Hi,

Sorry for my noobish question (I only started playing Baldur's Gate recently), but I wonder one thing.

I finally decided to Dual-Class Imoen as a mage (just like she'll be in BG 2), now that I know that I can still gain levels as a thief with Dual-Classing (unless I'm wrong. Correct me if I am). Only problem is that I'm rather far (just rescued Dynaheir) and she's level 4 already. And since I don't have any mage equipment for her, she's fighting bare handed, without armor and good spells. I now realize that I should've dual-classed her sooner. Do I really have to start all the way back from the beginning, or will my Imoen will still be playable (probably after a little grinding)?

And I also wonder where at this point of the game I can get wizard equipment. Dynaheir and Imoen have no weapons or armor and they can get themselves killed VERY easily.

It depends on what version of the game you are playing as to WHEN to dual class Imoen. If you are playing purely vanilla BG1, then you will want to dual her early'ish, at level 5 -- that is when thieves gain their 3rd backstab multiplier.

If, on the other hand, you are playing BGT, where Imoen will be carried over to BG2/ToB, then you should wait until she is either level 9 (4th backstab multiplier) or level 13 (5th backstab multiplier). Note that other than the backstab multiplier, there isn't a lot of reason to go higher than level 9 with a thief, since any shortcomings can be overcome with potions, and you will reach mage spells/levels quicker.

No, once you dual-class you can never gain levels in the old class. You will eventually regain the abilities that you used to have, but they will not improve any further.

If you stopped Imoen's progression at level 4 then you'll probably need an item or potion to boost her thief skills to get by some of the game's more difficult locks and traps. Mages can use quarterstaffs and daggers. With the iron blight effect present in BG1 you should be carrying around spare quarterstaffs, since the wooden weapon is the only thing immune to the corrosion effect. Yeah, she'll be fine after some grinding. Just have her throw around some sleep spells then keep her in the back of the party for the rest of the adventuring day. It'll take a while, but she'll eventually catch up to the rest of the party as a mage.

Mages can also use slings and throw darts to do damage from the distance. Soon Imoen will reach level 5 as mage and can use thief weapons again. Imoen will reach the highest mage level possible, so don't worry.

Thanks. I still have a saved-game from before I dual-classed.

I'm playing Baldur's Gate Vanilla (and I'm going to import my character to BG2 once I'm done).

I'm still a bit lost as to how the dual class system works (barely played the original tabletop game). So, I have one last question. Once I dual-class her, how long should it take for her to re-learn her old abilities?

That depends on when you dual class her. Basically, after you dual class your character, all the abilities of the first class are frozen, and the character functions just like a new level 1 character of the class you've chosen. He only regains his old abilities once you attain a level that is one higher than the level at which you dual classed him.

So if you dual class Imoen as a level 5 rogue in BG to a wizard, you'll have to wait until she's a level 6 wizard before you get back her abilities as a thief.


Do note that in BG there are lots of traps and locks, and they hurt.
So before you decide to dual class Imoen, make sure you have another rogue in the group. A thief dual-classed to wizard may more powerful in a fight than a pure thief, but you probably won't have enough rogue skills to handle everything with only that character.
And keeping Imoen as a rogue is a perfectly viable option in BG.

Thanks. A rogue is that important in the last part of the game?

I'm trying to finish the game with the canon party, so I wonder if I should keep her as a thief or if I need a second wizard. What would you suggest?

A rogue is always important. Although there are spells to detect traps, and locks can be bashed, only a rogue can 'disable' traps.

In vanilla BG there is absolutely no reason to dual class Imoen... none.

Also, you should be aware that statistically, Imoen is one of, if not THE, best canon characters -- she has max DEX, the ceiling CON for HP for a thief (gets max HP at level up), she can be your 'front man' with her high CHA. She has it all, and is a must have for those reasons alone.

Just to make sure, by canon party you mean PC + Imoen + Khalid + Jaheira + Minsc + Dynaheir?
It's a decent group, although not the best (Khalid and Jaheira just aren't very good NPCs despite their status as canon unfortunately).

What class is your PC? If he's not a thief, then you should just keep Imoen as one. She's the best thief in the game and you need a good thief in your group. As I said, there are lots of traps in BG, and they're pretty dangerous.
You can get by with just Dynaheir as your only wizard, spellcasters are not as powerful in BG as in BG 2 and one is enough to get by.

I have played bg1+2 with the same char, but both games are non modified.
I just read this and I have a quetion.
When you put bg1+2 together to one game (with the guide here on gog)
you do not just continue your own char but also Imoen?
What about the other chars that can be party members in both games(jaheira, minsc, edwin, viconia)?
At least for minsc I am sure that he has different stats in bg1 and 2.
In bg2 Imoen will leave you for some time and she will have gained some levels when you get her back (but not as much as yourself). What will happen if you level her differently than in the original bg2? For example when you keep her as rogue all the time.

edit: I just remember that Imoen uses magic when she is taken from the party. Is there a problem when she has no mage levels at this point?

I presume you mean with BGT, right? If so, then your character, Imoen, Jaheira, Minsc, Viconia and Edwin will all transfer to BG2 with the class and stats they had in BG1. So if you keep Imoen as a thief, she will be a thief at the start of BG2. However, you WILL want to dual class her for BG2/ToB, as to keep a thief (that can dual) above level 9-13 is just plain silly.

The optimum level for dualing Imoen in BG2 is probably level 9 -- she get's an extra backstab bonus, with the next one being level 13. The trouble with waiting for level 13 is that it take quite a time to pass that level as a mage, so she gains her thieving abilities back.

There is no problem with Imoen using magic as the party exits Chataux Irenicus, as that cut scene uses a different creature file for Imoen, and the magic is scripted to happen no matter what.

Oh, and a tip: unless your character needs it, use the tome of understanding (Intelligence) on Imoen in BG1, and if you have Watcher's Keep, use the Machine Of Lum to give her another point of Intelligence. That way, she has less chance of failing to learn spells from scrolls.

Thanks

Next time I play it will be harder then. I finished the game once as swashbuckler and played it later as fighter in bg1 and dual class to thief in bg2. (Draconis got in my way). I did this because in bg2 you don´t have a good thief at the end and you can kill an army with the backtab->run->hide tactic.
The beginning of bg2 will be harder then because I never used jaheira in bg1 (Khalit goes really on my nerves, took adjantis and branwen instead) and a lv1 char is very useless at the beginning of bg2.
Next time I want to try an evil game (with edwin, viconia and the dwarf). (dammit, I promised the same in arcanum but in every game I end up lawful good and with max reputation, will be hard to keep them in group)

Don't worry about Jaheira being level 1. If you didn't use Jaheira in BG1, she will get vanilla BG2 stats at the beginning, so she will not start at level 1.

I looked at the exp limits.
If you dual class imoen at lv 9, she will be a lv 6 mage at the end of bg1
and you do not have a thief in the beginning of bg2.
There are several traps until you find yoshimo.
Does BGT remove the exp limits?

Potentially... potentially. As I have stated before, there is absolutely no reason to dual class Imoen in BG1. No, it doesn't. Vanilla BG1 has an experience cap of 89,000. With the Tales Of The Sword Coast expansion, this is raised to 161,000. However, there are mods that can remove the cap, should you so wish.