they'll be pumping out damage like nobody's business. The armor restriction isn't as bad as it might seem at first, especially since there's some really nice leather armor to be found.

Finally, a thief or some thief multiclass is always viable. Fighter/thief makes you more durable in a straight up fight with the option to run off, hide, backstab, and repeat. Mage/thief and cleric/thief also have some interesting options thanks to their spells. A straight thief might be a bit lackluster, though. Depends on how much you enjoy the "backstab, run, hide, repeat" thing.

Setting traps is also really nice, but it takes a bit of setup and guile to utilize them properly. Of course the entire game is LOADED with traps, so being able to disarm them is pretty awesome, because not only does that let you avoid damage but also you get experience for doing it. I've heard you can also get some nifty stuff from pickpocketing (Ribald at the Adventurer's Mart has a Ring of Regeneration, for instance) but I never bothered with it much, myself.

[Cespenar]

stuff

Unless I'm mistaken, your unfortunately elaborate suggestions are for Baldur's Gate 2, while the OP asks about Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2.

For what it's worth, they are some good advice for the game it belongs to. :smallsmile:

[hivedragon]

@Shpadoinkle
I think you are thinking of BG2 for the PC
we're talking about BG DA2 for the PS2
edit: ninjaed

[Shpadoinkle]

Oh. I've heard those game are subpar so I never really looked into them.

[Studoku]

I'd say the necromancer is the strongest character- especially when you can up his mana regen to insane levels- i.e. faster than many of his spells drain it. He also has some spells that are just plain broken (max rank slow) and buff spells that affect both players. He (along with the rogue) also has the ability that reduces crafting costs by up to 75%.

His backstory, to me, is a shoutout to BG2 (the PC one). It's pretty much the same as
Spoilers for both games:
Irenicus' backstory, except Ysuran's from Everaska instead of Suldansellar. Also (although this is almost certainly a coincidence), assigning a each letter a number (a=1, b=2 etc) gives both Irenicus and Ysuran the same value.

Regardless of who you pick, do your character specific plotlines as soon as possible. Some of them glitch if you start them too late and they're the only way to access your best abilities. The questgivers are at:
Cleric: Temple of Helm- opposite the shop iirc
Rogue: The dwarf in the tavern
Monk: The "darkly tanned gold elf" in the tavern
Necromancer: Omduil's manor. It's in an awkward corner of Baldur's Gate and it's easy to miss.
Barbarian: Randalla Brasshorn, in the tavern. You can't give her money for exp but she gives you a quest from a certain point- this unlocks your bonus abilities.

If you want to customise items, make sure the rogue or necromancer is in your party and learn how the system works.