Having fun as a Wizard Slayer
Hi folks! I just finished a duo no-reload playthrough as a Wizard Slayer (just me and Imoen). Unfortunately, Mulahey got me in the end. Still, I have to say: this class really isn't as bad as people make it out to be, as long as you're not playing solo.
The first thing I noticed is that all those amazing magical items can simply go to your companion. Imoen got to enjoy all the cool gear that would normally end up on my main character. So in a party, the Wizard Slayer restriction doesn't feel nearly as painful. By the end, Imoen had better THAC0, better saves, better immunities - the works.
The second thing is that I rolled a dwarf dual-wielding hammers. Normally I spend ages agonizing over race, class, and weapon choices, but this time everything just clicked. If my job is to inflict spell failure, then I want as many attacks per round as possible, so dual wielding was an easy choice. But why hammers? Because hammers are awesome in BGEE, and then in BG2 you get the sweet Dwarven Thrower. Throw in Whirlwind Attack with that, or The Brick, and it sounds like a ton of fun. Sadly, I didn't make it that far... although with a little more care, I probably would have.
One thing I definitely underused was the Wizard Slayer's item options. Sure, they can't equip most of the fun magical gear, but they can use green scrolls. That includes Protection from Magic. There are a few of those available in BGEE, and after this run I've learned my lesson. Next time I play a Wizard Slayer, I'm making sure to keep at least one Protection from Magic scroll on me at all times. And once you get to BGII, Wizard Slayers can use Vhailor's Helm. With that helm and a single Protection from Magic scroll, you're pretty much set.
Another funny side effect was that I never dual-classed Imoen into a mage, which is what I usually do. Since she got all the magical gear that would normally go to my protagonist, she ended up being a really solid archer instead. She even made great use of specialty arrows. It turned into a surprisingly fun way to play.
I still can't really imagine doing a solo run with a Wizard Slayer, though ;)