swashbuckler/illusionist???

[Elsandra]

Hi ye all,

Does anyone know if it is possible to create a swashbuckler/illusionist character, and how go about that?

Thanks allready,

Elsandra

[AsianLove]

I'm not sure exactly what goes into it, but do a search on 'Dual Classes' on the boards and many people talk about it.  Something about going ahead and dual classing and then setting the level to 0 and then changing the kits or some such, but you should go do a search since i'm not sure but I've read it somewhere on these boards already.

[Xiphias]

Its Impossible.

However..
Its is possible to level up as an illusionist, then change your class to Swashbucker, XP to 0 and level to 1 and level up swashbuckler. You would then Have to change class again to thief/mage so you could use your skills.

If you wanted to do this completely by the book you would then set the classes of the thief/mage so that the XP total was 2950000 and you couldn't gain any more XP

[Elsandra]

OK, so it's a lot of editing and affecting work, but it can be done.
Thanks everyone, I am going to try at once!

[Reiella Darksythe]

Actually with that Xiphias's suggestion, you would lose your specialist benefits for two reasons.

Multiclass and dual-classed specialist spellcasters loose their bonus spell slot and other benefits of being specialists.

Specialist classes are handled through the kit-tag and not affects, so the extra spell slots come from having that as a kit tag (seems mostly an artifact from IE and modifying the old BG engine), so you can only have the dual/multiclass situation come up as a Illusionist/Thief or Mage/Swashbuckler.  To circumvent this, you have to use Swashbuckler as your 'first' class (ie, the one you were before you dual classed) to get the appropiate effects for the level. Then you dual class to mage, and change your kit to Illusionist with SK, and you'll be an Illusionist/Thief with the benefits a Swashbuckler has, but you still won't have any of the benefits of being an illusionist for the first reason given.

[Xiphias]

although it is possible to add the effects from a class as affects work independant of class.

I would suggest Actually having Illusionist as your first class and dualing to thief. As you would then keep the restrictions of the illusionist class, I don't think you can block a normal mage from using schools of spells, and you could add the affects of the swashbuckler class from another charactor.

[Reiella Darksythe]

Hehe that's actually why I'd suggest going for Illusionist second (if he wanted to be Illusionist/Swashbuckler).

So that you can maintain it.

[Xiphias]

Well It depends If he wants a usefull mage or a spell casting theif.

I personally would go for the spellcasting thief but thats just my preference

[Elsandra]

Well, actually she wants both

My intention is to play a multi-class character up to swashbuckler level 20, and from then on to advance as an illusionist alone, using shadowkeeper to turn multi- into dual-class.
I know, not according to AD&D-rules, but I just like it that way.
It is faily simple to add the appropriate swashbuckler-affects every five levels, so I think I will go for the thief-illusionist combination for now. However, if that means I do not get any illusionist-benefits, can I adjust that by for instance changing the number of memorizable spells using shadowkeeper? Or is it possible to retain the illusionist-kit tag somehow?

[Mark]

If you want a spellcasting door-unlocker then you really need to follow reiella's and Xiphias' tips.

But if you plan to get Yoshimo, Nalia, Imoen or Jan, then the best spellcasting rogue, IMHO, is a bard.
This way you'll avoid an intensive editing job.

[Xiphias]

Well since you don't mind if its not by AD&D rules you won't mind having an illusionist able to cast all spells. and yes you can get an extra spell by using the spell memorisation tab in SK.

"My intention is to play a multi-classed charactor up to swashbuckler at lv20"

I think you mean single class swashbucker then change your level to 20 / 1 and your class to theif/mage and add an extra spell slot for each level.