The Guardian is a powerful melee warrior capable of unleashing massive blows with his Greatsword while plated in the Heaviest of Armours. Lesser enemies fall beneath his sword, dozens at a time and larger enemies have no chance against his unending might.
Warning: I'm not going to go into that much detail on the Kingmaker Expansion and the game in general. This is meant for people who have already played the game or at least know the basics of NWN or D&D 3.5.
The Build:
Race: Human is the best choice for this build due to the neutral starting attributes and additional skill points. The extra feat isn't particularly useful but at the same time is a great addition to this character's already vast array of Feats.
Class: Fighter. The average final level for the Kingmaker add-on is level 8 so that's what I'll be basing this class on. If you should happen to pass that level then I recommend taking Barbarian levels to improve HP and Damage.
Alignment: Lawful Good
Skills: Lore, Heal and Discipline are the only three skills we really need. Heal is crucial for a playthrough of Kingmaker because of how limited Resting is .
Companions: Jaboli and Kaidala are the two best choices for a Fighter. Each of them provides long range support and casting abilities and Kaidala later gains the Shape Change Ability (which makes her a decent melee fighter). Trip is the other logical choice from a Gameplay standpoint but honestly his abilities aren't that useful. There aren't a lot of chests that can't be bashed open and Traps aren't really a problem.
Attributes:
Strength: Strength is our number one priority here. Higher Strength = More Damage. Starting off at 16 is the best idea and using the two extra points gained at levels 4 and 8 to hit a total of 18 by end game.
Dexterity: Is more or less pointless for this Character. Going with a base 10 is enough to get by generally, any more and there really isn't a reason for it.
Constitution: The second priority for this build. We want to build out Hit Points up and also our Fortitude Saves (There are a lot of poisons in this add-on) so starting off with 16 is for the best.
Wisdom: Pointless, leave it at 10
Intelligence: You don't really need skills but keeping it at 10 allows you to use all of the Skills this character needs.
Charisma: Charisma is a tad bit more useful in this add-on. A lot of Quests are much easier if you can persuade character's to do something. Having Charisma at 12 makes it possible to persuade or bluff so you might as well throw the points here to start off with.
Feats:
Level 1: Toughness (extra HP), Power Attack (+5 Damage - 5 to hit) and Cleave (After killing one opponent make an immediate attack on a close by opponent)
These are your three starting Feats not only because they are useful but also because together they unlock most of what you need to unlock all other Perks. Toughness is probably the most useful of these three by itself but it doesn't unlock other Feats quite the same as Power Attack and Cleave. Just to let you know, you need to pick Power Attack before picking Cleave.
Level 2: Weapon Focus: Greatsword (+1 to hit)
Personally I enjoy the Greatsword over any other Two-Handed Weapon (Except maybe the Scythe). It actually does 2d6 damage rather than the more popular 1d12. This means instead of hitting for 1-12 damage you hit for 2-12 damage, and it's much more unlikely to roll a lower number (You're rolling 2 dice instead of 1.) Weapon Focus gives you an extra chance to hit and opens up to way more interesting feats so pick it (Another option is Longsword if you want to go Shield and Sword but that's boring).
Level 3: Knockdown (Knock enemies to the ground, easier to hit with melee, can't attack you)
Knockdown is more of a, we need a Feat here so pick one but it can be very useful in this Add-On. Most of your enemies will be rather weak but there will be a fair few stronger enemies that are still of a smaller size that you can Knockdown successfully.
Level 4: Weapon Specialization: Greatsword (+2 damage)
Greatswords again. This has the same basic reasoning as Weapon Focus. Weapon Specialization improves damage (even more then our base) which is always a plus and is unique to Fighters.
Level 6: Great Cleave (Same as cleave but can work unlimited amount of times) and Iron Will (+2 to Will Saves) that we're weak with naturally (and one that pops up fairly often)Great Cleave is perhaps the single best skill that this character has access to. It gives you the ability to just decimate large hoards of weaker enemies by killing one and then continue Cleaving through them. Iron Will is useful simply to boost a Saving Throw
Level 8: Improved Critical: Greatsword (Critical Hits are more likely)
Improved Critical doesn't really mean much with a Greatsword but it does mean we're hitting Critical Hits more often (which means x2 damage). It isn't as useful as Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization but it is good.
Combat:
The Guardian has a very simple combat style, it's built to destroy everything that stands in its path and it does that fairly well (Stronger Enemies will be a little bit of a problem but nothing that severe). Rushing into combat is just about all there is to a fight. Find a horde of weaker enemies and start Cleaving your way through them (literally) have Jaboli and Kaidala in the back with ranged weapons and let them summon creatures and fling spells at your enemies (hopefully they'll attack the stronger enemies but AI isn't the best). After dealing with the minions you can attack the main threat with Knockdown, then fire up Power Attack and just destroy him.
Equipment:
Magic Great Sword: The Magic talking weapon you get at the start of the game is easily the most powerful weapon you can unlock in this add-on. Plus it's just plain ridiculous at later levels. I ended up giving it Cold, Shock and Acid Damage, as well as Poison (though I wouldn't recommend this, go with either Daze or Fire Damage instead) and Massive Critical.
Heavy Armour: Honestly nothing really stuck out for me. Just go with the Full Plate as an absolute minimum and maybe pick up something better if you have the Gold for it.
Boots of Hardiness: Amour Bonus +1 (Dodge) and Damage Reduction (5 points)
This piece of gear is found in the Manticore Caves in the final room (the one with the Manticore itself). The Damage Reduction is amazingly useful for dealing with weaker enemies and is just generally an excellent piece of gear to pick up.
Greater Archer's Belt: Resist 20 Piercing Damage
This item can be bought from one of the Merchants in the Keep (The Quartermaster I think) and is great for dealing with the Manticore mentioned above. It's also useful against enemies you wouldn't otherwise be able to reach in melee combat because they have trouble harming you.
Ring of Protection: Armour Bonus + 1/2/3 (Deflection)
This is pretty much the only Ring I came across that was any use to me. The extra AC is always useful.
Lord's Helm: Armour Bonus +2 (Deflection) , Charisma +2 and Persuade + 5
This is the reward you get for finishing the main chunk of the game (The Election) and while not insanely useful at that point it was more useful than anything I'd come across before so it was my item of choice.
Closing Notes:
And that's all. A rather simple and quick build to play through the Kingmaker Add-On but it is a fun one. If you want to after completing this addition you could play the same character in the Hoards of the Underdark Campaign. It does work rather well with any of the Main Campaigns because of its simplicity so give it a whirl (the game is pretty cheap on Good Old Games for those that don't have it) I hope those who've played this addition to Neverwinter Nights have fun with this build. Thanks for reading and expect more builds soon
The Guardian is a powerful melee warrior capable of unleashing massive blows with his Greatsword while plated in the Heaviest of Armours. Lesser enemies fall beneath his sword, dozens at a time and larger enemies have no chance against his unending might.
Warning: I'm not going to go into that much detail on the Kingmaker Expansion and the game in general. This is meant for people who have already played the game or at least know the basics of NWN or D&D 3.5.
The Build:
Race: Human is the best choice for this build due to the neutral starting attributes and additional skill points. The extra feat isn't particularly useful but at the same time is a great addition to this character's already vast array of Feats.
Class: Fighter. The average final level for the Kingmaker add-on is level 8 so that's what I'll be basing this class on. If you should happen to pass that level then I recommend taking Barbarian levels to improve HP and Damage.
Alignment: Lawful Good
Skills: Lore, Heal and Discipline are the only three skills we really need. Heal is crucial for a playthrough of Kingmaker because of how limited Resting is .
Companions: Jaboli and Kaidala are the two best choices for a Fighter. Each of them provides long range support and casting abilities and Kaidala later gains the Shape Change Ability (which makes her a decent melee fighter). Trip is the other logical choice from a Gameplay standpoint but honestly his abilities aren't that useful. There aren't a lot of chests that can't be bashed open and Traps aren't really a problem.
Attributes:
Strength: Strength is our number one priority here. Higher Strength = More Damage. Starting off at 16 is the best idea and using the two extra points gained at levels 4 and 8 to hit a total of 18 by end game.
Dexterity: Is more or less pointless for this Character. Going with a base 10 is enough to get by generally, any more and there really isn't a reason for it.
Constitution: The second priority for this build. We want to build out Hit Points up and also our Fortitude Saves (There are a lot of poisons in this add-on) so starting off with 16 is for the best.
Wisdom: Pointless, leave it at 10
Intelligence: You don't really need skills but keeping it at 10 allows you to use all of the Skills this character needs.
Charisma: Charisma is a tad bit more useful in this add-on. A lot of Quests are much easier if you can persuade character's to do something. Having Charisma at 12 makes it possible to persuade or bluff so you might as well throw the points here to start off with.
Feats:
Level 1: Toughness (extra HP), Power Attack (+5 Damage - 5 to hit) and Cleave (After killing one opponent make an immediate attack on a close by opponent)
These are your three starting Feats not only because they are useful but also because together they unlock most of what you need to unlock all other Perks. Toughness is probably the most useful of these three by itself but it doesn't unlock other Feats quite the same as Power Attack and Cleave. Just to let you know, you need to pick Power Attack before picking Cleave.
Level 2: Weapon Focus: Greatsword (+1 to hit)
Personally I enjoy the Greatsword over any other Two-Handed Weapon (Except maybe the Scythe). It actually does 2d6 damage rather than the more popular 1d12. This means instead of hitting for 1-12 damage you hit for 2-12 damage, and it's much more unlikely to roll a lower number (You're rolling 2 dice instead of 1.) Weapon Focus gives you an extra chance to hit and opens up to way more interesting feats so pick it (Another option is Longsword if you want to go Shield and Sword but that's boring).
Level 3: Knockdown (Knock enemies to the ground, easier to hit with melee, can't attack you)
Knockdown is more of a, we need a Feat here so pick one but it can be very useful in this Add-On. Most of your enemies will be rather weak but there will be a fair few stronger enemies that are still of a smaller size that you can Knockdown successfully.
Level 4: Weapon Specialization: Greatsword (+2 damage)
Greatswords again. This has the same basic reasoning as Weapon Focus. Weapon Specialization improves damage (even more then our base) which is always a plus and is unique to Fighters.
Level 6: Great Cleave (Same as cleave but can work unlimited amount of times) and Iron Will (+2 to Will Saves) that we're weak with naturally (and one that pops up fairly often)Great Cleave is perhaps the single best skill that this character has access to. It gives you the ability to just decimate large hoards of weaker enemies by killing one and then continue Cleaving through them. Iron Will is useful simply to boost a Saving Throw
Level 8: Improved Critical: Greatsword (Critical Hits are more likely)
Improved Critical doesn't really mean much with a Greatsword but it does mean we're hitting Critical Hits more often (which means x2 damage). It isn't as useful as Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization but it is good.
Combat:
The Guardian has a very simple combat style, it's built to destroy everything that stands in its path and it does that fairly well (Stronger Enemies will be a little bit of a problem but nothing that severe). Rushing into combat is just about all there is to a fight. Find a horde of weaker enemies and start Cleaving your way through them (literally) have Jaboli and Kaidala in the back with ranged weapons and let them summon creatures and fling spells at your enemies (hopefully they'll attack the stronger enemies but AI isn't the best). After dealing with the minions you can attack the main threat with Knockdown, then fire up Power Attack and just destroy him.
Equipment:
Magic Great Sword: The Magic talking weapon you get at the start of the game is easily the most powerful weapon you can unlock in this add-on. Plus it's just plain ridiculous at later levels. I ended up giving it Cold, Shock and Acid Damage, as well as Poison (though I wouldn't recommend this, go with either Daze or Fire Damage instead) and Massive Critical.
Heavy Armour: Honestly nothing really stuck out for me. Just go with the Full Plate as an absolute minimum and maybe pick up something better if you have the Gold for it.
Boots of Hardiness: Amour Bonus +1 (Dodge) and Damage Reduction (5 points)
This piece of gear is found in the Manticore Caves in the final room (the one with the Manticore itself). The Damage Reduction is amazingly useful for dealing with weaker enemies and is just generally an excellent piece of gear to pick up.
Greater Archer's Belt: Resist 20 Piercing Damage
This item can be bought from one of the Merchants in the Keep (The Quartermaster I think) and is great for dealing with the Manticore mentioned above. It's also useful against enemies you wouldn't otherwise be able to reach in melee combat because they have trouble harming you.
Ring of Protection: Armour Bonus + 1/2/3 (Deflection)
This is pretty much the only Ring I came across that was any use to me. The extra AC is always useful.
Lord's Helm: Armour Bonus +2 (Deflection) , Charisma +2 and Persuade + 5
This is the reward you get for finishing the main chunk of the game (The Election) and while not insanely useful at that point it was more useful than anything I'd come across before so it was my item of choice.
Closing Notes:
And that's all. A rather simple and quick build to play through the Kingmaker Add-On but it is a fun one. If you want to after completing this addition you could play the same character in the Hoards of the Underdark Campaign. It does work rather well with any of the Main Campaigns because of its simplicity so give it a whirl (the game is pretty cheap on Good Old Games for those that don't have it) I hope those who've played this addition to Neverwinter Nights have fun with this build. Thanks for reading and expect more builds soon
