Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

So I'm trying to make a cleric-type character that is good at hunting demons, devils, and undead with a crossbow. The reason I insist on some sort of divine spellcasting background is because of role play. It defines who she is. It was also a good way to grab a couple good feats, have some okay spells until I get hips, and I'm going to try divine vigor and feint with this build. The ranger was specifically to pick up undead and outsider favored enemy, I chose 2 weapon fighting and figured dual-wielding daggers wouldn't hurt until the crossbow feats got better and I could move around more. I went for epic dodge and as many evasive maneuvers as possible.

I based this on a custom class I made years ago for table top. The idea was a ranger/paladin that could use smite evil with a crossbow. Since I cannot do that (to my knowledge) in nwn I want to try and pull off my holy hunter the best I can.

This is what I put together. Would like any ideas of how to optimize it. This is my first surface character and I would like to get more into the surface. The UD is fun, but I want 1 main for both worlds

http://nwn2db.com/build/?290309

Why not just Ranger 30? It would have no multiclassing experience penalty. You could dualwield daggers and get all the crossbow feats.

I would consider cleric3/ranger27 if it can hold up without hips

I have made Zen Archery (wisdom) based ranger and it can hold up on its own. The cleric dip kind of cuts down on your animal companion progression unless you pick a deity with the Animal domain.

Dexterity based ranger should be able to do the same, even though they have fewer spells. Buffed up animal companion is a beast with Natural Bond and Epic Animal Companion. Thus, while you got that buffed up animal companion to tank for you, you can just snipe with crossbow from afar.

Just pick any companion other than the badger. The badger just doesn't work well with the ranger's animal companion spell selection.

Are 5 classes allowed in 1 build? Lol

*Edit* Critical rebuild. Did some things I like. Seems like a cleaner build now. I like the idea of being a neutral good divine demon/devil hunter. I'll bump heads with paladins, but work well with them for the greater good n' all that

http://nwn2db.com/build/?290365

I rember Mr3mentalist post months back something in that direction here. Either ask him or look the char build forums up. It was a cleric/hierophant/harper priest and something else,maybe a ranger? Who had all the nice animal companion stuff (animal domain), even turn umdead progression and mighty throw to go ranged combat. All three classes allow for animal companion progression.

Sadly cant build it my own and havent saved it.

Edit: 6 lvl of Ranger give you Manyshot and 2 Favored Enemies like undead and outsider.. Can get back sole Cleric Cl with Hierophant spellpower or practiced spellcaster. HarperPriest blessings: Lurues Voice(animal progression), Mieliekkies forest tracker (swift tracker) maybe Selunes Voice too (undead turning progression) and maybe Tymoras Luck Rabit (so you dont need plant domain)..
Else focus on STR and get mighty throws, that also allows to switch to melee. Harper Priest also gives access to tumble.

Edit2: you can also use your 2nd FE for IFE, which gives an additonal +3 dmg against your chosen enemey.
http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Favored_Power_Attack could also be an option on a STR cleric.Tough can you PowerAttack with Throwing Weapons?

I was looking at those classes. Particularly harper scout if I remember correctly. I liked some things, I didn't like others. I don't want her to be a powerful caster, that is just basic clerical skills for RP purposes and to justify a few things.

For one, she's blind and her backstory tells of how she used to be a paladin but ended up attacking a demon way too strong for her. The demon casts a negative energy spell that breaks through her aura and drains her life essence causing her to go blind and lose color in her eyes and hair. She was rescued by her teacher, a paladin of Tyr, but could no longer perform the duties of a paladin and was forced to step down from her position. So she left her path as a paladin and went and studied as a priestess of Brandobaris back at home. She studied the domains of darkness and trickery and through several years of training she was finally able to use divine power to "feel" where her enemies are. She left the temple of Brandobaris to live a life as a demon hunter/devil driver. She studied for a while on how to fight demons (so far she's level 3 cleric/1 ranger: favored enemy outsider) now she hopes to join the Silver Rose to learn everything she can about battling demons, devils, undead, and anyone evil enough to be involved with such things.

I'm going for an odd build. I am trying to utilize feint and stray away from using a pet outside of RP purposes. Like she may have a pet wolf she uses as a seeing eye dog, but the wolf is not a "warrior" so she wouldn't put him in danger.

As for shadow dancer levels, I cannot yet justify why a demon hunter/devil driver would summon a shadow to aid them, unless the shadow was good (which they aren't really good or evil, they just are. The perspective of a good natured person may perceive otherwise based on personal opinions of right from wrong that do not apply in the shadow plane.)

The shadows themselves may not be "evil" or at least when called upon they may be bound in a way as to not be able to commit "evil" acts, but from the perspective of good natured persons, some things a shadow may do may be perceived as "evil" by said good natured persons. The reason for this is perspective; A wolf eating a child is not an evil act to the wolf who was hungry, but to the mother of the child and the scared child itself it would be considered "evil"

So really I took shadow dancer because she is a priestess of brandobaris by background and since she studied darkness and trickery domains, but was more like a ranger once she left to "hunt" demons and devils, she begins studying as a Shadow Dancer to learn how to use the darkness to her benefit for the greater good.

Kind of a lot to get into. But I just want to explain why I only took 3 cleric levels and do not wish to pursue being a caster. Darkness gives blind fight which she needs cuz, well, she's blind. Trickery gives feint which may be good later on when she has dual-wield kukris, level 6 ranger, weapon finesse, etc. (assuming she can make more than 1 attack within the 6 second time frame feint penetrates dodge/dex AC.). I felt it would be a fun perk to be able to drop the crossbow, pass out, pop up with 2 kukris and get a few good surprise attack on an enemy that thought I was out cold.

If you look at the list of feats she was able to fit in with this build, it's actually not bad. Also with all the fighter and ranger levels + bonuses to crossbow her ending damage and AB is pretty good i think. *shrug* Idk

http://nwn2db.com/build/?290365

Final Cut - http://nwn2db.com/build/?290365

I decided to go as a fighter/rogue style and not concentrate on spells or companions. I still will be an alright demon/devil hunter that can also kill undead and stay stocked up on silver bullets and bolts... And Holy Water...

That multiclassing experience penalty...

Why not a Fighter 10/Rogue 10/Wilderness Stalker 7/Shadowdancer 3 (Rogue 10 goes for Crippling Strike, which opens up Epic Precision?)

Basically, since you are going to be HiPSing in and out, you might just as well get 7d6 sneak attack dice against enemies. And half of that against critical hit immunities. Overall, it will be more damage than what you get through Epic Weapon Specialization. You also get +1 AC, and you can track things faster, and move faster when under stealth while in outdoors.

You do not have favored enemies, but the build works better in my opinion, and you avoid that multiclassing experience penalty.

I play underdark characters... Idk what a multiclass experience penalty is lol...

Drow4d20 wrote:I play underdark characters... Idk what a multiclass experience penalty is lol...

Multiclasing penalty means if you have multiple classes that are too far apart from from each other and none of them match your race's favored class....

ALL experience you earn will be reduced by 20%.
http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Multiclass_penalty

Dealing with it is extremely painful, and you may end up in situation where you'll be getting 0xp per kill in combat.

Sun Wukong wrote:That multiclassing experience penalty...

Why not a Fighter 10/Rogue 10/Wilderness Stalker 7/Shadowdancer 3 (Rogue 10 goes for Crippling Strike, which opens up Epic Precision?)

Basically, since you are going to be HiPSing in and out, you might just as well get 7d6 sneak attack dice against enemies. And half of that against critical hit immunities. Overall, it will be more damage than what you get through Epic Weapon Specialization. You also get +1 AC, and you can track things faster, and move faster when under stealth while in outdoors.

You do not have favored enemies, but the build works better in my opinion, and you avoid that multiclassing experience penalty.

I want favored enemy undead and outsiders because the entire idea of the build is to be the traditional undead, demon, devil, werewolf, vampire hunter. I have silver for werewolves so I wanted the +3 to undead and outsiders. Otherwise I wouldn't use ranger at all.

The rogue 5d6 damage added to the crossbow is for fighting things that are not undead mostly, but honestly the biggest reason for rogue was skill points with less intelligence. Since the class is a specialist class geared towards fighting specific enemies, I wanted to give her some skills to be useful to a party not hunting undead, demons, devils, or werewolves.

Which is why I went with 12 fighter to make sure the crossbow dished out as much damage as possible to enemies that weren't her specialty.

Think Vampire Hunter D. or Hellsing type stuff. Oldschool chaotic good or neutral vampire/werewolf/undead/demon slayer. That's what I want to build. What get's me most into the game is fulfilling a specific character role. Not being the best algorithm of build possibilities, but the best algorithm within the limitations of a particular theme, you dig?

*edit* Oh and Rangers can use divine spell scrolls. Some of which can be useful I hope

NegInfinity wrote:

Drow4d20 wrote:I play underdark characters... Idk what a multiclass experience penalty is lol...

Multiclasing penalty means if you have multiple classes that are too far apart from from each other and none of them match your race's favored class....

ALL experience you earn will be reduced by 20%.
http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Multiclass_penalty

Dealing with it is extremely painful, and you may end up in situation where you'll be getting 0xp per kill in combat.

Lol I know what it is... I was joking because I usually play +2-3 level adjusted characters. I also tend to get really into role play and don't pay as much mind to exp gained outside of quests or events. Grinding is just something I do to kill time if nobody is really online.

I built a table top class based on 3.5 rules with a friend of mine we called a Devil Driver. It was mainly DEX based with INT for skills and CHA for certain abilities and skills.

It was basically a ranger/paladin/rogue mixed together. It did not get spells per day like a ranger or paladin. Instead it gained abilities that a paladin, ranger, or rogue would such as favored enemies (undead, outsiders, shapechangers, magical beasts, or constructs) smite evil:Crossbow (same as paladin, but with a crossbow or thrown weapons) sneak attacks (1d6 every 4 levels instead of every other level like rogue).

It's skill set was appraise, bluff, craft alchemy, craft weapons, diplomacy, disable devices, heal, hide, listen, lore, move silently, search, set trap, spot, tumble

No "use magic devices" because they would prefer prepared magical items like holy water or potions that were quickly utilized in battle so they could concentrate on fighting, not incantations and such. They would more likely be alchemists or befriend alchemists than use scrolls, wands, or spells directly.

I loved the class and actually played it for a while. This is the closest I can get it to be like that class.