Wizard Slayer 2 weapon fighting or shield?

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hi all

should i chose 2 weapon fighting or shild for a wizard slayer?
and which weapon is the best weapon for a wizard slayer?

[ November 20, 2004, 18:57: Message edited by: Blackthorne TA ]

 

I would choose two-weapon fighting and use Crom Faer and the Flail of the Ages or something. But it's really up to you. Since the Wizard Slayer is a fighter, you do have a lot of choice in terms of proficiencies and weapons.

 

A wizard slayer's main strength is the 10% spell failure per hit on a mage. Obviously, the more times you hit a mage, the greater the chance of spell failure. So I'd go two-weapon style, with belm or kundane in the off-hand to get the extra attack bonus - at level 13, you'd be getting 4 1/2 attacks per round, so at the end of 2 rounds - 90% spell failure. Improved haste would cut that time in half. Whether the mage is still alive at that point is irrelevent - just go on to the next mage (if there is one), and finish the first one off later.

 

I'd say two weapon fighting, for the reasons splunge listed.

Best weapons for TWF for a Wizard Slayer (IMHO) are the Flail of Ages in the mainhand and Belm in the offhand (Belm over Kundane only because it does a little more damage).

I choose FoA because it's arguably the best one handed weapon, and it will cut through stoneskin, while Celestial Fury will not (the other "best" one-handed weapon). I do not know if a hit from a Wiz-Slayer counts as a hit if it's stopped by stoneskin or not, but the FoA makes it just not matter.

 

The w/s's hit counts against stoneskin, so the 10% spell failure still counts. Otherwise, a w/s would be pretty useless, since a mage would be dead before the spell failure got up to high enough levels to matter.

 

Keep in mind that a wizard slayer will likely have a higher AC than a regular fighter, due to the lack of magical items (rings/amulates/cloaks of protection and other things such as the cloak of the sewers). So, unless you carefully keep your wizard slayer from being attacked by the powerful baddies, he's going to take lots of damage. I would try to reduce his AC as much as possible. A good way to do this is using the Scimitar +5 Defender. +2 AC, plus its a scimitar to match with Belm, so you don't have to put points into two different weapon classes.
On the other hand, a ranged wizard slayer is also a powerful character. Just look at Karamzov or whatever his name is, Illych's friend who uses a crossbow in Jon's Dungeon. A wiz-slayer using the light crossbow of speed or the tuigan bow would be very powerful.

Regardless of what you choose, I would either keep a shield handy for use if needed, or give him some profecency slots in a long-reaching weapon like spears, halberds, or two-handed swords.

HEY!! speaking of two-handed swords... the item upgrade mod lets you create an evil version of the holy avenger. It still gives you the +50% MR. !!!

 

Wow, a wizard slayer archer is a nifty idea. Never thought of that one. This is why I love BG2; always something new to try

 

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Anyone's hit against a stoneskin counts. I was wondering if a Wizard Slayer hitting the stoneskin incurs a 10% penalty to spell failure against the wizard.

 

It does. Even if you are, for example, fighting a lich with a normal weapon which are ineffective, all attacks add 10%.

 

*slaps self*
I did not know that! Jeeze! Wizard Slayers have just become my favorite SoA class!

 

@ Klorox - as Caleb* said, the 10% penalty does go through stoneskin (that's what I was trying to say in my previous post - obviously I did a crappy job of it)

I did NOT know, however, that you could use a weapon that would normally be ineffective and still have the penalty apply. So presumably, a w/slayer with, say, a +2 sword could hit Kangaxx and do no damage, but still have give him a 10% failure chance with each hit.

 

forget the +2 sword, the fists will do the job!
This seems to make the wizard slayer a little overpowered. It also seems to make a wizard slayer // thief (for [snip] and backstabbing) very overpowered!

[ToB ability removed.] -Tal

[ November 23, 2004, 15:54: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Geoff - check what forum this is in

Actually, the main drawback to a wizard slayer is , with an SOA-only install, you can't use potions, which makes having a cleric almost essential; still not as good as being able to use healing potions, though.

 

The Wizard Slayer is useful in SoA, but not really viable as a stand-alone character (prove me wrong, somebody!) - the inability to heal yourself means that unless you have innate regeneration (ie: you brought a Dwarf Fighter with 19 Con and the tome from BG) you will find it nigh-on impossible to not get killed unless there is a cleric or druid in the party to heal you. Still, that damage is not a requirement to inflict spell failure is truly awesome - a mage has to kill you before the count gets high enough to make them useless, regardless of how ineffective your weapon may be.

Of course, one answer to that could be dual-classing a Human Wizard Slayer to cleric, having specialised in blunt weapons. Another would be SKing a multi-class fighter/cleric to become a Wizard Slayer.

That said, I would take a shield for non-mage battles, especially against creatures with elemental attacks to bolster your resistances. The dragon items seem like a good choice, as does the Shield of Balduran.

 

Woops.. sorry about that

So, in SoA, you can't use healin potions. Is that still true with the patch?

If so, then that gives even more reason to choose a ranged wizard slayer. Or to choose a melee weapon that gives good reach (such as two-handed weapons in general, I also believe there is a scimitar with added reach from the Item Upgrade mod) and trying to remain behind another fighter (probably one with a short reach weapon(s)).

 

Yes, it is.

 

Speaking of not being able to heal. I was soloing an assassin and couldn't figure out what to do about that demon you have to heal. Later I got the Gloves from the Order of the Radiant Heart quest. Can a wizard slayer use these?

 

My first post on this forum was about using those gloves on the Empathic Manifestation ("that demon you have to heal") when you have no healing spells, but I don't think the issue of wizard slayers ever came up. Do wizard slayers get the standard Bhaalspawn powers? If so, that would be one work-around.

 

What could do a dualled WS/Mage? How would the magic missile apply the 10% penalty? Or this is not for magic, just for physical damage...

In case of WS/Thief all the arrows in the trap would apply the 10% penalty?

 

Wizard Slayers can't use gloves (I don't think), so the healing gloves wouldn't help. And heal as an innate really isn't much use, since you only get 2 max per day, and the benefit is pretty minor; I wouldn't want to have to rely on it in the middle of a battle (although it might buy you some time to get to a priest).

Valer - I'm not sure on the answer to either of your questions. If I were to guess, then I would say that neither magic missile nor traps deal out a 10% spell failure, but again, I'm guessing here.