H AC (2) hp (2) Inv (2.5) Rng (3) Hst (1) Fear (1) Hld (0.5) Chrm (0.

5) UEA (1) Sts (0.5) Trp (0.5) Smn (0.5) 0 pr (1) Total

E -0.5 0.5

O 0.5

B 1 1 -0.5 1 1 1 0.5

W 1 1

K -1 1 -1

A 1* 1 0.5

S 1 0.5

B 1 1

C 1 1 -1 1 1

I 1 1

UH 1 1

Bg 1 1 1.5 1

T 1 0.5 1 -0.5 1 1 1 0.5 1 -0.5 6.75

H 1 0.5 1 -0.5 1 1 0.5 0.5 1 -0.5 6.25

L 1 0.5 1 -0.5 1 1

TD

0.5 1 -0.5 1 1

1 1.5 0.5

-1 1 1 6

1 1 0.5

1 0.5

1.5

1.5

1 6

1 4

1 -2

1 4.5

1 4.25

1 3.5

1 6.5

1 5.5

1 11

0.5 1 -0.5 5.75

1 0.5 1 -0.5 3.75

* If Ankheg Plate (PLAT06) will get patched to be usable by Archers, being a non-metal armor. General remarks: Numbers in parentheses are multipliers. In the table itself, blank cell means 0 = no ability/normal value for hp and AC, 0.5 = partial ability/decent value for hp and AC, 1 = full ability/good value for hp and AC, 1.5 = extraordinary ability/superb value for hp and AC. Negative values mean poor (-0.5) or extremely poor (-1) ability, wherever applicable (AC, hp, preparation). Rng values are somewhat special: -1 means has no ranged capability by definition, -0.5 extremely weak ranged capability, 0 nothing to write home about, 0.5 has some decent ranged capability, still far from optimal, 1 good ranged capability, 1.5 exceptional ranged capability.

Defining dual-/multi-class values is tricky, since the number of possible combinations is much too high even within one dual-class (Assassin 2/Cleric 8 is awesome, while Lathander 2/Thief 10 is so-so, etc.). Therefore, I wont touch it here. Legend: AC Low AC. One of the most basic requirements, for obvious reasons. hp High hp. Same as above. Inv Simply put, Invisibility and its equivalents are game-changing. One of the most important factors, given the scarcity of Invisibility Potions and the price of Sandthiefs Ring. Rng Ability to deal ranged damage. The most important criterion. If you fight in melee, whatever your AC is, you will get hit. A short streak of bad rolls and game over. Statistics are not on your side, unless you remove yourself from a direct confrontation. Hst Very important for any ranged character, though not one of the core requirements. Fear Fear immunity. Fear is the most important of the Holy Trinity of game-ending Fear/Hold/Charm in BG:EE due to all early-game critical path mages being extremely Horror-happy. Hld Hold immunity. A good thing to have, but only becomes a must in ch. IV (Cloakwood). Chrm Charm immunity. Will save you a lot, but mostly late game, so not very high on a priority list. UEA Useful extraordinary abilities. For example, Set Traps or Storm Shield. Sts Stoneskin/Iron Skins. Not the most important criterion, but definitely a factor. Trp Ability to find (and, ideally, disarm) traps. Hardly crucial, but neat. Smn Ability to summon cannon fodder (i. e., Skeletons) and/or useful support summons (i. e., Nymph). 0 pr Zero (or very low) preparation. For a mage or a cleric, the hardcore run is a demanding chore, requiring constant rebuffing. This is actually a great inconvenience, possibly interfering with your ability to focus on the game.

Race/kit abbreviations: Only the three most obviously efficient races (Human, Elf, Half-Orc) are covered. Only kits are covered wherever they exist, since pure classes only really matter for dual-/multi-combinations, that are not covered in this table.

H Human E Elf O Orc B Berserker W Wizardslayer K Kensai A Archer S Stalker B Beastmaster C Cavalier I Inquisitor UH Undead Hunter Bg Blackguard T Priest of Talos H Priest of Helm L Priest of Lathander TD Totemic Druid Sh Shapeshifter Av Avenger M Mage/Sorcerer As Assassin BH Bounty Hunter Sb Swashbuckler Bl Blade Sk Skald J Jester Mn Monk Br Barbarian Specific race/kit comments:

Human Gets his 1.5 points for dual-class capability (though its not that great in a low-level module). Elf 90% immunity to charm/sleep is a good bonus, as well as 19 Dex/+1 THAC0 with bows; on the other hand, elves hp tends to be lower, which is highly detrimental to the success of a hardcore run. Half-Orc Quite self-explanatory. 19 Str and Con are both great features. Berserker Immunities, high hp, low AC, whats not to like? But built for melee fighting -- extremely weak ranged capability. Wizardslayer Inability to use magic items hurts, making late game an insurmountable challenge. Otherwise, hes not horrible. Kensai Avoid like a plague. Low AC, no ranged capability. Its the single most challenging character for hardcore runs. Archer If/when Ankheg Armor will get patched, Archer, especially Elf Archer, will become a decent pick. Stalker No reason to use this kit in BG:EE. Bad armor, no spells, only x2 backstab multiplier. I believe you can soldier through the game, but it surely wont be a fast and elegant run-through. Beastmaster Actually, the best Ranger kit for hardcore solo runs, especially if you pick a CG Elf. Fairy Dragon is amazing, and a competently built Beastmaster can be a decent ranged attacker (hint: Dart of Stunning->sling to death). Throw in some summoning capability for a good measure, and we have a solid candidate here. Cavalier Ugh. No ranged capability, so his advantages cant be discussed seriously. Besides, demonic and draconic creatures are very rare in BG:EE. Inquisitor Not bad, but not very good, either. Speed 1 Dispel Magic helps a lot sometimes, but BG:EE is not really about dispelling powerful magic defenses. Undead Hunter No serious undead to hunt here. Has his strengths, but quite a mediocre option overall. Blackguard This guy is definitely one of the best candidates. Great AC, high hp, fear immunity, warrior THAC0, ability to use Rancor for a transferable +1 to-hit, and, of course, the wonderful Poison Weapon ability. On a negative side, has to rely on Sandthiefs Ring, Potions of Invisibility, Boots of Speed, and Greenstone Amulet to emulate all the important effects he lacks. Priest of Talos Has great abilities, especially Storm Shield. However, weak in ranged combat. Still, a solid option overall (playing Elf or Half-Orc might make him more viable). Priest of Helm Gets a very strong weapon buff off the bat, but its melee, so meh. True Sight is always a welcome addition to the arsenal. That said, I wouldnt pick him. Priest of Lathander The worst of three cleric kits. Boon of Lathander has an extremely short duration and doesnt confer anything especially great. And Hold Undead... Really, whats the point? Avoid.

Totemic Druid Sic transit gloria. He was a beast (a spirit beast, hehe) in BGTutu, but in BG:EE hes quite a weak character. When spirit animals finally reach their 5th phase, the one we are used to from BGTutu days (including immunity to normal weapons), every single enemy you face has some kind of enchanted weapon. Druid spells are not that hot, either (notable exclusions: Call Woodland Beings, Iron Skins, Pixie Dust). Shapeshifter A melee-oriented character, therefore, unworthy of serious discussion. Avenger This, on the other hand, is an amazing option. Not until level 7, though. At level 7 he gains two abilities that make him so good at solo runs: Improved Invisibility and Shapeshift: Fire Salamander. The Salamander is a permanently hasted creature (quite a solid melee fighter) that has an ability to breathe three 2d6 fireballs that always hit and ignore any resistances. Thats right, potentially, he can do up to 36 freebie damage to any enemy (100% magical resistance included!) in this form while staying out of harms way due to innate Haste. Oh, and level 7 for a Druid is only a matter of 35,000 xp, and thus, easily reachable in 10 minutes of game time (if you know how to tackle it, hehe). Mage/Sorcerer His advantages are obvious. His shortcomings (horrible AC, low hp, long preparation times, high stochastic dependency) tend to be ignored in normal games, where you can safely reload a certain episode over and over again. Unfortunately, in a hardcore run, they are likely to become his downfall. I believe it is possible to make a full hardcore solo run with mage/sorcerer, its just going to be a very risky and inconvenient business. Assassin Some good general thief abilities, and, of course, Poison Weapon. On the other hand, THAC0 is bad, AC is even worse, and hp pool tends to get depleted in one or two hits (and hit you they will!). Meh. Bounty Hunter As great as he was in BG2, hes not worth it in BG:EE. True, he has some great damage-dealing possibilities through his traps, but a solo run with a BH is bound to be slow, tedious, and - truth be told quite risky. Id pass. Swashbuckler Basically, a better melee-oriented fighter than other thieves, but without a backstab. No good at all. Blade An universally great option. Both Spins are very efficient (basically, those are a freebie Haste and a great AC boost), good spell-casting abilities, can pick-pocket, and if he goes TN, can even remove traps. Can do tremendous damage with the Chesley Crusher (HALB13) under Offensive Spin. Probably Greater Malison -> Dart of Stunning -> Chesley is the combo that works best for him. Skald Blades minor brother. Hardly spectacular, but since Bards are so great as a solo class, still very much viable. Jester Jesters song is a Chaos spell (Confusion with -4 save, 30 ft radius) cast every round. Sounds pretty powerful, and so it is in fact. Actually, makes a good ranged fighter due to his ability to confuse enemies indefinitely. A nice option overall. Monk Not much to discuss here. Hes very melee-oriented, so thanks, but no, thanks. Barbarian A Half-Orc Barbarian with ++ in Slings is a pretty powerful ranged attacker (15-18 damage per bullet at level 1 under Rage!). The immunities and the exceptionally high hp are great as well. Definitely a strong candidate.