Best Party Icewind Dale 2
Welcome to my party creation guide for Black Isle's cRPG Definition of 2002, Icewind Dale 2.
Solo Sorcerer IWD2 powergaming aside, the best party in Icewind Dale 2 is a traditional party consisting of:
That party will easily beat the hardest combat encounter in the game, Lost Followers IWD2.
See: IWD2 Classes.
Or if we don't want Bard or Druid, roll with ranged warrior (an archer of some sort). That party will get new players through the game with ease, yet won't be boring (due to the build variation).
As it pertains to IWD2 Races, I mostly go Human for their advantages in:
- Feats IWD2
- Skills IWD2
- multi-classing options
If playing Heart of Fury IWD2, Drow and especially Deep Gnome end up better than the other race choices due to their spell resistance (hard cap for spell resistance is 50). Note that Deep Gnome > Drow.
Icewind Dale 2 Party Member Roles
Assuming the characters in the party are created and built to focus on a specific combat or utility role, and not diluted to become Jacks-of-all-trades, such traditional parties will get through the campaign without too much trouble; mainly, because they don't sacrifice BAB/spellcasting progression.
I think it's best to think in terms of descriptive role rather than classes. In IWD2, it's nice to have the following:
- solid conventional tank and physical-based damage-dealer (warrior)
- divine healer, buffer, disruptor, crafter (cleric/priest)
- arcane immobilizer, buffer, bombardier, crafter (sorcerer/wizard)
- skill-monkey, sneak-attacker, scout (rogue/thief)
In regards to party size, I recommend a six-person party for new players. However, four-person parties are stronger because experience points are shared between fewer characters.
Icewind Dale 2 Party Arbitration
As in the Icewind Dale 1, we can modify our party composition at any time over the course of the campaign through character arbitration. This is handy if we gimped our character and need to replace them with another, or if we just want to try out something new, mid-campaign. But new additions to our party do not scale to the level of the current party, so we will have to accept our first level scrubs and then train them up. This feature is covered in my solo Sorcerer walkthrough.
Icewind Dale 2 Sample Parties
Icewind Dale 2 sample parties are suboptimal in both party composition and party member stats. However, sample parties may help new players get into IWD2 or present veterans with a more challenging game.
Lady's Lament
The Lady's Lament is a group of adventurers that hails from the City of Splendors, Waterdeep. They have a reputation for being soft spoken, reserved, and somewhat melancholy. However, they are also known for championing the underdog, and often accept difficult assignments that other groups pass up. Hearing of the beleaguered town of Targos, they quickly traveled to Luskan and joined the throngs of mercenaries heading for Icewind Dale. The group is named after their leader, Sheris Lyricist.
Sheris (Chaotic Good, Female, Human, Bard)
STR: 12, DEX: 14, CON: 10, INT: 14, WIS: 10, CHA: 16
Skills: Bluff (4), Hide (4), Concentration (4), Diplomacy (4), Move Silently (2)
Feats: Courteous Magocracy, Dodge.
Geldin (Lawful Neutral, Male, Half-orc, Fighter)
STR: 20, DEX: 16, CON: 16, INT: 8, WIS: 8, CHA: 6
Skills: Intimidate (4), Move Silently (3)
Feats: Ambidexterity, Two Weapon Fighting.
Khatja (Chaotic Good, Female, Half-orc, Barbarian)
STR: 18, DEX: 14, CON: 14, INT: 10, WIS: 12, CHA: 6
Skills: Intimidate (4), Wilderness Lore (4)
Feats: Martial Weapon - Greatsword.
Laeris (Lawful Good, Male, Human, Cleric - Painbearer of Ilmater)
STR: 12, DEX: 12, CON: 12, INT: 12, WIS: 16, CHA: 12
Skills: Concentration (4), Knowledge (Arcana) (4), Spellcraft (2)
Feats: Combat Casting, Toughness.
Vraedna (Chaotic Neutral, Female, Drow, Sorceror)
STR: 10, DEX: 14, CON: 14, INT: 16, WIS: 10, CHA: 16
Skills: Alchemy (4), Concentration (4), Knowledge (Arcana) (4), Spellcraft (4)
Feats: Combat Casting.
Kylie (Neutral Good, Male, Lightfoot Halfling, Rogue)
STR: 12, DEX: 20, CON: 12, INT: 12, WIS: 10, CHA: 10, Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4)
Feats: Martial Weapon-Bow.
Sisters of the Blood Moon
Drawn together under the watchful and accepting eye of Selune, more-so for their differences than similarities, the young adventuring party known as the Sisters of the Blood Moon have made it their mission to help those that are oppressed, abused, and in dire need of aid. Their leader, S'feria Ranul, a drow Silverstar of Selune who normally resides in the city of Silverymoon, gathered her adventuring sisters together one day, and presented them the note of requested aid from the troubled town of Targos. The promise of gold from Targos was not the motivating factor for the party to go and help. It was their bond and their oath to help all those who asked, and they did not hesitate to charter a ship to take the Sisters of the Blood Moon to Targos.
S'feria Ranul (Chaotic Good, Female, Drow, Cleric - Silverstar of Selune)
STR: 14, DEX: 12, CON: 10, INT: 12, WIS: 18, CHA: 14
Skills: Concentration (4), Diplomacy (4)
Feats: Simple Weapon - Mace.
Oagla'ta (Chaotic Good, Female, Half-orc, Barbarian)
STR: 20, DEX: 12, CON: 14, INT: 8, WIS: 10, CHA: 10
Skills: Intimidate (4)
Feats: Martial Weapon - Axe.
Nyzeil Nighthammer (Chaotic Good, Female, Gray Dwarf, Fighter)
STR: 18, DEX: 12, CON: 16, INT: 10, WIS: 12, CHA: 6
Skills: Intimidate (4)
Feats: Bullheaded, Martial Weapon - Hammer.
Nevae Quar (Neutral Good, Female, Half-elf, Ranger)
STR: 14, DEX: 16, CON: 12, INT: 10, WIS: 12, INT: 10, CHA: 12
Skills: Animal Empathy (4), Wilderness Lore (4)
Feats: Martial Weapon - Bow.
Hylei Shadowhand (Neutral Good, Female, Rock Gnome, Illusionist)
STR: 8, DEX: 14, CON: 12, INT: 18, WIS: 12, CHA: 12
Skills: Alchemy (4), Concentration (4), Hide: (2), Knowledge (Arcana) (4), Spellcraft (4)
Feats: Combat Casting, Courteous Magocracy.
Kylei Shadowhand (Chaotic Good, Female, Rock Gnome, Rogue)
STR: 8, DEX: 18, CON: 14, INT: 14, WIS: 10, CHA: 12
Skills: Bluff (4), Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4)
Feats: Dodge.
The Winter Rose
Named for the Frostrose, whose petals remain crimson in even the harshest climates, this fellowship is founded on the unwavering commitment to duty. Just as it is the duty of the Frostrose to keep its scarlet hue against the snow-covered wastes, so too must the fellows of the Winter Rose hold to their covenant as self-proclaimed guardians of the North.
The Watcher (Lawful Good, Male, Aasimar, Paladin of Helm)
STR: 16, DEX: 10, CON: 12, INT: 10, WIS: 14, CHA: 18
Skills: Concentration (1), Diplomacy (3)
Feats: Luck of Heroes.
Kebb Trapmaster (Neutral Good, Male, Rock Gnome, Rogue): STR: 10, DEX: 18, CON: 12, INT: 14, WIS: 12, CHA: 10
Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4)
Feats: Rapid Shot.
Tianya (Neutral Good, Female, Half-elf, Druid)
STR: 12, DEX: 12, CON: 12, INT: 10, WIS: 18, CHA: 12
Skills: Animal Empathy (4), Wilderness Lore (4)
Feats: Simple Weapon - Missile (2).
Naleen (Lawful Good, Female, Tiefling, Monk of the Broken Ones)
STR: 14, DEX: 16, CON: 12, INT: 10, WIS: 18, CHA: 8
Skills: Hide (4), Move Silently (4)
Feats: Dodge.
Llendril Coe (Neutral Good, Female, Moon Elf, Bard)
STR: 10, DEX: 14, CON: 12, INT: 12, WIS: 12, CHA: 16
Skills: Alchemy (4), Bluff (3), Concentration (2), Knowledge (Arcana) (3)
Feats: Lingering Song.
Dalwynd Meadsbreath (Chaotic Good, Male, Lightfoot Halfling, Wizard)
STR: 8, DEX: 14, CON: 12, INT: 18, WIS: 10, CHA: 14
Skills: Alchemy (4), Concentration (4), Diplomacy (2), Knowledge (Arcana) (4), Spellcraft (4)
Feats: Simple Weapon - Crossbow, Spell Focus - Enchantment (1).
Annals of Halgren
This weary band has sprouted up in the shadow of Halgren Death's Head, a dwarf from the Bruenghor Clan in the Sunset Mountains, a mountain range far to the south of Icewind Dale. Their leader, Halgren, seeks enough wealth so that he may erase the stain of his family name from the bloody crimes of one his ancestors, a vicious dwarf known as Kaervas. The troop gathered in Luskan barely a tenday ago. Neither evil nor especially law-abiding, the group tends to honor their word and stick to their cause, which is furthering their own name... and erase the stain from Halgren's.
Halgren Death's Head (Lawful Neutral, Male, Shield Dwarf, Fighter)
STR: 18, DEX: 14, CON: 14, INT: 10, WIS: 8, CHA: 12, Skills: Intimidate (4)
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack.
Bastinado (Chaotic Neutral, Male, Human, Ranger)
STR: 18, DEX: 14, CON: 14, INT: 10, WIS: 10, CHA: 10
Skills: Animal Empathy (4), Hide (2), Wilderness Lore (4)
Feats: Martial Weapon - Bow, Martial Weapon - Large Sword.
Alia Shield-Maiden (True Neutral, Female, Shield Dwarf, Cleric - Battleguard of Tempus)
STR: 16, DEX: 12, CON: 12, INT: 10, WIS: 18, CHA: 8
Skills: Concentration (4)
Feats: Combat Casting.
Silence-Before-Iron (Lawful Neutral, Female, Tiefling, Monk of the Old Order)
STR: 16, DEX: 20, CON: 12, INT: 10, WIS: 16, CHA: 4
Skills: Move Silently (4)
Feats: Power Attack.
Mordakai of Thay (Lawful Neutral, Male, Human, Sorcerer)
STR: 10, DEX: 10, CON: 12, INT: 14, WIS: 12, CHA: 18
Skills: Alchemy (4), Concentration (4), Diplomacy (2), Knowledge (Arcana) (4), Feats: Combat Casting
Spell Focus - Evocation.
Kei the Wooden Idol (Chaotic Neutral, Female, Half-elf, Rogue)
STR: 12, DEX: 18, CON: 12, INT: 12, WIS: 10, CHA: 12
Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Search (4), Feats: Martial Weapon - Bow.
The Hands of Fury
A group of unpleasant adventurers from along the Sword Coast, the Hands of Fury have a tendency to bully and brutalize people they encounter in their travels. After traveling to Luskan with a group of pirates, their planned expedition with the crew fell through. Stranded in Luskan, they decided to seek out their fortune with the packs of mercenaries sent to aid Targos. Their overbearing leader, Makados, gave the group its name.
Makados (Chaotic Evil, Male, Human, Cleric - Stormlord of Talos)
STR: 14, DEX: 12, CON: 10, INT: 10, WIS: 14, CHA: 16
Skills: Bluff (2), Intimidate (1)
Feats: Toughness, Simple Weapon - Mace.
Dahel Bloody-Four (Chaotic Evil, Male, Human, Barbarian)
STR: 16, DEX: 16, CON: 18, INT: 8, WIS: 10, CHA: 8
Skills: Intimidate (2), Wilderness Lore (4)
Feats: Dodge, Martial Weapon - Axe.
Amraith (Neutral Evil, Male, Moon Elf, Fighter)
STR: 10, DEX: 20, CON: 10, INT: 14, WIS: 14, CHA: 8
Skills: Intimidate (4), Knowledge (Arcana) (2), Wilderness Lore (2)
Feats: Ambidexterity, Two Weapon Fighting.
Mirai Wainwright (Chaotic Neutral, Female, Half-elf, Wizard)
STR: 10, DEX: 14, CON: 14, INT: 18, WIS: 10, CHA: 10
Skills: Alchemy (4), Concentration (4), Hide (2), Spellcraft (4)
Feats: Rapid Shot, Simple Weapon - Missile.
Harbesh Carver (True Neutral, Male, Shield Dwarf, Rogue)
STR: 16, DEX: 10, CON: 18, INT: 14, WIS: 10, CHA: 8
Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4)
Feats: Simple Weapon - Small Blade.
Fissera (Neutral Evil, Male, Human, Druid)
STR: 10, DEX: 10, CON: 10, INT: 16, WIS: 16, CHA: 14
Skills: Animal Empathy (4), Bluff (2), Concentration (4), Diplomacy (4), Intimidate (2), Search (1), Spellcraft (4), Wilderness Lore (4)
Feats: Luck of Heroes, Simple Weapon - Missile.
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