I'm starting a new run through the BG series. The goal is to take the canonical party from the start of SoA all the way from BG1 to ToB. I've always dumped Jaheria in SoA first chance I got in the past. But I've read she can be suprisingly good later on with Iron Skins and the right weapon scheme.

I'm not sure what the right weapon scheme is, though. I'll be using Weimer's ItemUpgrade. Should I have her master scimitars and dual-wielding? I know SoA has some nice clubs. I haven't played ToB in a few years, though, and am sketchy on what the end-game druid weapons look like.

She can be a godlike tank indeed.

Dualwield clubs/belm. That's about it for her.

So split her proficiency points between club, scimitar and dual-wielding?

So split her proficiency points between club, scimitar and dual-wielding?

In BG I allways do this:

Start:
Dual:+++
Club:+

The next pip I use for Clubs also, and the next again for scimitars.

Dual-wielding scimitars is nice with Belm (extra attack) at some point, but in ToB I've usually had Jaheira use shield with Yamato/ Spectral Brand. Certain staffs are also an option (if no one else uses them), Staff of Ryn for example. I don't know what kind of scimitars are available with that item mod, though. Clubs in vanilla game are almost useless IMO -don't bother, even daggers are more useful.

Thanks. That gives me a starting position, at least. Strange that you don't like clubs yet pick it as your first weapon choice, though.

Jaheira has a great potential. I prefer to give her the best shield available, with a low AC and Ironskins it works wonders (besides switching back and forth between ranged attacks and dual wielding is a pain).

I would go for a shield as well, better AC plus Iron skins works wonders like Caradhras said. As for weapons Belm is a good choice until +2 weapons become obsolete, after that there's bound to be a nice club nearby ;)

I would go for a shield as well, better AC plus Iron skins works wonders like Caradhras said. As for weapons Belm is a good choice until +2 weapons become obsolete, after that there's bound to be a nice club nearby ;)

Some things has to be said: In BG2 it's better to have two weapons, as it deals more damage. Belm is great as it yields another attack ie it should stay in the offhand. Imagine that with HLAs :) There're nice clubs in SoA, and they're not even difficult to get. There's no need to put pips in shields as it only adds to missile protection. In BG1 there's a belt and some boots which helps here if necessary. Thus I'd always prepare Jaheira for BG2 via BG1. BTW Jaheira as a fronter isn't the first one to die in my games.

if you make good use of the iron skins i feel that a shield becomes obsolete, and i dont recall her dying as one of the firsts in any of my games.

just give her a belt of x giant strength for the damage and thac0 increases, a decent full plate, and with iron skins she'll rarely get hit.

you mentionen improved items mod by Weimer, you can make a club +5 by combining a few clubs already in the game, Fulcrum IIRC and one you get in spell hold, there is bound to be a few more ingredients but i think it is available fairly early in the game, for powergaming i think that's your best bet

Thanks for all the replies. I've decided to start her on the path of dual-wielding scimitars. I like seeing a big name, non-Drizzt character who uses two of these bad boys!.

I prefer a shield myself, with the idea of her Iron Skins going the maximum distance. The Fortress Shield during SoA, and then the Darksteel Shield during ToB.

I prefer to use her with two-handed weapons -- she's deadly with the Impaler.

Some things has to be said: In BG2 it's better to have two weapons, as it deals more damage. Belm is great as it yields another attack ie it should stay in the offhand. Imagine that with HLAs :) There're nice clubs in SoA, and they're not even difficult to get. There's no need to put pips in shields as it only adds to missile protection. In BG1 there's a belt and some boots which helps here if necessary. Thus I'd always prepare Jaheira for BG2 via BG1. BTW Jaheira as a fronter isn't the first one to die in my games.

Well that is true but there's so many nice shields in BG2 you have to give them to someone ;)

It's illusory to use Jaheira as a melee fighter until very late in the game (end of SoA).
She hasn't good STR, HP, ST nor decent THAC0 progression, and her choice of weapons is very bad: clubs! It takes ages to get a new *.
If that's your tank, good luck in the Underdark.
Contrary to others, I had her die all the time on the front.

When her THAC0 gets decent, you are far in the game and don't want to waste time with Belm (+2), her best weapon is Blackblood (club +3, +3 acid; very expensive). In the vanilla game, there's no better club, but good scimitars in ToB (=very late).

I've tried Jaheira many times in BG1 & BG2 and concluded she's a support for the real cleric with her healing spells, and somewhat a support for the real fighters with a sling, but she's not the real thing, keep her away from melees for a very long time, except the easy ones (goblins, etc.)

I advise to put a second * in sling for her level 9.
But maybe the mentioned mod changes everything...

Your Jaheira-basher.

I disagree with Massacre - She can be an AWESOME tank, if you know how to play her right.

I too disagree with Capt M- I've only recently started playing with Item Upgrade and even without it she is just fine. On the whole, I didn't put her against the most challenging enemies coming my way- the nastiest foe was always left to a dedicated fighter. But against anything lesser, Jaheria was great.

Once Jaheira gets Ironskin you just keep one on her at all times -- she can out-tank Korgan. She just needs intelligent choices for equipment to be powerful.

On the whole, I didn't put her against the most challenging enemies coming my way- the nastiest foe was always left to a dedicated fighter. But against anything lesser, Jaheria was great.

I always had her right up against the nastiest foes I could find - full plate, a shield and a ring of protection or two can give her obscenely low AC. Add an ironskin, the odd buff and a few potions for emergencies and she's arguably the best damage sink in the game.

She's always been great at the tank role in my parties as well. But that may be because I always tinker with her using Shadowkeeper at the start of any SoA game - basically modifying her HPs, weapon proficiencies and Widsom to what they would have been had she been ported over from BG1.

Then all she needs is a strength belt and iron skins and she's ready to roll whether dual-wielding, going all-out tank with shield or using the Impaler.

I always had her right up against the nastiest foes I could find - full plate, a shield and a ring of protection or two can give her obscenely low AC. Add an ironskin, the odd buff and a few potions for emergencies and she's arguably the best damage sink in the game.


Oh, true, I didn't mean that she couldn't hold up the nastiest foes, more that I prefer the damage-output advantage that a single-class warrior tend to have over her when taking them on. The less time they are alive, the less damage my party takes overall. Still, different playing styles and all that. ;)

I've recently begun using Jaheira in my party, and she had the highest AC (-6) until Anomen found the Gloves of Dexterity (he's now -9). Still, with Iron Skin she's a great defensive warrior who I can rely on to stay alive, and with Belm and Insect Plague I can count on her to do output reliable (though not lethal) damage.

She's probably not suitable for the sole frontliner, but she's capable of being a great support fighter. Summon Fire Elemental also comes to mind.

Insect Plague and even Insect Swarm make any mage battle much easier. Just cast it on one of the low level (and low saving throw) henchmen in the battle. I understand the Fire Elemental is one of the best summons, I just prefer to not use summoned creatures.

I still say she's better with the Impaler -- get her proficiencies in spears and two handed weapons and she'll be able to use one of the best weapons in ToB.

I tend to give Jaheira either a club or a scimitar since I like her to have a shield for maximum armour class. She doesn't deal out damage nearly as well as my barbarian, but she can sure avoid taking hits -- especially with ironskins. Give her a strength belt or gauntlets and you have a very effective fighting force.

Had this topic been brought up a couple months ago, I would've said to dump her and get someone else. :D

Noo, do not dump her, she is a very versatile and powerful NPC!

Club and shield is the way to go until much later in the game. That +3 acidic club is just tailored for her to use, I never have her wield scimitars, she is much of a 'fight with blunt weapons and sharp words' type to me. Dual wielding is also a big no-no as it takes too many level ups for her to learn how to wield two weapons effectively in combat. Belm is nice but not too hot for me as it does have a lower enchantment level.

For ranged combat, sling of seeking+bullets+2 with a belt of x giant STR is a very lethal combo, and it is very easy to get these items too, the damage output is amazing for a 'toy' weapon! Improve haste her, activate Death Strike and she will be taking out (even improved) mind flayers swiftly and effectively with her sling, from a safe distance. Plus she always gets the best shield, which helps immensely in defense in earlier parts of the game.

However, later in ToB, a shield's meager AC bonus will not make much of a difference, and extra attack power is needed to keep up with the increasingly tougher enemies, so I give her much more nasty and powerful two-handers, Ixil's Spike, (upgraded) Impaler, Bloodbane+5 (excellent throwing spear from tactics mod) or Staff of Ram:these weapons all cause havoc and massive damage when combined with Greater Whirlwind or Improved Haste+Critical Hit combos! :thumb:

I replayed BG1 while a mod I wanted to use for my PC (Stuff of the Magi) was updated. So on my replay I ended up giving her 2 pips in clubs, 2 in scimitars, and 2 in dual wielding. I agree with the idea that points in shield specialization isn't worth it since she'll mostly be in melee anyway.

Anyway, do you think early in BG2 I should finish out dual wielding or let that wait until later on in the game when her THAC0 improves and have her learn sling in the begining of BG2?

Club-wielding powergamers:

Save the Blackblood+3 for enemies that require a +3 weapon. The Gnasher+2 does more damage.
Jaheira + Gnasher + Belm + STRbelt + Ironskins = teh uber.

Okay...apart from mods, I don't see how Jaheira can have enough *s to pop into two-weapon fighting for it to be useful until the very end of the game (post-Underdark), and by then it hardly matters. How do you guys manage to do it? Personally, I still prefer popping shields on her, as she seems to be a better defensive fighter with Iron Skin (she survived the Guarded Compound fight relatively unscathed).

STRbelt tends to compensate for THAC0 penalties incurred by dual-wielding without full pips.

Note: there's absolutely nothing wrong with going full-defensive on Jaheira and using a shield; certainly not up until Ironskins and a STRbelt become available. It's just that with Ironskins and a STRbelt in the mix then going full-offensive (*) is devastating. You don't need that extra AC because stuff is very, very dead long before the skins are worn down.

* Dual-wielding Gnasher+Belm is my preference ... of course, the same argument about (Ironskins+STRbelt)>Shield also applies to those who prefer (eventually) to use staves or spears (the Impaler is great).

Okay...apart from mods, I don't see how Jaheira can have enough *s to pop into two-weapon fighting for it to be useful until the very end of the game (post-Underdark), and by then it hardly matters. How do you guys manage to do it? Personally, I still prefer popping shields on her, as she seems to be a better defensive fighter with Iron Skin (she survived the Guarded Compound fight relatively unscathed).


I'm planning on using Shadowkeeper at the start of BG2 to make her match her BG1 self. So she'll have 2 pips in scimitars, clubs, and dual wielding from the get go.

Club/Shield early, Spears in ToB.

i always have her wering 2 scimitars of some sort, i don't really like the look of the scimitar+club....

never tried her with a spear, got a planned kai spearman, but this is not untill i finish fallout 2

I finally got Belm today and have been having fun using that and a scimitar +1 in the offhand or a shield. Since I don't have a magic shield for her yet I dual wield more often. Once I get one of those tasty magic shields she may take a more defensive role.