Anyone run a scroll-based character?

[u/-SidSilver-]

Anyone tried the game with a level 2 dual class from an Arcane class to something else?

I am really tempted by a 2 Enchanter into a Thief. Sort of Arcane Trickster vibes, rather than being a Mage/Thief who has a sweet spot, but very quickly feels more like 'Mage with extra thief-y bits' than a Thief who has a few powerful spells up his sleeve.

My question for anyone who's really gone through the games with this build is: Are there enough scrolls available to make it worth it? Bear in mind I have SCS installed with the 'more diverse scroll loot' component installed.

[u/Qidz777]

I played necromancer -> fighter, and it was a lot of fun. Casting arcane spells in full armor, and full stash of wands. Really underappreciated character. I would like to try do enchanter 9 -> thief full saga run next. I believe that UAI would be excellent in that class combo, and should allow all scrolls usage

[u/yokmaestro → u/Qidz777]

This is it! Even just access to wands turns a fighter into a dreadnaught of destruction with an army of summons on their side.

In BG 2, in regards to OP’s original question, I believe the Fighter/Thief Multi is my favorite scroll user/abuser. Once UAI comes online, slap Vhailor’s Helm on, have your clone hit time stop, improved haste and tenser’s transformation in the quick slots every tricky fight-

[u/-SidSilver- → u/yokmaestro]

My only problem with waiting until UAI is that I just love rolling with a full party, and having to wait for all that XP before I can use scrolls is a lot less fun to me.

That's part of the reason the level 2 dual appeals. Almost like a mini UAI.

[u/yokmaestro → u/-SidSilver-]

I love it! Choose the mage specialty school wisely, maybe start out with find familiar-

[u/PumperThumperHumper → u/yokmaestro]

Also, as a general rule with Vhailor's Helm, unlimited Scrolls of Magic Protection? Why, yes. Yes, I do believe I'll take it.

[u/yokmaestro → u/PumperThumperHumper]

Someone blew my mind a few weeks ago reminding me that you can use those PfM scrolls OFFENSIVELY against mages to neuter them completely 😮

[u/PumperThumperHumper → u/Qidz777]

Ditto. I rolled a damn 104 Necromancer once.. I took him to level 10 and crammed 39 Fighter leves into him afterwards. He was absolutely evil. The BG Sith. Not really much spell mojo, and the defensive spells were largely prohibited, but it was the best evil run I ever did.

[u/Dazzu1]

If you want an arcane trickster there are mods that add the kit itself or a close 2e approximation

[u/alex66778899]

I love the idea of a magic school dropout who wears wizardy robes and uses super low level spells, wands and scrolls, but is only really able to bash people with a sword or staff when things get serious. Basically Gandalf.

[u/-SidSilver- → u/alex66778899]

Well he wears armour rather than robes, since you can cast in armour if you're using just scrolls! The spell Armour is good for the first few levels, but after that he can slap on Shadow Armour.

[u/Brodersen-Prime]

Personally I would prefer a normal mage/thief multi, but I like this as a challenge. A dual of 2-3mage into thief will essentially be a slightly better thief. Eventually UAI will make those mage levels obsolete but I guess that doesn’t really matter before 3M xp.

[u/Reticently]

I've had the thought before to try a Mage 2 -> Cleric X, where you could set yourself up to use scrolls for things like triggers and contingencies with Cleric spells without having to pay the steep XP split on a multiclass.

I don't know that it would be especially good, but it seems like a pretty different gimmick to build around.

[u/Mysterious_Chef_3180 → u/Reticently]

And, you get to use Vecna on a (almost) pure Cleric

[u/MilmoMoomins]

I’ve not tried it yet but I know exactly where your coming from, a mage/thief multi does end up feeling too much like a mage! Maybe if you dual at level 3, you could also get 2 casts of invisibility per day to help the thieveyness (though personally having to remove armor to cast it does take away from the thieveyness…)

[u/-SidSilver- → u/MilmoMoomins]

Yeah I've puzzled over the perfect breakpoint. Really I don't want to spend too long in downtime, but level 7 as a Specialist Mage seems pretty good, since you get X2 level 4 slots. Maybe level 5 as an Enchanter since Dire Charm becomes pretty decent at that point, you get Ghost Armour (although Spirit Armour trounces that spell) as well as X3 invis spells.

Trying to puzzle this one out has really made me miss 3.5e levelling. Ideally it'd be great if I could do a 1/3 class like in 5e (so split the EXP 2/3 Thief).

What sort of appeals to me about the level 2 dual so far though is that it's almost completely free levels wise, and I have to be really thoughtful about when I use scrolls since there are a finite amount. He can't lean on magic, but it's another trick he has up his sleeve if needed, and as an Enchanter he can do my absolute favourite thing in the game - switch enemy allegiances!

[u/smugandfurious]

I think that the main problem will be the extremely low spell level

[u/Longjumping-Pin5363 → u/smugandfurious]

I think either SCS or the tweaks anthalogy has a "cast spells from scrolls at the character level" component or something like that.

[u/eitohka → u/Longjumping-Pin5363]

Wouldn't that be the level the mage dual classed at, aka their caster level? So most likely lower than the default level 7 for scrolls.

[u/-SidSilver- → u/smugandfurious]

Doesn't that depend on the spells you're casting? No matter your level, Spirit Armour is 2 hours duration and the same sort of bonuses. For my Thief Invisibility is still useful even as a 'lower level' scroll.

Many of the Enchantment spells I'm interested in are like this as well. Dire Charm's 5 rounds no matter your level. Ring of Human Influence gets a juicy +2 bonus.

Sure, it's not powergamey, but I'm just wondering if it's fun/magical enough.

[u/Admirable-Gur-9543 → u/-SidSilver-]

Yes, but I believe buffs cast this way will be dispelled extremely easily by enemy casters due to the caster level differential. They have to actually cast dispel/remove magic though.

[u/-SidSilver- → u/Admirable-Gur-9543]

NGL I hate how OP stoneskin is but also how it looks. I'll definitely use it in a pinch, but I hate walking around as 'solid grey mage' all day.

[u/Threepwud → u/smugandfurious]

I believe a lvl 1 mage with 9 intelligence could cast a time stop lvl 9 from a scrolls.

[u/Fabulous_Fun_3902]

scrolls are plentiful with SCS, but low spell levels hurt early on.

[u/Mysterious_Chef_3180]

I haven't done it with dualing into thief, and not sure i'd use Enchanter as a spécialist school for this.

But i've made an Enchanter (3) > Cleric and this has some really cool synergy, as many great cleric disablers are enchanting school.

Too bad an Enchanter can't use Séquencer Scrolls, but being able to use Robe of Vecna on a Cleric is already huge.

Edit : also note that Necromancer is a very good choice for cleric dual. Lvl5 "Slay Living" spell becomes very interesting, though still hard to land because of the attack roll

[u/Threepwud]

Intriguing idea, can you even dual from a mage without mods?

[u/grousedrum → u/Threepwud]

For sure, any viable multiclass combo can dual if you are human and meet the ability score requirements. Generic or specialist mage can dual to thief, cleric, or fighter.

[u/-SidSilver- → u/Threepwud]

As a human, yes.

[u/Memomani]

It's kinda redundant in bg2 since the Thief HLA let's Thiefs use scrolls anyway.

[u/-SidSilver- → u/Memomani]

Except you don't get UAI until basically the end of that game - the best in the saga I might add - meaning you really only have scrolls for TOB.