Gents,
I have unexpectedly got same spare time so Im going to attempt to go through IWD1. I did some googling and skimmed through a few strategy guides but...well, which weapons for whom, which spells, which race, endles rolling and whatnot....trying IWD for the first time Im confused. Hence my request here.

I looking for a 6 member single-class party and the only thing Im sure about is the classes:
1. paladin
2. fighter
3. thief
4. cleric
5. mage
6. ranger

From what I have read I imagine that i.e. paladin should have max STR + DEX + CON and 2 points in each large swords and bows. The question is: do I imagine it right? Should a fighter wield a mighty 2H axe or carry a shield and a mace? Should he be a dwarf with low CHAR who is able to use crossbows? Should the thief be a Frodo with a bow? Etc :)

Cheers

There are many options you can choose. Some are easier, some are harder, but none are unplayable. Use the style you prefer.

Race doesn't matter much, there are only small differences.

I guess you already know that str, dex and con are useful for everyone, clerics need wisdom, mages need int, the rest doesn't matter.

If everyone is good in both a ranged and melee weapon type your party is more flexible.
Since rangers are better without shield you might want to give the 2-handed melee weapons to him.
Crossbows get less attacks than bows and are therefore far less effective (except one you'll find late in the game).
You might want to give your mage 10 wis for lore and more comfortable identifying.

This thread might help you a bit click here.

Ranged attacks are good tactics in IWD, so you'll want to give everyone a skill or two in missile weapons. Your Pally will eventually want skill in longswords, because towards the end of the game you never know if you might find a holy longsword or not ;) But there are tons of undead, so blunt weapons skill is always a safe bet too.

Just out of curiousity, it there any reason you are insisting on keeping every character single class (role playing reasons perhaps)?

The reason I ask is because IWD is a combat heavy game and I find single class clerics, thieves, druids and mages to be quite poor characters. Multi classing clerics, thieves and druids with fighters sacrifices a bit of spell/skill abilitiy for substantal survivability and combat effectiveness, a very good trade off IMO. Single class thieves are probably the worst class in the game, however a fighter/thief on the other hand is a great choice. In case of the cleric, a ranger/cleric multi class really rocks, theres no reason to take a figher/cleric when this option is available ;)

Generalist mages are also a class I don't like because there are better options available. A specialist mages can cast an extra spell per level at the expense of not being able to learn spells from one or two schools of magic. This trade off isn't anywhere near as bad at it seems. My favorite specialist mage is the necromancer. He cannot learn illusion and enchantment spells which doesn't matter as in IWD1, a lot of your enemies are undead which enchantment has no effect on anyways and the only good illusion spell is mirror image which can be offset by using the 4th level spell stoneskin. I would definately consider a specialist for your mage.

Fighter

However, if you are dead set on having a mage who can cast every spell in the game, I would suggest taking the bard instead. They have access to more weapons, the bard songs are great and they also level faster than mages, their only real downside is that they won't be able to cast the 2 level 9 spells but they can still use the scrolls.

For weapon setup, i usually give each character a ranged weapon and 2 melee weapons with different damage types, one of which will be crushing damage. What character should have what weapons is all up to your preference but makes sure your characters can use a variety of weapons types. Don't give everyone long sword proficiency for example.

Still, it's your first playthrough so do a bit of experimenting to see what you like. What I mentioned above works for me but it might not be your playstyle. When I first played IWD1, my characters were pretty gimped but I still made it through the game, you will probably find that out for yourself soon enough ;)

Okay. No one has broken this down for you, so I felt I should.


Your Paladin in IWD will have no special race(IWD2 features the Aasimir) and should have high points in Con, Cha, and Str.(This guy will be built as a tank), when it comes to spells(4th level and above) you want stuff that makes him last longer(I.E. Healing, and buffs)

Fighters are usually DPS if you already got a tank, so either a 2h Weapon Build(Str+Con+Dex) or a TwF Build(DEx + Con + Str) with those stats listed in order of importance.

Thieves are best as either Sneak Attackers, or Ranged combatants(Dex and Int is the most important stats for them) and as such, should focus on hiding, and sneaking skills.



Your cleric will serve as your primary source of healing, so Cha, Wis, and Con will keep him around the longest. Heal is an important skill for the class, as well as Concentration. A Mace and a Shield usually works well for a Cleric


Mages, ahhh my favorite class. Mages serve as Damage Dealers, Crowd Control and hell raisers. Int is your friend with a Mage, and Evocation or Conjuration(Depending on the role the mage serves) will be your primary schools. Either way, I would go with a General Mage, and build Int, Cha, and Dex.


Rangers....Here, like with the thief, you have to decide TWF or Ranged. Ranged is probably the best for the Ranger(Thus the name), and as such you should focus in Dex, Cha, and Wis. Twf would take out Cha and put in Str and Con.


Now as to the actual "What do I use with them"


That is up to you as the player. Seeing as I usually multiclass my Rogue around level 5 into a Sorcerer or Wizard, and play from there....I have to point out that each person has their own playstyle. There is no Wrong choice for each person. You may play Melee heavy, while I play Mage Heavy, but we will both get there with tatics.






OH and the space bar is your friend. Do keep a thumb near it.

Strength makes fighters hit harder and more accurately, which is good. Dexterity improves Armor Class, which makes combatants harder to hit. Also good. Constitution confers more health/level, which is also important. All this is important to everyone, especially to fighters. So yes, high STR + DEX + CON.

Large Swords and Bows are good specializations for a Paladin, sure. Your Paladin will benefit from high STR for the sword and DEX for the bow, since DEX influences ranged combat the same way STR influences melee combat. Thing is, Paladins also require high Charisma if you're gonna make use of their divine spells and abilities and they have a minimum CHA requirement. What this means is that you have a lot of points to distribute among stats with high requirements and you might have a difficult time getting all ability scores high enough to be useful.

As far as two handed weapons vs. a shield, of course the trade off is damage vs better AC. If you want your fighter to be a glass cannon go 2H. If you want the added bonus to AC a shield provides you can forgo speed and damage in return for added defense. Since the game offers numerous methods of avoiding damage, opting for superior damage output might seem preferable. I personally enjoy the security a shield provides, and there are some seriously awesome shields that can turn your fighters into MC Hammer.

Charisma is only useful to Paladins and Bards, but it helps to have somebody with a high Charisma to act as the "face" for the group or NPCs can react unfavorably to you when you talk to them and sometimes CHA can determine what quest rewards you are given. CHA also changes the prices of items bought and sold at stores. Your groups reputation also factors in to NPC reaction and store prices.

To me Bows are preferable to crossbows. Bows fire faster and Bows and Arrows drop more frequently than Crossbows and Bolts. There are also better quality magic Bows in the game than there are Crossbows.

When building a thief you can build it as a backstabber or an archer. Since thieves are squishy, I find it best to keep them at a distance. While backstabbing - particularly at higher levels - can do absurd damage with a single strike, doing so is always a gamble and requires a lot of finesse. In BG and IWD archery rules. Just a couple of exceptional archers can tear through enemy ranks, you just have to make sure to keep them out of harms way.

As for Race, Humans and Dwarves make exceptional Fighters. Just about anyone can be a Cleric, but if your cleric is also to be played as a fighter it's best not to choose one of the squishier races. Elves make exceptional thieves because of superior skill bonuses and they also make good Mages and archery focused Rangers. Gnomes are quintessential Mages, and Halflings are the quintessential Thieves.

With apologies, but I'm going to dispute a few things here:

First off, he's talking IWD1 Paladins in IWD1 must be Human. They do get a couple spells that will be useful, but the only thing you really need to worry about is getting a decent STR score (18/50 or better), a good DEX and a good CON. Go with Longswords (2 pips) and a blunt weapon (2 pips), probably Hammer is good here). Definitely go STR, CON, DEX for the FTR, but you're better off leaving the two-handed weapon to the Ranger. Go with axes for the FTR. I recommend Gnome for this character (they can get 18/00 STR) and go with longswords, with a side dish of missile weapons (sling). Use him to sneak and backstab (when he's got some levels under his belt, his backstab is absolutely evil). No skills in IWD1, so the comment about Heal and Concentration is irrelevant. He also doesn't need high CHA (it does help with Turning Undead, IIRC, but is not necessary). Go with high WIS, 16 DEX, then some STR and CON. For IWD1, INT is really the only important stat. This is your two-handed warrior. They get an extra attack when not using a shield. Go with high STR, DEX, and CON. Excellent advice here.

Its been too long since I played IWD1 lol. I've been playing part 2 and I get all the "subraces" xD

Gents, muchos gracias for your replies.

Further inquiries coming though:
1. Does Large sword proficiency comprise Bastard swords?
2. My ranger is level two and without spending a point in the proficiencies slot he wont level up. The thing is I cannot invest that point where I would like to...do I have to wait to be able to invest yet another one (third in total) into Bows? Or do I simply have to spend the point elsewhere?
3. When does it become useful to buy stuff from vendors if ever?

If memory serves, they fall into the Great Swords category. Only Fighters can put more than 2 pips into a weapon. Your Ranger will never be able to have more than 2 pips, so choose another weapon category for him and invest it there. Pretty much as soon as you can afford something that's an upgrade on what you currently have, as far as gear goes. You can also consider investing in potions of healing, mummy's tea, and antidotes which can be very useful. Probably your best bet is to invest in scrolls for your mages to learn spells that you haven't yet found though.

1. Yes, Bastard Swords are large swords that, in reality, were used two handed.
2. You must spend the point to continue. A Ranger can only achieve two points in any proficiency (only fighters may achieve Grand Mastery), so you won't get to put a third in bows.
3. When (a) there is an item for sale that will benefit the party above and beyond what you already have, and/or (b) you have spare cash.

In regards to what conditions under which to make a purchase.

Some stores have magic equipment that can only be acquired there, but keep in mind that most everything you can purchase you will eventually find from slain enemies or chests anyway. Don't waste gold early on. Given enough time you'll be swimming in more gold than you'll know what to do with especially if you're good aligned with a high reputation and CHA score. That is the best time to start splurging on all the awesome exclusive equipment stores are offering.

Later on it also becomes beneficial to be able to afford quivers full of magic arrows and ammunition for your rangers which can be costly. Use magic ammunition with impunity in the end game because basic arrows just won't cut it anymore.

The equipment you'll find starts getting of higher quality as enemies become tougher so it'll keep you par for the curve, so unless you want to stay ahead of the curve, just wait for that stuff to be *given* to you before buying it.

This site might prove useful

http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/

Guides to NPCs, items, how races, classes, ability scores, alignments work, etc. as well as strategy guides and walkthroughs.