I just started playing IWD (owned since release but never played much, about to enter the main tomb in the Vale of Shadows), my party is:

1) Human, Female, Lawful Good Paladin
2) Half Elf, Male, Chaotic Neutral, Bard
3) Human, Female, Chaotic Good, Ranger/Cleric (dual lvl 3)
4) Gnome, Male, Chaotic Evil, Mage / Thief (multi class)
5) Human, Female, Neutral Evil, Fighter / Abjurer (dual lvl 3)
6) Human, Male, True Neutral, Fighter / Druid (going to dual lvl 7)

On the whole I like the party but I'm not sure about the Ranger/Cleric. I saw here and else where that it was a recommended type but then later found out that one of the reasons it was liked in IWD (getting druid and cleric spells) was limited with HoW. Now wishing I had made a true Cleric or a dual Fighter / Cleric; indeed I am considering remaking the character with "Infinity Engine Savegame Editor"

For those running Ranger/Cleric duals, why do you like them?

If dualling at low level, I like the RGR better than the FTR because of the extra attack you get if you don't have a shield equipped. If you're going for more levels before dualling, the FTR can get Grand Mastery, which is sweet. But at higher levels, the Druid spells kick in for the RGR, so it's a bit of a toss up. But yeah, the extra attack is worth sacrificing the third pip in a weapon, IMO.

The thing about the druid spells is once the RGR has access to a particular Druid spell level, a quirk in the game allows the Cleric side to load those spells into their memorized spell slots.

As I posted in a separate thread, one of the things I read after I created the party was that apparently that quirk no longer works with HoW installed (as per first paragraph here) but what wasn't cleared was if it meant installed or starting a HoW only game. Your saying that the quirk does work?

The extra attack is very useful, given the Ranger can't dual wield :)

Okay if I post both my IWD and IWD2 parties?

IWD:

Carlson, Human Male Paladin
Peeters, Human Male Fighter (dualling to Druid at level 6)
Valaya, Dwarf Female Cleric
Raven, Half-Elf Female Bard
Slippery John, Halfling Male Fighter/Thief
Tear, Half-Elf Female Mage

IWD2

Lug, Shield Dwarf Fighter4/BarbarianX
Hannah, Human Battleguard of TempusX
Elm, Human DruidX
Sharwyn, Human BardX
Jarod, Tiefling Rogue1/WizardX
Gandalf, Human SorcererX

I'm liking IWD2 much more than 1, so my IWD1 party is kinda stuck at a battle in the Vale of Shadows tomb where they get clusterf***ed by undead and stuff.
In IWD2, my party is in the Ice Temple.

No, that post is accurate, but what it's saying is the RGR spells used to become accessible as fast as the CLC spells - and I assume it's referring to a multiclass character, not a dual class.

But I'm talking dual class where you level your RGR to (for example), level 12. This would give you access to 1 Druid spell of levels 1, 2, and 3. Then you switch to Cleric. As soon as you can cast level 1 Cleric spells (which would be Cleric level 1), you also have access to all the level 1 Druid spells. Same for level 2 and level 3.

IWD1:

Paladin (tank)
Fighter (tank)
Cleric (healer)
Ranger (ranged dps)
Rogue (utility)
Illusionist (dps)

IWD2:

Cleric of Mask (tank)
Cleric of Mask (tank 2)
Cleric of Mask (tank 3)
Illusionist + Rogue (dps and diplomat)
Illusionist (dps)
Illusionist (dps heh)

Just saying: "find your niche".

I might suggest re-thinking that, if it's really your intent. Since your Wizzies learn spells from scrolls, you're going to find it pretty tough to keep 3 Illusionists with full or even moderately full spell books. I'd personally go with a one Wiz and 2 Sorcerers.

Yeah, exactly. Frankly, it's bad enough to find spells for ONE wizard...

Hasn't been for me. I've found loads of scrolls and taught my wizard every one he could learn.

Just finished IWD 1 with the following party:

1.) human paladin
2.) human fighter
3.) dwarf fighter/cleric
4.) human bard
5.) gnome illusionist/thief
6.) half-elf mage

Worked out pretty well.

Really enjoyed the game, now on to Heat of Winter!

:)

I know, I know... it's an experiment. By the underdark, I found out that there's at least 2 close scrolls of everything.

Except fireball! I only got one of that and it's bugging me. However, considering that I mostly use 2 nukers and 1 utility mage, I'm mostly always ok.

Fighter/Thief - half-elf, the best fighter in the team, using leather armor bow and long sword
Cleric/Ranger - half-elf, tons of spells, somehow slow level progression, tons of hp, can wear any armor
Fighter/Druid - half-elf, my favourite with tons of spells, shapechanging and good fighting abilities
Fighter/Illusionist - gnome with many spells and bow
Bard - human, my second favourite, he has spells, cool songs (the healing one is superb), high lore which is very important and is using crossbow

I'm playing on insane difficulty and right now I am at the last level (5th) of Dragon's Eye. Right now most of the party members has around 15 levels (7-8 levels in every class) but the bard which is at 10 or 11. In insane the XP amount is doubled.

Just beat the game for the first time with a party of four:

Male Halfling Fighter
Male Halfling Cleric
Male Halfling Thief
Female Gnome Illusionist/Fighter (would have been pure illusionist if it weren't for the graphic glitch)

I ran this same party on Baldur's Gate, minus the Illusionist. Normally, I'd pick up an ally, do their quest, and then leave 'em behind.

Games would be boring for many people if they were like novels. Powergaming is fun because you get to kick major @$$ with a well-designed party.