Who to drop from party?

mrdeluxe · Post by **mrdeluxe** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:37 am

Please help me decide my ToB party.

PC: Paladin, Inquisitor
Imoen
Jaheira
Viconia
Jan
Haer'Dalis

Who should leave to make room for big brother? Jaheira and Viconia kind of complement each other, as do Jan and Haer'Dalis.
At first glance, the bard is probably the one who needs more micro-managing, but I do like the idea of keeping a bard in the party (Improved Bard Song is killer).

Thanks!

Elessar · Post by **Elessar** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:28 am

Jaheira!
1 Cleric is quite sufficient esp Vici. Your big brother is a much better tank than Jaheira.
Need Imoen and Jan for spell power (Jan also for traps). Bard song is great for a party.

mrdeluxe · Post by **mrdeluxe** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 5:21 pm

I guess it makes sense. I was planing on romancing Jaheira (again), but a Paladin and Viconia might make an *interesting* couple!

Although, should I actually take Sarevok with me? Is he really that integral to the story? (I haven't played ToB to the end).

Ares2382 · Post by **Ares2382** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 3:14 pm

Never been a big fan of Haer'Dalis. His not really much of a bard, since he's a blade. He's more of an offensive bard. But Sarevok is so much better at being a killing machine. And unlike Haer'Dalis he can actually take as much as he can dish out.

Plus Sarevok is just plain cook dude, and his conversations with Imoen are classic

mrdeluxe · Post by **mrdeluxe** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:48 pm

I've been thinking about this more and more, especially from a role-playing perspective.

I'm playing through BG1 at the moment, and I have in my party: Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Kivan and Coran. A devastating party and I'm loving the Cavalier as the PC.

However, in BGII I just can't ignore Minsc and Jaheira trapped with me. And both of them having lost their companions, I can't justify, as a Paladin, to leave them in the Copper Coronet.

Anyway, here is the party that I'm considering for SoA:

PC (Cavalier)
Imoen
Jaheira
Minsc
Haer'Dalis
Jan

I'm ditching Viconia. I'll save her from burning, of course, but I couldn't see my Cavalier putting up with her obvious cruelty and disregard for the weak. And the romance with Jaheira, while not as interesting as the one with Viconia, is more rewarding and in line with the story.

So, who should leave for Sarevok? What characters don't belong in the party?

I'm looking at this from a Role Playing perspective, and as such:

Aerie is too darn inexperienced when we meet her to allow her to join the party. So is Nalia.
Keldorn should stay with his family.
I see no reason to keep Anomen after he gets knighted.
Cernd has responsibilities of his own, as a druid.
Valygar seems like a very independent character from the start.
All the evil NPCs are out, for obvious reasons.

So that leaves Jan, Haer’Dalis and Mazzy, who might have a good reason to join the party, seeing that her previous party got killed.

Haer’Dalis just wants to have adventures, but his nihilistic approach to everything “At last, oblivion!” makes it easy for me to keep him in the party. And he’s pretty useful as complementary to the other NPCs.

I could tell Jan to stay with his family, but he kinda gets his heart crushed after his quest, so I feel bad for him. Plus, he’s a funny guy.

So, who should get canned for Sarevok? Should Haer’Dalis see oblivion for a final time? Or should I just tell Jan to stay home with his turnips? Won’t I miss arcane magic if I do this?

Thanks, and sorry for the long-winded post.

P.S.: Or I could let Minsc suffer a tragic accidental death after one of his berserker rages!

Noxamoi · Post by **Noxamoi** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:00 pm

I would say Haer'Dalis.

But that might just be bias.... can't stand the guy after he was constantly hitting on Aerie all the time. If you leave him, the two love birds can be together.

Plus how many short sword specialists do you need... I would rather have Mazzy

Rancid Sushi · Post by **Rancid Sushi** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:15 pm

Haer'Dalis gets an extra proficiency in long swords at level 20, I think.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:34 am

Easy answer, Minsc, he's the weakest member of your party and a perpetual liability. Had he been a Chaotic Neutral Berserker as he should have been given his character he would have been useful, otherwise he's a constant threat to the party and your worst fighter.

mrdeluxe · Post by **mrdeluxe** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:08 pm

Yes, I agree is the most obvious choice to drop, but should I? The guy is an old friend of the PC, was imprisoned because of him and lost his witch (companion). A Lawful Good character would be compelled to look after him, and help him avenge Dynaheir, and finish his dejemma.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 2:43 pm

I tend to be somewhat biased against Minsc as the first time I met him he killed Imoen and nearly killed my PC. I tried him again a long time later and he tried to do the same thing again, so I tend to view him as Chaotic Neutral with evil tendencies; he talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk so to speak!:laugh:

I was convinced for a long time that he was a servant of Sarevok's sent to spy on me and act as a 5th columnist. The fact that he claimed to be a Ranger when he patently couldn't be didn't help my impression of him.

As for Dynaheir, it seems to be a one way relationship. When I've picked her up in BG1 without Minsc (which is the norm for me) she never once has mentioned Minsc or shown any interest searching for him. Also he gets imprisoned with you even if you killed him in BG1 (one of several really annoying reincarnations in BG2), so the friendship with the PC is tenuous at best.

However, it's your game, and you interpret it how you like. If you do keep the psychopath, then the obvious one to drop for me, in an RP sense, is Haer'Dalis as he is almost as opposite to your alignment as the Matron Mother in Ust Natha!!! So according to Bioware is Jan, but I really don't see Jan as being Chaotic Neutral at all, Chaotic Good would be more like it. As an aside, Jan really should have been a Jester, much more in keeping with his personality!

mrdeluxe · Post by **mrdeluxe** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:06 am

Love the idea of Jan as a Jester. Might try that on a next run of the game!