I started playing IWD2 yesterday, but the party I made sucked so I'm starting over. Now I was thinking about making a mage, but I have so far only found one scroll. (I am now just in the third area of the game)
I know I can buy scrolls, but since I wasn't excactly rich, I don't really like that.

So basically my question is if there will be more scrolls available for finding later in this game so that it will be worth while to be a mage.

And on a side note: What specialist class do you think is best?

Dont make a mage. they suck.

Make a sorcerer, they dont need scrolls, and they rule

nuff said


EDIT: not nuff said. I can design a party for you if you wish. If you dont want me to, then at least let me give you this tip:
your party leader should be a strongheart/lightfoot halfling rouge with 18 intelligense. They make the best party leaders, since they can choose the most skills every level

Mages are extremely useful, but it's always best to have 1 mage and 1 sorcerer in your party. I use the sorcerer for mass area effect spells like horror etc. Mages are extremely usefulf for spell buffs like haste, and protextion spells, as well as summonings and other single use spells. ie things you dont want to use via a sorcerer.

As for the scrolls, you should find more of them. The first part of the game is really a prologue, and you wont start to find many until after the initial Targos bit. Dont worry, they do become available.

As for specialisation, I always use a specialist mage. I dont use spells from certain schools, so sacrificing them, for more spells per level is worth the trade IMO. I went with an abjurer, simply because I rarely use illusion spells, like mirror image, or transmutation spells, like barkskin etc.

@Bahir the Red: Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I want to make the party myself, even though I'm really asking for a lot of help from you guys.
I have an Drow Sorceress as my party leader since she has high charisma and I gave her 14 intelligence or something. I'm only using magic resistant races, so halflings are out.

@Takara: Thanks. I'll make a mage then. He will be there for backup and buffing and the sorceress is for raw power.

A halfling rouge with 18 int is much better since it can max bluff, diplo and the other "talk" skill and still have skills left to max 2 or 3 thief skills.

With a 6p party not all needs to be magic resitant

I'm using a four people party, because I want to level up quicker.

You would do better if you bought the Second level spells. I'm in Dragons Eye and I have a grand total of 3 2nd level spells in my mages armoury.
And dont even think of having two mages, there are just not enough spells to be found. You will be spending a fortune buying spells.

If you have only one mage in your party then take a generalist. The mage is a do it all guy, who does a little bit of everything. It the Sorcerer and Bard's job to be specialists.
I prefer a Necromancer if my party has a Sorcerer and a Bard. I would have said Conjurer but Evocation has a lot of sexy spells.

Also don't worry about not finding scrolls in time. The mage will probably start-off with a few levels of rouge so you will find scrolls before you can cast them.

A wizard also makes a useful multiclass option. In this way, the lack of early scrolls is less of an issue as you gain your wizard levels more slowly. Especially if you have a four person party which will level up more quickly than a six person party, you will find a fulltime wizard will soon be able to cast higher level spells than there are scrolls for him to learn them from.

For one person's version of the ultimate wizard multiclass ask Chevalier about his Paladin / Wizard.

I dont know much about the regular game, though i heard you aint getting much of them throught.

I was playing through with Easy-of-use component of Mixed items with similiar costs. I must say i havent seen anywhere enough scroll to make a wizard formidable spellslinger.
A shame, really. In any case, sorcerers are alraady stronger than wizards and the lack of spell scrolls throughout(sp?) the game makes it only worse.

Fortunately my wizard is going to start of with a few levels of thief and fighter, so it's not that big a deal that there aren't yet a lot of scrolls as long as there'll be more when the game advances. But I'm getting the impression that there really won't be.

So should I be buying scrolls while I'm still in Targos?

@Menion Leah

Yes, buy scrolls whenever you get the chance. Take a look here at SP in the IWD2 section and there is a downloadable document that lays out what scrolls you will find during the first 4 chapters or so. Use that info to shape your buying decisions -- no need to buy what you will find, only buy what you know you will not find.

There are enough scrolls available to supply two wizards, if you are careful about what types of spells they specialize in. However, you will spend a fair bit of cash to fully outfit two wizards. Unless you are planning on an Arcane heavy party, I agree with Takara and go for one Wizard and 1 Sorcerer. Have the Sorcerer learn the blasting spells and have the Wizard be a buffer/debuffer.

That was actually excactly what I was going to do. Use the sorcerer for blasting stuff and the mage for buffing.

Thanks for the advice on the document. I'm going to download it now. (too bad I'm already past Targos now...)