What's the deal with avatars in this game? What determines which avatar each character will have?

For instance, I have a Sorcerer, when she starts off, she looks like a Sorcerer. When I add a Paladin level, she'll look like a Paladin.

I also have a Thief. When I multiclass him into a Wizard, he still looks like a Thief.

There are (as far as I can tell) 2 factors that determine a character's avatar:

1. The number of levels in a class. The class that has the most levels in it will determine the applied avatar, e.g. a Fighter (3)/Wizard (4) will still look like a Wizard.

2. In the event of a tie between two or more classes, the class with the greatest number of base HPs/level takes priority for determining avatars. If the above example were to take their next level-up as a fighter, (i.e. become a Fighter (4)/Wizard (4)), then their avatar would switch from a wizard's to a fighter's.

Like I say, that's just from my own experience that's how things work, so some races/classes may behave differently in practice. Also, if you change an avatar to something else using Dale Keeper II, your character will revert back to the "correct" avatar when they next level-up.

There's another complication: armor. I have a Rogue 11 / Paladin 2 who looks like a rogue while in light armor but like a fighter while in medium or heavy armor. And some armors don't fit the rule -- the Black Dragon Scale that you can buy from Nym in the Wandering Village is light armor, but uses the fighter avatar.

Wow, thanks for that super-fast response!

I am uncertaina bot iwd2, but in the other IE games, the class with the most HP will always be the one visible. no matter how many class levels. i thought it was the same here, but i have never really tested it out.

I always thought it was the last class you put a level in...

Imoen will always apear as a Thief in BG1 game, no matter how many levels you pu into thief and or wizard. Same i have a cleric 3/illusionistX character i often like to play, he ALWAYS looks like a cleric no matte how much i try to get him to look like a Wizard ;) (thats all Bg1, and BG2 as well for the last one).

I know in the 2nd Edition games, you only get 1 avatar. With this game, the avatar changes.

Cool, didnt know that :)

would also be cool if they changed to favored class so dwarf multiclassed to fighter would always look like fighter but nevermind me :) im just ranting today.