NPC choices and strategy.

Lemons · Post by **Lemons** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:09 am

Hi, I'm running through BGII, all the way through SoA. I got part way through it once quite a while ago but am restarting. I had a Neutral and Evil party then (Kensai/Mage, Assassin, Cleric/Fighter, Viconia, Korgan and Edwin), but I've decided to go Good and Neutral and choose more NPCs, so I'm using a lot of NPCs I never used before. My party right now is:

Inquisitor (Me; 18 Str, Dex, Con, Cha, 13 Wis, 9 Int)
Tashia (the mod NPC)
Jaheira
Anomen
Yoshimo

I'll switch Yoshimo to Imoen later, and will probably grab Hier'Dalis. I'm RPing here and am interested in party interaction (I grabbed the banter pack mod) and story, so I'm definitely keeping Tashia, Jaheira, and Imoen/Yoshimo. I'm not really attatched to any other NPCs and wanted a bit of a suggestion as to what two other Bioware NPCs I could grab that would be a good mix of interaction and mechanical use that weren't any of the three Evil characters.

Another thing I'm concerned about is strategy, which I need a bit of help with. My Inquisitor goes up and smacks things, I got that, and Tashia stands at the back and casts at things, and Yoshimo scouts and shoots things with his bow. I was trying to use Anomen for a mix of tanking and back up healing/buffing but he gets hit A LOT and takes damage fast. Would the Gauntlets of Dexterity help make him more effective? I've been using a mace/shield combo for him. I'm also not sure what to do with Jaheira. When she goes into melee, she seems to take damage fast. I'm not sure if she's most effective using a sling though, and I'm not sure what spells to have her cast. Summoning nymphs, healing and buffing are good, but I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

Note: I just started out, I've only done the circus tent (and lost boy), Mae'Var's test to steal the necklace from the Priestess of Talos, and the poisoned man (the one you run into on your way to Trademeet that you take to the Harpers) quests.

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:17 am

The Gauntlets of Dexterity will keep him from being hit a moderate amount of time by ranged non-magical attacks. That's all. Not bad, but then, if you keep him far enough away from ranged attackers, he's not going to get hit by arrows, anyway.

Lemons · Post by **Lemons** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:28 am

Isn't that a bit of a waste of 7 levels of Fighter? And thanks for the elucidation, I'm only vaguely familiar with the 2E rules.

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:29 am

Gaunlets of dexterity will help Anomen.

As for Jaheria - I've had her using a sling/scimitar combination for distance and melee battles (and/or shield depending on how much melee you want her to do and don't forget to give her good armor). Jaheria also has some incredible spells - insect plague (L 5), lots of very good summoning spells and moderately good buffing spells - and if you are outside don't forget summon lightning. Use her more for distraction, summoning and missile support then a melee fighter - until she reaches a higher level - as a multi-character she will get more powerful.

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:09 am

Sensei wrote:Gaunlets of dexterity will help Anomen.

How, other than as stated directly above your post? I'm not challenging you; I'm genuinely curious.

As for Jaheira: I wouldn't use her as a tank, but as a second-string tank after she gets good armor and the fifth level spell, Ironskin. Even so, she should be ready to stay back and cast supporting spells (Insect Plague, as Sensei noted) and summonings. She can also raise your dead, something to keep in mind as an ace in the hole if Anomen bites it.

Lemons · Post by **Lemons** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:15 am

Harper's Call, right?

Anomen stops being a douche after he becomes a knight, right?

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:32 am

The gauntlets of dexterity will grant Anomen 18 dex and therefore +4 AC which can reduce enemies' chance to hit him with physical attacks by up to 80 percent (depending on thac0), both with melee and ranged weapons.

I guess the reason why Anomen and Jaheira get hit more often at the frontline is that your cowardly inquisitor wears the best armor and other equipment himself and uses a two-handed weapon to be able to stay further away from the enemy than his poor teammates who have to step forward with their short range weapons so they get attacked instead of him.

For lasting longer they can cast spells like "draw upon holy might", "armor of faith" or "iron skins", having the party mage cast an "improved invisibility" at them will also make a big difference.

koz-ivan · Post by **koz-ivan** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:24 am

fable wrote: As for Jaheira: I wouldn't use her as a tank, but as a second-string tank after she gets good armor and the fifth level spell, Ironskin. Even so, she should be ready to stay back and cast supporting spells (Insect Plague, as Sensei noted) and summonings. She can also raise your dead, something to keep in mind as an ace in the hole if Anomen bites it.

Jaheira has long been one of my most underutilized npc's it's almost criminal how little i have been using her, she's been in my party since the start of bg1, yet never had much of a starring role.

part of the problem is that in bg2 there isn't much gear she can use that can match stuff that the other npc's can use by mid to late TOB it seems a little more fair, still she is my 3rd tank.

utility though she's aces, some quirky spells like insects, summons, harper's call, average missile support etc.

i do wish i had been clearer of where i wanted to go with her weapons skills, seems like most of the game she was using weapons she either didn't have any points in, or only 1. had i arranged her points a little differently she would have been much more effective even from a support role - or had i played to her strengths better i suppose.

Lemons · Post by **Lemons** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:51 am

kmonster wrote:The gauntlets of dexterity will grant Anomen 18 dex and therefore +4 AC which can reduce enemies' chance to hit him with physical attacks by up to 80 percent (depending on thac0), both with melee and ranged weapons.

I guess the reason why Anomen and Jaheira get hit more often at the frontline is that your cowardly inquisitor wears the best armor and other equipment himself and uses a two-handed weapon to be able to stay further away from the enemy than his poor teammates who have to step forward with their short range weapons so they get attacked instead of him.

For lasting longer they can cast spells like "draw upon holy might", "armor of faith" or "iron skins", having the party mage cast an "improved invisibility" at them will also make a big difference.

I gave Anomen better armor than my Inquisitor, and my Inquisitor is dual wielding.

Must be his 18 DEX or something, because I've tried to shuffle around equipment to solve the problem.

I've been thinking about getting Keldorn (it makes sense that two Inquisitors would be companionable) and Aerie (Aerie + Jaheira + Tashia and later Imoen would make for good arcane and divine support), but Aerie gets mad bitchy if you have Jaheira in the party and are male, yes?

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 12:31 pm

fable wrote:How, other than as stated directly above your post? I'm not challenging you; I'm genuinely curious.

Well he does only have ten Dex, so by wearing the gauntlets his A/C is improved by four points, not an inconsiderable increase.

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:20 pm

kmonster wrote:The gauntlets of dexterity will grant Anomen 18 dex and therefore +4 AC which can reduce enemies' chance to hit him with physical attacks by up to 80 percent (depending on thac0), both with melee and ranged weapons.

Thanks for clarifying that. Should I assume this applies as well to Viconia, with her 19 dex?

koz-ivan · Post by **koz-ivan** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:43 pm

Lemons wrote:I've been thinking about getting Keldorn (it makes sense that two Inquisitors would be companionable) and Aerie (Aerie + Jaheira + Tashia and later Imoen would make for good arcane and divine support), but Aerie gets mad bitchy if you have Jaheira in the party and are male, yes?

to me that sounds like 1 too many inquisitors, they should work fine together but maybe not as well as one inquisitor and one totally different melee type. if i were going to try and make that work i'd try to make the pc & keldorn as different as possible as far as weapons and such, and possibly kit as well.

Aerie & Jaheria will work in a group, it isn't like they fight or anything like that.

Lemons · Post by **Lemons** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:08 pm

koz-ivan wrote:to me that sounds like 1 too many inquisitors, they should work fine together but maybe not as well as one inquisitor and one totally different melee type. if i were going to try and make that work i'd try to make the pc & keldorn as different as possible as far as weapons and such, and possibly kit as well.

Aerie & Jaheria will work in a group, it isn't like they fight or anything like that.

Well, I'm dual wielding, which means Keldorn could use Casomyr. I could always use Shadowkeeper to change his kit to Cavalier or Undead Hunter.

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:08 pm

fable wrote:Thanks for clarifying that. Should I assume this applies as well to Viconia, with her 19 dex?

The difficulty with Vic is her lack of str (10) and weak con (8) - so she needs two items to make her a better fighter - strength belt/gaunlet of some kind or the mace (that gives 18 str) and the belt that offers increased con for 12hrs (or you can use potions) at a time - with all of these items she becomes a better fighting machine.

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:15 pm

Lemons wrote:Well, I'm dual wielding, which means Keldorn could use Casomyr. I could always use Shadowkeeper to change his kit to Cavalier or Undead Hunter.

For a bit more fun in terms of banter use Haer Dalis (the bard) and is quite powerful or Korgan (if you don't mind that he is evil) - and he is a better fighter than Keldorn and much more fun to have around. I like to use Mazzy as one of my tanks give her bows (with unlimited ammo) and a two-handed weapon (halberd or spear) + str equipement and she does some very nice damage.

Revan1993 · Post by **Revan1993** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:36 pm

Sensei wrote:The difficulty with Vic is her lack of str (10) and weak con (8) - so she needs two items to make her a better fighter - strength belt/gaunlet of some kind or the mace (that gives 18 str) and the belt that offers increased con for 12hrs (or you can use potions) at a time - with all of these items she becomes a better fighting machine.

If tou give her the mace "Maulers arm," I did the same with aerie, bought it in the copper coronet, after I got Much gold for stealing from Mae'var's guild, Vicnia's strength will become 18, and you can give her plate mail. Then her only problem left is her HP. I think that is what you mean.

Lemons · Post by **Lemons** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:38 pm

How do you use a Blade to tank effectively?

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:09 pm

Step 1: Use Defensive Spin.

Done. At high enough level with AC -30, you don't get touched. That's Tanking.

Majorman · Post by **Majorman** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:27 am

I'm pretty sure there was a glitch that allowed you to activate the Defensive Spin AND move around, which makes the blade even cheesier. All you need to do is to give him a ring of free action. The glitch may have been fixed in some of the patches - I'm not sure, cause I haven't taken Haer Dalis in my party so far. Yet, even if it works, resorting to glitches may spoil your game, so think twice.