Hi Forgotten Realms Fans!

Just picked up Menzoberranzan and looking to hack and slash my way to the Underdark but before I get started on the adventure I am hoping to get some answers / suggestions from Menzo Vets on this forum. Here are my questions:


A) Ideal Starting Party

We're limited to just two player created characters in this game. Any insights / suggestions on some of the more effective class / race combinations for Menzoberranzan? I am thinking to roll a Human Paladin and a Half Elf Cleric / Mage but would be interested to hear additional suggestions!


B) Max Attainable Levels

Character creation for most AD&D games are heavily tied to the amount of attainable XP in a game. Does anyone know what is the max, legally attainable levels for this adventure? Anyone have an idea?


Any help on either of these questions would be greatly appreciated!

It's been a while since I've played this, but I will try to provide some decent answers.


*** SPOILERS BELOW ***


--- Ideal starting party ---

It's important to consider the NPCs available when creating your party, but if you don't want to read too many spoilers, then feel free to skip that section below.

--- NPCs ---

There are a few main NPCs in the game to choose from. One, a Drow Fighter, joins you early on and has combat mostly covered, but leaves the party later in the game. From the other main ones, you get to choose from:
* Gnome Thief
* Kenku (flightless birdman) Fighter/Mage/Thief
* Dwarf Fighter/Cleric
* Human Paladin (I can't remember much about this one though)

So most bases covered by a decent range of NPCs. The only class not available from NPCs is a Ranger, but that's not essential anyway.



--- Character creation choices ---

Given the above, your original choice of a Paladin and a Mage/Cleric seems fairly balanced. There will be plenty of other Fighter and thief NPCs to choose from along the way.

If you are creating a Mage class, remember that you won't be able to wear armor while casting spells, so a Mage/Thief is usually a decent combination.

I would probably pick a Ranger/Cleric and a Mage/Thief for my party.



--- Max attainable level ---

I think the max level is 20, but not sure how practical it is to actually reach that. I can't really remember what level I completed the game at.

I suggest having a dwarf for spotting illusionary walls and an elf for spotting hidden buttons. Both can be a pain in the butt, if you have to find them on your own. Your party members mentioning those, as you pass them by, is very helpful. When it comes to classes I suggest a fighter/cleric and an fighter/mage/thief. Considering that the game sometimes decides to remove NPCs from your party, it is very helpful to cover all the bases with your two main characters.

You end the game with around 400k xp, which is nowhere near enough to get to any level cap.

Great! Thanks for the suggestions! Especially on the XP attainable in the game!