Chapter 1 - Character Classes

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 improves on its original by increasing the number of playable character classes from three to five. Players choose from a barbarian, monk, necromancer, rogue, and cleric.

Attributes and feats define the character classes. Each character class uses the same six attributes but in different initial configurations. Also, the character classes share similar feats; however, there are many feats unique to each class that focus the class' specific strengths.

The six attributes are:

Strength measures your character's physical power. It affects melee damage, chance to hit in melee, and how much weight the character can carry. Strength should be an emphasis of any character using melee weapons as their primary attack. The strength attributes adds +1 melee to hit and +1 to damage per every two points over 10.

Dexterity gauges your character's hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, etc. This attribute affects your chance to hit using ranged weaponry, damage with ranged weaponry, and increased armor class. Dexterity should be an emphasis on characters using ranged weaponry as their primary attack. The dexterity attribute adds +1 ranged to hit and +1 to armor class per every two points over 10.

Constitution measures your character's health and stamina. Higher constitution means higher hit points and faster hit point regeneration. Obviously constitution is important for every character and this attribute can be either aided or countered with feats that also improve hit points as well as health potions. The constitution attribute adds +1 hit point per level per two points over 10 and also supplies faster hit point regeneration.

Intelligence measures your character's leaning skills, which deals with your character's ability to utilize magic. The higher the intelligence, the faster your character's magic energy regenerates, the more energy gained for each level advanced, and the greater damage from spells. This primarily benefits spellcasters, such as the necromancer, but realize that all classes have "spells" that consume magic energy (like the barbarian's Cleave, for instance). Intelligence attribute adds +5 to magic energy per two points over 10.

Wisdom reveals your character's "willpower, common sense, and perception". This translates to experience points in the game. Thus a character with higher wisdom gains experience at a faster rate. This can be beneficial to any character, though you'll likely want to focus on other attributes that are more focused on your character. The wisdom attribute adds a +5% earned experience per two points over 10.

Charisma measures your character's personality. This translates to how your character interacts with the merchant. The higher your charisma, the cheaper the goods you hope to buy and the more gold you receive from the goods you hope to sell. The charisma attribute adds a +5% bonus to store buy and sell values per two points over 10.

Dorn Redbear, the Human Barbarian

The barbarian class is for the player who wants to battle toe-to-toe with the game's toughest creatures. The barbarian excels in melee combat, which is exemplified by his starting attributes. He has the greatest starting strength and excellent constitution, which provides additional hit points per level.

A sturdy barbarian should acquire the Hero's Arm feat, which allows the barbarian to wield a great weapon (normally requiring two hands) in just a single hand. This gives the barbarian two great weapons. Use skill points to elevate two-hand fighting and great weapon focus to increase your melee abilities. Get at least one point in Cleave as it's the barbarians' only area effect attack. Sunder lowers your enemies' armor class. Initiate an attack with sunder then utilize your standard attack combinations that are boosted by your great weapon and two-handed fighting skills.

Health: 17/17
Energy: 8/8
Armor: 10
Base Attack: 4
Damage: 4-5 (1-2)

Strength: 16 (+3 hit/+3 damage)
Dexterity: 10 (+0 armor)
Constitution: 14 (+2 hit points)
Intelligence: 10 (+0 max energy)
Wisdom: 10 (+0% experience)
Charisma: 11 (+0% buy/sell)

Starting Feats: Armor Proficiency (2), Barbaric Rage (1), Sprint (1)
Starting Weapons: Shoddy Handaxe (1-3), Shoddy Short Sword (1-3)
Starting Armor: Cloth Boots, Cloth Bracers

Vhaidra Uoswiir, the Dark Elf Monk

The monk excels in hand-to-hand combat. In fact, one of the monk's unique feats is unarmed combat. The monk can also excel with hand weaponry, such as staffs; you could use the Spinning Strike feat for area effect damage with the help of the staff. Or if you wish to stick with unarmed combat, go with the Sweep Attack for the area effect damage. For the monk, strength and dexterity are the only attributes that begin over the base of 10.

The monk's ability to stun most enemies is one of the best features of the class. Emphasize the appropriate feats (such as Stunning Blow) as well as those that help reduce damage (such as Evasion). Add gear that improves critical damage and your unarmed combos can unleash some vicious damage at high levels. Improve her proficiency with armor, combat reflexes for increased combat speed, and acquire Hail of Knives after completing her class-specific quest for a good ranged counterpart to her melee stun attacks.

Health: 14/14
Energy: 12/12
Armor: 19
Base Attack: 3
Damage: 5-9

Strength: 12 (+1 hit/+1 damage)
Dexterity: 17 (+3 armor)
Constitution: 10 (+0 hit points)
Intelligence: 10 (+0 max energy)
Wisdom: 10 (+0% experience)
Charisma: 10 (+0% buy/sell)

Starting Feats: Armor Proficiency (1), Sprint (1), Unarmed Combat (1)
Starting Weapons: None
Starting Armor: Cloth Boots, Cloth Bracers