dtgreene: That might be a smart idea in some versions of the original, but unless you want to skip the higher level Wizard spells, it's not a good choice for either the Apple 2gs version or the remaster, as, after level 13, Wizards (and BT2 Archmages) level up just as fast as other classes.
Also, Wizards get slightly better saving throws (which, remember, also works offensively) and generally better equipment options (the one exception being the BT1 Staff of Lor, but Restoration is cheap enough that that isn't really importaant).
sambrookjm: I know that wizards take the same amount of XP to level up....now. At the time I created them, I was still under the impression that Wizards took LOTS more XP to get up in levels after LVL 13, like they did in the original BT2 I had lo those many years ago.
Now, it's probably better to go Magician/Conjurer --> Sorcerer --> Con/Mag --> Wizard for your mages. As you said, better equipment and saves. The quicker you can get multiple Sorcerers in your party, the better!
Actually, the Apple 2gs version of BT2 is like the 2gs version of 1 in that Wizards and Archmages take only 200,000 XP per level after level 13. (In the DOS version, it's 1.3 million for Wizards, 4 million for Archmages; in BT3 (all classic versions), it's 400,000 for every class, in the BT1 and BT2 remaster (without Legacy mode), I believe it's 100,000 per level past 13.)
Interestingly, in the DOS version of Bard's Tale 2, one interesting strategy (that does not apply to the 2gs version or the remaster) is as follows:
* Make one Archmage (since it's required), but leave the other caster as a Conjurer or Magician (but make sure to get level 7 Sorcerer spells first).
* Go into the Destiny Stone early to get the Dreamspell. (You have to do this in the DOS version or else the spell will fizzle if you try to cast it.)
* Your non-Archmage caster won't really miss Archmage spells thanks to having access to the Dreamspell (which is a level 7 Sorcerer spell in classic versions). On the other hand, this character will have plenty of SP with which to use that spell, more than your proper Archmage.
(In most classic versions, I believe you don't need to go into the Destiny Stone to get it; in the remaster you apparently do and have to answer a riddle from clues elsewhere, and you apparently need to be an Archmage to use it (that last change I actually dislike).)
sambrookjm: I know that wizards take the same amount of XP to level up....now. At the time I created them, I was still under the impression that Wizards took LOTS more XP to get up in levels after LVL 13, like they did in the original BT2 I had lo those many years ago.
Now, it's probably better to go Magician/Conjurer --> Sorcerer --> Con/Mag --> Wizard for your mages. As you said, better equipment and saves. The quicker you can get multiple Sorcerers in your party, the better!
thme: So, you would go through all of the magic user classes and do wizard last?
Yes, that would be the strategy.
With that said, I like to take one caster (generally the one that starts as a Conjurer) through the other starting class before Sorcerer; it is nice to have another character who can cast Restoration, and going from level 1 to 13 takes only 230,000 XP.
(Of course, in BT2, change to Archmage when done with Wizard; in BT3, you will need to change one caster into a Chronomancer, but you will still need to leave one as an Archmage.)
