Building the Perfect Party
When you create each of the six characters in your party, the computer assigns random scores for strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. The range for each score is 3 to 18, and you can redistribute the points until they suit the kind of character you want. For example, fighters need high strength scores while mages require plenty of intelligence.
Because not all classes are available to all races, keep those ability scores in mind when you choose a race for your character. Some races even add bonuses to or subtract penalties from certain ability scores, and most of them have special talents that will come in handy during the game.
Also keep in mind the fact that you won’t win the game if every character in the group is the same class. There will be times when a mage’s spells will be more important than a fighter’s brute strength, while other times you may need a thief’s nimbleness or a druid’s healing ability. And when you come across enemy mages, an elf’s prowess with a long bow will come in handy for disrupting their spells.
Races
Humans have no limitations and may choose any class.
Elves can see in the dark, are resistant to sleep and charm spells, and earn a dexterity bonus and a constitution penalty. They also gain bonuses when they use bows or long swords.
Half-elves can also see in the dark, but they have limited resistance to the spells that their cousins are immune to.
Gnomes can see in the dark as well, are resistant to magic and add to their intelligence scores while subtracting from their wisdom scores.
Halflings are tough to kill with magic or poison, can see in the dark, and gain a dexterity bonus and endure a strength penalty. They’re also proficient with slings and get a bonus when using them.
Dwarves can see in the dark, are also resistant to magic and poison, and get a bonus to their constitution score while losing a point in their charisma score.
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Classes
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 | | Clerics can turn away the undead and have the ability to heal other members of the party. |
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 | | Fighters should be at the front of any party. They’re tough and can inflict plenty of damage. |
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 | | Mages are basic wizards who can’t wear any armor and are limited to simple weapons like darts and staffs. |
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| Bards have similar abilities to thieves, but they can also cast some spellsand identify most of the magical items you’ll find in the game. They have high charisma scores, which come in handy when conversing with random townspeople. |
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| Druids, like rangers, are highly attuned to nature. At seventh level, they can turn into an animal once a day. |
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 | | Specialist Mages align themselves with one of eight schools of magic. They gain an extra spell at each level, but they cannot cast spells from the school that opposes the one they chose. |
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 | | Thieves are adept at picking locks, finding and disabling traps, and other stealthy tasks. Because of their need to be nimble, they are limited to wearing only leather armor. |
Paladins are virtuous warriors, not unlike the Knights of the Round Table. They can detect evil when it’s nearby, and they can turn away the undead, a skill that comes in handy in Icewind Dale. |
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| Rangers are fighters who are at home in the woods. Once they reach eighth level, they gain the ability to cast spells. |
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The following chart indicates which races are eligible for which classes:
| Class |
| Race | Fighter | Ranger | Paladin | Cleric | Druid | Thief | Bard | Mage | Specialist Mage |
| Human | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Elf | X | X | | X | X | X | | X | X |
| Half-Elf | X | X | | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Gnome | X | | | X | | X | | | X |
| Halfling | X | | | X | | X | | | |
| Dwarf | X | | | X | | X | | | |
Alignments
There are nine alignments to choose from. Lawful characters adhere strictly to either good or evil, while chaotic characters tend to make their own rules while striving to be either good or evil. Neutrals prefer to exist independent of others’ moral codes and laws. Be careful which alignments you choose for your characters; you may find yourself dealing with a lot of internal conflict if their alignments are diametrically opposed.
Certain classes are restricted to certain alignments, as noted below:
 Lawful Good (Paladins must choose this alignment. Thieves cannot choose it.)
Neutral Good (Rangers must choose some form of good.)
Chaotic Good
Lawful Neutral (Bards must choose some form of neutrality.)
True Neutral (Druids must choose this alignment.)
Chaotic Neutral
Lawful Evil
Neutral Evil
Chaotic Evil
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Mac OS X or Mac OS 8.6 or higher
233MHz PowerPC G3 processor or higher
128 MB of RAM (Mac OS X) or 160MB of RAM (Mac OS 8.6 or higher)
690 MB of hard disk space (minimum)
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