Your Favorite Gish

[Steve]

What is your favorite multi-class split for an arcane melee-caster?

I'm stuck on Wizard 10 / EK 10 / Dragonslayer 10. My backup is Wizard (10), Dragonslayer (10), Eldritch Knight (6), Arch Mage (4) which can get CL 30, but loses out on either Imp. Knockdown or Imp. Power Attack—either path has a bonus (disabling or damage, depending on fun-a-bility).

As a runner up favorite—though Alignment specific—there is the always winning Sorcerer (7), Eldritch Knight (10), Arcane Scholar (10), Paladin (3).

Are there any new deviations with recent PrCs that you find special and interesting?

[chad878262]

Bard 26/X4?

I did the W/DS/EK build and it was very powerful, for sure. Damage is a bit low, but can pretty much make itself immune to melee mobs. IPA helps a bit with the damage issue of course, but my biggest issue at the time was armor switching for buffs. This has been somewhat addressed since now Autostill can be obtained in early epics instead of waiting until the latest levels.

Another alternative that I like and played for a bit is W7/PM10/EK10/DS3. BAB is only 21 and CL 28, but a Gish can get that high enough bonuses to AB to be viable and this monster can be pretty survivable if it eats a mords/breach/Greater Dispel thanks to PM extra's.

[Sun Wukong]

Gold Dwarf Sorcerer 7/Fighter 3/Eldritch Knight 10/Arcane Scholar 10, it has caster level of 30, and comes with enough constitution to get Fast Healing III. It uses Polymorph and Shapechange spells to grind - and offensive spells without a save when not polymorphed/shapechanged.

[Steve]

Yeah, the Bard. Pretty much not a caster as much as a performer of magic?!? I guess in my idea of a Gish, that character build has access the entire possibilities of the Weave, not a limitation like Bard's spellbook.

But who am I to judge?!?

[chad878262]

Yeah, the Bard. Pretty much not a caster as much as a performer of magic?!? I guess in my idea of a Gish, that character build has access the entire possibilities of the Weave, not a limitation like Bard's spellbook.

But who am I to judge?!?

Hey, it was a joke man! . I did comment on two "true" gish builds...

[Valefort]

I would probably go for that : http://nwn2db.com/build/?260521

The CL is in dispel zone but it's not a problem as you're fine without dispellable buffs, as long as you have adequate gear like any meleer. Instead of being a christmas tree you can just play like a passable meleer and then cast spells when needed.

[dzidek1983]

Always a bard.

[Steve]

I would probably go for that : http://nwn2db.com/build/?260521

Aargh! Elves!

@ Dizzy: damn Bards!!

[dzidek1983]

Yeah. Damn bards. But still you gotta love them. Fighter, archer, party buffer, healer and also in some cases blaster with shit load of great skills. With excellent PRC's that have low requirements and provide good bonuses with little cost. I could go on what they do best but probably everyone knows that.

[Steve]

Yeah. Damn bards. But still you gotta love them. Fighter, archer, party buffer, healer and also in some cases blaster with (#2) load of great skills. With excellent PRC's that have low requirements and provide good bonuses with little cost. I could go on what they do best but probably everyone knows that.

What is your best submission for a wizard gish, then? Even though it may be incomparable to a Bard....

[aaron22]

Is a gish build a good starter for playing an arcane class. I was not a good wizard player. Or is it better to just keep practicing with a wizxy build.

[Steve]

Is a gish build a good starter for playing an arcane class. I was not a good wizard player. Or is it better to just keep practicing with a wizxy build.

That really depends. My Gish example, for example, takes Wizard from levels 1 – 10, then gets Dragonslayer, then gets Eldritch Knight.

So essentially, it is a Wizzy for the first third! And it is really the Ability stats that have the effect, I'd say, in the playability factor.

Pretty much Bard is the best Arcane Starter base Class. But if you want something rather easy, go for the Sorcerer / Paladin type. That is quite easy for a starter player (in my humble opinion).

[Lockonnow]

No one cant be a good wizard couse you havent leaning couse there was not mage school like (hogwarts) all those mage guild there has been is emty remember ones tehre was the weavemaster guild any thing follow to a emtyness couse you wont stand together even one afriad to lossing and be weak and so one many of you belive that candlekeep was a wizard it wasnt more then anything else there for

[VillageGreenWitch]

No one cant be a good wizard couse you havent leaning couse there was not mage school like (hogwarts) all those mage guild there has been is emty remember ones tehre was the weavemaster guild any thing follow to a emtyness couse you wont stand together even one afriad to lossing and be weak and so one many of you belive that candlekeep was a wizard it wasnt more then anything else there for

Amen.
I have absolutely no idea what you were just saying but it sounds great - and it seems to bash Harry Potter.
So - Amen, brother.

@topic: I never successfully played any caster class. I'd fare even worse here at BG:TSCC were there are more spells than my current character has HP.
For someone like me that never played casters for long because that whole "Hey group! Could you please wait half a day? I need to recast my most basic buffs." followed by "Oh, look, a dozen Balors .... oh and look! How cute! They blocked the entrance to their room by epic, deadly traps. - What? Careful approach? Disabling the traps? You mad?! *chuckles* Let me just waltz into the room and splatter them little Balors and their funny traps all over their walls, wait here, I'm right back." gameplay is appearing so very much cheesy, every caster (gish or no gish) is - to me - just seeming like complete overkill.

But then - we're playing D&D here. And D&D never was anything else but "Gandalf 2.0 and his completely insignificant mundane hirelings".

(Why did I even start ranting here? *shuts up*).

[izzul]

No one cant be a good wizard couse you havent leaning couse there was not mage school like (hogwarts) all those mage guild there has been is emty remember ones tehre was the weavemaster guild any thing follow to a emtyness couse you wont stand together even one afriad to lossing and be weak and so one many of you belive that candlekeep was a wizard it wasnt more then anything else there for

Perfect! love every word of it!